On this episode, we chat with Ray Xu about his debut middle grade graphic novel Alterations, a charming semi-autobiographical tale of a kid growing up in a crowded apartment with his mom, older sister, and grandmother, just trying to fit in and stand out. We chat with Ray about the real life inspirations behind his novel, as well as his own creative journey to becoming an animation story editor and published author.

Follow Ray on Instagram at @rayxuxu and check out Ray’s graphic novel, Alterations, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

*Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*

On our mid-month check in for February 2024, we recap the latest Asian American book and publishing announcements, as well as catch up on the latest book tea, including controversies from a prominent book awards.

Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:

• Me and My Pet Demon by Remy Lai
• Once Upon a Tail by Audrey Perrott & Charlene Chua
• A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
• 100th Day of School with Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi; illust by Debby Rahmalia
• The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever by Sandra Salsbury
• This Is Dance by Rekha S. Rajan; illust by Chris Park
• Folk Remedy by Jem Yoshioka
• Navigating Night by Julie Leung; illust by Angie Kang
• A Good Indian Girl by Mansi Shah

News stories covered on this episode:

• Controversy over ‘inexplicable’ exclusion of R F Kuang and Xiran Jay Zhao from Hugo Awards 2023
• “YA Isn’t Just for Young Adults” op-ed criticism

*Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*

On this episode, we chat with author Sajni Patel to talk about her new YA fantasy novel A Drop of Venom, a retelling of the Medusa myth taking place in an Indian-inspired fantasy setting. Her novel follows the story of two people, one is a naga, deemed a monster by the powers that be, and the other is a slayer, who is sent to kill monsters by those same powers. Sajni shares with us why she was inspired to adapt Medusa’s story, and why her tale is now more relevant than ever.

Follow Sajni on Instagram at @sajnipatelbooks and check out Sajni’s novel, A Drop of Venom, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

*Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*

On this episode we discuss our January 2024 book club pick, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, by Jane Wong. In this memoir, Jane shares about her upbringing in Atlantic City as a restaurant kid, her trials and tribulations in love, as well as her tumultuous journey to becoming a writer and academic. Jane’s stories aren’t all fun-times, but not all sad-times neither, and they are beautifully brought to life with her evocative prose that will stay with us for some time.

*Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*

On this author chat, we sit down with French-Chinese-American author Aube Rey Lescure to talk about her debut novel River East, River West, a story that blends coming-of-age and historical fiction following the stories of a young daughter of an expat living in Shanghai who dreams of a better life in America (or at the very least among the Americans living in Shanghai), and her new stepfather, a Chinese businessman pursuing his own dreams after his life was derailed during the Cultural Revolution. We chat with Aube about her inspirations for he story as well as her personal journey to becoming a novelist.

Follow Sage on Instagram @aubenoisette and check out Aube’s debut graphic novel, River East, River West, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

*Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*

It’s time for our first mid-month book news check-in for 2024! It’s been a light news month to start off the year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some exciting new publishing announcements to go over, including a new literary project by Keanu Reeves!

Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:

• The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves & China Miéville
• Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice by Gracie Marsden
• The Lotus Inn by Nisha Sharma
• Men Like Ours by Bindu Bansinath
• Make My Wish Come True by Alyson Derrick & Rachael Lippincott
• She Gets the Girl: A Christmas Novella by Alyson Derrick & Rachael Lippincott
• Sun, Moon and Star by Nancy So Miller
• A Fly in the Chai by Zenia Wadhwani; illust by Chaaya Prabhat
• I Am a Bon Dancer by Brandi-Ann Uyemura; illust by Amy Matsushita-Beal
• No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam
• Follow Us by Liann Zhang