Buckle in for an extra large episode of Books & Boba! On this episode, we discuss the last half of our book club pick Babel by R.F. Kuang, where the action and drama ramps up and does not let up until the very end. From a shocking turn of events on the high seas to a climactic magical workers strike, Babel is a story we won’t forget for years to come.

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Note that Babel is published by a Harper Collins imprint which is in the middle of a strike with the HCP Union seeking fair pay for workers. Books & Boba supports the HCP Union, as does the author R.F. Kuang, and invite you to support the union by amplifying their message on social media (Twitter / Instagram) and donating to their strike fund.

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On this episode of Books & Boba, we sit down with author Kyla Zhao to chat about her debut novel The Fraud Squad, a story about one woman’s quest to charm her way into Singaporean high society to chase her dreams of writing for Asias most glamorous fashion magazine.

Follow Kyla on instagram at @kylakzhao and check out her novel The Fraud Squad on sale now!

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

It’s our first mid-month episode of 2023, just in time for the Lunar New Year! Join us as we ring in the Year of the Rabbit by going through the latest Asian American book and publishing news, including an update on the HarperCollins Union Strike and the emergence of AI audiobook narrators.

New books and authors mentioned in our publishing news:

• Mind Your Manners: A Guide to Social Fluency by Sara Jane Ho
• Just Another Meet Cute by Jenn P.Nguyen
• Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian
• Untitled Memoir by Jane Chen
• Swimming into Trouble by Angela Ahn; illust by Julie Kim
• Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho
• Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley
• The Last Rhee Witch by Jenna Lee-Yun
• The Sugar Plum Bakers: And the 12 Holiday
• Treats by Patricia Tanumihardja; illust by Bonnie Lui
• Off the Cuff by Supriya Kelkar;Illust by Ani Bushry

Don’t forget show support to the ongoing HarperCollins Union Strike by supporting their hardship fund at https://givebutter.com/HCPstrike

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

On our first author chat of the new year, we sit down with Iris Yamashita, the academy award nominated screenwriter of Letters From Iwo Jima, to chat about her debut novel City Under One Roof, a mystery set in a remote town in Alaska where the entire population lives in one building. We chat with Iris about the real life inspirations for her story and setting, as well as ask about her career as an Asian American screenwriter and novelist.

Follow Iris on instagram at @irisyamashita and check out her novel City Under One Roof on sale now!

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

Happy New Year! On this episode, we discuss the first 2 acts (or “books”) of Babel by R.F. Kuang, a epic dark academia fantasy taking place in an alternate universe version of Oxford during the early Victorian era about a Chinese boy named Robin Swift who is whisked away from his home in Canton and set on a path to become a translator for the Royal Institute of Translation (aka Babel). However, as he and his cohort learn more about their chosen field, the contradictions of empire, and their roles in it, become harder and harder to ignore.

Note that Babel is published by a Harper Collins imprint which is in the middle of a strike with the HCP Union seeking fair pay for workers. Books & Boba supports the HCP Union, as does the author R.F. Kuang, and invite you to support the union by amplifying their message on social media (Twitter / Instagram) and donating to their strike fund.

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

For the last time this year, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our December 2022 mid-month check-in, including checking in on the ongoing strike at Harper Collins

New books and authors mentioned in our publishing news:

• Shell Song by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson
• Untitled picture book by Sanae Ishid
• Untitled YA horror novels by Judy I. Lin
• Terminal Hope by Michelle Wong
• Outside Mom, Inside Mom by Jane Park; illust by Lenny Wen
• To Gaze upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
• It’s Only a Game by Kelsea Yu
• Little Sisters by Tomo Miura; translated by Nanette McGuinness
• The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
• Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumani
• Little Bird Laila by Kelly Yan; illust by Xindi Yan
• What Lolo Wants by Cristina Oxtra; Jamie Bauza
• Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear; illust by Gracey Zhang

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *