On this episode, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our May 2022 mid-month check-in! 

New books and authors mentioned in our publishing news:

• Ila Nguyen-Hayama – Benten School of Esoterics
• Lyla Lee – Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd
• Thea Guanzon – Hurricane Wars
• Gail D. Villanueva – Lulu Sinagtala and The Tagalog Gods
• Melissa de la Cruz – The Headmaster’s List
• MariNaomi (writer) and Trung Le Nguyen (illustrator) – They
• Adib Khorram (writer) and Michelle Tran (illustrator) – Bijan Always Wins
• Swati Teerdhala – The Boyfriend Wish
• Joanna Ho (writer) and Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya (illustrator) – We Who Produce Pearls
• Meera Sriram (writer) and Sandhya Prabhat (illustrator) – The Spice Box
• Minh Lê and Dan Santat – Built to Last
• Tina Athaide (writer) and Archana Sreenivasan (illustrator) – Sunshine in the Monsoons
• Joowon Oh – Lucky Dogs
• Christina Matula and Erica Lyons (writers); Tracy Subisak (illustrator) – Mixed-Up Mooncakes

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

On this episode, we welcome author Vanessa Hua back to the podcast to chat about her newest book Forbidden City, a historical fiction novel about a young woman who becomes a confidant of Chairman Mao during the Cultural Revolution. We catch up with Vanessa about what she’s been up to since we last chatted, and learn more about how and why she decided to write a story about one of the most turbulent times in modern Chinese history. 

Follow Vanessa on twitter at @vanessa_hua and check out her new book Forbidden City on sale May 10, 2022!

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

On this episode, we discuss our April 2022 pick is A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen, a rom-com about Liza Yang, a high school senior who loves to bake but her mother would rather set her up on blind dates with acceptable Chinese boys. After she finally convinces her mother to let her participate in the family’s annual baking competition as a judge, she finds that her mother has filled the competition with potential suitors, with her as a prize! Join us as we discuss this Asian American re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice, with a delicious twist.

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

On this episode, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our April 2022 mid-month check-in! 

New books mentioned in our publishing news:

• Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
• Dim Sum Palace by X. Fang
• Broken by X. Fang
• We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang
• Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
• untitled novel by Anuk Arudpragasam
• If You’re Not the One by Farah Naz Rishi
• The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
• The Shade Tree by Suzy Lee
• The Books of Clash: Legendary Legends Legendarious Achievery by Gene Luen Yang
• The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow
• The Little Green Envelope by Gillian Sze & illustrated by Claudine Crangle
• The Boo Crew Needs You! by Vicky Fang & illustrated by Saoirse Lou
• to Girls on Wheels by Srividhya Venkat & illustrated by Kate Wadsworth
• Indigo Hands by Sita Singh & illustrated by Naveen Selvanathan
• A Bindi Is a Dot by Suma Subramaniam
• Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen
• The Unders by Eugene Lee Yang
• Writing in Color: The Lessons We’ve Learned edited by Nafiza Azad and Melody Simpson
• Noodle and Bao by Shaina Lu

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

On this episode, we chat with author Jenny Tinghui Zhang about her debut novel Four Treasures of the Sky, a historical fiction novel about a woman’s journey across the American west during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act. We learn about Jenny’s inspirations a well as how she prepared to write about such a dark chapter in Chinese American history. 

Follow Jenny on instagram at @sunspotletters and check out her book Four Treasures of the Sky on sale now!

On this episode, we discuss our March 2022 Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, a genre-spanning novel about a music teacher seeking souls to pay back a demonic pact, a trans girl runaway who might also be a violin prodigy, a family of interstellar refugees running a donut shop, and their intertwining stories  taking place in the San Gabriel Valley (where Marvin and Reera also happen to live). Listen to our sprawling discussion about this equally sprawling story about love, healing, and the power of music (and food).

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *