AAPI Month Book Recommendations

Hi everyone,

So, it’s almost the end of May, but I didn’t want to let the month just slip away without posting some book recommendations for AAPI month. There have been some amazing releases by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors in recent months, so now is definitely the time to add a few books to those teetering tbrs. AAPI month is a great chance to celebrate the AAPI community. My list includes several new releases, as well as one or two recommendations of books that I’ve read and loved over the past few years.

1. Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim.

Okay, I’m kind of cheating with this one, since there are two books in this one list number here, but I couldn’t resist. The books are a wonderful duology that was pitched as Project Runway meets Mulan. The main character, Maia, is determined to become the greatest tailor in the land, but the job is reserved for men. So when her father receives an invitation from the palace, Maia decides to take up the offer. She poses as a boy and takes her father’s place, entering into a cutthroat competition that will test her to her limits. And she’s somehow drawn the attention of the court magician, Edan, who knows enough that her secrets could come unravelled in front of the entire court. What’s not to love about that? Plus, the series has recently gotten some gorgeous new editions, and they’re so stunning I’m tempted to buy the books all over again!

2. The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He.

This one is a new release, which came out at the start of May. Cee has been stuck on an island for three years, with no memory of how she got there, or of her life before. All she can remember is that she has a sister, somewhere, called Kay, and Cee needs to find her again. In another world, STEM prodigy Kasey lives in an eco-city that has been built for people who protected the planet. But natural disasters are on the rise, and so the citizens of her city agree to spend at least a third of their time in stasis pods, doing what they can to reduce their carbon footprints. Kasey doesn’t mind that, but her sister Celia hated it. No one could have predicted that Celia would take a boat out to sea and never return… I haven’t read this book yet (it’s currently on it’s way to me) but I’ve heard such good things. And I’m always here for more standalones too.

3. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean.

This one looks so cute. I love the girl who learns she’s a princess trope! And Tokyo Ever After really seems to look at all the politics and secrecy and everything that goes on in a royal family. Izumi also seems like a down to earth and relatable character. She doesn’t feel like she fits in, because she’s a Japanese-American girl in a mostly white neighbourhood. And then she learns from her single-mom that her dad is actually the Crown Prince of Japan. Izzy goes to Japan to meet her father, but when she’s there, she’s caught up in the press and stress of being a princess. And her scowling handsome bodyguard is not helping matters. Izzy finds herself caught between worlds, trying to prove that she’s “Japanese” enough to fit in. I think this sounds like an incredible story, with a wonderful romance and an exploration of cultures and a character who feels caught in the middle of two different worlds.

4. Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

I was really tempted to include Akemi’s Infinity Courts because it sounds sooooo good, but my vote has to go for her debut novel, Starfish. I absolutely loved it when I first read it, and I feel like I’m past due a re-read. First, the cover is gorgeous! It definitely drew me to the book when it first came out. Starfish is about a half-Japanese teen called Kiko who grapples with social anxiety and a mother who is a narcissist, as she tries to move on with her life after being rejected from art school. Kiko has a lot going on—her mother doesn’t seem to want her children to explore their Japanese heritage, and Kiko isn’t really sure where she fits in. But then her abusive uncle moves back in with her family, and so Kiko jumps on an opportunity to spend some of the summer with a childhood friend. While staying with him, she’s able to be herself for the first time in forever, growing her art and her confidence as she learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and what she wants for the future. It’s an absolutely gorgeous story about creativity and identity, and about family issues. It does obviously include some talk of abuse and neglect, so it’s good to be aware of that going in, but it is a story that’s definitely worth picking up.

5. Warcross by Marie Lu.

Another slightly older book, but one that absolutely deserves all the hype it gets. Warcross is a great sci-fi YA novel, and I really enjoyed the whole concept of the novel. Basically, I’m a total sucker for things related to video games. And since Marie Lu once worked as a video game developer, there’s a pretty detailed world created between the pages. Emika Chen is a bounty hunter and hacker, tracking down players who make illegal bets on the game of Warcross. Warcross is a huge game, practically a way of life for the millions who log in every day. And since she’s short of cash, Emika decides to take a gamble of her own—hacking into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation. With the world’s attention on her, Emika is shocked when the game’s creator, attractive elusive billionaire, Hideo Tanaka, offers her a job. He needs her to enter into the Championship to work as his spy on the inside. Emika is whisked off to Tokyo, where she’s thrown into a world of fame and fortune that she never knew existed. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

Which books by AAPI authors would you recommend picking up? Let me know in the comment section down below <3