Within the expansive world of books, Asian American and Pacific Islander voices offer distinctive viewpoints and unique, thought-provoking perspectives to readers. These viewpoints help teach people about the rich culture and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans. Plus, AAPI authors just tell really, really great stories! From heart-stopping thrillers, to swoon-worthy romances, to compelling memoirs— here are 16 books you should check out in celebration of AAPI Month!
Memory Pieceby Lisa Ko
In the 1980s, Giselle, Jackie, and Ellen were all outcasts who banded together to have friends and work towards their dreams. Now in the 2040s, the three of them are forced to confront the facts that the world around them has changed and their dreams must too. Giselle, a performer, must learn how to succeed in the elite social world. Jackie, a successful coder, must figure out how to still love his craft even as the coding industry shifts towards surveillance and monetization. And Ellen, a community activist, must come to terms with the increased policing and building that are going on in her neighborhood. This is a story of the changing world and how three lifelong friends must learn to navigate that change and build happy lives despite how different everything is.
The Fetishistby Katherine Min
Written by the late Katherine Min, The Fetishist is a tale of three individuals that explores race, femininity, and how complicated the feelings of family and grief can be. Twenty-three-year-old Japanese American Kyoko is full of anger and despair at the death of her mother, who was recently dumped by Daniel. She is determined to kill Daniel and make him pay for what he did, but her plans go wrong. Daniel is a violinist who is struggling to confront his past mistakes and move forward. Alma, Daniel’s lover, is a Korean American who is spending her final days wondering if she was truly loved in her life.
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
Yangsze Choo weaves a tale of old love, second chance, and ancient folklore. It is 1908 in Manchuria, the last years of the Qing Empire, when a woman is found mysteriously dead in a doorway. Suspicions are cast onto the foxes, spirits who are said to transform into beautiful people to lure victims. Detective Bao has been investigating the foxes but has never come close, until now. Meanwhile, Snow is a creature devoted to hunting her child's killer. Both are on a path from China to Japan, but what will happen as more deaths and tragedies follow in their wake?
The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant
All Emlyn wants to do is forget about her past. Forget about her best friend Janessa who doesn’t speak to her and forget about the love of her life and her ex, Tyler, who left her for dead on the roadside. Now, three years later, she is living a whole new life in her own trailer with a healthy community around her. But one day Tyler reappears with news that Janessa is missing, shoving Emlyn back into that world that she tried so hard to leave behind. Reluctantly, Emlyn joins Tyler on a mission to try to find her ex-best friend. As they explore deeper into the wilderness Emlyn begins to suspect that not all is as it seems and that she might be in just as much danger as Janessa.
The Catchby Amy Lea
Melanie Karlsen’s brand is about to collapse and she is doing everything possible to stop that from happening. That is why she currently finds herself in an east-coast Canadian fishing village. There she is learning that the stereotypical “all Canadians are nice” statement is not true, especially Evan Whaler. But when an accident lands Evan in the hospital and Melanie is mistaken as his fiancée, the two team up to appease his nagging family and save Melanie’s brand. As their relationship grows from something fake to something more, Melanie must decide whether to embrace this wild love or continue her perfect city life.
Kindlingby Traci Chee
Kindlings were once considered the elite, the fighters who used their magic to wage war at the cost of their own lives. Now that the war is over, the kindlings have been cast aside and forgotten, their magic outlawed. But when violence sparks in the countryside and a village comes under siege, seven kindlings must step up and fight one last time. But can they break through their past and find that peace that they have been searching for through this final battle? This standalone fantasy by Traci Chee explores the deepest parts of humanity and what it means to be lost and led back to find a future worth fighting for.
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
Ever since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister disappeared twenty years ago, she has been searching for any clues as to what happened. As other girls go missing and are not found, Chelsey begins to give up hope. But when teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared two years ago, is found alive in the Washington State woods, Chelsey finally has hope again. There’s only one problem, Ellie will not say anything and it is now up to Chelsey to find out what happened and where Ellie was. For the sake of herself, her missing sister, and the girls who will continue to go missing if she does not solve this mystery.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Yearsby Shubnum Khan
Akhbar Manzil has always drawn Sana close. With the abandoned estates’ dark halls, empty rooms, and mysterious East Wing, Sana wants to know more. When she ventures into the East Wing she finds a door that has been closed for centuries, a room that was suspended in time, and a young woman's diary. As Sana explores the diary and learns of young Meena, who tragically passed in the estate, something stirs. Watching and hunting Sana from the shadows, a grieving djinn from the time of Meena’s death has awoken. In this heartbreaking and mysterious love story, Shubnum Khan weaves a tale of searching for belonging.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
With the Gresham Trust depleted and the family in severe debt, Rufus Leung Gresham is told by his mother to attend his sister's wedding at a luxury eco-resort and find a wealthy wife. Seducing a woman with money would save the family fortune and spare them from many scandals. But despite all of the wealthy and attractive women at the wedding, Rufus Gresham only has eyes for the humble girl next door. As a volcano erupts and the wedding goes up in flames, secrets are exposed, and his mother’s plans are revealed, can Rufus recover or will tragedy strike even further?
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li
Grace Tang is a freshman in college, determined to move on from her heartbreaking senior year of high school and start her life new. But when her statistics class forces her to write an equation, she chooses to write an algorithm that will pair people with their perfect match. But some people are skeptical, including Grace’s coworker Julia. To prove her point, Grace starts dating her match, but as she grows closer and closer to Julia even she is finding herself starting to question the algorithm. Can Grace choose between the neat and predictable equations or will she risk a love that does not follow the formula?
Asking For A Friend by Kara H.L. Chen
This upcoming Young Adult novel by Kara H.L. Chen is the perfect summer rom-com to look forward to! There are only two things that Juliana Zhao is certain of; that she is a love expert and that she is going to win the Asian Americans in Business Competition. But when Juliana is dropped by her project partner and forced to pair up with frenemy Garrett Tsai, everything starts to fall apart. Arguments ensue and Juliana is forced to realize that maybe winning isn't everything and that her sheltered worldview won’t make her the perfect daughter or successful woman she strives to be.
Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman
When Filipino musician and producer Mon Mendoza finds himself struggling to fit in while in New York City, he finds comfort in making some pancit canton, and unintentionally finds himself on a date with his neighbor. Actress Olivia Angeles has taken on so many characters, but the one she struggles most to embody is her true self. She finds that in a one-night stand with her insanely attractive and excellent cook neighbor. But now, one month later, Olivia and Mon find themselves working on the same movie. Can the two of them remain professional or will their steaming chemistry become too much?
You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen
Annie “Anh Le” Shaw had grown up poor but is now wealthy, with everything that she could ever want in her life. But when her Vietnam War refugee mother suddenly and unexpectedly dies, Annie’s perfect world begins to fall apart. Her OCD comes storming back, but her disturbing thoughts and fixations are actually coming true. As more people start to disappear and die, suspicions turn to Annie. To save her husband and daughter, she distances herself only to be found naked and next to a dead body in a hotel room. But all that matters is protecting her family, even if she loses herself in the process.
Their Divine Fires by Wendy Chen
Covering three generations of Chinese women and their love and affairs, this debut novel by Wendy Chen explores the ideas of ancestors, secrets, and folklore. In 1917, Yunhong falls deeply in love with a wealthy landlord's son, but when her brother ruins their wedding he ensures that her daughter will never know her father. As time passes her daughter, Yuexin, passes on stories to her daughters who try to unravel the family’s secrets. This novel dives deep into family history: what the ancestors get to decide to pass down to their future family, and what gets lost to time forever.
One Last Word by Suzanne Park
Sara Chae is the creator of the One Last Word app, an app that allows you to send a message to anyone after you pass away. With obvious and secure safeguards in place, these messages are only sent out after people are 100% confirmed to be dead. Or at least that’s what they are supposed to do. But when Sara wakes up to find that her messages were released, everything goes wrong. Drunk messages to her emotionally abusive mother, her ex-best friend, and a love confession to her high school crush, Harry Shim, all get spilled, leaving Sara (who is very much alive) to deal with the fallout. But when she is offered a mentorship program from none other than Harry, she realizes that this could be a path forward and could lead to everything she’s dreamed of.
In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati-Alexander
When Sloane Cooper is offered an interview for her dream job as a video game designer at a top company she is jumping for joy. But somehow during the interview process, in front of an all-male panel, she finds herself promising to not get involved in any romance to stay focused on her work. Unfortunately for her, her extremely hot neighbor Charlie offers to take her on an all-inclusive trip to a tropical resort to make his ex jealous and return to him. Sloane agrees, thinking that the trip will be good for her to focus on her work. But can she resist falling in love with this man in such a romantic setting? His love life and her career depend on it.
Need more book recs? Be sure to checkout our storefront for all our favorite reads right now!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
Header image via Amazon
