Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2026 Reading List
Hi everyone! Sorry this is late, been traveling and juggling other things. But it's time for my favorite month of the year, absolutely binging a bunch of specfic by Asian and Asian Diaspora authors. This year's list is way too long, I was definitely overly ambitious. But there were too many books that seemed interesting, or have been getting great press, or have just been sitting on my "to read" list for too long. Oh well, let's see what we can do
Before that, though, here are some books that I can promise are great. Or at least, books that I loved:
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**In which our main character walks away from the power and the Taoist magic and the drama in order to live a simple life as a farmer. Hilarity ensues**
**Modern, feminist stories inspired by traditional Japanese folk tales, kabuki plays, and general myths and legends. Yeah, it's fantastic**
**Asian-American, feminist, queer, but more than anything else just a badass dark fantasy about what you can do when they refuse to let you into your club. You can make them let you in**
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As always, let me know if you're reading any of these and want to talk about them! I can't promise any of these are good, but I'm excited for them and willing to roll the dice
"The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport" by Samit Basu (2023)
I generally tend towards East Asia with my reading list this month, but always make a point of adding some South Asian authors as well. Space opera, in which a young lady comes across sentient technology that claims to be able to grant three wishes . . .
I generally tend towards East Asia with my reading list this month, but always make a point of adding some South Asian authors as well. Space opera, in which a young lady comes across sentient technology that claims to be able to grant three wishes . . .
"Rakesfall" by Vajra Chandrasekera (2024)
Ambitious with this one, it's very dense. But this deep, allegorical tale about a couple reincarnated through time and tackling issues of colonialism and oppression, written by a Sri Lankan author, is supposed to be fantastic. I'll let you all know
"Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea" by Rita Chang-Eppig (2023)
If you don't know the name Zheng Yi Sao, you should. Badass pirate, one of the most successful in history. This novelization of her rise to power got good reviews, I'm super excited
"We'll Prescribe You a Cat" by Ishida Syou (trans. E. Madison Shimoda, 2024)
As has been previously mentioned, Japan continues to knock it out of the park with cozy magical realism, usually of the heartbreaking variety. A magical clinic that can only be found by people who are truly struggling, which then prescribes you a cat to help you? Yes. Sign me up
"Vera Wang's Unsolicited Advice for Muderers" by Jesse Q. Sutano (2023)
I greatly enjoyed Sutano's equally well-titled "Dial A for Aunties", more than happy to get on board for a quirky detective mystery starring an old lady running a tea shop in San Francisco Chinatown. The blub has the line, "Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands" . . . like I said, I'm on board
"Luminous" by Silvia Park (2025)
Park's debut novel, just released to incredible fanfare and promotion, I'm willing to get in on the ground floor. That plus the synopsis, a near-future mystery set in a unified Korea with cool robots and themes of sibling love. Let's see how this goes
"Hammajang Luck" by Makana Yamamoto (2025)
Scifi heist novel! Queer scifi heist novel! Antiestablishment queer scifi heist novel set in future Hawaii, one last job . . . listen, I was always going to read this book, AAPI Heritage Month is just an excuse
"A Phở Love Story" by Loan Le (young adult, 2021)
Hey, I'm trying to branch out here! Young adult romance novel is not what I generally read, but this has been really well-reviewed and I'm looking forward to something cute. That and I'm always a big fan of anything portraying the Asian immigrant experience, and a teenage love story set across two feuding noodle shops . . . yeah ok, that does sound fun. Plus, you know, I like phở
"Moonstorm" by Yoon Ha Lee (young adult, 2024)
Yoon Ha Lee's range is incredible. Gorgeous modern fairy tales, stylish militaristic space opera, and also some really great young adult work. The only thing his books have in common is that they are all excellent. Plus this one has mechas!!
"The Godsfang" by Y.R. Liu (novella, 2021)
I've been making a big effort to support indie and self-published specfic lately, and this seems like a great one. Epic fantasy and a queer love story, magical weapons and dark gods. Should be a fun ride
"Broken Stars: Contemporary Science Fiction in Translation" (short fiction, translated and edited by Ken Liu, 2019)
A followup to the excellent "Invisible Planets" collection, I have no doubt this will be equally wonderful. I trust Ken Liu's taste without question, this should be great
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So here we are. Should be a fantastic month!
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