A poisoned food critic, a viral violinist and a Chinese American assassin — 15 must-read AAPI books from 2021
By Sarah Yukiko
December 31, 2021
Asian American writers published a range of works this year, featuring stories as diverse and complex as Asian America itself. Through short story collections, novels, memoirs and essay collections, these writers contributed to the literary body of our diverse diasporic communities this year.
FICTION – SHORT STORIES
“Afterparties” by Anthony Veasna So
So, who passed away in late 2020, captured multitudes within the Cambodian diasporic experience in this debut short story collection.
“Skinship” by Yoon Choi
Another debut short story collection, Choi’s book features diverse and complex Korean American characters who wrestle with their pasts.
FICTION – SCI-FI, FANTASY, MYSTERY
“Iron Widow” by Xiran Jay Zhao
In this sci-fi novel inspired by Chinese history and myth, Zhao’s barrier-breaking heroine ascends to powerful heights.
“Arsenic and Adobo” by Mia P. Manansala
This “cozy mystery” and romance novel follows a cook accused of poisoning an unfair food critic, who launches her own investigation to clear her name.
“Black Water Sister” by Zen Cho
Cho’s contemporary fantasy novel set in Malaysia centers around a protagonist who finds herself unexpectedly in touch with the supernatural and with access to great power.
FICTION – ROMANCE NOVELS
“The Heart Principle” by Helen Hoang
Romance writer Hoang’s third novel features an accidentally viral violinist who needs a partner who can accept her unconditionally.
“First Comes Like” by Alisha Rai
Rai’s third novel features a fresh and funny twist on online dating and catfishing, with the high-stakes backdrop of the world of influencers and Bollywood.
FICTION – LITERARY FICTION NOVELS
“The Bad Muslim Discount” by Syed Masood
Masood’s sharp, witty novel follows two immigrant families from Iraq and Pakistan as they make new lives in the United States.
“The Archer” by Shruti Swamy
This coming-of-age novel follows a protagonist through 1970s Bombay, navigating family and societal expectations while pursuing her passion for kathak, a traditional dance form.
“Build Your House Around My Body” by Violet Kupersmith
Kupersmith’s novel about a mixed race Vietnamese and white American protagonist who disappears in Saigon contains narratives intertwined with the surreal.
“The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu” by Tom Lin
This reimagining of the Western genre features a Chinese American assassin on a killing spree and twists classic tropes of the American West.
NONFICTION – MEMOIR
“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner
Zauner, also known as the singer from Japanese Breakfast, writes about the mixed Korean American experience, grief and loss.
“Beautiful Country” by Qian Julie Wang
In one of former President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2021, Wang shares her childhood growing up in New York City as an undocumented immigrant.
“Speak, Okinawa” by Elizabeth Miki Brini
Brini unpacks imbalanced power dynamics in her family with her white father and Okinawan mother, processing the shame she felt around her mixed-race identity.
NONFICTION – ESSAYS
“The Loneliest Americans” by Jay Caspian Kang
Kang, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, tackles Asian American political identity and its vast discontents in this provocative work.
Looking to purchase any of these titles? Consider supporting an AAPI-owned bookstore. You can order online from many of the listed sellers.
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