Books for AAPI Heritage Month
For this week, I was going to curate a list of books for AAPI Heritage Month, but it has already been done – and done so well – by others, that I am going to instead link to their lists. There are some amazing books on here.
Confession: I got my second dose of vaccine this week and it’s kicking my butt. Also, I have a lot of wonderful reading to do thanks to client submissions - which is a fantastic reason to be busy! But I also think that as a writer, one of the most important things we can do is read. And reading books by and about people who have historically been under-represented in literature is a fantastic way of expanding your craft knowledge as well your knowledge of the world, cultures, history… It’s easy to gravitate to the same authors and types of stories over and over, but months like this give some much-needed recognition to authors who might be less well-known in the mainstream.
Boston University has a list of 10 Books to Read during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. I like this list because it includes fantasy, mystery, graphic novels, memoir, essay collections, and others, by a variety of AAPI voices. Basically, I want to read all of them. Sigh.
The New York Public Library has extensive lists of books for adults, teens, and kids. Most major libraries are curating lists, so check out your favorite, which might have some books others haven’t thought of.
The Asian Author Alliance has lots of events going on to celebrate the month. And of course, a great list of reading recommendations.
The Colorful Pages blog has a post on Diverse Books to Address Anti-AAPI Racism & Empower Our AAPI Community.
The Today Show features a list of kid’s books for all ages (fiction and nonfiction) that reflect the AAPI experience (including Watercress, by my fellow Lesley MFA alum Andrea Wang).
A couple of major publishers, including Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, have put together their own lists, featuring new and back-catalog favorites (like The Joy Luck Club).
Of course, you can also find lists on Goodreads and Epic Reads.
Who are your favorite AAPI authors? Which are your favorite books? A few of my favorites are Gish Jen, Kyoko Mori, Amy Tan, Arundhati Roy, Lydia Kang, Alexander Chee, Gene Yueng, An Na, Cynthia Kadohata, Lisa Yee, Linda Sue Park, Marie Lu… and I know there are many more to discover!
