12 Must-Read Books Releasing in April 2024 By Asian Authors
Spring is in the air, and with it comes a fresh excitement of new reads. This April, we're celebrating with a list of 11 must-read books that promise to transport you, challenge you, and leave you wanting more.
From captivating historical fiction to heartwarming middle-grade adventures, this list offers something for every reader!
The Stone Home by Crystal Hana Kim
A hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story that reveals a dark corner of South Korean history through the eyes of a small community living in a reformatory center—a stunning work of great emotional power from the critically acclaimed author of If You Leave Me.
In 2011, Eunju Oh opens her door to greet a stranger: a young Korean American woman holding a familiar-looking knife—a knife Eunju hasn’t seen in more than thirty years, and that connects her to a place she’d desperately hoped to leave behind forever.
In South Korea in the 1980s, young Eunju and her mother are homeless on the street. After being captured by the police, they’re sent to live within the walls of a state-sanctioned reformatory center that claims to rehabilitate the nation’s citizens but hides a darker, more violent reality. While Eunju and her mother form a tight-knit community with the other women in the kitchen, two teenage brothers, Sangchul and Youngchul, are compelled to labor in the workshops and make increasingly desperate decisions—and all are forced down a path of survival, the repercussions of which will echo for decades to come.
Inspired by real events, told through alternating timelines and two intimate perspectives, The Stone Home is a deeply affecting story of a mother and daughter’s love and a pair of brothers whose bond is put to an unfathomably difficult test. Capturing a shameful period of history with breathtaking restraint and tenderness, Crystal Hana Kim weaves a lyrical exploration of the legacy of violence and the complicated psychology of power, while showcasing the extraordinary acts of devotion and friendship that can arise in the darkness.
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age
Release date: April 2, 2024
Pages: 352
Why should you read it? Dive into "The Stone Home", a moving story that blends family drama and a dark period of South Korean history. The novel follows a mother and daughter sent to a supposed rehabilitation center that hides a violent truth, while also exploring the bond of two brothers tested in harsh conditions. Inspired by true events, the book promises a beautiful yet unflinching look at resilience, the scars of violence, and the power of love and connection.
Darker by Four by June C.L. Tan
From Jade Fire Gold author June CL Tan, Darker by Four is the launch of an epic, sweeping contemporary fantasy duology that is the Shadowhunter Chronicles meets the Chinese underworld, drawing inspiration from diaspora folklore.
A vengeful girl. A hollow boy. A missing god.
Rui has one goal in mind—honing her magic to avenge her mother’s death.
Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feet—had he been born with magic.
Nikai is a Reaper, serving the Fourth King of Hell. When his master disappears, the underworld begins to crumble…and the human world will be next if the King is not found.
When an accident causes Rui’s power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King.
As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls and all Hell breaks loose—literally.
Perfect for fans of This Savage Song and Only a Monster, Darker by Four will pull readers into a world of love and desperation and revenge—a world where every deal has a catch, no secret stays buried, and no one is exactly who they say they are.
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal
Release date: April 2, 2024
Pages: 400
Why should you read it? Fans of Shadowhunters and Chinese mythology won't want to miss Darker by Four. In this urban fantasy, a magic-less girl seeking revenge, a boy who gains magic by accident, and a reaper searching for a missing god must join forces. As darkness rises and the barrier between worlds weakens, they face dangerous bargains and hidden truths in a fight for survival.
Court of Wanderers (Reaper #2) by Rin Chupeco
Remy Pendergast and his royal vampire companions return to face an enemy that is terrifyingly close to home in Rin Chupeco’s queer, bloody Gothic epic fantasy series for fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.
Remy Pendergast, the vampire hunter, and his unexpected companions, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song, are on the road through the kingdom of Aluria again after a hard-won first battle against the formidable Night Empress, who threatens to undo a fragile peace between humans and vampires. Xiaodan, severely injured, has lost her powers to vanquish the enemy’s new super breed of vampire, but if the trio can make it to Fata Morgana, the seat of Malehk’s court—dubbed “the Court of Wanderers”—there is hope of nursing her and bringing them back.
En-route to the Third Court, Remy crosses paths with his father, the arrogant, oftentimes cruel Lord of Valenbonne. He also begins to suffer strange dreams of the Night Empress, whom he has long suspected to be Ligaya Pendergast, his own mother. As his family history unfolds during these episodes, which are too realistic to be coincidence, he realizes that she is no ordinary vampire—and that he may end up having to choose between the respective legacies of his parents.
Posing as Malek and Xiaodan’s human familiar, Remy contends with Aluria’s intimidating vampire courts and a series of gruesome murders with their help—and more, as the three navigate their relationship. But those feelings and even their extraordinary collective strength will be put to the test as each of them unleashes new powers in combat at what may be proven to be the ultimate cost.
Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Horror
Release date: April 2, 2024
Pages: 448
Why should you read it? Join Remy, a vampire hunter, and his vampire companions as they fight a terrifying new enemy and navigate their own complicated relationship. Brace yourself for action, family drama, and shocking revelations as Remy uncovers the truth about his past and the true power of the Night Empress.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
The brilliant contemporary romance novel debut from Yulin Kuang, the acclaimed screenwriter of Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation and director of the forthcoming Beach Read feature film.
Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever.
Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She’s even scored a coveted spot in the writers’ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer’s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except…
Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he’s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn’t have taken the job on Helen’s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can’t pass up.
Grant’s exactly as Helen remembers him—charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she’s never been. And Helen’s exactly as Grant remembers too—brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he’s in the picture at all.
When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Release date: April 9, 2024
Pages: 384
Why should you read it? Fans of second-chance romance with a touch of Hollywood drama are bound to fall in love with "How to End a Love Story." Two people with a tragic past reunite as writers on a TV show, forcing them to confront their unresolved feelings and past mistakes. Can they rewrite their love story, or are they destined to repeat the past?
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
Dear Wendy's Sophie and Jo, two aromantic and asexual students at Wellesley College, engage in an online feud while unknowingly becoming friends in real life, in this dual POV Young Adult contemporary debut from Ann Zhao
Sophie Chi is in her first year at Wellesley College (despite her parents’ wishes that she attend a “real” university, rather than a liberal arts school) and has long accepted her aromantic and asexual identities. Despite knowing she’ll never fall in love, she enjoys running an Instagram account that offers relationship advice to students at Wellesley. No one except her roommate knows that she’s behind the incredibly popular "Dear Wendy" account.
When Joanna “Jo” Ephron―also a first-year student at Wellesley―created their “Sincerely Wanda” account, it wasn't at all meant to be serious or take off like it does―not like Dear Wendy’s. But now they might have a rivalry of sorts with Dear Wendy? Oops . As if Jo’s not busy enough having existential crises over gender, the fact that she’ll never truly be loved or be enough, or her few friends finding The One and forgetting her!
While tensions are rising online, Sophie and Jo are getting closer in real life, bonding over their shared aroace identities. As their friendship develops and they work together to start a campus organization for other a-spec students, can their growing bond survive if they learn just who’s behind the Wendy and Wanda accounts?
With its exploration of a-spec identities, college life, and more, this platonic comedy, perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Half of It and Alice Oseman’s Loveless , is ultimately a love story about two people who are not―and will not―be in love!
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Queer
Release date: April 16, 2024
Pages: 368
Why should you read it? "Dear Wendy" follows two college freshmen, Sophie and Jo, who unknowingly become friends despite an online feud between their relationship advice accounts. As they navigate life, self-discovery, and a potential campus organization for fellow A-spec students, their strong bond might face a hilarious test when they uncover each other's secret online identities.
One Last Word by Suzanne Park
What would you say to your meddling parents, your ex-best friend, your toxic boss, or your high school crush if you didn’t have to face the consequences?
Sara Chae is the founder of One Last Word, an app that allows you to send a message to anyone you want after you pass. Safeguards are in place so the app will only send when you’re definitely, absolutely, 100% dead, but when another Sara Chae dies and her obituary is posted online, Sara discovers that drafted messages she had drunkenly uploaded on one night have been released —one each to her emotionally charged mother, to her former best friend who ghosted her, and to her unrequited high school crush, Harry Shim.
Still reeling from this disaster, Sara finds out she’s been accepted into a venture capital mentorship program— and that the mentor she’s been assigned to is none other than Harry, who’s now a major VC superstar. With her life going from uncertain to chaotic overnight, Sara has to deal with the havoc that ensues and reopen wounds from the past to find a true path forward.
A pitch-perfect homage for fans of Annabel Monaghan, Alisha Rai, and Jenny Han, One Last Word is an empowering, laugh-out-loud story about a woman who learns to speak up and fight for what she wants in life and love.
Genres: Romance, Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Release date: April 16, 2024
Pages: 288
Why should you read it? Ever fantasized about telling your meddling parents, ex-best friend, and nightmarish boss exactly what you think? Sara Chae's got you covered with her new app, One Last Word. But a boozy upload unleashes unfiltered chaos as her messages reach those very people, including her high school crush, now a powerful VC who becomes her unexpected mentor. Get ready for laugh-out-loud moments, unearthed secrets, and a heartwarming journey of self-discovery as Sara learns to finally speak her truth and fight for what she wants in life – and maybe even love.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?
Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.
Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.
When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.
Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Release date: April 16, 2024
Pages: 368
Why should you read it? In "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods," Ruying, a woman with the deadly power to steal life, is forced into a chilling bargain with a charming enemy prince. He offers to protect her family in exchange for her becoming his assassin, eliminating rivals and potentially saving both their worlds. But the price is steep - her own life force shortens with each kill. Ruying must navigate a web of danger, love, and betrayal, questioning if this deal is truly for the greater good or a path to unleash even greater war.
Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta
Fans of Chloe Gong and Judy I. Lin will devour this Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland retelling about two very wicked girls, forever bonded by blood and betrayal . . .
In a world where Saints are monsters and Wonderland is the dark forest where they lurk, it’s been five years since young witches and lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were both sentenced to that forest for a crime they didn’t commit—and four years since they shattered one another’s hearts, each willing to sacrifice the other for a chance at freedom.
Now, Caro is a successful royal Saint-harvester, living the high life in the glittering capital and pretending not to know of the twisted monster experiments that her beloved Red Queen hides deep in the bowels of the palace. But for Icca, the memory of Caro’s betrayal has hardened her from timid girl to ruthless hunter. A hunter who will stop at nothing to exact her On Caro. On the queen. On the throne itself.
But there’s a secret about the Saints the Queen’s been guarding, and a volatile magic at play even more dangerous to Icca and Caro than they are to each other…
Lush, terrifying, and uncanny, Zoe Hana Mikuta—author of Gearbreakers and Godslayers —takes a delicate knife straight through the heart of this beloved surrealist fairytale.
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Release date: April 23, 2024
Pages: 416
Why should you read it? This dark, Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland retelling is perfect for fans of Chloe Gong and Judy I. Lin. Five years after being falsely imprisoned, former lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice are free, but harbor deep resentment. Now, Caro is a powerful Saint-hunter while Icca seeks revenge. As a hidden secret about the Saints emerges, they'll have to decide if they can overcome betrayal and work together, or unleash even greater chaos.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
A gorgeous, witty account of birding, nature, and the beauty around us that hides in plain sight.
Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.
In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.
Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Memoir
Release date: April 23, 2024
Pages: 320
Why should you read it? Escape into the beauty of nature with "The Backyard Bird Chronicles." Amy Tan's charming journal entries and sketches follow her journey into birding, offering a delightful respite filled with wonder and a chance to connect with the natural world right outside your window.
Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho
Ocean Yoon has never felt like much of a Korean, even if she is descended from a long line of haenyeo, Jeju Island's beloved female divers. She's also persona non grata at the Alliance, Korea's solar system-dominating space agency, since a mission went awry and she earned a reputation for being a little too quick with her gun.
When her best friend, Teo, second son of the Anand Tech empire, is framed for murdering his family, Ocean and her misfit crewmates are pushed to the forefront of a high-stakes ideological conflict. But dodging bullets and winning space chases may be the easiest part of what comes next.
A thrilling adventure across the solar that delivers hyperkinetic action sequences and irresistible will-they-won't-they romance alongside its nuanced exploration of colonialism and capitalism, Ocean's Godori ultimately asks: What do we owe our past? How do we navigate our present while honoring the complicated facets of our identity? What can our future hold?
Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Adult
Release date: April 23, 2024
Pages: 352
Why should you read it? Dive into Ocean's Godori, a space opera adventure with a Korean twist! Ocean, a disgraced pilot yearning to connect with her heritage, joins a ragtag crew to save her framed best friend. Blast through space battles, explore complex themes of colonialism and identity, and unravel the mysteries of Ocean's past, all while a simmering romance unfolds.
King of Sloth (Kings of Sin #4) by Ana Huang
He'd never wanted anyone enough to chase them…until he met her.
Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips.
He also has no interest in taking over his family's empire (much to his father's chagrin), but that hasn't stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist.
Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future―and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants.
***
Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who's used to dealing with difficult clients.
However, none infuriate―or tempt―her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude.
She may be forced to work with him, but she'll never fall for him…no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona.
He's her client, and that's all he'll ever be. Right?
Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Adult
Release date: April 23, 2024
Pages: 352
Why should you read it? Billionaire playboy Xavier is used to getting everything he wants, except for his fierce and brilliant publicist Sloane. Their hilarious banter hides a growing attraction, but their professional roles and past tragedies keep them apart. Dive into this enemies-to-lovers story filled with witty dialogue and emotional depth!
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin: How far would you go to shape your own destiny? An exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family, and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?
Real Americans begins on the precipice of Y2K in New York City, when twenty-two-year-old Lily Chen, an unpaid intern at a slick media company, meets Matthew. Matthew is everything Lily is not: easygoing and effortlessly attractive, a native East Coaster and, most notably, heir to a vast pharmaceutical empire. Lily couldn't be more different: flat-broke, raised in Tampa, the only child of scientists who fled Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Despite all this, Lily and Matthew fall in love.
In 2021, fifteen-year-old Nick Chen has never felt like he belonged on the isolated Washington island where he lives with his single mother, Lily. He can't shake the sense she's hiding something. When Nick sets out to find his biological father, the journey threatens to raise more questions than answers.
In immersive, moving prose, Rachel Khong weaves a profound tale of class and striving, race and visibility, and family and inheritance—a story of trust, forgiveness, and finally coming home.
Exuberant and explosive, Real Americans is a social novel par excellence that asks: Are we destined, or made, and if so, who gets to do the making? Can our genetic past be overcome?
Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary
Release date: April 30, 2024
Pages: 416
Why should you read it? A Chinese American family wrestles with heritage and ambition across generations in "Real Americans." First-generation immigrant Lily's love story with a wealthy heir sparks a family mystery that unfolds over decades. Her son Nick's quest to find his biological father exposes hidden truths, forcing them to question everything they thought they knew. This powerful novel delves into race, class, family secrets, and the choices that define our lives.
