Subtle Asian Book Club

Welcome to

a book club dedicated to amplifying Asian authors and storytellers.

Book of the Month.

Book of the Month.

Latest Blog Posts


Meet the Founders


Alexandra (@twirlingpages) is a Chinese-American digital creator. She heads the design and branding of our book club.

Tiffany (@readbytiffany) is a Taiwanese-American book reviewer and blogger. She leads the logistics and outreach.

Martyr!, by Kaveh Akbar

Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the Angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction.

How to join the Secret Library

(and support us in the process) . . .

Subtle Asian Book Club is an independent project led by Alexandra & Tiffany who run this book club during their free time outside of their university studies and full-time jobs. If you would like to further support us, we offer an exclusive subscription program that includes additional benefits and a more curated experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Most books read are fiction. Genres read will range anywhere from Contemporary to Fantasy to Sci-Fi, and audience types will range from middle-grade, young adult, and adult.

  • Tiffany & Alexandra are based in the U.S., but the book club is International! Everyone is welcome to join regardless of location because we operate virtually.

  • Virtual discussions are on our Discord all month long, and author interviews are saved on our YouTube or featured on our blog. Share your thoughts and join the fun whenever you have the time!

    Subscription members meet virtually with Alexandra and Tiffany once a month to discuss the book in depth.

  • Members do not have to be Asian to join! All are welcome <3

  • Visit our Contact page or send us an email at subtleasianbookclub@gmail.com!