7 Must-Read Books Releasing in May 2024 By Asian Authors
Happy May, everyone! Today’s blog post is a curated list of seven must-read books releasing this month written by Asian authors. These are perfect stories to add to your reading list.
See: Loss. See Also: Love. by Yukiko Tominaga
A tender, slyly comical, and shamelessly honest debut novel following a Japanese widow raising her son between worlds with the help of her Jewish mother-in-law as she wrestles with grief, loss, and—strangest of all—joy.
Shortly after her husband Levi’s untimely death, Kyoko decides to raise their young son, Alex, in San Francisco, rather than return to Japan. Her nosy yet loving Jewish mother-in-law, Bubbe, encourages her to find new love and abandon frugality but her own mother wants Kyoko to celebrate her now husbandless life. Always beside her is Alex, who lives confidently, no matter the circumstance.
Four sections of vignettes reflect Kyoko’s fluctuating emotional states—sometimes ugly, other times funny, but always uniquely hers. While freshly mourning Levi, Kyoko and Alex confront another death—that of Alex’s pet betta fish. Kyoko and Bubbe take a road trip to a psychic and discover that Kyoko carries bad karma. On visits back to Japan, Kyoko and her mother clash over how best to connect Alex with his Japanese heritage, and as Alex enters his teenage years and brings his first girlfriend home, Kyoko lets her imagination run wild as she worries about teen pregnancy.
In this openhearted and surprising novel about the choices and relationships that sustain us, there are times where Kyoko is lonely but never alone and others in which she is alone but never lonely. Through these moments, she learns how much more there is to herself in the wake of total and unexpected upheaval. Loss. See Love. is a testament to how grief isn’t a linear process but is a spiraling awareness of the vast range of human emotion we experience every day.
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Pages: 256
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Adult
Why should you read it? "See: Loss. See Also: Love." is a poignant and humorous debut novel that follows Kyoko, a Japanese widow raising her son Alex in San Francisco after her husband's death, navigating grief and joy with the support of her Jewish mother-in-law, Bubbe. Following four vignettes reflecting Kyoko's emotional journey, this story promises to be raw, sometimes comical, always honest. Kyoko's experiences include dealing with her son's pet fish's death, clashing with her own mother over cultural heritage, and worrying about her son's teenage years. Through it all, Kyoko learns that while grief is complex and non-linear, she discovers more about herself and the enduring connections that sustain her. This novel celebrates the complexities of human emotions and relationships in the face of unexpected loss and change.
Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho
Acclaimed author of Last Tang Standing and Lucie Yi is Not a Romantic in her YA a sharp yet sweet rivals-to-romance romp through Kuala Lumpur—perfect for fans of Emiko Jean, Abigail Hing Wen, and Kat Cho.
Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . .
But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim.
So, when Agnes finds a new answer to her scholarship predicament in the form of an international stand-up comedy contest for teens, the last person she expects to be up against is also the last person she wants to Royce. Because for years Royce has represented everything Agnes extreme privilege, popularity, and physical perfection (ok maybe she doesn’t hate that part so much).
Behind the scenes, though, Royce’s flawless façade fades away, revealing someone Agnes never expected—someone who shows her that perhaps the best parts of life are the ones you aren’t prepared for—and as the competition heats up, so do things between these two rivals. But will the pressure to win be too much for them to handle—or will Agnes (and Royce) get the last laugh?
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Pages: 320
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Why should you read it? “Bite Me, Royce Taslim” is a sharp and sweet rivals-to-lovers romance storyline set in Kuala Lumpur. The story followers high schooler, Agnes Chan, who faces unexpected challenges after a life-altering accident and finds herself competing against her archnemesis, Royce Taslim, in a stand-up comedy contest that could secure her college scholarship. As Agnes navigates this rivalry, she discovers surprising truths about Royce and herself, realizing that life's best moments often come unexpectedly. This story blends humor, romance, and the pressures of competition and is a perfect read for fans of Emiko Jean, Abigail Hing Wen, and Kat Cho.
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau
A charming rom-com about a young woman’s desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother…only to find that maybe mother does know best.
Mark Chan this. Mark Chan that.
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. You’d think he single-handedly stopped climate change and ended child poverty from the way her mother raves about him. But in reality, he’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her.
But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly : convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees.
Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates—including a bubble tea shop and cake-decorating class—so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark’s not quite what she assumed and maybe that argyle sweater isn’t so ugly after all…
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Pages: 342
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Adult
Why should you read it? “Love, Lies, and Cherry Pies” is a charming rom-com that humorously explores the dynamics between a writer and barista named Emily Hung and the seemingly "perfect" Mark Chan, who her mother is determined to set her up with. To thwart her mother's matchmaking efforts, Emily proposes a fake relationship with Mark, but as they navigate staged dates and family gatherings together, Emily begins to see Mark in a new light. Through witty banter and unexpected moments, Emily discovers that perhaps her mother's instincts were right all along, leading to delightful revelations about love and compatibility. This story offers a fun and heartwarming take on the complexities of relationships and familial expectations.
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state—but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.
“I stayed up late into the night turning the pages until I learned the truth of what happened to Ellie—and gasped when Jean delivered a truly jaw-dropping twist.” —Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women
It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.
Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.
But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.
The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.
Publication date: May 7, 2024
Pages: 320
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Why should you read it? "The Return of Ellie Black" is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller centered around Detective Chelsey Calhoun, whose life is profoundly affected when a long-missing girl, Ellie Black, suddenly reappears after years. Chelsey, haunted by her own sister's disappearance, is determined to uncover the truth behind Ellie's return and the dark secrets she seems to be hiding. Emiko Jean's debut thriller promises a feminist exploration of hope amidst tragedy, featuring unexpected twists and a compelling narrative that keeps readers on edge until the final revelation.
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li
Inventing a formula to predict people’s perfect partners doesn’t equate to love in this contemporary YA novel that New York Times bestsellers Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick call “honest, raw, and breathtakingly real.”
College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. So she follows a predictable Attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. She doesn’t leave any room in her life for outliers or anomalies.
Then, Grace comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s prickly coworker, Grace is confident that her program will take all the drama out of relationships. That’s why she keeps trying to make things work with her match, a guy named Jamie. But as the semester goes on and she grows closer to Julia, Grace starts to question who she’s really attracted to.
In award-winning author Christina Li’s YA debut, Grace will have to make a choice between the tidy equations she knows will protect her from heartbreak or the possibility that true love doesn’t follow any formula.
Publication date: May 14, 2024
Pages: 397
Genres: Romance, Young Adult, LGBT
Why should you read it? Christina Li's contemporary YA novel explores themes of love, grief, and self-discovery through the story of college freshman Grace Tang, who inadvertently creates a formula to predict perfect romantic partners. As Grace navigates the complexities of her own emotions and relationships, including her connection with her coworker Julia and her predetermined match Jamie, she begins to question the limits of her algorithm and confronts the possibility that real love cannot be confined to mathematical equations. Li's YA debut promises a raw and honest portrayal of young adulthood, challenging readers to consider the true nature of love and human connection beyond calculated predictions.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
From the iconic internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropical wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners from the iconic author of Crazy Rich Asians.
Rufus Leung Gresham, future Duke of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a the legendary Gresham Trust has been depleted by decades of profligate spending, and behind all the magazine covers and Instagram stories manors and yachts lies nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, a veritable who’s-who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs, and seduce a woman with money.
Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong? When a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials and a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, the Gresham family plans—and their reputation—go up in flames.
Can the once-great dukedom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist?
In a globetrotting tale that takes us from the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the skies of Marrakech, from the glitzy bachelor pads Los Angeles to the inner sanctums of England’s oldest family estates, Kevin Kwan unfurls a juicy, hilarious, sophisticated and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex, and the lies we tell about them all.
Publication date: May 21, 2024
Pages: 448
Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary
Why should you read it? Kevin Kwan's latest outrageous comedy of manners promises a decadent and scandalous escapade set amid a lavish tropical wedding, featuring Rufus Leung Gresham, the future Duke of Greshambury, who must navigate his family's financial woes and his mother's schemes to secure a wealthy marriage. As Rufus contemplates his options among potential heiresses like Solène de Courcy and Martha Dung, he finds himself drawn to Eden Tong, a humble girl next door. When unexpected events unfold, including a volcanic eruption and scandalous revelations, the Gresham family's fate hangs in the balance, leading to a whirlwind tale of love, money, and intrigue across global settings from Hawaii to Marrakech. Kevin Kwan's narrative promises juicy, hilarious, and thrilling entertainment filled with twists and surprises.
Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel
A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son, from Vaishnavi Patel, author of the instant New York Times bestseller Kaikeyi .
A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.
Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.
Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.
Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.
As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son.
Publication date: May 21, 2024
Pages: 448
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Mythology, Historical Fiction
Why should you read it? Vaishnavi Patel's reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her mortal son is a powerful narrative steeped in mythology and destiny. Ganga, cursed to live as a mortal, navigates her life as a queen married to King Shantanu, driven by her desire to break free from her human form. Her son, Devavrata, unwittingly inherits the weight of Ganga's curse through a fateful oath, setting in motion a series of events that culminate in a tragic war. The novel explores themes of duty, destiny, and the enduring bond between mother and son, weaving a deeply moving and masterful tale that delves into the complexities of divine intervention and mortal choices.
