8 Must-Read Books Releasing in March 2024 By Asian Authors
Spring is in the air, and so are some incredible new reads! From historical fiction to heart-stopping romances, prepare to be transported to vibrant worlds and delve into characters who will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
This March, make sure these 8 must-read books written by Asian authors are on your TBR:
Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
Set against a high-society Shanghai wedding, a heartfelt, funny, dazzling novel about a reluctant bride and her two best friends, each with their own motives and fed up with the way society treats women, who forge a plan to steal all the gift money on the big day
Lulu has always been taught that money is the ticket to a good life. So, when Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor surprises her with a proposal, the only acceptable answer is yes, even if the voice inside her head is saying no. His family’s fortune would solve all her parents’ financial woes, but Lulu isn’t in love or ready for marriage.
The only people she can confide in are her two best friends: career-minded Rina, who is tired of being passed over for promotion as her biological clock ticks away; and Jane, a sharp-tongued, luxury-chasing housewife desperate to divorce her husband and trade up. Each of them desires something different: freedom, time, beauty. None of them can get it without money.
Lulu’s wedding is their golden opportunity. The social event of the season, it means more than enough cash gifts to transform the women’s lives. To steal the money on the big day, all they’ll need is a trustworthy crew and a brilliant plan. But as the plot grows increasingly complicated and relationships are caught in the cross fire, the women are forced to face that having it all might come at a steep price…
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Why should you read it? Join Lulu, Rina, and Jane in Shanghai's most scandalous heist! “Women of Good Fortune” throws reluctant bride Lulu into a whirlwind as she, alongside her career-hungry and luxury-seeking friends, plot to steal the fortune showered upon her at her extravagant wedding. But as their daring plan unfolds, hidden desires, tangled relationships, and unexpected consequences threaten to expose them. Dive into this fast-paced story where laughter meets social commentary, and female empowerment takes center stage. Will these women rewrite their destinies or pay the price for chasing their dreams?
The Translator's Daughter: A Memoir by Grace Loh Prasad
A Taiwanese American writer unfurls themes of memory, dislocation, language, and loss to tell a unique story about reclaiming one’s heritage while living in a diaspora.
Born in Taiwan, Grace Loh Prasad was two years old when the threat of political persecution under Chiang Kai-shek’s dictatorship drove her family to the United States, setting her up to become an “accidental immigrant.” The family did not know when they would be able to go home again; this exile lasted long enough for Prasad to forget her native Taiwanese language and grow up American. Having multilingual parents—including a father who worked as a translator—meant she never had to develop the fluency to navigate Taiwan on visits. But when her parents moved back to Taiwan permanently when she was in college and her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she recognized the urgency of forging a stronger connection with her birthplace before it was too late. As she recounts her journey to reclaim her heritage in The Translator’s Daughter , Prasad unfurls themes of memory, dislocation, and loss in all their rich complexity. The result is a unique immigration story about the loneliness of living in a diaspora, the search for belonging, and the meaning of home.
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel
Why should you read it? "The Translator's Daughter" is a poignant memoir by Grace Loh Prasad, a Taiwanese American who explores themes of memory, dislocation, language, and loss. After leaving Taiwan as a child due to political persecution, she grew up American and eventually lost touch with her heritage. However, when her parents return to Taiwan and her mother develops Alzheimer's, she embarks on a journey to reclaim her identity and connect with her birthplace. This unique story delves into the complexities of immigration, the search for belonging, and the meaning of home, making it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the experiences of diasporic communities.
The Invisible Hotel by Yeji Y. Ham
A work of literary horror in the gothic tradition, The Invisible Hotel is a startling, speculative tale of a woman adrift and a country’s shifting identity in the long afterlife of the Korean War.
Yewon dreams of a hotel. In the hotel, there are infinite keys to infinite rooms―and a quiet terror she is desperate to escape. When Yewon wakes, she sees her a young woman, out of her job at a convenience store, trapped in the tiny South Korean village of her birth, watching her mother wash the bones of their ancestors in their decrepit bathtub. Every house has them, these rotting and fragmented bones, reminders of what they have all lost to a war that never seems to end. Yewon and her siblings were born in this bathtub―and every year women give birth to new babies in the bathtub.
Now, Yewon’s brother is stationed near the North Korean border, her sister has just undergone a life-changing tragedy, and her mother is constantly worried, her health declining. In crisis and in stasis, Yewon’s dreams of the decrepit hotel lead her to an unsettling truth about her country’s collective heritage.
Recalling international trailblazers like Han Kang’s The Vegetarian and Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police , The Invisible Hotel marks the arrival of a singular new voice with a sharp social acumen.
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Gothic
Why should you read it? In "The Invisible Hotel," Yewon's dreams of a terrifying hotel bleed into the harsh realities of post-Korean War South Korea. Trapped in a small village, she grapples with generational trauma, family struggles, and the suffocating weight of a war that never truly ended. This literary horror, perfect for fans of "The Vegetarian," promises a chilling exploration of collective memory, national identity, and the unsettling truths Yewon uncovers about her family and country.
Never Been Better by Leanne Toshiko Simpson
A hilariously offbeat and tender comedy about one bipolar woman’s messy search for love at a seaside wedding where no one can stay afloat.
Is she falling in love, or falling apart?
Dee, Misa, and Matt were the "three musketeers" of the psych ward. A year after discharge, Dee is eager to convince everyone that she’s finally turning things around. But Matt and Misa are tying the knot in Turks and Caicos, surrounded by guests who have no idea where they met, and the secrecy isn’t sitting well with Dee, who has been hopelessly in love with Matt since before she got kicked out of the hospital.
So, when Dee arrives at the swanky resort with her high-voltage sister, Tilley, it’s now or never to confess how she feels. But disrupting her best friends’ nuptials would jeopardize the entire support system that holds the trio together. When it comes to happily ever afters, how is a girl supposed to choose between love and recovery?
Introducing a sparkling new voice in commercial fiction, Never Been Better revels in the heartache and hilarity of falling in love when you haven’t quite figured out how to live with yourself.
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Mental Health
Why should you read it? Dive into "Never Been Better" a hilarious and heartwarming comedy about Dee, a woman with bipolar disorder, navigating love and chaos at a beach wedding. This heartwarming story explores messy friendships, hidden feelings, and the struggle for love and stability while battling your own inner demons. Will Dee find happily ever after, or will her confession jeopardize the fragile support system she relies on? Join Dee on her journey of self-discovery and laughter, perfect for anyone who's ever loved, lost, and learned to laugh at life's messy moments.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The tantalizing romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver , the first in a two-book debut - with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.
Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.
When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she's captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.
But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician's aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her...though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.
When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And - if she's willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears to save herself and the ones she's vowed to protect.
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction
Why should you read it? "The Last Bloodcarver" is a thrilling debut where a shunned "bloodcarver" named Nhika faces injustice. Accused of murder, she must use her forbidden healing abilities to save the last witness and uncover a deadly conspiracy. Expect a vibrant, Vietnam-inspired world, a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and a gut-wrenching choice: embrace her ostracized power or sacrifice everything for acceptance. If you loved the forbidden love of "These Violent Delights" and the futuristic twists of "Cinder," this captivating fantasy promises to leave you spellbound.
Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman
Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang will adore this irresistibly engaging story of two Filipino celebrities caught between everything they want…and everything they are.
How do you follow your heart when it’s in two places?
Filipino musician and producer Mon Mendoza has been in New York for less than a day. Just long enough to feel like he doesn’t belong despite landing a life-changing opportunity. All he can do is set a date night for just himself and some pancit canton. Which, as it turns out, is the only invitation his gorgeous Pinoy neighbor needs…
Actress Olivia Angeles can wear a character like a well-fitted dress. It’s her real self she’s having a hard time fitting into, craving a niche in Hollywood that doesn’t compromise her identity in the name of success. And right now, all she wants is comfort in the form of tasty noodles and her outrageously hot new neighbor. One night. Just enough to lose herself in his touch and the feel of his lips…
Only their sexy little tryst isn’t quite what they signed up for. Because for the next month, Mon and Olivia are working on the same movie. Together. Now they’re discovering they have a lot more in common than Pinoyness and sizzling chemistry. But how do you find yourself and your person when you’re caught between two different worlds?
From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way.
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Why should you read it? Filipino musician Mon, feeling lost in New York, finds solace in a delicious bowl of noodles and a steamy night with his gorgeous neighbor, Olivia, who happens to be a famous actress. But their one-night stand takes an unexpected turn when they discover they're working on the same movie! As sparks fly on and off the set, Mon and Olivia navigate Hollywood pressures, cultural expectations, and their own dreams. This heartwarming story, reminiscent of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang, promises sizzling chemistry, self-discovery, and a journey of love that transcends borders and shines brighter than any Manhattan spotlight.
Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja
A bride-to-be convinced she’s cursed in romance finds her luck changing—at exactly the wrong time.
Maya Mirza is so convinced she’s unlucky in love that she’s come up with a list of laws to explain it. Most importantly…
But that’s about to change. Maya’s headed to Pakistan for an arranged marriage with a handsome, successful doctor who ticks all the right boxes. First comes marriage, then comes love—she’s sure of it. Except…
From the start, Maya's journey is riddled with disaster, and the cynical lawyer seated next to her on the plane isn’t helping. When a storm leaves them stranded in Switzerland, she and Sarfaraz become unlikely travel companions through bus breakdowns and missed connections.
And before long, Maya’s wondering whether she’s just experienced the ultimate in misfortune—finally meeting the right man a few days before she marries someone else. And Maya might just be the worst person to keep a secret.
But maybe, if she’s willing to bend some laws, this detour could take her somewhere totally—and wonderfully—unexpected.
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Why should you read it? Unlucky-in-love Maya finds her carefully constructed "love laws" crumbling when she meets her perfect match on... the plane to her arranged marriage! Hilarious disasters and unexpected detours lead her on a whirlwind romance with a cynical lawyer, leaving her torn between her preordained future and a love that defies all logic. Packed with cultural insights and witty banter, this rom-com promises a heartwarming journey of self-discovery and a chance for Maya to rewrite her own love story.
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties (Aunties #3)
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.
After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.
His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all. Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Fiction
Why should you read it? Celebrate chaos with "The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties"! Meddy's festive family reunion turns into a hilarious disaster when a gift mix-up ignites a feud between rival businesses. Join Meddy and her outrageous Aunties as they navigate hilarious hijinks, personal feuds, and daring rescue missions to save the day. This laugh-out-loud romp, reminiscent of "Dial A for Aunties," is perfect for fans of family fun, heartwarming mishaps, and a dash of cultural flair. Don't miss this chaotic celebration of family, forgiveness, and the power of the Aunties!
