Books and Boba

On this episode we chat with author Katie Zhao about her middle grade novels The Dragon Warrior and The Fallen Hero (part of a planned series). We also dive into Katie's journey from creating stories on Wattpad to the origins of her first published novel as a NaNoWriMo project. Follow Katie at @ktzhaoauthor and pick up her lates work The Fallen Hero at your favorite bookseller! --- Support the pod...

It's time for our mid-month check-in for Spooky Month 2020 as we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature. Now you can support Books & Boba and Asian American authors by buying books on our bookshop page - https://bookshop.org/shop/booksandboba --- This episode is brought to you by HBO. The three finalists for the 2020 HBO APA Visionaries Short Film Competition have...

On this episode, we discuss our September 2020 pick is Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. An essay collection and memoir that reflects on growing up Asian American and the "minor feelings" we accululate along the way. One part memoir, one part Asian American studies crash course, we discuss Cathy's experiences through the lens of our own Asian American experiences. ---...

On our September 2020 mid-month check-in, we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature, including going over the Asian American writers shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and react to the latest controversy on Asian Lit Twitter. --- This episode is brought to you by HBO The finalists for the 2020 HBO APA Visionaries Short Film Competition have been announced!...

On this episode, we discuss our August 2020 pick is The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo . An Asian-inspired fantasy novella about an exiled empress and the handmaiden who supports her struggle to regain her power that packs an impressive amount of story despite it's short length. Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo ( @reeraboo ) Marvin Yueh ( @marvinyueh ) Follow us: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Grou...

We chat with author Suzanne Park about her latest novel Loathe at First Sight, an enemies to lovers workplace rom com taking place in the toxic world of the video game industry. We chat with Suzanne about her inspirations for the story, toxic corporate culture, southern food, and more. Follow Suzanne at @suzannepark and pick up Loathe at First Sight at your favorite bookseller! --- This episode is...

On this episode, we chat with author Supriya Kelkar about her new book American as Paneer Pie! We chat with Supriya about Desi representation in her story and she also shares with us her journey on becoming an author by way of Bollywood! Follow Supriya at @supriyakelkar_ and pick up American as Paneer Pie at your favorite bookseller! --- This episode is brought to you by Libro.fm , your independen...

With summer in full swing, it's time for another mid-month news roundup. We go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for August 2020. --- This episode is brought to you by Libro.fm , your independent bookstore for digital audiobooks! Get 2 audiobooks for the price of one month by signing up with the promo code "booksandboba" - Subscribe here --- Follow our hosts: Re...

On this episode, we chat with debut author Julie Abe about her new book Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch (on sale now)! Julie shares with us about her journey to becoming a published author, her inspirations behind the magical world of Eva Evergreen, and more! Follow Julie at @JulieAbeBooks and pick up Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch at your favorite bookseller! --- This episode is brought to y...

On this episode, we discuss our July 2020 pick is The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. A cozy murder mystery set in 1920's Bombay (current day Mumbai), The Widows of Malabar Hill marks the debut of our new favorite investigator, Perveen Mistry, the first woman lawyer in India, she uses the power of the law and her investigative ability to suss out lies and contradiction to seek justice for...

We're more than halfway through July so it's time for another mid-month news roundup. We go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for July 2020, as well as discuss the latest book related news from the world of TV and movies. --- This episode is brought to you by Libro.fm , your independent bookstore for digital audiobooks! Get 2 audiobooks for the price of one mont...

On this episode, we discuss our June 2020 book club pick, Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata & translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori. A short and humorous novel about Keiko, a Japanese who finds it hard to interact with people, who finds contentment in the routines of working at a convenience store, where she can do a good job and feel like a "normal person" contributing to society. We discuss...

On this episode, we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our June 2020 mid-month check-in. We also discuss some of the recent social media movements in literature including #BlackoutBestsellerList and #PublishingPaidMe. Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo ( @reeraboo ) Marvin Yueh ( @marvinyueh ) Follow us: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Group The Books & Boba June 2020...

We chat with Joe Ide, author of the IQ series of detective novels about Isaiah Quintabe, a freelance private investigator solving mysteries and doing odd jobs for his Long Beach neighborhood. We ask Joe about how his experience growing up in South Central LA helped him with writing his novels, as well as his previous career as a screenwriter for hire. We also chat about HI-FIVE , the latest chapte...

A little late, but here is our discussion of the Books & Boba May 2020 book club pick, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston, our first attempt at reading an Asian American literary classic. We dive into this memoir that blends autobiographical storytelling with folklore and oral histories, and reflect upon our own experiences as second generation children o...

We're a little late, but on this episode, we recap our book recommendations for the last week of May's #AsianBooksChallenge. Thanks to everyone who participated in our challenge and recommended books by Asian and Asian American authors! --- Books & Boba recognizes that we are currently in a historic moment in American history. We know that Black lives matter and stand with the brave people fightin...

On this episode, we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our May 2020 mid-month check-in, as well as recap our book recommendations for week 3 of #AsianBooksChallenge For additional thoughts and discussion, visit the Books & Boba Goodreads forums on Goodreads. --- This episode is brought to you by Libro.fm , your independent bookstore for digital audiobooks!...

On this episode we chat with author Christina Soontornvat about her latest middle grade novel A Wish in the Dark , a tale taking place in Thai-inspired fantasy world loosely inspired bt Les Miserables. We chat with Christina about her inspirations for writing the book as well as how she became a writer after a career as a science educator. Follow Christina at @soontornvat and pick up A Wish in the...

It's Asian American Heritage month 2020! Books and Boba is celebrating by launching our very own #AsianBooksChallenge! Each day of May, participants are encouraged to recommend a book written by an Asian author in a variety of categories. On this special episode of Books and Boba, Reera and Marvin recap their picks for week one. --- This episode is brought to you by Libro.fm , your independent boo...

On this episode we discuss our April 2020 book club pick Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow, a cozy mystery story about Mimi Lee, a pet groomer in LA who gets falsely accused of murder and tries to clear her name with the help of her trusty cat marshmallow (who can telepathically communicate with Mimi), all while trying to keep her meddling mother at bay while she tries to woo her hot lawyer...

On this episode, we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our April 2020 mid-month check-in. For additional thoughts and discussion, visit the Books & Boba Goodreads forums on Goodreads. --- This episode is brought to you by Book of the Month ! Subscribe today and get your first month's book for $9.99 with our promo code BOOKSANDBOBA --- Follow our hosts: Ree...

On this episode we chat with author Ilene Wong (aka I.W. Gregorio) about her new YA novel This is My Brain in Love, A story between two teens working at a Chinese restaurant over the summer, who find common ground with each other while dealing with immigrant parents, mental health, and falling in love. We chat with Ilene about her experiences writing the book, her own history with mental health, a...

On this episode we discuss our March 2020 book club pick The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar, a novel about two girls on parallel journeys, one a Syrian-American refugee on a journey for safety after her home is shelled in the opening days of the Syrian Civil War, and one a girl posing as a boy to become an apprentice to a legendary cartographer on an epic journey to see the world. For add...

On this episode we chat with author Jessica Kim about her debut middle-grade novel Stand Up, Yumi Chung! A delightful story about a girl stuck between her immigrant parent's expectations and her dream of becoming a stand-up comic. We chat with Jessica about her inspirations about the book, her journey from teacher to published author, and relive our memories of hagwons and perms. Oh and Reera shar...

As we prepare to practice social distancing, there's never been a better time to catch up on some books! On this episode, we go over the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our March 2020 mid-month check-in. For additional thoughts and discussion, visit the Books & Boba Goodreads forums on Goodreads. Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo ( @reeraboo ) Marvin Yueh ( @marvinyueh )...