thread of books from asian authors you should read right now & even when there’s no surge of asian hate crimes

dating makes perfect from @pintipdunn
thai-american protagonists, written by thai-american author (my heart is crying )
fake dating trope

silence of bones & the forest of stolen girls (coming out 20/4 so PREORDER) from @WriterJuneHur
murder mysteries in joseon korea, do i need to say more?
june hur also has another book coming out january 2022 so preorder that also!!

the moon in the palace & the empress of bright moon from @WeinaRandel
historical fiction set in ancient china (tang dynasty!)
our protagonist becomes a concubine of the emperor
court politics & some romance

we are not free from @tracichee
our protagonists are japanese-americans living in japantown, san francisco during wwii
they were forced into incarceration camps after the attack on pearl harbor

the duke who didn’t from @courtneymilan
historical romance with asian protagnists!!!! i don’t need to know anymore to read this & you shouldn’t either
childhood friends

how we disappeared from @jingwrites
historical fiction set in wwii singapore
explores the history of comfort women

empire of sand & realm of ash from @tashadrinkstea
indian-inspired fantasy world
slow-burn romance & marriage of convenience

chronicles of the bitch queen from @k_villoso
fantasy world that draws from filipino culture
badass female protagonist
final book is coming out this year so PREORDER

the sword of kaigen from @M_L_Wang
japanese-inspired fantasy world with samurai & martial arts
explores love & loss

descendant of the crane from @joanhewrites
chinese-inspired fantasy world
murder mystery (that actually kept be on the edge of my seat!!)
political intrigue
her new sci-fi book (the ones we’re meant to find) is also coming out 4/5 so PREORDER

any books from my queen @RinChupeco
i’m currently reading the bone witch & the world is so interesting (with geisha-inspired elements!!)
the girl from the well is inspired by the japanese legend of banchō sarayashiki & i heard it’s very scary

empress of all seasons & tokyo ever after from emiko jean
empress of all seasons: competition where girls fight for the hand of the prince, set in japanese-inspired fantasy world with yōkai (aka demons)
tokyo ever after: japanese-american mc, inspired by princess diaries

wicked fox & vicious spirits from @KatCho
modern day fantasy set in korea with gumiho!
kdrama vibes
romance

spin the dawn & unravel the dusk from @LizLim
pitched as project runaway meets mulan
elizabeth lim drew upon her chinese heritage while writing this book
also check out her other books including six crimson cranes (coming out 6/6 so PREORDER)

green bones saga from @FondaJLee
one of my favourite books EVER
adult fantasy with two rival gangs
family saga (with relationships that will break your hearts )
morally grey & complex characters you can’t help but root for
3rd book coming out 7/12 so PREORDER

these violent delights from @thechloegong
you should read this book purely for how cool chloe is
romeo & juliette retelling set in 1920s shanghai, do i need to say more?!
our violent ends coming out 16/11 so PREORDER

the poppy war trilogy from @kuangrf
one of the best series ever written no cap
inspired by chinese history (2nd sino-japanese war, rape of nanking, hiroshima, etc.)
so nuanced, clever & makes you think
complex morally grey characters
check tw before reading

how we fall apart from @ktzhaoauthor
dark academia with asian characters!!
coming out 3/8 so PREORDER

the lady or the lion from @aamnaqureshi_
pakistan-inspired world
forbidden romance
court intrigues
debut novel
coming out 22/7 so PREORDER

this is far from a comprehensive list & you should do more research yourself! i haven’t read all of the books on this list so i apologize for any mistakes in advance, my intention is to hopefully introduce people to some asian books they might not have known about before :)

please reply with some other books written by asian authors!! i’m always on the lookout for MORE

i’m going to continue to add on to this thread:

the pingkang li mysteries from @JeannieLin
historical romances set in tang dynasty with murder mysteries
jeannie lin also wrote many more novels including the tang dynasty series (more historical romances!) & the gunpowder chronicles (asian steampunk!!), etc.

what’s left of me is yours from @stephaniewscott
inspired by a real life murder case in japan in 2010
centers around the wakaresaseya service where people would hire agents to seduce their spouse to provide ground for divorce

the ghost bride from @yangszechoo
set in malaya, 1893
our mc is the daughter of a chinese family in colonial malaysia
she’s being haunted by a dead son of a wealthy family who wants her to become his ‘ghost bride’
infused with chinese folklore & culture

bangkok wakes to rain from @pitchaya
set in thailand throughout its history (from nineteenth century siam to modern day bangkok)
contains small stories of many characters
non-linear narrative
atmospheric & beautifully written

a wish in the dark from @soontornvat
middle grade book set in thai-inspired fantasy world
inspired by les mis
explores the topic of poverty & wealth disparity

rent a boyfriend from @gloriacchao
ya contemporary romance
fake dating
our main girl hires the main guy to be her fake boyfriend to appease her taiwanese family
college-aged protagonists
LOOK AT THIS COVER

promise season from lee evie
historical fiction set in joseon korea
our main girl is a gisaeng slave girl
political intrigue
romance

when we were infinite & picture us in the like from @KellyLoyGilbert
beautifully written & moving ya contemporaries
deal with issues of identities, relationships, family, etc.

starfish & summer bird blue from @AkemiDawnBowman
heartfelt & moving ya contemporaries that will make you cry
starfish: deal with issues of mental illness, broken families
summer bird blue: deal with issues of grief, loss, healing, identities
read tw before reading

jade fire gold from @junescribbles
coming out 12/10 so PREORDER
inspired by chinese mythology
epic slow-burn romance (MY FAV)
our male protagonist is a lost heir who is on the path to reclaiming the throne
our female protagonist has magical abilities (!!)

books/novellas from @NghiVoWriting
empress of salt & fortune: chinese-inspired fantasy world, exiled princess, non-binary protagonist, sapphic (!!)
the chosen & the beautiful: great gatsby retelling, queer, asian & adopted protagonist, magical & mysterious
THESE COVERS

she who became the sun from @shelleypchan
tsoa meets mulan (!!)
set in china, 1345
lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of ming dynasty
2 storylines each with a genderqueer protagonist (see answered question on gr for details!)
2 queer romances

i had no text space left but PLEASE PREORDER the chosen and the beautiful (1/6) & she who became the sun (20/7)!!

ghost of from diana khoi nguyen
poetry
elegizes a brother lost via suicide
mourning song for the idea of a family haunted by ghosts of war, trauma & history https://twitter.com/rubi_writes/status/1381147309715640322

out & grotesque from natsuo kirino
translated japanese novels
horror/psychological thriller
tackle the issue of women’s struggles within the convention & restriction of japanese society
i read out & it was quite graphic so check tw before reading!

if you leave me from @crystalhanak
historical fiction novel set in 1950s korea during the civil war
centers around two ill-fated lovers
our male & female protagonists were friends when they were children & were forced to flee to a refugee camp

gearbreakers from @ZoeHanaMikuta
ya sci-fi novel with sapphic romance between 2 asian girls!
mecha fighting machines & mecha sword fights
perfect for fans of pacific rim, red rising & legend
enemies to lovers
found family
coming out 29/6 so PREORDER

this one got lost in the replies! https://twitter.com/penninreads/status/1381150822906531842