As I had mentioned a past post, I felt a disconnect from my culture as an adopted kid. There were very few books about Asians or by Asian Authors when I was young. Now that I’m older, I have not only tried to find some, and I do believe there are more Asian books being written.
Shoutout to https://www.diversebooks.org/
Additionally, as a writer, I remember when I was young all my characters were white. I didn’t realize I could write characters that looked like me because none of the books I read had characters that looked like me.
So this is a collection of good Asian books that for the little me who was looking for characters who looked like her.
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Where the Mountain Meets The Moon
I mentioned “Where the Mountain meets the Moon” in my Chinese Moon Goddess Post, but I really wanted to go into it for this post. This was the first truly Chinese Book I read as a kid and has stuck with me ever since. It is book 1 in a series and is about a girl, Minli, who seeks to change her fate, inspired by her father’s stories. This book was amazing with a strong female protagonist, beautiful stories, and even a dragon.
I definitely recommend reading the rest of the books in the series too. They follow different people, but have the same strong characters, mythology, and beautiful storytelling.
I Believe in a Thing Called Love
This was a fun romance that drew inspiration from the author’s Korean heritage. If it isn’t obvious from my bio, I adore K-dramas and C-dramas, so this book perfectly hit the spot.
Desi Lee is a planner and type A person, that’s how she’s approached her academics and life in general. However, despite her excellent academics, she’s never had a boyfriend. So when a cute artist, Lukas Drakos crosses her path, she determines that he’s the one. With the help of K-dramas, chaos ensues as she finds out what love is really about.
Romances are so fun and oftentimes when I don’t feel like reading anything deep or thought provoking, but still want to read something, I often turn to a romance. And it’s so nice to read romances where the characters look like me.
American Born Chinese
This was lowkey a weird book and I don’t think I would have read it if it hadn’t been assigned for Reading Olympics. But honestly, I kinda glad I read it. Jin Wang, the main character, wants to fit in so badly. He thinks that being white would be so much better. And as a kid who is Asian and yet has a white family, I related to that so much. This story is intertwined with the story of the Monkey King, a mythical creature in Chinese mythology known for causing mischief and desperately wanting to become a god. The way that the author combines these two stories is weird, but also artfully done. Did I mention this was also a graphic novel?
Spin the Dawn
I loved this book so much. It’s kind of a Mulan story in which the girl disguises herself as a boy to do a job. Additionally, the author draws on other fairytales like the All-Kinds-of-Fur story with the sun, moon, and stars dresses. I got the The Brave Tailor vibe from it, and there’s definitely Chinese mythology in it. The story follows Maia Tamarin, who disguises herself as a boy to become an imperial tailor. Their challenge is to create a dress made from the sun, moon, and stars. This challenge leads her on a quest, and with the help of the Court Enchanter, she might just be able to do it. This book is a duology, which was amazing. And the author has written other books which are equally amazing with their strong female characters, heartwarming romances, and awesome mythology.
Eon
This book is another Mulan type story where the main character, Eon or Eona, disguises herself as a boy to become a wielder of dragon magic. This story is filled with mythology, adventure, and some good old fashioned swordplay. Along the way, she learns about embracing her identity and using what she does have to her advantage. I loved the vibe of this story. While there is a second book, I didn’t love it as much due to the unnecessary romance and kinda hopeless vibe. But I still suggest reading this.
The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea
I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I bought the book promptly after reading it. If you know me, I don’t buy books, so the fact that I did, shows you how much I loved it.
This is a Korean inspired story. Mina wants to save her people from the Sea God who has been ravaging their land with storms. Her people’s solution is to sacrifice Brides to the Sea God. Mina wasn’t going to be a bride, but in a sacrifice of love, she tosses herself over. Once there, she discovers that the Sea God is either cursed or sleeping forever. With the help of a group of spirits and an Immortal Lord, Shin and armed with a love and knowledge of stories, she learns how to awaken the Sea God. Along the way, she discovers love romantically, familially, and for her people.
If it hasn’t been clear, I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I’m actually rereading it at the time that I am writing this.
Empress of All Seasons
I read this one in middle school, but it was so good that it has still stuck with me.
Mari is a yokai, a supernatural monster that aims to become the empress. In order to become the empress, there is a competition, in which they conquer the seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall and yokai are not allowed to compete. Not only does Mari have to win against several other contestants in a challenge that becomes increasingly harder, she also has to conceal her identity, and avoid falling in love with Taro, the prince.
This is a story filled with strong females, compelling motivations, and beautiful Japanese culture. A must read if I do say so myself.
Crazy Rich Asians
Unbeknownst to many, Crazy Rich Asians, is actually and originally a book. I mentioned Kevin Kwan in my last book list, and if you read it, you can tell I have mixed feelings about him.
The book follows Rachel Chu, American born girl, and Nicholas Young, who unknown to her is really rich. Rachel learns how to navigate her rich boyfriend’s life as he takes her home to Singapore for his best friend’s wedding.
Some say that it is a satire of rich people’s life while others just appreciate the drama and the representation. Somehow despite the questionable writing and storytelling, he still manages to create a story that is compelling and entertaining. While I personally liked the movie better, I still think it is worth reading.
Song of Sliver, Flame Like Night
This story was a little darker and more complicated than I usually go for. It was still a compelling read and worth my time.
Lan, the main character, is trying to find out what the mark on her arm means. Nobody can see it, much less know what it is until Zen, a magician practitioner comes to her teahouse and can see it. The two set off on an adventure, escaping those who want the power that can come from the mark.
This story is filled with Chinese inspired elements which lends itself to a beautiful world. A must read if you love powerful storytelling and an action packed adventure.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
This one is based off of the Chinese Moon Goddess story I wrote about in a previous post. And it was beautiful with intricate worldbuilding, strong relatable characters, and twists along the way.
The story follows Xingyin, daughter of the Moon Goddess Chang’e, who is hiding her from the Immortal Emperor. When she gets found out, Xingyin escapes the Moon and embarks on a journey to save her mother and discover herself. Full of magic, growth, and some romance the story was just really beautiful and worth reading.
Darker by Four
This book was amazing. I loved it so much. The magic, the characters, the romance, the mystery. Everything about it was just perfection.
According to the goodreads synopsis, the story follows three characters. I disagree, it follows four; Rui, our female main, a badass and cool character, Yiran, our disgraceful rich kid, Nikai, a reaper looking for the missing Fourth King of Hell, and Zizi, my absolute favorite, the tortured magical shop-owner. Four different characters, fighting their own battles that somehow intersect with one another.
If it hasn’t been clear enough, I absolutely loved this book! It was such a compelling and intricate book set in a magical world but with struggles that are so real and relatable. And I can’t wait for the next book!
That’s all for this week. Thanks so much for reading and supporting me!
