Goodreads Recommends AAPI Heritage Month Books | My Reaction

[@Monica.Bibliophilebynight]

Absolutely disappointed in the lack of Pacific Island authors on the GR list, but I'm not really surprised either. For anyone interested I would recommend books by Lani Wendt Young, Gina Cole, Steph Matuku, Whiti Hereaka, F. K. Maddison, Cassie Hart, Vanda Symon, Michael Bennett and Witi Ihimaera and that's just a handful! Glad to see Makiia Lucier on here!

[@MJ-ed2xx]

I will never not recommend LeVar Burton's podcast to short story hesitant people. I'm sure there is no way you don't know about it, but for anyone who doesn't, it's basically Reading Rainbow for adults. He's an excellent narrator. Every episode is him reading one short story, he leans heavily towards speculative fiction, and it's just perfection for me.

[@BookishRealm]

I feel like you or someone else told me about it!

[@tammietriestoread]

role playing was my favourite contemorary romance of last year, highly recommend, especially if you're looking for a romance featuring older characters (in their 40s) chlorine was probably my #1 favourite book of last year, i hope you enjoy it if you end up reading it! i wouldn't say i'm super into short stories either, but i definitely prefer a collection from a singular author with a connecting theme - afterparties is a really great one for this! a couple of underrated middle grade fantasies recs from me - the dragon warrior by katie zhao, and the serpent's secret by sayantani dasgupta all things considered, a decent list from goodreads i feel, though i really do wish they'd stuck to asian american authors (and not non-american asian authors) seeing as it's specifically for AAPI month. great video ashley!

[@meggamillion2014]

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is one of my favorite books ever. Short, queer, poeticly-voiced, it's a heartbreaking yet healing immigrant story with a lot of generational trauma. Every time I've picked it up, I've underlined so many passages. It even begs to be read aloud!

[@elizabethyow1165]

Thank you! Yup! On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is By Ocean Voung (I’ll double check later and edit for spelling if needed) My sister and I read it for a book club at our college :)

[@caitlinlucyhenderson8417]

If you like military fantasy, then try She Who Became The Sun. It's a queer historical military with light fantastical elements. It and its sequel were 2 of my top books last year. If you liked Jade City, you might also like The Water Outlaws by S L Huang. It's a queer feminist retelling of a classic Chinese xuxia novel about heroic bandits.

[@BookishRealm]

Ooooo these all sound good! I’ve been meaning to get to She Who Became the Sun for a while now.

[@amyschmelzer6445]

I added She Who Became the Sun to my June pile of possibilities for Pride month. I found a copy in a little free library a while back. The genre is outside my wheelhouse, but since I got it for free I won’t be upset if I don’t get around to it or don’t like it.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

Strongly recommend The Devourers. Indra Das is super underrated.

[@BookishRealm]

I didn’t know that. I definitely will!!!

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

I loved All the Right Notes, and Role Playing by Cathy Yardley was one of my favorites last year!

[@BookishRealm]

I’ll have to check them out!

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

Thanks for the recs: I am now at the point of buying picture books for me as my kids are moving to chapter books. I think we'll enjoy Kadooboo though and i definitely want to find I used to live in a Whale, that sohnds such an amazibg story, even without illustrations. I was guessing Red, White and Whole - i sobbed buckets reading that and love it so much. This is the year i need to fibally read Kelly Yang it was not her time, but I am bored of saying "i want to read Kelly Yang" 🙈💜📚

[@heyimsasa]

i need to save this because my library doesn't have a lot of these but they might later. thanks ashley!

[@BookishRealm]

Thanks for watching love ❤️

[@ChibiJirachi]

I finished The Spear Cuts Through Water earlier this year and I think it's going to be my top book for this year. I loved the changing narratives and the world building! Definitely see that it might not be for everyone and if you do try it out, reading a physical or ebook will help understand the narrative switching. I had trouble following along with the audiobook. So happy it's getting recognized by Goodreads. The Red Palace was my favorite from last year and I'm so excited to read Crane Among Wolves by June Hur.

[@ToCoziesAndBeyond]

Clark and Division is so good. I love Naomi Hirahara books. Clark and Division is about a Japanese girl from California whose family had to go to Manznar. Then they get out if they agree to go to Chicago. They do because her older sister is there. However the day they arrive, her sister throws herself in front of a train. She believes it is murder and sets out to prove it. I also love June Hur books! I can’t wait to read her new one.

[@ArcticWolfe84]

I'd recommend the audiobook version if you’re going to read The Salt Grows Heavy. The writing is very lyrical, and I think listening to it as a performance makes it even better.

[@lusalma5404]

Jeannie Lin is fairly prolific and does a lot of historicals. I am currently listing to Dating Dr. Dil and it is interesting but definitely a enemies to lovers and very rooted in immigrant Indian Culture. If you enjoy gaming, Role Playing is very fun, even if you aren't into gaming, Role Playing is wonderful. It has older protagonists and a bit of a misunderstanding trope, but I liked it a lot. Maybe not as much as Only for the Week, but still alot. I agree about not including the same author twice. I think it should be unique and highlight the author in their main genre for this type of list. Natural Beauty was interesting and I enjoyed it, but it is body horror.

[@BookishRealm]

Ooo thanks for the insight!!!

[@powertothepeopleaotearoa]

Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff and Whale Rider by Witi Himaera are amazing PI books!

[@Merdragoon]

I'm not sure if you've read it, but one middle grade that stuck with me for YEARS when I was in school and we read as part of our class (I think 3rd grade?) "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord. It talks about the struggles of a chinese immagriant trying to fit into america but also shows some of how the family dyamic in china was during the time as well as how baseball gave her something to connect to people with. It was a super sweet story and not very long. It always stuck with me as a story and have looked it up time and again when something reminds me of the book. (The title The Year of the Tiger had me thinking of this book yet again funnily enough). Though I didn't realize Monstress was under AAPI, but I'm happy that I found it overall because the artstyle is beautiful. I have Daughter of the Moon Goddess on my TBR personally as well as The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. Pachinko is also on my TBR. And for Military Fantasy? (it's not AAPI but it was a thought) I actually think you may be one of the few who would like the Mage Wars Trilogy by Mercades Lackey. It starts with the Black Grphyon, the second book is the White Gryphon, and the last book is the Silver Gryphon. I've noticed compared to her other books within the Valdamar series, these three actually focuses on the miltary aspect and how people have to work together when they're the losing side and last bastion of a war. It's also the beginning of the other issues that's happened throughout the other books within the same world. It's before the blue-eyed White horses with silver hooves known as Companions (not unicorns as they don't have horns). The Founding trilogy that just came out is the one that introduces those. Instead it talks about Gryphons as it's fantasy elements. (if you see it put under YA... don't be fooled. It's not. And you'll probably noticed real quick why it's not as you read those books. The did the same thing with the Last Herald Mage trilogy. When they first came out, they were actually written for adults in mind.)

[@andieebee]

If you liked Ayesha at last I would recommend to read Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

[@BookishRealm]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[@desiabri]

Yes!!! Read it last year. So good!

[@EFergDindrane]

I had HULA checked out for 4 weeks myself! And never got to it! Ifeel so bad. But at least the computer registered interest in it, so the library will buy more titles that are similar? I hope! In any case, I'm going to buy it, so that more likely means I'll read it because that's just how my brain is.

[@PamsShenanigans]

I recommend graphic novel Papaya Salad by Elisa Macellari! read it just a few days ago!

[@BookishRealm]

Okay! I’ll check it out! Thank you for the recommendation!

[@TimeTravelReads]

I'm pleasantly surprised to see that they have a nonfiction section. I don't think they did for Black history month. For children's books, I liked Baseball Saved Us and Barbed Wire Baseball. I don't remember the author's names at the moment and I'm not at my computer.

[@dayphantasm]

The author of The Fervor was inspired by HER HUSBAND'S heritage. He's the one with a Japanese background. The author makes this clear, but I'm not sure if Goodreads does . It's an okay read. Personally I would have replaced that on my list. imo

[@BookishRealm]

Ahhhhh thank you for letting me know!

[@dayphantasm]

@@BookishRealm np I love your reviews of Goodreads' lists because many of their choices are ... unexpected. 🙃

[@PamsShenanigans]

i have a feeling you'd like Miracle Creek! :D

[@BookishRealm]

Oooo okay! I’ll have to check it out!

[@marisagettas]

I put approx. 90% of everything you recommend on hold! You haven’t failed me yet!! 🙏🏼☺️

[@BookishRealm]

So much pressure lol one of these days one of my recommendations will end up being a dud. 😂😂😂

[@jaimee-kate]

Ishuguro is one of my favorite authors, but Klara and the Sun is not the place I would start with him.

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

Know my Name is a hard read, but she also fills it with strength and hope. The audio book is narrated by her and her voice is so soothing. Read it in your own time when you ate read 🌈🌤 Thanks for letting us know C M released a middlegrade...looking for that now! She Who became the Sun is more historical epic rather than fantasy - very very light on fantasy. But the themes of how to be a "man", who is worthy of respect and is sacrifice worth it were amazing. War and politics so it could work for you. Thanks for this 💜📚

[@Heothbremel]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@BookishRealm]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ShayWithThaHobbies]

What you got to say bout short stories? 👀👂🏽

[@ShayWithThaHobbies]

Yayyyy for Graphic Novels!!!

[@BookishRealm]

Lmao I don’t have anything against short stories 😂 I struggle with short story collections 💀😂

[@ShayWithThaHobbies]

Lol uh huh better be glad I love you or whatever. All I know is this means I'ma have to have to beta read mine to make sure it passes the Bookish Realm Seal of Approval 💜❤️💜❤️

[@BookishRealm]

@@ShayWithThaHobbies lmao don’t do that! Love you more! 😘

[@emmal7510]

Based on the thumbnail, I sense that the list has a few issues. Ishiguro is a really good author, imo, but definitely not American.

[@pauieeepau]

I also noticed Thea Guanzon, and I don't think she's American either.

[@BookishRealm]

I think that they were just trying to highlight Asian voices regardless of whether they’re from America or not which brings forth another discussion.