In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, the TBF staff is spotlighting some of their favorite reads featured at the 2024 Texas Book Festival written by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander authors. Take a look and add one to your TBR list.
“In this dazzling debut, we encounter love and heartbreak across time and place, including post-socialist rural China and New York’s COVID pandemic-stricken Chinatown. With stunning illustrative language and sweeping dialogue, Tang raises the bar not just for queer literature, but for immigrant stories. The novel leaves you wondering about just how destructive a secret can be to not just those you love, but to yourself.” – Jose Rodriguez, Communications & PR Coordinator
“Ko chronicles the intersecting lives of three women who meet as girls and their evolving relationships over the decades and into the future, paralleled with the evolution of art, technology, and society. One of NPR’s Best Books of 2024 and one of Barack Obama’s Favorite Reads of Summer 2024.” – Nancy Nesbitt, Development Communications & Engagement Manager
“This is middle school drama at its best, as 8th grade Christina and her besties navigate cheer tryouts, friendship, first crushes, and family. Christina and The Squad were big hits with our Reading Rock Stars students!” – Nancy Nesbitt, Development Communications & Engagement Manager
“Nazemian’s work is ripe with beautifully developed characters and navigation of complicated relationships. Desert Echoes, his latest YA release, is no exception. This story follows Kam in two different times in his life, allowing readers to go back and forth between the events around the time Kam’s boyfriend, Ash, disappeared during a camping trip to Joshua Tree, and Kam’s struggle with grief two years later, when Ash’s disappearance is still unsolved.” – Michelle Hernandez, Director of Youth Programs
“In this first installment of the Gigi Shin series we get to know a fun group of budding 7th grade artists who decide to start a tutoring club to earn the money they need to attend an elite summer art program. This is such a fun middle grade read, and the second book in the series just came out!” – Michelle Hernandez, Director of Youth Programs
“In this darling picture book, author-illustrator Cat Min tells the story of a ghost and a shadow who become pen pals by leaving notes, drawings, and gifts for each other on a rock. Readers will delight in Min’s stunning illustrations that accentuate this sweet story of friendship.” – Anna Dolliver, Operations & Literary Coordinator
“This beautiful multigenerational novel follows three generations of a Chinese-American family as it explore questions of identity, privilege, fate and the ever-elusive question of ‘what makes us who we are?’. Reminiscent of Pachinko in both structure and theme, this tender and captivating story had me enthralled from beginning to end. Published earlier this week and named @readwithjenna’s May book club selection, I highly recommend this one to fans of family dramas, multigenerational stories and/or historical fiction.” – Hannah Gabel, Literary Director
