On this episode we discuss our April 2024 book club pick, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, which follows the story of struggling writer June Hayward who finally finds the publishing success she's always dreamed of... after taking the unfinished transcript of her recently deceased writing bestie, the way more successful Athena Liu, and passing it off as her own. We dive into this provocative novel that explores how far some people are willing to go to be anointed in a system that's rigged from the start. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American ..read more

In honor of next weekend's Festival of AAPI Books (which we will be exhibiting at again), we're sharing some of the conversations we recorded at last year's festival which until now were only available on our Patreon exclusive bonus podcast, Boba Chats! We're excited to share our candid chats with author friends Jessica Kim, Phil Yu, Julie Tieu, and Julie Abe. If you like what you head, consider becoming a Patreon supporter! And if you're in the Long Beach area next weekend, don't forget to come say hi! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian A ..read more

It's a Marvin only episode for this month's book news check-in, let's see how it goes as he reviews some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as some new and potentially exciting adaptation news. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen Sisters at Sea by Yume Kitasei This Place Kills Me by Mariko Tamaki; illust by Nicole Goux Alice Chen’s Reality Check by Kara Loo & Jennifer Young Dreamt I Found You by Jimin Han The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim The Serpent Called Mercy by ..read more

On this author chat, we sit down with Sheila Sundar about her debut novel Habitations, a decades-spanning story of identity, immigration, expectation and desire, and of love lost and found, exploring the stories of immigrant scholars, and what it means to make a home. Sheila shares with us her journey to becoming a novelist, as well as the inspirations behind the themes of her novel. Follow Sheila on Twitter at @sundarsheila and check out her novel Habitations, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and A ..read more

On this episode, we sit down with author A.H. Kim to talk about her latest novel Relative Strangers, a contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibilities following the Korean-American Bae-Wood family as they find themselves thrown from their home as the result of an unexpected estate battle. We chat with Ann about her inspirations for the story, and what goes into adapting a timeless story with an Asian American lens. Follow Ann on Instagram at @ahkim.writer and check out her novel, Relative Strangers, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast ..read more

On this episode we discuss our March 2024 book club pick, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum & translated by Shanna Tan, a story about a woman who leaves her unfulfilling life in the city to start up an independent bookstore in a small neighborhood. We dive into the book's themes as the owner, workers, and customers of the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop all search for their purpose in life, and how the answers clash with what society tells them what success is supposed to look like. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American a ..read more

On this episode, we welcome author Sophie Wan to chat about her debut novel Women of Good Fortune, a story of three "leftover" women living in Shanghai each stuck in their own ruts from living under the patriarchy, who decides to do something about it, by planning a heist to steal the red envelope money a crazy rich wedding. We had a great chat with Sophie about her inspirations for the story as well as what goes into constructing a good heist. Follow Sophie on Instagram at @thesophiewan and check out Sophie's debut novel, Women of Good Fortune, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop ..read more

On this episode, we discuss our February 2024 book club pick, Untethered Sky, an action packed novella by Fonda Lee about a young woman as she becomes a Ruhker, who are warriors that hunt monsters using giant mythical birds called rocs. *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Facebook Twitter Goodreads Group The Books & Boba March 2024 pick is Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum & translated by Shanna Tan This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective ..read more

On this episode, we chat with Ray Xu about his debut middle grade graphic novel Alterations, a charming semi-autobiographical tale of a kid growing up in a crowded apartment with his mom, older sister, and grandmother, just trying to fit in and stand out. We chat with Ray about the real life inspirations behind his novel, as well as his own creative journey to becoming an animation story editor and published author. Follow Sajni on Instagram at @rayxuxu and check out Ray's graphic novel, Alterations, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon ..read more

On our mid-month check in for February 2024, we recap the latest Asian American book and publishing announcements, as well as catch up on the latest book tea, including controversies from a prominent book awards. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Me and My Pet Demon by Remy Lai Once Upon a Tail by Audrey Perrott & Charlene Chua A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim 100th Day of School with Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi; illust by Debby Rahmalia The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever by Sandra Salsbury This Is Dance by Rekha S. Rajan; illust by Chris Park Folk Remedy by Jem Yoshioka Navig ..read more