6 AAPI Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month and the Read Harder Challenge
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This is a great opportunity to add books by AAPI authors to your TBR and promote the AAPI authors you’ve already read and loved. Book Riot has a bunch of lists recommending books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors to read in May — and all year long — but because this is the Read Harder column, I wanted to shout out some books by AAPI authors that also check off tasks from the 2024 Read Harder Challenge.
Some of the books already recommended for Read Harder tasks are by AAPI authors, so I’ve gathered those together at the end, but I also wanted to add six more to your TBR, most of them for tasks I haven’t given out recommendations for. If you want to narrow it down, task #4: Read a history book by a BIPOC author, and task #7: Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author, are both ones that are easy to find a ton of books by AAPI authors that will complete them.
Without further ado, here are six books by AAPI authors that complete 2024 Read Harder Challenge tasks.
Iep Jāltok by Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner
Task #7: Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
Books by Pacific Islanders are often harder to find, so I wanted to highlight this poetry collection from a Marshallese poet and activist. Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner’s work explores Marshallese tradition and culture, the ongoing effects of colonialism, the impact of American nuclear testing, and the threat of climate change on the islands.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Task #13: Read a comic that has been banned.
Trung Le Nguyen won my heart with their tweet, “People wanna ban my book for only gay reasons, nobody ever ever mentions the cannibalism 😔” The Magic Fish was banned in several school districts in 2021 for having LGBTQ content. It follows Tien as he bonds with his mother and helps her learn English by reading fairy tales with her. As her English approves, Tien struggles to find the words to come out to her. (The cannibalism is just mentioned in one of the fairy tales, in case that scared you off…)
Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho and Dung Ho
Task #11: Read a picture book published in the last five years.
This is one of my favorite tasks this year, because there are so many amazing picture books out there, and reading them as an adult is underrated. This one is about an Asian American girl learning to love the shape of her eyes. You can find more to complete this task in 8 Picture Books To Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and 20 Children’s Books To Read by AAPI Writers and Illustrators.
Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang
Task #14: Read a book by an author with an upcoming event (virtual or in person) and then attend the event.
A hack for this task is to search for events for the upcoming releases you’re excited about — often events are timed for around the book’s release date. Cinema Love is told in three time periods: post-socialist China, 1980s Chinatown, and current-day New York City. It follows gay, closeted men in rural China — and the women they marry. It’s out on May 7th, and there are events in NY, MA, and CT, as well as at least one virtual event you can attend.
Decolonize Drag by Kareem Khubchandani
Task #18: Read a book about drag or queer artistry, and task #21: Read a book that went under the radar in 2023.
If you discovered drag through RuPaul’s Drag Race, it’s worth picking up a book like this to dig a little deeper into the complexities of this art form. Khubchandani, who performs drag as LaWhore Vagistan, explains how drag can be used both to enforce and resist colonialism.
‘Āina Hānau / Birth Land by Brandy Nālani McDougall
Task #21: Read a book that went under the radar in 2023, and task #7: Read an indie published collection of poetry by a BIPOC or queer author.
This poetry collection is by a Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) poet who uses both ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i and English in her writing. McDougall addresses colonialism, racism, militarism, tourism, and environmental injustice in her work, as well as motherhood and its connection to land.
Finally, here are a few more books by AAPI authors already recommended for previous tasks:
Task #4: Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy
Task #5: Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Task #6: Emma and the Love Spell by Meredith Ireland
Task #7: Soft Science by Franny Choi and When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen
Who are some of your favorite Asian American and Pacific Islander authors? Let’s chat in the comments!
Find all the previous 2024 Read Harder posts here.
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