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In the Club

Books With Messy Family Dynamics and AAPI Histories

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I’ll be honest and say that some of my closest relationships—both romantic and platonic—were bolstered by mess. That is to say that we bonded over conversations centered on certain messy goings-on. With the popularity of certain drama and reality shows, I know that me and mine are not the only drama-drawn people out here. I am convinced that humans are an oxygen, water, and drama-based species, and there can be something particularly satisfying about reading about family drama.

Maybe it’s catharsis, or maybe it helps seeing people going through worse things than we are. Whatever it is, the following books all serve up the mess. There’s a short story collection in a more realistic Hawai’i, the life of a troubled Indian American teenager, and two sisters in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore.

Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare cover

Every Drop Is a Man’s Nightmare by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto

The mixed native Hawaiian and Japanese women in Kamalei Kakimoto’s set of debut stories live in modern times, but walk among the wisdom of their elders, and the hauntings of imperialism. The sexuality and the memory of generations in this fabulist collection directly contradict the picture-perfect image of paradise so often associated with Hawai’i. An elderly woman sees her dead lover in a giant flower, a childhood encounter with a native wild pig foretells one woman’s troubled pregnancy, and a writer’s pages shake in their container.

cover of Fitting Indian

Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, illustrated by Tara Anand

Here’s another debut, this time a YA graphic novel from social media influencer Jyoti Chand. Before we get to the premise, just know that there are some content warnings needed.

This follows Nitasha, who’s used to battling the constant disappointment coming from her parents since it seems like she’ll never quite measure up to her perfect doctor older brother. But now there’s something new: her best friend and her crush both seem to be more interested in the new rich girl than her. So, she takes to alcohol, which seems to help at first. Then, cutting when she needs something more, all the while she wonders if she is enough for anyone in her life.

cover of The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei

Wei is taking it back in her debut, to turn-of-the-millennium Singapore. It’s then that Genevieve Yang’s existence as an only child comes to a halt once Arin appears. Now, Arin is there because of a trifling grandfather, but soon, the two girls grow so close they end up blocking others out. As they both contend with the pressures of achievement—in school and life in general—they enclose themselves in a grind-minded bubble. Then it pops. A betrayal changes everything between them and leads Genevieve to reassess what family, success, and self means to her in a quickly modernizing world.

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Erica Ezeifedi

Associate Editor

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack. Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li (Memoir)

Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us by Anna Malaika Tubbs

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji

cover of Esperance by Adam Oyebanji

The True Happiness Company by Veena Dinavahi

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris- Mystery/Thriller

Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander- Romance

Feeders by Matt Serafini- Horror

Gingko Season by Naomi Xu Elegant- Fiction

Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline- Biography

Sing to Me by Jesse Browner- Fiction

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