Suzanne Park’s Compulsively Readable Novels by AAPI Authors
By Suzanne Park
If you’re looking for a new spring title to add to your TBR, these contemporary AAPI adult and YA books are compulsively bingeable, one-sitting reads.
The Do-Over, Suzanne Park
I’m starting out this Asian American/Pacific Islander roundup with my latest adult fiction release. The Do-Over is about Lily Lee, a Korean American career consultant and non-fiction author, who applies for a dream job only to find out during an employer background check that she never completed her college degree. She returns to her alma mater to finish her credits, and discovers that her computer science TA is her old college boyfriend. This book idea came from one of my recurring anxiety dreams, in which I need to take an exam for a class I never attended. This nightmare seemed like an interesting and relatable premise for a novel, and after weeks of brainstorming and journaling, I sent the pitch for the book to my editor.
Real Simple says The Do-Over is “hilarious and smart, with insightful commentary about second chances, self-doubt, and what it really means to have a successful life."
Portrait of a Thief, Grace D. Li
Who doesn’t love a fast-paced heist-capade? In Li’s debut, a group of Chinese American college students pull off a series of thefts to take back 12 zodiac statues pilfered from China’s former Old Summer Palace by British and French colonizers during the Second Opium War. Fast-paced, entertaining, and layered, Li explores Asian American ambition, societal and parental expectations, colonialism, and diversity within the Asian American diaspora, and she does so through her five distinct narrative voices. If you loved the Ocean’s 11 and Fast and Furious movie franchises, you’ll love Portrait of a Thief, now in paperback this spring.
All This Could Be Different, Sarah Thankam Mathews
Set in Milwaukee at the end of Obama’s second term, the author navigates the complicated world of a twenty-two-year-old queer Indian immigrant fresh out of college, exploring found family, career hardships, and finding a place to call home. This narrative voice is funny and propulsive, making this literary novel accessible and relatable for those who enjoy upmarket and commercial fiction. If you enjoyed Pineapple Street and Community Board, this is one to add to your list.
Homicide and Halo-Halo, Mia P. Manansala
The second book in the Arsenic and Adobo series, Homicide and Halo-Halo delivers a page-turning whodunit that including themes of family, mental health, and mouth-watering Filipino dishes with a delightfully snarky main character. In this novel, Lily’s hometown Shady Palms has brought back the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago—to the dismay of Lila’s cousin and rival Bernadette. When the head judge of the pageant is murdered, Bernadette becomes the main suspect and the cousins need to solve the case before one of them becomes the next victim. With three books so far in the series, and a fourth coming later this year, it’s a cozy mystery collection to sink your teeth into (yes, food pun intentional).
Not Here to Be Liked, Michelle Quach
Quach is a master storyteller and I recommend this YA book to everyone who asks me for a contemporary recommendation.
In this novel, Eliza Quan is a managing editor of the Willoughby High School Bugle and has earned her stripes with all her hard work. She runs unopposed for Editor-in-Chief until Leonard "Len" DiMartile swoops in as a candidate, a former basketball player who is well liked by everyone. The votes come in and Len walks away with the position Eliza's worked hard for, and after a secret manifesto listing her long list of complaints goes viral, chaos ensues. What I admire most about this novel is that Quach doesn’t pull punches and gives YA readers a lot to think about, tackling weighty subjects such as how feminism as a concept isn't the same for everyone and how being liked is valued far more in society than merit.
Quach has another YA book coming out this summer that I also recommend. The Boy You Always Wanted is a fresh and layered story that’s both a coming-of-age journey and a first-love romance. In this novel, Francine convinces her family friend Ollie to be ceremonially adopted into the family in order to fulfill her grandfather’s dying wish of having a male heir. Out in August, it’s heartfelt and funny story perfect for your summer pre-order list.
K-Pop Revolution, Stephan Lee
K-Pop Revolution is the sequel to Lee’s debut K-Pop Confidential, and I highly recommend reading both, although the second could be read as a stand-alone. In the first book, Candace Park (no relation or connection to me, I swear) is a K-pop trainee, and now she’s debuting on the K-Pop scene in the most hyped girl group of all time. You’ll feel like you’re behind the scenes as you see Candace film her first music video, star in a reality show, and compete against other formidable groups. There’s a juicy, tropey romance sub-plot too that any K-drama lover will enjoy.
This book has twists and surprises that make this a fast read, akin to a commercial mystery or thriller pulse-pounder. Candace needs to figure out who’s trying to destroy her debut and why, and the reader is right there with her every step of the way.
If you’re new to the world of K-Pop, this is a great introduction into that scene. Lee’s background as an entertainment journalist shines through as you get a behind-the-scenes, eye-opening view of an aspiring pop star’s life in Korea.
You’ve Reached Sam, Dustin Thao
Sometimes you need a cathartic cry, and this book delivers. And it starts immediately: Sam Obayashi is in a fatal automobile accident in the very first chapter and his girlfriend Julie is devastated by the news. She distances herself from family and friends and purges her life of anything that reminds her of Sam, including all of his texts and voicemails. As soon as she realizes this was a mistake, she dials Sam's number, hoping she remembers it correctly, just to hear the voicemail message.
Oh, how my jaw dropped when he answers the phone.
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and memorable young adult story that will stay with you a long time.
Suzanne Park is a Korean American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. As a stand-up comedian, she appeared on BET’s Coming to the Stage, was the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s Stand Up For Diversity showcase in San Francisco. Suzanne graduated from Columbia University and received an MBA from UCLA. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, female offspring, and a sneaky rat that creeps around on her back patio. In her spare time, she procrastinates. She is the author of Loathe at First Sight, So We Meet Again, The Do-Over, and several young adult novels.