Books and Boba

On this episode, we discuss out May 2024 Book Club pick, Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee, a YA noir mystery about two Chinese American sisters who investigate the murder of their friend, an up and coming Hollywood starlet, in 1930's Los Angeles. Listen in as we dive into this novel which blends of the gritty themes of noir fiction with the light-hearted tones of a cozy mystery, with a splash of Asian American coming-of-age for good measure. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba June 2024 pick is Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode we chat with author E. L. Shen about her YA coming-of-age novel The Queens of New York, which just had its paperback release. We chat with E. L. about the inspirations for her story about three best friends finding themselves over a summer apart, and dive deep into one of her plot points revolving around a surprisingly modern musical with racist themes. Follow E. L. Shen on Instagram at @elshenwrites and check out her novel The Queens of New York, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba May 2024 pick is Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On our mid-month check in for May 2024, we recap the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as catch up on some book awards news and hot topics on Booktok. We also share some of the live audio that we captured from attendees at the 2024 Long Beach Festival of AAPI Books! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Immortal the BloodMolly X. ChangMaggie and the Story ShadowsAnnabelle OhBig Jobs for Little Babies SeriesKatrina Moore; Benson ShumEx Marks the SpotGloria ChaoHairy Man SuitHaleh MasseyGwei, the Hungry GhostEmeline LeeBasia TranIn the Country I LoveAlaa Al-BarkawiAi & Aiko and the Little CurvePeter DrawBinna's DalgonaSojung Kim-McCarthyAs Long as You Loathe MeSwati HegdeThe Vastness of UsTerisa SiagatonuLucyola LangiSparkles for Sunny: A Lunar New Year StorySylvia ChenThai My PhuongRamadan on Rahma Road: Celebrating Food, Family, and FriendshipRazeena Omar GuttaFaaiza OsmanAtieh Sohrabi News stories covered on this episode: Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba May 2024 pick is Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode we sit down with author Samira Ahmed about her newest novel This Book Won't Burn, a YA coming-of-age story about a girl who moves to a small town in the middle of her senior year and finds herself embroiled in her town's politics as she finds out that hundreds of books in her school's libraries have been marked for book bans. We chat with Samira about her own experiences taking on book bans across the country as well as her thoughts on the importance of reading diversely. Follow Samira on Instagram at @sam_aye_ahm and check out her novel This Book Won't Burn, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba May 2024 pick is Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba May 2024 pick is Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba April 2024 pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 TourNora NguyenSisters at Sea Yume KitaseiThis Place Kills Me Mariko Tamakiillust Nicole GouxAlice Chen’s Reality Check Kara Loo Jennifer YoungDreamt I Found You Jimin HanThe Emperor of Gladness Ocean VuongSublimation Isabel J. KimThe Serpent Called Mercy Roanne LauA Dark and Narrow House Usman T. MalikTen Incarnations of Rebellion Vaishnavi PatelThe Ex-Boyfriends Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee Saki KawashiroThe Blanket Cats Kiyoshi ShigematsuLeverage Amran GowaniThe Art of Love Kristi HongWhen Sleeping Women Wake Emma Pei YinThe Satisfaction Café Kathy Wang News stories covered on this episode: Festival of AAPI Books – May 5, 2024The Sympathizer on HBOCrazy Rich Asians to become a musical Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba April 2024 pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba April 2024 pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba April 2024 pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook The Books & Boba April 2024 pick is Yellowface by R.F. Kuang This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we welcome author Vanessa Le to chat about her debut novel The Last Bloodcarver, a Vietnamese-American inspired YA fantasy about a girl with the power to alter human biology who wants to be a healer even if the world sees her as a monster, who is caught and sold into the service of a wealthy family to heal the last surviving witness to a suspected murder. We chat with Vanessa about her inspirations for her fantasy action meets medical murder mystery, as well as how her background as a Vietnamese-American med student helped her develop her book's world and magic system! Follow Vanessa on Instagram at @lochnessly and check out her debut novel, The Last Bloodcarver, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebook 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

On our mid-month check in for March 2024, we recap the latest Asian American book and publishing announcements, as well as go over some exciting adaptation and festival news! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: The Perfections Lulee MaRevolutions Are Made ofLoveSunYung ShinMélina MangalLeslie BarlowNunu and the SeaIsabella KungA Home on the PageKao Kalia YangSeo KimDeathly FatesTesia TsaiDragon Force: Infinity'sSecretKatieTsangKevin TsangFalling StarLinda LiuI Guess I'll Go Eat WormsLinda LiuThe Day the BooksDisappearedJoannaHoCaroline Kusin Pritchard Dan SantatLou with the BandAlexandra LeighYoungProdigal TigerSamantha ChongThe Art of How Dogs SleepAlison Kim News stories covered on this episode: Babel optioned for screen adaptationYALLWEST announces lineup *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads 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

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! *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon*Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads 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

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: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads 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

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 Ray 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* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba February 2024 pick is Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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 Remy LaiOnce Upon a TailAudrey PerrottCharlene ChuaA Forgery of FateElizabeth Lim100th Day of School with Yasmin Saadia FaruqiDebby RahmaliaThe Baby Who Stayed Awake ForeverSandra SalsburyRekha S. RajanChris ParkFolk Remedy Jem YoshiokaNavigating NightJulie LeungAngie KangA Good Indian Girl Mansi Shah News stories covered on this episode: Controversy over 'inexplicable' exclusion of R F Kuang and Xiran Jay Zhao from Hugo Awards 2023“YA Isn’t Just for Young Adults” op-ed criticism *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba February 2024 pick is Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Sajni Patel to talk about her new YA fantasy novel A Drop of Venom, a retelling of the Medusa myth taking place in an Indian-inspired fantasy setting. Her novel follows the story of two people, one is a naga, deemed a monster by the powers that be, and the other is a slayer, who is sent to kill monsters by those same powers. Sajni shares with us why she was inspired to adapt Medusa's story, and why her tale is now more relevant than ever. Follow Sajni on Instagram at @sajnipatelbooks and check out Sajni's novel, A Drop of Venom, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba February 2024 pick is Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode we discuss our January 2024 book club pick, Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City, by Jane Wong. In this memoir, Jane shares about her upbringing in Atlantic City as a restaurant kid, her trials and tribulations in love, as well as her tumultuous journey to becoming a writer and academic. Jane's stories aren't all fun-times, but not all sad-times neither, and they are beautifully brought to life with her evocative prose that will stay with us for some time. *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba February 2024 pick is Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this author chat, we sit down with French-Chinese-American author Aube Rey Lescure to talk about her debut novel River East, River West, a story that blends coming-of-age and historical fiction following the stories of a young daughter of an expat living in Shanghai who dreams of a better life in America (or at the very least among the Americans living in Shanghai), and her new stepfather, a Chinese businessman pursuing his own dreams after his life was derailed during the Cultural Revolution. We chat with Aube about her inspirations for he story as well as her personal journey to becoming a novelist. Follow Aube on Instagram @aubenoisette and check out Aube's debut novel, River East, River West, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba January 2024 pick is Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

It's time for our first mid-month book news check-in for 2024! It's been a light news month to start off the year, but that doesn't mean we don't have some exciting new publishing announcements to go over, including a new literary project by Keanu Reeves! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: The Book of Elsewhere Bones of Jade, Flesh Like Ice The Lotus Inn Men Like Ours Make My Wish Come True She Gets the Girl: A Christmas Novella Sun, Moon and Star A Fly in the ChaiI Am a Bon Dancer No Purchase Necessary Follow Us *Support the podcast by supporting our Patreon* Follow our hosts: @reeraboo@marvinyueh Follow us: FacebookTwitterGoodreads Group The Books & Boba January 2024 pick is Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City by Jane Wong This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective