Books and Boba

On this episode, we discuss our January 2022 book club pick She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-Chan, a  queer re-imagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. In the last days of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty reign over China, an unnamed daughter takes on her dead brother's name to survive as a novice monk after her family is attacked by bandits. When that safe haven is also taken from her, she decides that in order to survive, she needs to take on her brother's abandoned fate of greatness as well ans rise the ranks as the rebel monk commander Zhu Chongba. *Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba February 2022 pick is Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira JacobThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

It's our first Books & Boba mid-month episode of 2022! Join us as we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature! New books mentioned in our publishing news:A Gift for Nai Nai by Kim-Hoa UngWords Between Us by Angela Pham KransNine Color Deer by Kailin DuanHair Oil Magic by Anu ChouhanTake Me to Laolao by Kelly ZhangSee Us Bloom by Kyunghee KimLast Flight Out by Kerisa GreeneDeep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-EppigChlorine by Jade Song*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba December 2021/January 2022 pick is She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-ChanThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this last episode of Books & Boba in 2021, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our December 2021 mid-month check-in! New books mentioned in our publishing news:The Traveler's Guide to Geozoology by Angela HsiehMy Indigo World: A True Story About the Color Blue by Rosa ChangMango Memories by Sita SinghAll the Yellow Suns by Malavika KannanLove & Resistance by Kara H.L. ChenRide or Die by Gail-Agnes MusikavanhuMy Forever Home by Ha DinhSwimming Towards a Dream: Yusra Mardini's Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer by Reem FaruqiWaiting for Tomorrow by Sarah YoonFake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher LeeGhost Book by Remy LaiUprooted by Ruth ChanDadaji's Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba December 2021/January 2022 pick is She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-ChanThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we welcome back author Fonda Lee to chat about her latest novel, Jade Legacy, the conclusion of her Green Bone Saga trilogy. We last had Fonda on the show four years ago when she had just published Jade City, the first book in the series. We catch up with Fonda's thoughts on the growth of Asian-inspired fantasy over the last few years, as well as chat about the themes and inspirations for her expansive world-building over the last two novels of the series.Follow Fonda on instagram at @fonda.lee and check out her book Jade Legacy on sale now!*Buy the book & support the podcast at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba December 2021/January 2022 pick is She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-ChanThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Julie Tieu about her debut novel The Donut Trap, A romantic comedy and adult coming-of-age story about the post-college ennui of Jasmine Tran, who finds herself jobless and directionless as she spends her days working at her parent's donut shop in the SGV, that is until a missed connection shows back up in her life and she finds herself torn between familial expectations and what she really wants. We chat with Julie about the inspirations for her book as well as her journey as a writer.Follow Julie on instagram at @julietieuwrites and check out her book The Donut Trap on sale now!*Buy the book & support the podcast at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba December 2021/January 2022 pick is She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-ChanThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we discuss our November 2021 book club pick On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, a  tale of a son writing a letter to his illiterate mother and processing the legacy of trauma he has inherited from being a Vietnamese refugee as well as growing up as a poor queer boy in America. We talk through our thoughts and explore the themes of this very dense and beautifully written book.*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba December 2021/January 2022 pick is She Who Became the Sun by  Shelley Parker-ChanThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we highlight the latest book and publishing news in Asian American literature for our November 2021 mid-month check-in! New books mentioned in our publishing news:Rebecca F. Kuang - YellowfaceJulie Kagawa - FatelessMaurene Goo - ThrowbackSamira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra - Magic Has No BordersLisa Ko - Jackie and GisellePaula Yoo - Rising from the AshesJennifer Chen - Artifacts of an Ex Salima Alikhan - I Can Be All ThreeJesse Q. Sutanto - I’m Not Done with You YetDoanPhuong Nguyen - Mèo and BéMarie Tang - Baba's Peach TreeKylie Lee Baker - The Scarlet AlchemistLiz Kleinrock - Every Day Is a HolidayYing Chang Compestine - The Real Story of Ra Pu Zel; Growing Up During the Cultural RevolutionJoan He - Strike the ZitherTeresa Robeson - Clouds in Space: The Nebula StoryMelissa de la Cruz - The Encanto's DaughterPhillipa Soo and Maris Pasquale Doran - Piper SingsCharlotte Cheng - GoGo and the Night Market; Roar-Choo; I Miss You MostJoanna Ho with Liz Kleinrock - Eyes That Weave the World's WondersMalinda Lo - Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Elisa Shua Dusapin - Winter in SokchoDustin Thao -You’ve Reached SamAbigail Wen - Loveboat Taipei*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba November 2021 pick is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author June CL Tan about her debut novel Jade Fire Gold, a Xianxia inspired fantasy novel full of dark magic, martial arts, and intrigue. We chat with June about her inspirations in writing Jade Fire Gold, as well as her journey as a debut author pitching an Asian inspired fantasy novel. Follow June on instagram at @junescribbles and check out their book Jade Fire Gold on sale now!*Buy the book & support the podcast at our bookshop *---We extended our order period for Books & Boba merch! For a limited time you can still order a Books & Boba tote bag by going to https://www.bonfire.com/store/booksandbobaApparel orders are open until November 5 and tote bags are available until November 12!---Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba November 2021 pick is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we discuss our October 2021 book club pick The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, a classic detective murder mystery taking place in post-war Japan. Private investigator Kosuke Kindaichi is pulled into the family drama of the wealthy Inugami Family after the patriarch dies and leaves a mysterious will, what follows is a series of chilling murders  that unearth the past grudges and regrets of the Inugamis as Kindaichi tries to solve the case before it's too late.*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *---We extended our order period for Books & Boba merch! For a limited time you can still order a Books & Boba t-shirt, sweatshirt, or tote bag by going to https://www.bonfire.com/store/booksandbobaApparel orders are open until November 5 and tote bags are available until November 12!---Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba November 2021 pick is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with debut author Xiran Jay Zhao about their debut novel Iron Widow, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy re-imagining of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian's rise to power in an Asian inspired world with giant monsters and fantastical mechas. Pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale, Iron WIdow tells the story of how a driven and rage-filled girl from the sticks rises through the ranks as a giant robot pilot and takes on the space patriarchy. We chat with Xiran about their journey to becoming a published author, their inspirations for writing Iron Widow, and what is up with that cow onesie?Follow Xiran on twitter at @xiranjayzhao and check out their book Iron Widow on sale now!*Buy the book & support the podcast at our bookshop *---Books and Boba Merch is on sale not! Check out our official apparel & tote bags at: https://www.bonfire.com/store/booksandboba/Pre-orders for this first run close on October 21.---Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba October 2021 pick is The Inugami Curse by Seishi YokomizoThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective