Books and Boba

On this episode, we welcome author Aurora Palit to talk about her debut novel, Sunshine and Spice, an adult romance story between two members of a conservative Bengali Canadian community who enter into a fake relationship to help solve each others cultural dilemmas out despite being complete opposites. We chat with Aurora about her writer's journey as well as the inspirations for her spicy debut.Follow Aurora on Instagram at @aurorapalit and check out her debut novel Sunshine and Spice available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba September 2024 pick is A Burning by Megha MajumdarThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On our mid-month check in for September 2024, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, get some updates on which authors of Asian descent who made it to the National Book Awards long-lists, and touch a little on the latest controversy with NaNoWriMo!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Flashlight by Susan ChoiLet It Be a Tale: Palestinian Journalists on Survival and Resistance edited by Zahra HankirThe Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed Stars, Stripes, and Summer Nights by Celeste DadorHow to Free a Jinn by Raidah Shah IdilOkchundang Candy by Jung-soon Go, translated by Aerin ParkNest of Tongues by Randy RibayEvery Single Splendor by Mae RespicioA Zombie Day by An Na; illust by August ZhangA Space for Nina by Karen KohWhen They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi LeeEverything We Never Had by Randy RibayKareem Between by Shifa Saltagi SafadiThe First State of Being by Erin EntradaThe Tale of a Wall: Reflections on the Meaning of Hope and Freedom by Nasser Abu Srour, translated by Luke Leafgren The Book Censor’s Library by Bothayna Al-Essa; translated from Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad HussainTaiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ; translated by Lin KingWhere the Wind Calls Home by Samar Yazbek; translated by Leri PriceBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsThe Books & Boba September 2024 pick is A Burning by Megha MajumdarThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Randy Ribay about his latest novel, Everything We Never Had, a YA story about four generations of Filipino men, each grappling with their own unique relationships with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships. We talk with Randy about his inspirations for the book, as well as his thoughts on its themes of breaking out of toxic cycles.Follow Randy on Instagram at @RandyRibay and check out his novel Everything We Never Had, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba September 2024 pick is A Burning by Megha MajumdarThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Join us as we discuss our August 2024 book club pick, Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. A story about a Chinese American chef who is stranded abroad when a global climate catastrophe hits and decimates the world's food supply, putting her chosen profession (as well as her own identity and livelihood) in jeopardy. The story follows her journey of self-discovery as she takes a job as a private chef for an elite research colony in the Italian mountains, one of the few places left in the world with sunlight and abundance, but not all is as it seems. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba September 2024 pick is A Burning by Megha MajumdarThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Trinity Nguyen about her debut novel, A Banh Mi for Two, a sweet sapphic romance about a Vietnamese American exchange student and Vietnamese food blogger/street food vendor and their foodie adventures in Saigon. We chat with Trinity about the inspirations for her novel as well as what her favorite Vietnamese foods are!Follow Trinity on Instagram at @thetrinitytran and check out her debut novel A Banh Mi for Two, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba August 2024 book club pick is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam ZhangThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On our mid-month check in for July 2024, we recap some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as get some updates on the latest Books & Boba pick to get picked up for TV and which books by Asian authors made it into the New York Time's best 100 books of the century!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur DeoArctic Adventures: A Tundra Tale by Jyoti Rajan Gopal; illust by Alexandra Mims CookCactus Home by Vikram MadanThe First Girl on Stage: Tunga Dances the Yakshagana by Shruthi Rao; illust by Devika JoglekarTea Leaf Eggs by Karen E. HongHold by Randy Ribay; illust Zeke PeñaMiles Ahead by Minh Lê; illustrated by Lynnor BontigaoPassé It On by Dani ChuaticoHow to Fake a Love Story in 15 Days by Aashna AvachatBaba Palooza by A.D. Ghani; illust by Nadia AlamAmina Banana by Shifa Saltagi Safadi; illust by Aaliya JaleelThe Other Lata by Kirthana RamisettiNews stories covered on this episode:George R.R. Martin honors R.F. Kuang and Xiran Jay Zhao with 2024 Alfie AwardsXiran Jay Zhao wins The Astounding Award at the 2024 HugosBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba August 2024 book club pick is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam ZhangThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

We're taking the week off so our friends from They Call Us Bruce are helping fill in with their latest chat with author OiYan A. Poon, please enjoy!---Jeff and Phil welcome writer and race scholar OiYan A. Poon, author of Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action and Family. She talks about breaking out of her comfort zone to write a sincere and heartfelt exploration of race relations and affirmative action, the interviews she conducted with Asian Americans who have been actively engaged in policy debates over race-conscious admissions or affirmative action, and the not-so-simple question from her daughter that inspired the title of her book. ---Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba August 2024 book club pick is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam ZhangThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we discuss our July 2024 book club pick The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses, a contemporary Asian American novel following the story of Won Lee, the only Asian American player for an NBA team, and his rise to stardom during a period known as "The Wonder." Inspired on the real life Linsanity phenomenon, and the discourse surrounding it, we dive into Matthew's take on the Asian American experience (and K-drama tropes) through the eyes of the star himself, a Korean American sports writer, and a female Korean American entertainment executive.Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba August 2024 book club pick is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam ZhangThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Amber Chen about her debut novel, Of Jade and Dragons, a fantasy adventure and murder mystery set in a Silkpunk world, about a girl who loves engineering as she pretends to be her brother to infiltrate a prestigious academy in order to uncover the conspiracy that killed her father. We chat with Amber about her journey as a writer as well as the real life inspirations behind her debut.Follow Amber on Instagram at @amberwrites88 and check out her novel Of Jade and Dragons, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba July 2024 pick is The Sense of Wonder by Matthew SalessesThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On our mid-month check in for July 2024, we recap some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as get some updates on the latest Books & Boba pick to get picked up for TV and which books by Asian authors made it into the New York Time's best 100 books of the century!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Seen: The Story of Corky Lee and His Photographs of Asian America by Julie LeungThe Big Jump by Marie Tang; illust by Gillian Eilidh O'MaraAppetite by P. ParamitaBlack Bird by Sonny LiewA Riddle of Thorns by Sarena & Sasha NanuaA Village Made of Rainbows by Jo Wu; illust by Alina ChauThe Never-Ending Goodbye by Leila Boukarim; illust Afsaneh SaneiUpside Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh; illust by Nadine IssaNews stories covered on this episode:The Fortunes of Jaded Women optioned for a TV seriesThe Shortlist for the 2024 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for FictionNYT’s best 100 books of the centuryBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba July 2024 pick is The Sense of Wonder by Matthew SalessesThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective