But under the surface was a wild instability. I researched as best I could on this front but I know this is a mistake I make often! I do, of course, also recommend checking out many other books by authors of Asian descent, be they Asian, Asian-Canadian, etc., including The Henna Wars and Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco, Hard Sell by Hudson Lin, and Blood Water Sister by Zen Cho.) Books to Read Now Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira MaddenĪcclaimed literary essayist T Kira Madden’s raw and redemptive debut memoir is about coming of age and reckoning with desire as a queer, biracial teenager amidst the fierce contradictions of Boca Raton, Florida, a place where she found cult-like privilege, shocking racial disparities, rampant white-collar crime, and powerfully destructive standards of beauty hiding in plain sight.Īs a child, Madden lived a life of extravagance, from her exclusive private school to her equestrian trophies and designer shoe-brand name. (My apologies in advance if I’m incorrect about any of these authors being American. (Sept.Happy Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month! May is a fabulous month to celebrate all these books and authors, so if there are any missing from your bookshelf, please use the links below to rectify that! (They are indeed affiliate links, so a percentage of your purchase goes to supporting LGBTQReads.) See a fave of yours that is or isn’t mentioned here? Please recommend it in the comments! Readers prepared for the emotionally difficult scenes will find a beautiful, satisfying story of redemption and families of choice.

Aoki’s depiction of abuse and trauma is unflinching and intense, but at its core, the novel is a love letter to immigrant culture and the power people have to save each other. Meanwhile, Shizuka’s slow-burn romance with Lan Tran, a donut maker and extraterrestrial refugee fleeing danger on her home planet, further complicates her plans. But as the women get to know each other, Shizuka starts having second thoughts.

Shizuka calls on Lucy Matìa, a third-generation violin restorer, to repair both Katrina’s beloved violin and the cursed bow that will steal Katrina’s soul. Katrina, a transgender runaway and survival sex worker with no prior musical training, possesses a supernatural musical gift and is happy to trade her soul for lessons and a safe place to stay. When she meets Katrina Nguyen in Los Angeles, Shizuka is certain she’ll make the perfect final sacrifice. Violin teacher Shizuka Satomi has a contract with hell to deliver the souls of seven brilliant violinists. Aoki ( He Mele a Hilo) draws from her own experiences as a queer Japanese American woman to craft a dark but ultimately hopeful sci-fi exploration of the threats faced by queer people of color.

Light of uncommon stars