Every May, Asian Heritage Month gives us the chance to reflect on and celebrate the diverse cultures, stories, and voices that make up the Asian diaspora.
Growing up, I didn’t see too many books by Asian authors on the shelves. Or if they were there, I didn’t know about them.
Today, we’re lucky to have so many stories that reflect our own lives, families, and histories, or offer glimpses into experiences across the Asian community. So I wanted to share a few that stayed with me.
Here are 8 books by Asian authors to add to your reading list.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This is a memoir that’ll leave you both teary-eyed and hungry.
In Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner, lead singer of American indie pop band, Japanese Breakfast, tells the story of losing her Korean mother while reconnecting with her heritage in the aisles of an Asian grocery store.
A beautiful reflection on love, loss, identity, and the comfort found in food.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
If you grew up watching Filipino soap operas, you’re gonna love this rom-com. Just don’t read it on an empty stomach!
Lila Macapagal moves back home to help save her Tita Rosie’s restaurant, only to end up the main suspect in her ex’s sudden (and very dramatic) death.
It’s fast, fun, and full of food—plus Lila has a cute dachshund named Longanisa!
Purchase on Indigo for $24.95
Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh
Forgive me, this is another rom-com. Sorry, not sorry… or should I say, sari, not sorry?
Manny is a high-powered crisis manager who’s disconnected from her South Asian roots. But when she agrees to fake-date a client at an Indian wedding, she’s forced to reconnect with her culture (and maybe catch real feelings).
It’s flirty and funny, with just the right amount of complicated… A.K.A. the perfect cozy read!
Purchase on Indigo for $22.00
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This novel reads like a long letter from a son to his mother—who cannot read.
Vietnamese-American poet and essayist Ocean Vuong’s writing is tender, poetic, and heart-wrenching, reflecting on immigration, queerness, and trauma in a way that feels both raw and luminous.
A modern classic that is intimate, aching, and brilliant.
Purchase on Indigo for $24.95
The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family by Lindsay Wong
In The Woo-Woo, Lindsay Wong takes readers through her chaotic childhood in Vancouver, raised in a dysfunctional Asian immigrant family where ghosts and demons (or, as her family calls them, woo-woo) are blamed for everything from mental illness to family woes.
This memoir is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. But you’ll love it.
Purchase on Indigo for $21.95
Chorus of Mushrooms by Hiromi Goto
I read this book for my Canadian Literature class back in CÉGÈP, and didn’t get it at all. But now that I’m older, I understand why it’s a classic.
It’s a quiet but powerful story about 3 generations of Japanese-Canadian women in Alberta, navigating identity and belonging.
It’s filled with language gaps, generational tension, a hint of magical realism, and everything that’s deeply relatable if you grew up in an immigrant family.
Purchase on Indigo for $18.95
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
This is one of my favourite books.
Pachinko is a powerful exploration of identity, family, and the pursuit of a better life. It follows 4 generations of a Korean family living in Japan, starting with a teenage girl named Sunja who gets pregnant, and chooses to build a different life for herself and her child.
The story is full of heartache, resilience, and hope, and the characters feel so real, it’s hard to let them go—even after the final page.
Purchase on Indigo for $25.99
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
This one starts with a house on fire, and the drama only builds from there.
Set in a seemingly perfect Ohio suburb, it follows two very different mothers: Elena, who plays by the rules, and Mia, a free-spirited artist with a past full of secrets. As their lives and kids become more entangled, a custody battle over a Chinese-American baby flips the whole town upside down.
It’s messy, emotional, and seriously addictive!
P.S.: If you’re wondering how to pronounce Celeste‘s last name, it’s pronounced “ing.”
Purchase on Indigo for $23.00
What are your favourite books by Asian authors? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading, and happy Asian Heritage Month!
The Lilac Blog 