May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. During this month we should all take the time to reflect and learn about the AAPI experience in America, while supporting the community along the way. To deepen your own learning and to support to the AAPI community, check out these books written by AAPI authors.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion is a collection of nine essays which delve into modern feminism, internet culture and “scammer culture.” Each essay discusses a different topic, exploring along the way how culture today defines who we are and how we see ourselves.  

Trick Mirror is an enlightening, unforgettable trip through the river of self-delusion that surges just beneath the surface of our lives.” via Goodreads.com

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life is a series of letters to Wong’s daughters giving advice for everything from dating to being a working mom. 

“The sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she's learned from a life in comedy and reveals stories from her life off stage, including the brutal singles life in New York, reconnecting with her roots in Vietnam, tales of being a wild child growing up in San Francisco, and parenting war stories.” via Goodreads.com

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a young adult novel - and now a wildly popular Netflix movie - exploring love life in high school, friendships and family dynamics, through the lens of a Korean American family. While this is a book series aimed at a younger age group, anyone can enjoy it! 

“Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her, these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only.” via Jennyhan.com

A Place for Us, by Fatima Farheen Mirza

A Place for Us follows an Indian American Muslim family getting ready to celebrate the eldest daughter, Hadia’s wedding. This novel dives into themes of family, traditions, culture and love.

“A deeply affecting and resonant story, A Place for Us is truly a book for our times: a moving portrait of what it means to be an American family today, a novel of love, identity and belonging that eloquently examines what it means to be both American and Muslim.” via Goodreads.com

America is Not the Heart, by Elaine Castillo

America is Not the Heart follows Filipina immigrant Hero de Vera who moves to America after being disowned by her parents. This story highlights the hardships faced by the immigrant communities in the U.S. and the realities around searching for a fresh start. 

America Is Not the Heart is a sprawling, soulful debut about three generations of women in one family struggling to balance the promise of the American dream and the unshakeable grip of history.” via penguinrandomhouse.com

By Bridget Killian
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