Category Archives: Books

8Books Review: “Beyond the Tiger Mom” by Maya Thiagarajan

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Koji Steven Sakai

I’ve always seen myself as a Tiger dad. I know saying that has a lot of negative connotations. But I have big dreams for my toddler. First, he’s going to get into Harvard, then either make the NBA or play … Continue reading →

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Ringing in the Lunar New Year with Books

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Lily

Growing up, Lunar New Year meant sweet lotus seeds and coconut strips, a big family meal, and my mom visiting my elementary school classroom to teach about the holiday. At some point, I learned the story of the Chinese zodiac animals … Continue reading →

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When Breath Becomes Air: A Doctor’s Reflection on Meaning and Dying

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Jeff

Dr. Paul Kalanithi was a neurosurgeon who never smoked yet was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and died last year at the age of 37.  Between his diagnosis and eventual death, he and his wife Lucy had a child, … Continue reading →

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“Born Free and Equal”: Ansel Adams’ Book and Manzanar Photo Series

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Jeff

As a public official openly endorsed interning Syrian refugees just like Japanese Americans and a musical about the internment has opened on Broadway, the Washington Post has recently put up a montage of photos from famed landscape photographer Ansel Adams.  … Continue reading →

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8Books Review: Essential Japanese Grammar

Posted on November 10, 2015 by tinabot

After having gotten hooked on learning some legit Japanese for my trip to Japan last year, I’ve been rarin’ to continue my Japanese language skills for a future return trip to Kyoto study tea ceremony traditions. Thus, when given the … Continue reading →

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8Books Review: “In the Country,” by Mia Alvar

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Lily

Mia Alvar’s beautiful collection of nine short stories, In the Country, is one you don’t want to miss. Her stories traverse the Filipino diaspora, from Bahrain to Manila, to New York and back. But it is Alvar’s lyrical language that is the most compelling, … Continue reading →

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8Books: Jenny Zhang on Michael Derrick Hudson

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Lily

Included in this year’s edition of The Best American Poetry, edited by Sherman Alexie, is a poem worthy of significant controversy. It is a poem by one Yi-Fen Chou, the Chinese pen name of a white writer named Michael Derrick … Continue reading →

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8Books Review: “Bright Lines,” by Tanwi Nandini Islam

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Lily

Tanwi Nandini Islam’s debut novel Bright Lines is a coming-of-age story for three young girls in Brooklyn and a family trying to find itself. Ella returns home from college for the summer to see her aunt, uncle, and cousin in Brooklyn, her … Continue reading →

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8Books Review: “Re Jane” by Patricia Park

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Lily

I stumbled across Patricia Park’s debut novel Re Jane while looking through reading lists saying what should have been on this year’s (not surprisingly) all-white cast of New York Times recommended summer books. And I have to say, that it is a … Continue reading →

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8Books Review: “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Lily

Viet Thanh Nguyen’s expertly and cunningly crafted debut novel The Sympathizer dictates a confession in the years after the end of the Vietnam War. At it’s very base, this is a spy’s story. Told from his perspective to an unnamed Commandant … Continue reading →

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8Books: Learning Chinese Characters

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Tim

In my on-going quest to get my daughter fluent in Chinese, I came across the opportunity to review a book called “Learning Chinese Characters” published by Tuttle Publishing. In case you’re not familiar, I have a nine year old daughter, … Continue reading →

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8Books: Free Kid’s E-book for Chinese New Year, ‘The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall’

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Tim

If you’re an Asian American parent like me, you probably struggle to find books for your kids that have the right blend of age appropriateness and entertainment while still offering a glimpse into the history and culture of your ancestry. … Continue reading →

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