Category Archives: Books

8Books Review: “Lucky Boy” by Shanthi Sekaran

Shanthi Sekaran’s novel Lucky Boy is the bewitching story of two mothers and their love and expectations for themselves and the one boy each calls their own. Young Solimar Castro Valdez braves the border crossing in pursuit of a better life … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember” by Christine Lee

Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember: The Stroke That Changed My Life by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee is a compelling memoir about the author’s reinvention after a life-changing stroke at the age of 33. Eloquently written, Lee guides readers through the … Continue reading

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Graphic Novel: 442; first 6 chapters have been released for free

The first six chapters of my new graphic novel “442” have been released for free on the comic reading app “Stela Unlimited”. Written by Phinny Kiyomuraa and myself, and illustrated (in beautiful watercolor) by Robert Sato, “442” is based on … Continue reading

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

Viet Thanh Nguyen’s newest book, The Refugees, is a luminous collection of eight short stories that takes piercingly intimate looks at the lives of refugees, of those caught between worlds, of those caught in a moment. The Pulitzer Prize winning author’s … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “Flying Lessons & Other Stories”

Flying Lessons & Other Stories, edited by Ellen Oh, is a delightful and engaging collection of short stories from such luminaries as Grace Lin, Kwame Alexander, and Walter Dean Myers. The book emerged out of the ever-important We Need Diverse Books … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “Chow Chop Suey” by Anne Mendelson

Chow Chop Suey: Food and the Chinese American Journey joins the circle of books traversing the history of Chinese food in the United States, specifically the peculiar beast that is chop suey. Mendelson takes a historical journey into its origins, … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “The Loved Ones” by Sonya Chung

Sonya Chung’s newest novel The Loved Ones is an intense look into love, loss, guilt, and reconciliation. Two families who share a last name find their lives intersecting. Charles Lee is the African American father in a biracial family. Hannah Lee is the … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “The Year of the Rooster” by Oliver Chin

A number of years ago I stumbled upon a series of children’s books, subtitled “Tales from the Chinese Zodiac“. There was a book for the Chinese New Year, and I eagerly bought the one for the Year of the Snake, … Continue reading

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8Books: “Absolutely on Music” by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami’s latest book, Absolutely on Music: Conversations is a deep dive into the world of classical music with his friend, famed classical music conductor Seiji Ozawa. As the title implies, rather than a traditional prose book, this one is a … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “The Boat Rocker” by Ha Jin

The Boat Rocker, the latest novel from author Ha Jin, follows a journalist Feng Danlin as he becomes immersed in one particularly outrageous story. Danlin, the book’s narrator, works for a Chinese newspaper located in New York, and is assigned … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “The Art of Confidence” by Wendy Lee

Wendy Lee’s latest novel, The Art of Confidence, takes readers through the tale of a single forgery, its making and unmaking. Liu Qingwu is a poor artist hawking goods outside the Met in New York City, when he’s approached by a … Continue reading

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8Books Review: “Bad Girls Throughout History” by Ann Shen

Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen is the book you need right now, a walk through a diverse array of bad ass women across time and across continents. Subtitled “100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World,” this beautifully illustrated … Continue reading

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