Asian Authors

Selected titles, for adults and teens, written by Asian-Canadian and Asian authors

Updated March 12, 2024
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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1

What strange paradise
El Akkad, Omar
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the widely acclaimed, bestselling author of American War--a beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving novel that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. "Told from...

Also available in eBook, eAudiobook and Large Print formats.

Canadian author.

2

Chloe and the Kaishao boys
Coyiuto, Mae
Paper Book
When Dimple Met Rishi meets Loveboat, Taipei in this hilarious YA rom-com about a Chinese Filipina girl in Manila whose father sets her up on a marathon of arranged dates in hopes of convincing her to stay close to home for college. "A sweet and refreshing story...

Also available in eBook format.

3

Swimming back to Trout River : a novel
Feng, Linda Rui
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE A lyrical novel set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution that follows a father's quest to reunite his family before his precocious daughter's momentous birthday, which Garth Greenwell calls "one of the...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

4

Lesser known monsters of the 21st century : stories
Fu, Kim
Paper Book
In the twelve unforgettable tales of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, the strange is made familiar and the familiar strange, such that a girl growing wings on her legs feels like an ordinary rite of passage, while a bug-infested house becomes an impossible, Kafkaesque...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

5

The waiting
Gendry-Kim, Keum Suk
Paper Book
The story begins with a mother's confession...sisters permanently separated by a border during the Korean War Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was an adult when her mother revealed a family secret: She had been separated from her sister during the Korean War. It's not an uncommon story--the...

6

Serena Singh flips the script
Lalli, Sonya
Paper Book
Serena is smart, confident, and just got a kick-ass new job at a top advertising firm. When her younger sister gets married in a big, traditional wedding, Serena knows she does not need a husband or children to make her own dreams come true, despite what her constantly nagging mother thinks. But...

Canadian author

7

Kamila knows best
Heron, Farah
Paper Book
This slow burn romance featuring a hilarious puppy prom and delightful matchmaking schemes is "a fun, lighthearted binge from page one." (USA Today)   Kamila's life might not be perfect, but, whew, it's close. She lives a life of comfort, filled with her elaborate Bollywood...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

8

Rebel of fire and flight
Marufu, Aneesa
Paper Book
This is the story of sixteen-year-old Khadija, who flees her home in a stolen hot air balloon to escape life in an arranged marriage. A deeply relevant, commercial fantasy adventure by an enthralling new talent, exploring prejudice, the deep roots of hatred, and the reality of the world that this...

Also available in eBook format.

9

Sunshine nails
Nguyen, Mai
Paper Book
A tender and funny debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family who will do whatever it takes to keep their no-frills nail salon afloat after a multimillion-dollar chain opens across the street. Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have made a good life for themselves in Toronto,...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

10

Much ado about Nada
Jalaluddin, Uzma
Paper Book
A sparkling second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion...   Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she's still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother's unsubtle...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

11

The last exiles : a novel
Shin, Ann
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE TRILLIUM AWARD An unforgettable saga inspired by true events, The Last Exiles is a searing portrait of a young couple in North Korea and their fight for love and freedom Jin and Suja meet and fall in love while studying at...

12

Well, that was unexpected
Sutanto, Jesse Q.
Paper Book
"A delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!"--Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis ...
Also available in eBook format.

13

Cold
Tamaki, Mariko
Paper Book
A boy, a murder, a girl, a secret. From award-winning author Mariko Tamaki comes Cold, a haunting YA novel about a shocking crime, told by a boy who died--and a girl who wants to know why. Who was Todd Mayer, and why don't any of his fellow students at...

Canadian author.

14

How to pronounce knife : stories
Thammavongsa, Souvankham
Paper Book
A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN Open Book Award, and winner of the 2020 Giller Prize, this revelatory story collection honors characters struggling to find their bearings far from home, even as they do the necessary "grunt work of the world....

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

15

Em
Thúy, Kim
Paper Book
A novel of the emotional intricacies of trauma and exile, from the author of international bestselling Ru Finalist of the New Academy Prize in Literature Finalist Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner du Prix du Gran Public au salon du livre de Montreal Winner of...

Em, c'est le fil qui relie les ouvriers des plantations de caoutchouc et les femmes des salons de manucure aux orphelins de l'operation Babylift, qui a evacue des enfants de Saigon en 1975. Em, c'est celle qui aime.

Aussi disponible en formats numeriques.

Auteure canadienne.

16

Em
Thúy, Kim
Paper Book
A novel of the emotional intricacies of trauma and exile, from the author of international bestselling Ru Finalist of the New Academy Prize in Literature Finalist Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner du Prix du Gran Public au salon du livre de Montreal Winner of...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

17

Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Award A New York Times Bestseller "The queer romance we've been waiting for."--Ms. Magazine Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root--that desire to look, to move closer, to touch....

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

18

We two alone : stories
Wang, Jack
Paper Book
Praised as "utterly remarkable" and "deeply resonant" by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Viet Thanh Nguyen and Robert Olen Butler, a bold and brilliant debut collection, in the vein of The Refugees, which dramatizes the Chinese diaspora across the globe over the past hundred years. Set on...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

19

Iron widow
Zhao, Xiran Jay
Paper Book
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller! A USA Today bestseller! Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale in this blend of Chinese history and mecha science fiction for YA readers. The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

20

We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir
Habib, Samra
Paper Book
Samra Habib has spent most of her life searching for the safety to be herself. The men in her life wanted to police her, the women had only shown her the example of pious obedience, and her body was a problem to be solved. A triumphant memoir of forgiveness and family, both chosen and not, We Have...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

21

Messy roots : a graphic memoir of a Wuhanese American
Gao, Laura
Paper Book
"Messy Roots is a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and deeply engaging story of their journey to find themself--as an American, as the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as a queer person, and as a Wuhanese American in the middle of a pandemic."--Malaka Gharib, author of I Was Their American...

22

The foghorn echoes
Ramadan, Ahmad Danny
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR GAY FICTION Hussam and Wassim are teenage boys living in Syria during America's 2003 invasion of Iraq. When a surprise discovery results in tragedy, their lives, and those of their families, are shattered. Wassim promises Hussam his protection, but ten years...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

23

Home body
Kaur, Rupi
Paper Book
Watch rupi kaur live now on Prime Video. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey and the sun and her flowers comes her greatly anticipated third collection of poetry. rupi kaur constantly embraces growth, and in...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

24

Sigh, gone : a misfit's memoir of great books, punk rock, and the fight to fit in
Tran, Phuc
Paper Book
For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature. In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

25

Two trees make a forest : in search of my family's past among Taiwan's mountains and coasts
Lee, Jessica J.
Paper Book
This "stunning journey through a country that is home to exhilarating natural wonders, and a scarring colonial past . . . makes breathtakingly clear the connection between nature and humanity, and offers a singular portrait of the complexities inherent to our ideas of identity, family, and love"...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

26

On earth we're briefly gorgeous : a novel
Vuong, Ocean
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller * Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction * Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century ...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

27

On earth we're briefly gorgeous : a novel
Vuong, Ocean
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller * Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction * Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling New York Times Readers Pick: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century ...

Un fils ecrit une lettre a sa mere analphabète. Il y evoque la schizophrenie de sa grand-mere traumatisee par les bombes au Vietnam, les coups violents de sa mere, son homosexualite mais aussi le pouvoir redempteur de l'ecriture.

Aussi disponible en format numerique et large vision.

28

Goodbye, again : essays, reflections, and illustrations
Sun, Jonny
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller  "Truly, there's no shame in taking a break from books during the pandemic. But if you're feeling ready to reach out, try starting with Goodbye, Again. Take my word for it -- let Jonny Sun into your life."---Janet W. Lee, NPR The...

Canadian author.

29

Welcome home : a guide to building a home for your soul
Zebian, Najwa
Paper Book
From the celebrated poet, speaker, and educator comes Welcome Home, a powerful blueprint for building a strong foundation of self-worth, belonging, and happiness. "A master class in self-actualization and compassion."--Mari Andrew, New York Times bestselling author of...

Canadian author.

30

A Sky of Paper Stars
Yi, Susie.
Paper Book
A Sky of Paper Stars is a heartrending middle-grade graphic novel by Susie Yi about a girl's ill-fated wish to fit in, perfect for readers of Stargazing and Pashmina. All Yuna wants is to belong. She wants to go to sleepovers, have a smart...

Also available in eBook format.

31

My name is Saajin Singh
Brar, Kuljinder Kaur
Paper Book
A debut picture book that explores the importance of pronouncing names properly and celebrates cultural identity. Saajin loves his name--he loves it so much that he sees it spelled out in the world around him in his snacks, in the sky and sometimes he even sings it aloud. On his...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

32

I am small
Leng, Qin
Paper Book
Mimi is so little, "I might as well be called Mini," she says. Everyone is taller than her, even the family dog! She can barely reach the bottom of the blackboard at school and isn't tall enough to see all the pretty cakes in the display case at the bakery. Though her friends try to tell her there...

Canadian author.

33

You are here : connecting flights
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
A powerful and engaging exploration of contemporary Asian American identity through interwoven stories set in a teeming Chicago airport, written by award-winning and bestselling East and Southeast Asian American authors including Linda Sue Park, Grace Lin, Erin Entrada Kelly, Traci Chee, and...

Also available in eBook format.

34

Finding Junie Kim
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
For fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina's Voice comes a breathtaking story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents' extraordinary strength and...

Also available in eBook format.

35

Namaste is a greeting
Subramaniam, Suma
Paper Book
Discover namaste's many meanings in a simple, lyrical text, paired with a charmingly detailed visual narrative about a little girl's kindness. Namaste calms your heart when things aren't going right. Namaste is saying "You matter." What is...

Also available in eBook format.

36

Our little kitchen
Tamaki, Jillian
Paper Book
Tie on your apron! Roll up your sleeves! Pans are out, oven is hot, the kitchen's all ready! Where do we start? In this lively, rousing picture book from Caldecott Honoree Jillian Tamaki, a crew of resourceful neighbors come together to prepare a meal for their...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

37

My day with Gong Gong
Yee, Sennah
Paper Book
A day in Chinatown takes an unexpected turn when a bored little girl makes a connection with her grandpa.   May isn't having fun on her trip through Chinatown with her grandfather. Gong Gong doesn't speak much English, and May can't understand Chinese. She's hungry, and...

Canadian author.

38

Baba's gift : a Persian father's love of family
Amini, Ariana Shaheen
Paper Book
Baba's Gift is a radiant celebration of a Persian father's love of family, from his boyhood in Iran to his new life in America. Baba enchants his six daughters with his stories, transporting them to his childhood in Iran as they play on the flowering vines of the Persian...

39

The Longest Shot : How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey
Chiang, George/ Soon, Chad/ Qi, Amy (ILT)
Paper Book
Key Selling Points Larry Kwong became the first player of Asian descent in the NHL when he played one shift with the New York Rangers in 1948. Larry had to overcome anti-Asian racism and discrimination at every step of his career, and his contribution to breaking the color...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

40

Chinese celebrations for children : festivals, holidays and traditions
Nunes, Susan Miho
Paper Book
**A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection** **Winner of the 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD in the Chinese Culture Activity Books category from Creative Child Magazine** Families, feasts and fireworks--Chinese Celebrations for Children showcases the rich...

Also available in eBook format.

41

Queen of physics : how Wu Chien Shiung helped unlock the secrets of the atom
Robeson, Teresa
Paper Book
Meet Wu Chien Shiung, famous physicist who overcame prejudice to prove that she could be anything she wanted. "Wu Chien Shiung's story is remarkable--and so is the way this book does it justice." --Booklist (Starred review)

42

Magic ramen : the story of Momofuku Ando
Wang, Andrea
Paper Book
World War II was over, but in Japan, lines for a simple bowl of ramen noodles wound down the sidewalk. What Momofuku Ando did next would change food forever. Andrea Wang, author of Watercress (a Newberry honor book and winner of the Caldecott Medal), tells the true story behind the...

43

Crying in H Mart : a memoir
Zauner, Michelle
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the indie rock sensation known as Japanese Breakfast, an unforgettable memoir about family, food, grief, love, and growing up Korean American--"in losing her mother and cooking to bring her back to life, Zauner became herself" (NPR). * CELEBRATING...

Also available in eBook, and eAudiobook formats, and as a Book Club Kit.

44

A song for China : how my father wrote Yellow River cantata
Zhang, Ange
Paper Book
Published in celebration of the famous Yellow River Cantata's 80th anniversary, this is the riveting history of how a young Chinese author and passionate militant fought using art to create a socially just China during the period of the struggle against the Japanese and during World War II...

Canadian author.


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