Asian Authors

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

Updated April 22, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.

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

Lesser known monsters of the 21st century
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.

3

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...

4

Kamila knows best
Heron, Farah
Paper Book
'This Emma-inspired friends-to-lovers romance has it all' Nisha Sharma Jane Austen's Emma goes Bollywood in this delightful retelling, perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory. Kamila's life...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

5

Sunshine nails : a novel
Nguyen, Mai
Paper Book
A Real Simple Must-Read Book of Summer 2023 "Mai Nguyen has proven herself to be a real standout." --Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author A tender, humorous, and page-turning debut about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

6

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.

7

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.

8

How to pronounce knife : stories
Thammavongsa, Souvankham
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE'Spellbinding' i'Breathtaking' Elle'Powerhouses of feeling and depth' Mary Gaitskill'Sharp and vital' Daisy JohnsonAn ex-boxer turned nail salon worker falls for a pair of immaculate hands; a mother and daughter...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

9

Em
Thúy, Kim
Paper Book
Emma-Jade and Louis are born into the havoc of the Vietnam War. Orphaned, saved and cared for by adults coping with the chaos of Saigon in free-fall, they become children of the Vietnamese diaspora. Through the linked destinies of characters connected by birth and destiny, the novel zigzags between...

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.

10

Em
Thúy, Kim
Paper Book
Emma-Jade and Louis are born into the havoc of the Vietnam War. Orphaned, saved and cared for by adults coping with the chaos of Saigon in free-fall, they become children of the Vietnamese diaspora. Through the linked destinies of characters connected by birth and destiny, the novel zigzags between...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

11

The foghorn echoes
Ramadan, Ahmad Danny
Paper Book
A devastating novel about broken relationships, the promises we're unable to keep and living with the ghosts of your past.

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

15

Home body
Kaur, Rupi
Paper Book
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 home body, she walks readers...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

16

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.

17

Welcome home : a guide to building a home for your soul
Zebian, Najwa
Paper Book
From the celebrated poet, speaker, and educator comes a powerful blueprint for healing by building a home within yourself. In her debut book of inspiration, poet Najwa Zebian shares her revolutionary concept of home - the place of safety where you can embrace your...

Canadian author.

18

We were dreamers : an immigrant superhero origin story
Liu, Simu
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The star of Marvel's first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

19

Secrets from my Vietnamese kitchen : simple recipes from my many mothers
Thúy, Kim
Paper Book
A warm and welcoming introduction to a vibrant cuisine, with more than 50 easy to make recipes from internationally bestselling novelist Kim Thoy. Between careers as a lawyer and an acclaimed novelist, Kim Thoy ran a celebrated restaurant called Ru de Nam in Montreal. Now, in her...

Auteure canadienne.

20

Secrets from my Vietnamese kitchen : simple recipes from my many mothers
Th©ðy, Kim
Paper Book
A warm and welcoming introduction to a vibrant cuisine, with more than 50 easy to make recipes from internationally bestselling novelist Kim Thoy. Between careers as a lawyer and an acclaimed novelist, Kim Thoy ran a celebrated restaurant called Ru de Nam in Montreal. Now, in her...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

21

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)

22

The space between here & now
Suk, Sarah
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and You've Reached Sam, this gripping, atmospheric YA novel follows a teen with a mysterious condition that transports her to the past when she smells certain scents linked to specific memories. Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

23

Sunshine and spice
Palit, Aurora
Paper Book
When two complete opposites agree to fake date in order to solve their cultural dilemmas, they find the only force more powerful than an immigrant mother's matchmaking schemes might just be true love. Naomi Kelly will do anything to make her new brand consulting business a...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

24

Made in Korea
Suk, Sarah
Paper Book
Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads--and maybe fall in love--while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school. There's nothing Valerie Kwon loves more...

Canadian author.

25

Imagine a garden : stories of courage changing the world
Singh, Rina
Paper Book
Illustrated with stunning cut paper art, these seven poetic vignettes capture true stories of courage, hope, and resilience from around the world. In Imagine A Garden, award-winning children's author Rina Singh shares seven real-life stories of ordinary people doing...

Canadian author.

26

The words we share
Wong, Jack
Paper Book
"A must-buy." --School Library Journal A young girl helps her dad navigate life in a new country where she understands the language more than he does, in an unforgettable story about communication and community by Boston Globe-Horn Book Award-winner Jack Wong. Angie is used to...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.