Category Archives: Books

8Books Review: Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu is a deeply engrossing, occasionally disturbing collection of 12 short stories. While they don’t build on each other, each shares a bit of strangeness that gets at some fraction of … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: Muslim Picture Books by Hena Khan

One Sun and Countless Stars: A Muslim Book of Numbers and the board book version of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors, both by Hena Khan and illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini are bright, engaging books that … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Religion, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now

Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now is a monster of a book — both in that it is chock full of excellent content and that it literally weighs a ton (okay not a literal … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Food & Drink, History, Lifestyles, Movies, Music, Reviews, The Arts, Theatre, TV | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

8Books Review: Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

Eyes that Speak to the Stars, by Joanna Ho and illustrated by Dung Ho, is the brilliant follow-up to Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. The book opens with a scene all too familiar to anyone who has grown up … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Family, Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

8Books Review: The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

How can you say no to a story set in a donut shop? You can’t. You shouldn’t. Julie Tieu’s debut novel The Donut Trap is a delightful story about finding your way, about family and love and all that good … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books | Tagged , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan

Tashie Bhuiyan’s debut novel Counting Down with You is a heartwarming YA novel about Bengali teen Karina Ahmed and 28 life-changing days. When Karina’s parents go back to Bangladesh for a month, she starts tutoring bad boy Ace Clyde. Before … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Dating, Entertainment, Family, Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: Simplicity at Home by Yumiko Sekine

Simplicity at Home: Japanese Rituals, Recipes, and Arrangements for Thoughtful Living is a wonderfully calming experience. Written by Yumiko Sekine, founder of Fog Linen Work, with gorgeous photos from Nao Shimizu, this is a guide to making a simple and … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Lifestyles | Leave a comment

8Books Review: “We Could Be Heroes” by Mike Chen

Curling up with Mike Chen’s recent novel, We Could Be Heroes, turned out to be the perfect snow day activity. Regardless of whether you were also deluged in snow over the past couple days, reading We Could Be Heroes is … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Entertainment, Reviews | Leave a comment

8Books Review: Chinatown Pretty by Andria Lo and Valerie Luu

Chinatown Pretty by photographer Andria Lo and Valerie Luu is a beautiful tribute to our popos and gunggungs. The book celebrates the street styles of Chinatown’s elders in six major cities: San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, Books, Family, Fashion, The Arts | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

8Books Review: The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Nancy Jooyoun Kim’s first novel The Last Story of Mina Lee is a thoughtful, heart-wrenching dive into the story of a mother and daughter. When Margot Lee’s mother–the eponymous Mina Lee–stops answering her phone, Margot wonders what could have happened. … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, Family | Leave a comment

The Joy Luck Club: Online Discussion with Author Amy Tan and Movie Cast on June 9

Before Crazy Rich Asians or Always be my Maybe, there was The Joy Luck Club in 1993.  Not many mainstream American movies before it and for a long time afterward had a majority Asian American cast.  Some Asian Americans really … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

8Books Review: “Year of the Rabbit” by Tian Veasna

Year of the Rabbit by Tian Veasna is a stunning graphic novel detailing the true story of one family’s struggle to survive under the Khmer Rouge. Veasna himself was born in 1975, three days after the Khmer Rouge came to … Continue reading

Posted in 8Books, 8Series, Books, History, Reviews | Leave a comment