Asian American Authors in Conversation: The Books On My Nightstand

Since October 2020, Chatham Square Library has hosted a virtual program, “Talking Books: Asian American Authors in Conversation.” This monthly series features the latest works by living writers of fiction and nonfiction in an hour-long discussion with a member of our library staff. During these discussions, we asked them what they are currently reading, intend to read, or books they recommend. Their answers are shown below along with links to the books in the NYPL catalog. 

If you missed it, also see Asian American Authors in Conversation: The Books That First Made Me Feel Represented.

Henry Chang author of Lucky

• The Borrowed by Chan Ho-kei

Phil Chan author of  Final Bow for Yellowface

• Swan Dive: The Making of a Rogue Ballerina by Gina Pazcoguin

Charles Yu author of Interior Chinatown

• The Sellout by Paul Beatty
• Land of Big Numbers by Te-ping Chen
• Nights When Nothing Happened by Simon Han
• Members Only by Sameer Pandya

Sunita Puri author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour

• Vesper Flights: New and Collected Essays by Helen Macdonald

Michelle Kuo author of Reading with Patrick: ATeacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship

• Book of Cord by Leona Chen
• The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the Haitian Revolution by Julius S. Scott
• Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Pitchaya Sudbanthad author of Bangkok Wakes to Rain

• Jiyoung Kim, Born 1982 by Nam Joo Cho
• People from My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami

Frances Cha author of If I Had Your Face

• East Goes West by Younghill Kang
• The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esmé Weijun Wang

Jennifer J. Chow author of Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines

• The Tiger Mom’s Tale by Lyn Liao Butler
• Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
• Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
• Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Xuan Juliana Wang author of Home Remedies

• Nights When Nothing Happened by Simon Han
• Cathy Park Hong’s writings
• Paris is a Party, Paris is a Ghost by David Hoon Kim
• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
• Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (see also her book reviews)
• Yiyun Li’s writings 
• Severance by Ling Ma
• Afterparties: Stories by Anthony Veasna So
• Chemistry by Weike Wang
• Charles Yu’s writings