Reading the Room
R.F. Kuang turns academia into a descent through hell in ‘Katabasis’
Kuang’s newest release is a departure from the gossip-filled thriller that was "Yellowface" toward a hellscape, exposing the cost of academic ambition.
Isa Garcia's journey of home, grief and renewal
Isa Garcia finds resilience through loss, showing us that through pain, there is room for joy, connection, and growth.
Love, War and Yuanfen: Karissa Chen's stunning debut
"Homeseeking" is a heartbreaking tale exploring the choices that shape two lovers bound by fate, separated by circumstance.
‘Oakland Ilokana’ is a tribute to family, heritage and forgotten Filipina Americans
Elenita Makani O'Malley's debut film is an intergenerational journey that centers on a perspective often overlooked in Filipino American history.
Back to the beginning
In 2025, we're reclaiming joy.
Shepherd's 'All This and More' delivers a captivating adventure
The first thing readers will want to do after finishing Peng Shepherd’s ‘All This and More’ is flip it over and start again.
Yulin Kuang on romance debut, book adaptations and tropes
Kuang calls “How to End a Love Story” a “contemporary romance that felt like a historical romance novel.”
College, class and money moves in Kiley Reid’s ‘Come and Get It’
Kiley Reid’s sophomore novel “Come and Get It” brings readers to contemplate money, early adulthood and relationships.
Inside the parallel worlds of Aube Rey Lescure’s ‘River East, River West’
Set in 2007 Shanghai and 1985 Qingdao, “River East, River West” alternates between a mother’s and daughter’s perspectives, highlighting the massive cultural shifts in China both after the cultural revolution and the late aughts.
Racial bias and AI squander dreams of highly qualified immigrant workers in the US
Algorithms favor certain educational institutions and systems, certain names, as prerequisites for consideration. And if you don’t meet them? Well, you can forget about someone looking at your resume.
I wrote a book and it failed, but the lessons carried me through my writing career
South Africa-based writer Nobuhle N Nyoni self-published a book in 2019. While she says it failed, she shares tips for others wanting to expand their writing careers.
Uncovering mysteries and society’s toxic elixirs in ‘The Apothecary Diaries’
"The Apothecary Diaries" is a tale as transformative as a healing herb, as intriguing as a detective's pursuit, and as enchanting as a lotus flower that thrives in adversity.
Exploring the mythical experience of Jami Nakamura Lin’s ‘The Night Parade’
“The Night Parade” is part ghost story, part myth anthology, part memoir but full of heart.