Books and Boba

01:02:59

#372 - Author Chat w/ E. L. Shen

Books and Boba ·

2026/10/06

On this episode we welcome back author E. L. Shen to chat about her newest novel Foreigners! Loosely based on her own family's history, Foreigners is a compelling take on the multigenerational Asian American story following characters from Qing dynasty China, 1960's New York, and present day New England, and the lies (big and small) we tell to fit in. Follow E. L. Shen on Instagram at @elshenwrites and check out her novel Foreigners, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is

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01:24:15

#371 - Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim

Books and Boba ·

2026/10/01

On this episode, we discuss our September 2026 book club pick, Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim, a classic Asian American multigenerational story, about the tenuous relationship between an immigrant mother and her American daughter, but with a magical realism twist as both mother and daughter also have mysterious powers from a family curse passed down through the generations (the mother can turn invisible and the daughter can feel the history of anything she touches).Books & Boba is a

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01:02:47

#370 - September 2026 Book News

Books and Boba ·

2026/09/22

On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and the last 2 month of publishing announcements for our September 2026 mid-month check-isUpcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:For You I Would Forget by Zeyneb HoldridgeWe Rose from the Sea by Olivia SunFern and the Fox by Sophie DiaoA Drop of Kindness by Andrea Wang; illust. by Sally Soweol HanWings by Susan Tan; illust. by Rowan KingsburyYukiko and the Little Black Cat by Sarah Tsiang; illust. by Joey NgWanbo by Shiho

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01:02:44

#369 - Author Chat w/ Julie Abe

Books and Boba ·

2026/09/07

On this episode, we welcome author Julie Abe back to the show to talk about her newest middle grade fantasy novel, The Magic Library of Waterfall Way, a story about an unremarkable girl in a magical world of remarkable people, and her one chance at finding a guild to finally belong to in order to avoid exile, but in order to do so, she must fulfill a quest to save a magical library. We're excited to catch up with Julie as she launches her newest MG fantasy series!Follow Julie on Instagram at

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01:28:23

#368 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Books and Boba ·

2026/09/01

On this episode,we discuss our August 2026 book club pick, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, following Klara, an android "artificial friend," and her quest to bring happiness to her teen Josie as she grows up in a dystopic future. Join us as we dive into another masterful Ishiguro tale about the fleeting innocence of children, having conviction in the face of despair, and the complex responsibilities of parenthood (and more specifically, how far should someone go to give their children a better

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01:00:24

#367 - Author Chat w/ Momo Yamaguchi

Books and Boba ·

2026/08/24

On this episode, we chat with author Momo Yamaguchi about her debut novel, Hello, Limerence, an ode to bad decisions made in our mid-twenties following a young Japanese woman, dealing with a soul-sucking corporate job and a stagnant love-life, who lets a growing crush on a Japanese American man become an obsession that throws her life into chaos. Follow Momo on Instagram at @momoyamagucci and check out her debut novel Hello, Limerence is available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books &

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01:01:35

#366 - Author Chat w/ Susan Lee

Books and Boba ·

2026/08/17

On this episode, we're excited to welcome author Susan Lee back to the podcast to catch up on BTS news as well as chat about her latest novel, See You at the Sunset, an adult romantic comedy about a young woman, who is staying with her grandmother in a Palm Springs senior living community after losing her job at a law firm in NYC, as she strikes up a relationship with her grandma's new neighbor's grandson, who also happens to be the man who signed her termination papers (as well as her one night

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01:08:56

#365 - Author Chat w/ Erin Baldwin

Books and Boba ·

2026/08/11

On this episode, we chat with author Erin Baldwin about her latest novel Good Luck, Babe! A sapphic YA coming of age romantic comedy about two former best friends who reluctantly agree to work together to pursue their dream of competing on an Amazing-race style reality TV competition, the catch is they also have to pretend to date because their season is for couples-only! Erin shares with us her journey as an author, her inspirations for the novel, as well as her own personal reality TV competition

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01:08:57

#364 - Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen

Books and Boba ·

2026/08/03

On this episode, we discuss our July 2026 Patron's Choice Book Club pick, Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen, A family comedy about the Trans of Toronto Canada, a messy but close-knit family who come together to try and save their family's nail salon when gentrification comes into their neighborhood in the form of a high-tech all-inclusive rival nail salon, by any means necessary.Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books

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01:02:05

#363 - Author Chat w/ Tania Tay (aka Lily Chen)

Books and Boba ·

2026/07/27

On this episode, we sit down with author Tania Tay to discuss her new cafe cozy romance novel The Matcha Maker Café (which she wrote under the pen name Lily Chen). We chat with Tania about her journey to becoming a novelist, her experience writing about the British East Asian experience for IP projects, as well as the rise (and decline) of cafe culture.Learn more about Tania at taniatay.com and check out her novel The Matcha Maker Café available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba

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46:24

#362 - July 2026 Book News

Books and Boba ·

2026/07/20

On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and publishing announcements for our July 2026 mid-month check-isUpcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Swaplife by Abdi Nazemian and Pedro RhuasMy Heart or Yours by K. Sugimoto Destined or Damned by Sara Jafari Chicken's Noodle Soup by Naaz H. Khan; illust. by Valentina TuNovae by Jennifer Xu and Kate RhodesBook news mentioned on this episode:Vincent Yu wins the 2026 Barnes & Noble Discover PrizeTrailer for Director

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50:51

#361 - Author Chat w/ Yejin Suh

Books and Boba ·

2026/07/13

On this episode, we chat with author Yejin Suh to talk about her debut novel The Last Soldier of Nava, a Korean-inspired fantasy novel following a girl named Shadow, a former peerless soldier who awakens after a thousand years of slumber, who struggles to retain her freedom under a new identity, even as she is dragged back to her immortal father's court by his new protege (whom she also feels an attraction to).Follow Yejin on Instagram at @yejinsuhh and check out her debut novel The Last Soldier of

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01:05:24

#360 - The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Books and Boba ·

2026/07/06

Join us as we discuss our June 2026 pick, The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo. A queer retelling of the classic American novel The Great Gatsby. Set in a magical alternate Jazz Age New York, this version is told through the perspective of Jordan Baker, a side character in the original text, re-imagined as a Vietnamese American adoptee who does her best to survive in a high society as an outsider while trying to stay afloat amongst the tempest that is Jay Gatsby's obsessive quest to acquire the

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59:59

#359 - Author Chat w/ Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

Books and Boba ·

2026/06/29

On this episode, we sit down with author Yu-Mei Balasingamchow to talk about her debut novel Names Have Been Changed, a modern epistolary novel told in the style of tell-all podcast hosted by a Singaporean woman who has been on the run across the world for a decade. We're excited to chat with Yu-Mei about her debut that's part globetrotting adventure and part love letter to diaspora communities and the hidden sides of Singaporean culture.Follow Yu_Mei on Instagram at @yumei.balasingamchow and check

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54:08

#358 - June 2026 Book News

Books and Boba ·

2026/06/23

On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and publishing announcements for our June 2026 mid-month check-isUpcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:Life Is a K Drama by Sherri Shepherd & Jayci LeeOphelia No. 23 by Saou IchikawaA Girl’s Spine by Saou IchikawaBirchwood Prep #1: Lina’s Secret by Mae RaespicioKapa Kuiki: My Hawaiian Quilt by Ilima Kahokuhealani Todd; illus. by Mae WaiteAll the Gardeners by Varsha Bajaj; illust. by Grace EastonShifu Mama by Roger Lam;

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01:01:58

#357 - Author Chat w/ Cindy Pham

Books and Boba ·

2026/06/08

On this episode, we're very excited to welcome booktuber, and now published author, Cindy Pham to chat about her debut novel, The Secret World of Briar Rose, a sapphic dark retelling of the legend of sleeping beauty, following a jaded thief who, while searching for her missing sister, finds herself transported into the dream world of her fallen kingdom's slumbering princess. We chat with Cindy about the inspirations behind her debut, as well as how her experience reviewing books have prepared her to

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01:25:49

#356 - No No Boy by John Okada

Books and Boba ·

2026/06/01

On this episode we discuss our May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada, one of the earliest in the Asian American canon following the story of Ichiro Yamada who returns home to Seattle after serving 2 years in prison for refusing to serve in the military during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War 2. We're excited to dive into this Asian American classic from 1957, who's publication journey is just as interesting as the story itself.Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to

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01:02:45

#355 - Author Chat w/ Vincent Yu

Books and Boba ·

2026/05/26

On this episode, we welcome author Vincent Yu to chat about his debut novel, Seek Immediate Shelter, which follows the stories of several members of a small town community in Massachusetts, who have to deal with the consequences of their impulsive actions when a faulty mass alert is sent our warning them of an imminent missile strike.Follow Vincent on Instagram at @vinyu12 and check out his debut novel Seek Immediate Shelter available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a

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46:29

#354 - May 2026 Book News

Books and Boba ·

2026/05/18

For our mid-month book news check in for May 2026, we catch up on the latest Asian American publishing announcements as well as check in on some of the latest news and tea from the greater book industry.Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:The First White Hair by Yasmin ZaherThe Dragon Thief by Ellen OhIt Begins with the End by Samira AhmedSummers in Syria by Shifa Saltagi Safadi; illust. by Hatem AlyOur Built World: An Architectural Journey Along the Silk Road by Fiyel Levent; illust. by

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54:18

#353 - Author Chat w/ Canwen Xu

Books and Boba ·

2026/05/11

On this episode, we chat with Canwen Xu about her debut novel, Boring Asian Female, a thriller about a Chinese American college student who, in the midst of spiraling from having failed her life's dream of being accepted into Harvard Law School, decides to stalk a fellow Asian classmate who did make it in to see what makes her so special!Follow Canwen on Instagram at @Canwen.Xu and check out her new novel Boring Asian Female available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a

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