May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and while I’m always up for shining a light on underrepresented voices, I have to admit: this particular grouping feels like it was assembled by someone who’s never looked at a map—or a history book. The AAPI umbrella includes a wildly diverse set of cultures, languages, and identities, from East Asia to South Asia to the islands of the Pacific, and even parts of the Middle East. That’s not a category; that’s half the globe.
Lumping all of that into one acronym? It’s reductive at best, erasure at worst. As Harmeet Kaur smartly noted in a piece for CNN, the label sticks mostly because there’s no better one. It’s a placeholder—an imperfect one—but still an opportunity to spotlight incredible writing that deserves a wider audience.
So, gripe acknowledged. Now, let’s get to the good stuff.
Here are a few books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors that I recommend not just for May, but for any time you’re looking for something smart, layered, and unforgettable.
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Genre: Literary Fiction
Kitamura excels at writing characters who drift just outside the emotional current, and Audition is no exception. The story revolves around an actress and a younger man meeting for lunch in Manhattan, but the real tension lies in the question: who are we performing for, and when do we drop the act? Whether with family, friends, lovers, or strangers, we’re always auditioning. This one’s sharp, elegant, and quietly unsettling in the best way.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Kitamura, Katie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 205 Pages – 04/08/2025 (Publication Date) – Riverhead Books (Publisher)
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
Genre: Sci-Fi/Heist/Cyberpunk
This book is what happens when you throw Blade Runner, Ocean’s 8, and a stack of bail bonds into a blender and hit “Hawaiian pidgin.” Edie’s just out of prison—thanks to early parole and one hell of a backstory—and now she’s got one last job that might be her ticket to real freedom (or real chaos). Fast-paced, funny, and ferocious, this is genre fiction with heart and a whole lot of grit.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Yamamoto, Makana (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 356 Pages – 01/14/2025 (Publication Date) – Harper Voyager (Publisher)
Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara
Genre: Nonfiction/Technology & Identity
You might know Vara from The Immortal King Rao, but here she goes full throttle into personal essay and cultural criticism. Vara uses her viral AI-assisted piece about her sister’s death as a jumping-off point to explore how the internet—and tools like ChatGPT—reshape not just how we communicate, but how we construct identity. If you’re interested in where the digital and the deeply personal collide, this is a must-read.
- Hardcover Book
- Vara, Vauhini (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages – 04/08/2025 (Publication Date) – Pantheon (Publisher)
The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li
Genre: Gothic Fiction/Family Drama
Let’s talk drama. When trailblazing Chinese American actress Vivian Yin dies, her daughters expect to inherit her estate—but a surprise will throws everything into chaos. Think: family feud, mystery, and a possibly haunted mansion with secrets thick as fog. This is a juicy, slow-burn gothic novel with plenty of generational tension and ghostly unease.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Li, Christina (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 352 Pages – 05/06/2025 (Publication Date) – Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (Publisher)
- Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with this vibrant heart-shaped flag collage design showcasing unity, pride, and diverse cultural roots.
- Perfect for school events, community celebrations, and year-round cultural pride this powerful design honors the legacy and contributions of AAPI communities.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with this vibrant heart-shaped flag collage design showcasing unity, pride, and diverse cultural roots.
- Perfect for school events, community celebrations, and year-round cultural pride this powerful design honors the legacy and contributions of AAPI communities.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Celebrate your Asian American Pacific Islander identity with this vibrant heart-shaped design filled with cultural elements: a dragon, fans, and flowers. A proud, bold tribute to AAPI roots, unity, and community during heritage month and beyond.
- Perfect for AAPI Heritage Month, cultural events, or year-round pride. Makes a meaningful design for family, friends, or coworkers proud of their AAPI background. Wear it with honor and stand for inclusion, tradition, and visibility with style.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Celebrating AAPI heritage 2025. Makes a great gift for your loved ones.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Spot clean/dry clean only.
- Grab this National Aapi Heritage Month design with all country flags for boys and girls. For Teachers, kindergarten, school activities, and celebrations. Great Asian American and Pacific Islander choice to recognize the contributions to the community.
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated in May and recognizes the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans history, culture, and achievements of the United States.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- World Blood Donor Day Themed Design: These World Blood Donor Day themed notebooks are elegant and colorful, using red blood drops and printed with healing blood donation patterns and encouraging words to create a rich atmosphere, suitable for World Blood Donation Day activities and home decoration.
- Package Contains : you will receive 24 World Blood Donor Day themed notebooks with pens in 4 designes, the notebook can be inserted with pens, you will have a variety of designs to choose from, and there are enough notepads for you to use throughout World Blood Donor Day, or give them to your friends and share them together.
- Reliable materials: These World Blood Donor Day themed notebooks are made of quality paper materials to ensure long-term use; they have a soft and smooth surface and are paired with a silky pen, which is sure to provide a comfortable writing experience and stimulate your interest in writing.
- Ideal size: These World Blood Donor Day notepads are about 11 x 15 cm in size, which is the ideal size to carry with you, and they also come with a pen. Whether you need to jot down ideas, reminders or to-do lists, you can always carry a convenient notepad with you.
- Wide application: Our World Blood Donor Day themed notepad is suitable as a theme insert book for publicity, parades, theme party gifts, birthday gifts, gift bag fillers, rewards, etc.; they can be widely used in project notes, personal diaries, or you can send these cute little notebooks to your friends, family and colleagues.
- If you are a fan of the Korean crazy spicy cooking Asian hot sauce known as Gochujang then you will love this. Perfect tee for Koreans, those who love Korea food, restaurant chef, cook or just foodie who likes a little Asian spice in their life.
- Gochujang is the great sauce to any Korean grandmother meal. Show your love for this spicy treat with this trendy Asian design perfect for AAPI month and beyond. For Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese cuisine lovers too.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- If you are a fan of the Korean crazy spicy cooking Asian hot sauce known as Gochujang then you will love this. Perfect tee for Koreans, those who love Korea food, restaurant chef, cook or just foodie who likes a little Asian spice in their life.
- Gochujang is the great sauce to any Korean grandmother meal. Show your love for this spicy treat with this trendy Asian design perfect for AAPI month and beyond. For Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese cuisine lovers too.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Package Includes: you will receive 120 pieces of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month themed notepads in 12 styles , each with 16 blank pages; sufficient quantity and variety,make your favors more meaningful
- Reliable Material: These AAPI notebooks are made of quality paper material to guarantee long-term use; they have a soft and smooth surface that is sure to provide a comfortable writing experience and stimulate your interest in writing
- Unique Design: These Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month notebooks are elegant and colorful, with AAPI elements printed on the surface, creating a rich atmosphere, suitable for Pacific Islander celebrations and home decoration
- Suitable size: These Asian Pacific American Heritage Month notepads measure approximately 4 x 4 inches, the surface is smooth and flat, which is very suitable for journaling, note-taking, planning, and sketching on the go
- Wide Application: This AAPI gift can be used for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month gatherings, community events, parades, classroom activities, homes, schools, offices or any AAPI events to enhance the atmosphere of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
- Celebrate AANHPI or AAPI heritage and pride with this tropical floral art that celebrates resilience and culture. It’s the perfect gift for anyone who has Asian, American, Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander blood and values history, identity, and inclusion.
- 16” x 16” bag with two 14” long and 1” wide black cotton webbing strap handles.
- Made of a lightweight, spun polyester canvas-like fabric.
- All seams and stress points are double-stitched for durability, and the reinforced bottom flattens to fit more items and hold larger objects.
- Spot clean/dry clean only.
Final Thoughts
There’s no single story that can encapsulate the entire AAPI experience—and that’s the point. These books offer just a glimpse into a kaleidoscope of cultures, histories, and identities that deserve far more than a single month of attention. So read widely, read curiously, and don’t wait for someone to tell you it’s time to celebrate—just start reading.
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