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)
- Hate Is a Virus! Support the Asian-American Pacific Islander AAPI community and show your love with this awesome gift design.
- Men, women and children can support human rights and racial equality.
- 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.
- AAPI, Get this cool Asian American Pacific Islander heart country flags design outfit and celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gifts for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- Asian American Native Hawaiian AAPI, Get this Asian American Pacific Islander design outfit celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gifts for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Month, Get this Asian American Pacific Islander rainbow outfit celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gift for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- Islander, Get this cool Polynesian Hawaiian Asian American Pacific Islander design outfit and celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gifts for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- Support AAPI Communities, Get this meaningful Asian American Pacific Islander design outfit and celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gifts for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Get this Asian American Pacific Islander design outfit celebrate AAPI heritage month, perfect gifts for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, or Filipino Americans for family gatherings & party
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month Gifts for Men, Women, Girls, Boys, Kids will love this AAPI costume who loves to honor Asian American history, roots, and culture, perfect present for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, & AAPI Heritage Month cultural events
- 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.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Yu, Kelsea (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 06/01/2026 (Publication Date) – Gallery Books (Publisher)
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Hur, June (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 05/19/2026 (Publication Date) – Feiwel & Friends (Publisher)
- Lee, Lyla (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 192 Pages – 04/28/2026 (Publication Date) – Aladdin (Publisher)
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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