Hi friends! It’s been about three weeks since my last post “5 Books that Helped Me Reimagine the Craft of Fiction Writing,” which had garnered some views and new Twitter followings. I suspect it has to do with Grace D. Li’s lovely quote-retweeting 💖:
And because I need yet another reason to talk about Portrait of a Thief, which I am rereading the advanced copy of (the only other book I’ve reread before publication was the audiobook of One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, narrated by Natalie Naudus; my review here), and that I am currently reading Elaine Hsieh Chou’s Disorientation, I realized they share a similar setting: universities. As a graduate student, I especially enjoy stories about (struggling) grad students and/or upperclass undergrads. With the books I’m reading, this was too good a chance to not write about “Books with East Asians in Academia/University.”
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
First up, Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li (expected publication: April 5th, 2022). I love this book with my whole heart. Li created a cast of 5 Chinese Americans, each with their own complex relationships with family and sense of belonging. Oftentimes in fiction, there will be one—or maybe two if you’re lucky—Chinese American characters, and in Portrait of a Thief, a full cast. Li showed that Chinese Americans are not a monolith. Yes, they did go on a heist or two, and yes, it has something to do with art. No, heists are not the main plot point and if you only want heists, maybe look elsewhere. Will, Irene, Alex, Lily, and Daniel are here to bond, repair relationships, and change the world.
And for those who have rainbow goggles on, yes, this book is queer (sapphic).
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Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
Next, Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou (expected publication: March 22nd, 2022). This novel utilizes drug hallucinations and a fictional “Asian American” icon to talk about Asian fetishism, yellowfacing, and brings in other themes of justice/injustice. The story follows a 29-year-old Taiwanese American PhD student Ingrid and her journey of unlearning and relearning what is just as well as seeing the problematic actions she had committed. Ingrid is not perfect nor will she be by the end of the book, but she continues to find a better path for herself.
While Ingrid is a cishet woman who at the start of the book, wondered if “gay” is a bad word, two supporting characters are sapphic and in a relationship.
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Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin (English edition translated by Bonnie Huie) is a Taiwanese queer classic. It is set in National Taiwan University (my alma mater, thank you very much) and a coming-of-age story that is ugly, messy, and emotionally charged. I read it in Chinese about 10 years ago and am currently rereading it in both versions. Am I understanding more of what’s going on? … ask me again when I finish it.
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Babel by R.F. Kuang
Well, I think Babel by R.F. Kuang (expected publication: August 23rd, 2022) comes to mind when people think about books on Asians in academia, and it is not even published yet! And no, I have not read this one nor have I read anything by Kuang, but I’m including Babel because it’s one of my most anticipated books of the year.
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“If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” by Zen Cho
This is a novelette that is also in Spirits Abroad. You can read it on B&N Reads. Spirits Abroad is one of those books I talk about a lot, and “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” is one of my favorites from the collection. Not only is it queer, it also covers thousands of years, which in a novelette, is a feat in its own.
True Love and Other Impossible Odds by Christina Li
Like me, we all have to wait maybe two more years for Christina Li’s True Love and Other Impossible Odds, a YA novel set in a college campus and apparently it’s queer, too! Thanks to Andy (IG @foreverinastory) for bringing this book to my attention! In the meantime, you can read Li’s MG Clues to the Universe.
Do you know of any other books featuring East Asians in universities or academia? Japanese and Korean stories are lacking in this post, and if you know some, I’d love to hear about them! Bonus points if they are queer (author or main characters or side characters).
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