For Asian Heritage Month, I decided to do a quick check-in for all the books I’ve read within 2022 from January till now. Although my Asian readathon TBR only has five books, the unofficial list is basically all the new releases of 2022 and the forever backlisted novels in my never-ending TBR. By the end of May, I’ll be able to update this list!
1. 墨香铜臭 | heavenly official’s blessing volume 1 & 2 [2021, 2022], grandmaster of demonic cultivation volume 1 [2021], the scum villain’s self-saving system volume 1 & 2 [2021, 2022]
How is anyone surprised that I managed to read almost all the Mo Xiang Tong Xiu releases up till now? Caught up all the way to SVSS Volume 2. Now I’m waiting for TGCF Volume 3 and MDZS Volume 2~
2. june hur | the red palace [2022]
The author never disappointed & I’m never not in love with her books. Joseon, Korea is probably one of my favorite setting of the country just because I’m more exposed to this time period in TV shows. Also, June Hur specialises in mystery. She has sprinkled a little bit of romance in The Red Palace even though she mentioned that she doesn’t know how to write them. I would say otherwise. Fully and utterly invested Hyeon and Eojin by the end of the standalone.
3. tara sim | scavenge the stars [2020], the city of dusk [2022]
Tara Sim came into my radar after I found out she was debuting her adult novel this year. In preparation for that, I decided that I should at least read one of her YA releases.
Turns out, Scavenge the Stars was pretty interesting! I’m not familiar with the classic The Count of Monte Cristo, so I’m not sure how accurate this gender-swapped retelling is. However, I can say that I enjoyed her book.
Alternatively, I found The City of Dusk to be a harder read, just because it has many layers of world-building and magical explanations to explore. Still, Tara Sim is a great storyteller. She can do both YA and Adult fantasy.
4. sue lynn tan | daughter of the moon goddess [2022]
The yearn has been arduous. I wanted a retelling of the story of Chang’e and Houyi for a long time, and Sue Lynn Tan delivered. Instead of focusing on Chang’e as the main character, the author chose to make Chang’e’s daughter the heroine. Although the book spans years and things might seem a little draggy, I believed that Xingyin’s journey needed the time to develop. Heart of the Sun Warrior, it’s conclusion, will be out at the end of the year too. How lucky are we that the duology comes out in the same year?!
5. wendy xu | tidesong [2021]
A graphic novel I’ve been meaning to read! I loved the story and this art style. Short and sweet.
6. axie oh | the girl who fell beneath the sea [2022]
Wholeheartedly in love with The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. Beautiful cover matching a beautiful story. Mina volunteered as tribute to calm the deadly storm ragged by the Sea God. Once she’s in the other realm, Mina finds herself noticing a guy named Shin. Everyone thought that Mina’s just another girl, but she proved otherwise.
7. courtney milan | the duke who didn’t [2020]
Not sure if I’m right about this, but historical romances written by Asian (American) authors about Asian (American) characters are extremely rare. To date, I only know about Courtney Milan.
The Duke who Didn’t featured Jeremy who returned to the small village hoping that Chloe will be charmed by him once more. Three years ago, Jeremy left without a trace leaving Chloe behind without a single clue. Everyone is excited that he’s back but Chloe is skeptical. Although Jeremy’s rich, he doesn’t act like the stuffy nobles that are usually in the London noble society.
8. jesse q. sutanto | the new girl [2022], four aunties and a wedding [2022]
Jesse Q. Sutanto is a superwoman; who else can write and publish FOUR books within A SINGLE YEAR??? As of now, I’ve read two of the 2022 releases. The other two will be out later in the year.
Lia was consistently bullied due to her race and her low social status in this prestigious school. When her track scholarship was threatened, Lia vows to make things right. The New Girl had a heavier vibe as compared to the author’s other mystery novel. It had the similar energy as books like One of Us is Lying and How We Fall Apart.
After Jesse Q. Sutanto announced that there will be book two to Dial A for Aunties, I was beyond happy. I wanted more of Meddy, her ma, and her aunties.
9. yoon ha lee | tiger honor [2022]
Yoon Ha Lee has expanded Dragon Pearl‘s world. In Tiger Honor, we follow Sebin, a young aspiring boy who wants to follow in their uncle’s footsteps to become captain of a battle cruiser. Sebin battles against the family duty concept that was drilled into them since young. Finds himself recognizing that blindly following isn’t right.
I felt that Tiger’s Honor was a little fast-paced. Since the whole book is set within the battle cruiser, there wasn’t much exploration of the world. Rather, it’s more character-focused.
10. fonda lee | the jade setter in janloon [2022]
We don’t see much of the Kaul family, some made a cameo appearance, but The Jade Setter in Janloon follows the perspective of a jade setter’s apprentice. A man belonging to neither of the largest clans in Kekon.
11. mia p. manansala | homicide and halo-halo [2022]
Enjoyed Homicide and Halo-Halo as much as I did the first book. Mia P. Manansala created a setting which encompass a variety of characters and centred Filipino culture. Lila’s busy in this one. So many things to do, so little time. I’m ready for more.
12. jennifer yen | love, decoded [2022]
Another busy lady this summer. Gigi placed a huge pressure on herself to do everything perfectly and be perfect. Although Love, Decoded is a standalone, it does follow after A Taste for Love. This friends-to-lovers romance is perfect as a summer read.
13. judy i. lin | a magic steeped in poison [2022]
Tea and magic. Add in court politics and a desperate need to save a loved one, we get A Magic Steeped in Poison. No doubt one of the most interesting setting I’ve read in Asian setting. It’s a solid debut! Lucky us, we are getting the final book this August. Truly blessed.
14. nisha sharma | dating dr. dil [2022]
Prior to this, I’ve only read Nisha Sharma’s YA standalone, Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance. Dating Dr. Dil is the author’s adult novel featuring South Asian characters. The family dynamic was interesting, and the romance between Kareena and Prem had it’s own moments too.
15. emily x.r. pan | an arrow to the moon [2022]
Another retelling of Chang’e and Houyi. I can’t believe I got two re-imaginations in a year; one by a debut author, another by an author that I wanted a second book from. Emily X.R. Pan’s expert in tugging my heartstrings. Instead of setting in a fantasy world, the author recreated this mythology in a historical/contemporary setting. Fell in love with Emily X.R. Pan’s writing once more.
16. akemi dawn bowman | the genesis wars [2022]
THAT ENDNG. I’m speechless. Akemi Dawn Bowman left me up on a cliff. This new trilogy by the author is her first sci-fi/fantasy release. An AI taking over the human afterlife meant disaster. I’ll be needing book three, please.
17. roshani chokshi | aru shah and the nectar of immortality [2022]
The finale of the Pandava series was filled with adventure, friends, and struggles. I won’t go into much details since this is the fifth and last book. What I’ll say though is that Roshani Chokshi is a brilliant writer, regardless of the target audience. I had the best time following Aru Shah and her friends, fighting monsters, chasing time, and saving the world.
18. hanna alkaf | queen of the tiles [2022]
Been waiting for Hanna Alkaf’s next release ever since The Girl and the Ghost. Since I’ve read all three of the author’s current books, I loved how explorative she is. The Weight of Our Sky takes a look back into an historical event, The Girl and the Ghost focused on a friendship between a human and a ghost, while Queen of the Tiles takes place in modern time after the death of a friend.
19. hena khan | amina’s voice [2017]
Short and impactful. Amina’s Voice features Asian-Americans living in America. From the micro-aggressions to the blatant racism, Amina experienced it one way or another. Ultimately, it’s about a young Pakistani-American discovering the good, bad, and ugly in the world she’s living.
20. aisha saeed | amal unbound [2018]
Amal Unbound captured my attention from the start to the end. I couldn’t put it down, I didn’t want to put it down. One small incident in the market landed Amal as an indentured servant. Forced away from her family and everything that she knows, Amal tries to find footing in this luxurious new place. The only solace she finds is when she’s reading, learning, and gaining knowledge.
21. lü lü lü jiang | 保护我方大大
This webtoon/manhua is pretty cute. As it’s still in progress, I’ve only read till Chapter 95. I decided to log this as a read because who knows how long this manhua will go? The author’s pretty consistent in uploading new chapters, but I tend to binge read manhua so I’ll be waiting.
We have reached the end of this mini check-in Asian edition! I had lots of fun revisiting books that I read the past four months. While most of them have been 2022 releases, I’m excited for backlisted books as well. My target for Asian Heritage Month is to read more backlisted books so that I can clear some of the fantasy duology/trilogy/series.
Anyway, hope you’ve liked this post. I do write things like that for myself rather than having a wider audience in mind. Oops, but I love what I’m producing, so that’s fine right? Haha. Wishing everyone a great week ahead.
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I’ve just added so many books to my TBR because of this post! The Red Palace especially sounds really interesting because historical mysteries set in a time that isn’t the 20th century (and isn’t the US/UK) are something I always have on my radar. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
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I’m so glad you’ve found some books here! The Red Palace is incredible. June Hur has two other books set in the same era of Korea and the same genre as well!
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