Hapa Reads: Issue 9

Hapa Mag - September 23, 2019

 
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Monstress by Marjorie Liu and drawn by Sana Takeda

A drawing of an Asian woman with long black hair wearing an ornate white coat looks over her shoulder. One of her hands is a prosthetic. She stands before an ornate gold statue of a goddess-like figure. White text above says "Monstress"

ALEX CHESTER

I’m a big graphic novel fan. It makes for easy reading when I’m commuting on the subway in NYC. Monstress is an award-winning series that has quickly become a favorite of mine. Taking place in an epic fantasy world where females are the ones in power, this series follows teenage Maika Halfwolf. She is an Arcanic (magical creature) and is being hunted by the Cumaea (sorceresses), all while trying to figure out why her mother died. To make things even more interesting, Maika has a monster of old inside of her. Not only is this series written by two women of color, but Liu is half-Tawainese half-white. 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A illustration of an old man with his back to the viewer, with a cat standing behind his feet on the grass. White text over him says "A Man Called Ove"

OLIVIA CHEN

This has been atop the NYT bestseller list for a while. Such a feel good novel — many tears!! Highly recommend!

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

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LAUREN HARDIE

I chose this book thinking it was a novel (I know!). I had just finished a different memoir and wanted to switch genres, but since All You Can Ever Know was so highly recommended, I added it to my list. I thought I’d know what to expect from this adoption story, but I was totally wrong. With themes like identity, relationships with parents, and finding truth within the well-intentioned myths our families tell us, I’m finding this book very relatable so far. I’m halfway through and I can’t put it down.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Thick bold text against a white background saying "Three Women." A thick red bar separates that and the author's name in the same text

AUTUMN HENRY

This is one of my “on deck”books of the summer— I have four on deck with the best of intentions and no time, but I thought I’d share my general excitement to read this one as it may entice others to pick it up. Three Women is a deep dive into the real sex lives of three very different women across the U.S. I love reading and talking about sex like talking about hair styles and vacation spots. Sex talk pulls back our most vunerable skins for exposure, but I truly believe in its ability to liberate shame and strengthen sexual confidence and playfulness that we all deserve. After years of working with women of all ages, heritage and social statuses, talking about our intimate lives has been some of the most rewarding, and I look forward to these three special stories as well as a lifetime of continued sex talk.

From Up Here by Liz Flahive

REBECCA LEE LERMAN

I seem to be on a playwrights kick, but one of my favorite shows, GLOW is back on Netflix for Season 3, and it reminded me that Liz Flahive, who created the show, is a writer of one of my favorite plays, From Up Here. The language is authentic, smart, heartbreaking, and hilarious. It’s got some great monologues for the earnest, and also, even though presented in 2008, is still a very timely play about school gun violence and the children and adults grappling with it. It’s just like the brilliant writing of GLOW, which deals with real world issues while still maintaining its wit. It is what every good play should be.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

NATHAN LIU

This novel is one of the first books I ever read, written by Hapa writer Jamie Ford, about a romance between people of different Asian backgrounds. It also speaks to my own family. My biological grandfather was a Chinese immigrant, while his best friend, and my eventual my step-grandfather, was a Nisei World War II vet and internment survivor. This novel was one of the only stories to talk about the friendships between Chinese and Japanese Americans during that time.

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

MATT PARK

It’s a great book. Read it.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

GEN PARTON SHIN

A delightful (and classic) sci-fi novel, packed full of British wit that shines gloriously on a canvas that is the meaningless answer to life, the universe, and everything.Don’t panic!

MELISSA SLAUGHTER

Another Hapa Mag Issue, another true crime recommendation from me! This time, it’s Killers of the Flower Moon. In the 1920s, when Oklahoma was just “Indian Territory,” a series of murders took place, targeting wealthy members of the Osage Indian Tribe. This book is a great summer read that seems more like it’s a fiction than not. But as someone who grew up in Osage County, this book was a revelation. No one talked about this history where I’m from, which, when you look at the historical treatment of Native Americans in U.S. history, should come as no surprise. No matter where you’re from, this book will be a roller coaster ride of crime, money, love, fear, and conspiracy.

The New Yorker

LAUREN NAKAO WINN

Best subway reads. We consume so much image-based content, it’s good to flex the literary muscle, and whenever I find myself reading an excess of clickbait listicles, The New Yorker is an effective reminder of how quality writing reads.