Hi there Disco Dancers!

Thanks so much for supporting me, I really appreciate it.

For ESEA/AAPI month, I’ve been mostly focusing on fantasy and sci fi, but some of my absolute favourite books by Asian authors are literary fiction novellas. Here are five short books I highly recommend.

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

This is a novella with two beautiful stories. The first focuses on a woman who meets and man and his transgender mother, and becomes part of their small but loving family. It’s a beautiful, emotional piece that has long stayed with me, especially as it’s hard to find books about trans parents.

The second story is about family, grief and human connection, it’s just as beautiful.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

This incredible novella charts the life of a young Korean woman as she navigates poverty, generational trauma, societal pressure and misogyny, and the psychological impact it has. It’s a window into Korean society that’s illuminating, infuriating and utterly engaging.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayuka Murata

This popular absurdist novella follows a woman in her 30s who adores her convenience store job, despite society telling her she should aspire to more, get married, be ‘normal’. When she does attempt to conform, things go very awry.

This is funny, unsettling and very hard to describe, but it’s brilliant.

100 Queer Poems, edited by Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan

I’m not 100% sure poetry anthologies are for me because there were styles in this book that I really didn’t vibe with, but there were also a bunch of poems that made me feel very seen. Definitely for more varied poetry fans! The ESEA heritage month connection is more slight, editor Mary Jean Chan is a queer Hong Kong-Chinese poet. The selection of poets was super diverse, with many Asian contributors, including Chen Chen’s , my favourite poem in the collection.

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

This is more of a short novel, following three Vietnamese siblings from the 1970s onwards, as they flee Vietnam in a boat, become refugees a China, and end up in the UK. It’s a heartbreaking, educational and emotional story that shines a light on the experiences of Vietnamese Boat People. One of the best things I read last year

That’s all folks!

Disco

Hey there party people and disco dancers!

May is ESEA heritage month in the UK, AAPI month in the US, and Asian heritage month in Canada, so this month’s updates will have a lot of Asian and Pacific Islander content…

First up, some niche AAPI recs - books I don’t see others talking about nearly enough!

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

A fun, queer novella about a nun who joins up with a group of bandits. This was the first Zen Cho I ever read and I became an instant fan.

The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong

A cosy fantasy novella about a retired mage who runs the best restaurant in the world, hidden in Toronto, catering to humans and magical folk alike. As he prepares amazing food and customers eat the best food of their lives, a plot begins to brew among the patrons. Very light on plot but great for foodies!

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

A YA romance between a Korean-Japanese trans boy and a Filipino-Latino boy who connect over anime and music. Both deal with their painful pasts as their friendship blossoms into something more. I love this tender book.

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu

A children’s picture book and short animated film telling the story of four Mahu, with both male and female spirits, who bring healing arts to Hawaiʻi from Kahiki

Stitched to Skin Like Family Is by Nghi Vo (short story in Uncanny magazine)

An incredible, emotional spec fic story about a seamstress with the ability to see visions through clothing, looking for her lost brother

Current reads:

I’m halfway through Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier and loving it. Lucier is an author from the Pacific Island of Guam, and wrote Year of the Reaper, which I adored.

This is a lush, vibrant fantasy about a young dragon hunter unhappily allied with a pirate to chase down a magical dragon egg.

I’m also trying to make my way through all the Murderbot books before the new TV show comes out. I’ve nearly finished book 2: Artificial Condition.

I love the way the Murderbot books discuss gender, identity and human connection (often unwanted). So fun. I loved the trailer and I’m excited for the show.

And I’m halfway through Black Water Sister by Zen Cho, a fantasy about a queer Malaysian-American woman who moves to Malaysia and is haunted by her snarky Grandmother.

Her grandmother is hilarious I love her.

Just finished

I finished Augmented by Kenechi Udogu. This was a fun dystopian / climate sci fi book with a Black British-Nigerian lead.

The plot was fun and the climate spec fiction elements were fantastic, and I loved the London setting. It did fall down a bit for me towards the end though, a plot point felt shoehorned in and didn’t feel like it quite fit. But overall I had a lot of fun. This is out in July.

I also want to mention that Wicked Flavors by Azalea Crowley, one of my favourite authors, just came out this week.

This is a brilliant horror romance about a Filipino-Hawaiian doll maker with autism, who makes a deal with a creepy-yet-alluring antiques dealer (who’s also mixed heritage). This couple were fantastic, they really made each other worse and I loved it. It’s hot and gory and creepy and I was thoroughly entertained.

Azalea is also Kanaka Maoli, so this is potentially one for AAPI tbrs.

And I LOVED Caribbean folklore poetry novel (S)kin by Ibi Zoboi

A Black girl wishes for freedom, from her soucouyant mother, from their fireball powers. A mixed heritage girl hates the burning beneath her skin, the secrets, the lies... Felt like it was written just for me

Here are some books I’m hoping to read this month:

Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu (lit fic novella by a Zainichi Korean author)

Song of Silver Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao (fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology)

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna (cosy fantasy follow up to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches). I blurbed the advance proof copy!

Thanks all folks!

Be excellent to each other,

Disco

Welcome to Discotopia!

Hey there party people and disco dancers. Thank you so so much for subscribing to Discotopia. I’m thrilled you want to hang out with me.

First things first - the Discotopia Discord is now live. If you haven’t already, follow to access it.

The Discord is open to all my social followers, but certain channels are only open to Bindery folk, like you!

One of those channels is ‘Suggestions’. Please leave any ideas or requests for Discotopia content or channels in there. Do you want a book club? Hang outs? A music channel? A channel for trans biker nuns from space? Let me know. This community is for YOU and I’m open to ideas.

Weekly diverse book discoveries

I won’t be sending email updates for every TikTok/short review I upload to Bindery (unless you want that, let me know). Instead I’m thinking a weekly email update for all subscribers, plus any other exciting things I really want to share, and more exclusive content for Disco Dancers.
Here are this week’s discoveries...

Just finished:

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Queer sci fi. AI spaceship Demeter realises her passengers have been wiped out by Dracula. When more monsters threaten her people, she seeks revenge, creating surprising emotional connections along the way.
I’m obsessed with this!! Brilliantly executed. Out on 3rd June, from Ezeekat Press x Bindery.

Girl Squad Volta by Maya Lin Wang (aka M.L. Wang)

Queer BIPOC YA fantasy. Asian American Wren draws comics and does karate with her talented best friend (and secret crush) Laura, dreading high school. She’s not surprised when Laura turns out to be a magical being. Now she has to save her…
Cute, fun and action packed! Love how different this was from M.L. Wang’s later works, like Blood Over Bright Haven.

Current reads:

Augmented by Kenechi Udogu

A YA climate dystopian novel about a Black girl with the rare ability to grow plants with her voice.
I’m loving this! It’s giving me all the nostalgic mid-2000s YA dystopian vibes, but set in London, my city, which I always enjoy.

Next up (possibly, I’m a notorious mood reader)

(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi

YA fantasy with Caribbean folklore, written in verse. This looks incredible.

A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde.

An epic BIPOC fantasy about revenge, rebellion, and ancestral spirits.
I’m so excited about this one. Epic fantasy used to be my thing, but I haven’t read as much as I’d like in the last year. Hoping this week get me back in the groove.

If you've read any of these, or want to, let me know in the comments or on Discord!
That’s all for now, party on dudes!
Disco x