Greetings, guys, gals, and non-binary pals! In honor of Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I'll be participating in the Asian ReadAThon hosted by WithCindy, over on Youtube. Connected to this are giveaways, charity, and the overarching intent to get more people reading the works of Asian authors. And not just during May.

Especially in the wake of the recent rise in hate and violence toward Asian people, it is important to support the voices of those within the community. I have been meaning to read more works by Asian authors and there are definitely some I have recently discovered that will be explored in coming months. Remember, when we care for and support each other, all are stronger for it.

There are five challenges for the 2021 Asian ReadAThon. They can be combined together if multiple apply to the same book, but when switching to a new book, it should be from an author or of a character of a different ethnicity. Here’s the handy StoryGraph link that helps break that down:

1. Read any book written by an Asian author.

2. Read any book featuring an Asian protagonist.

3. Read any book written by an Asian author in your favorite genre.

4. Read any nonfiction book written by an Asian author.

5. Read any book written by an Asian author that’s not US-centric.

My two main picks for May were The Henna Wars, by Adiba Jaigirdar and World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. There are some others that I’ll get to in a moment, but those two fulfill all five challenges.

The Henna Wars is a contemporary YA sapphic romance that deals with racism and homophobia.

World of Wonders is a memoir, following the author’s life through the lens of a series of essays focused in the natural world.

Aside from those two, I’d like to read Zen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown and Kat Cho’s Wicked Fox. As of writing this, I have already read Jen Wang’s The Prince and the Dressmaker, which was also on my prospective May TBR list and decided to venture into R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War at a later date.

Links used above (in case there’s an issue with any of them):
The Asian ReadAThon Google Doc: 2021 Asian Readathon (google.com)

Cindy’s Announcement Video: 2021 ASIAN READATHON ✌️ Challenges, Giveaways, Charity, and TONS of Asian Book Recommendations! - YouTube

StoryGraph Link: Asian Readathon | The StoryGraph