2023 • By Christine Pasalo Norland
Book Recommendations in 10 Words
Welcome to Hello Barkada's running list of book recommendations for 2023, a list that will grow throughout the year with a variety of recently released and backlist titles. May it help you find a new book to add to your TBR stack.
Why are the blurbs only 10 words? It's a fun challenge and it saves both of us time. That said, in-depth reviews and commentaries aren't out of the question: If I write one, I'll link to it from the 10-word blurb.
Books listed are selected at my discretion (i.e., they aren't sponsored promotions) and will range from prose to graphic novel, children's to adult, and fiction to nonfiction. Numbers denote reading order, not rank. Years in parenthesis denote the book's original publication year.
New books will be added often, but not on a planned frequency. To stay updated, please follow @HelloBarkada on Instagram and Twitter. Enjoy!
1.
NUBIA & THE AMAZONS
BY STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, VITA AYALA, ALITHA MARTINEZ
(2022)
•••
A vulnerable Nubia faces a nuanced Medusa. Martinez' art sends!
2.
SCENT OF APPLES
(1979)
•••
Heartbreaking short stories center Pinoys in the U.S. around WWII.
4.
WHERE I'M COMING FROM
(2023)
•••
5.
AMERICAN BORN CHINESE
(2006 • RE-READ)
•••
This fable acknowledges the journey it takes to accept oneself.
6.
STAR KNIGHTS
BY KAY DAVAULT
(2022)
•••
Amphibians confront internalized bias to heal themselves and their friendship.
7.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF BLACK PUNK
(2023)
•••
A welcome, intense Black punk primer, syllabus, and series teaser.
8.
WHEN WE WERE BIRDS
(2022)
•••
An exploration of how death, life, and love are harmonious.
9.
THE COLOR OF EARTH
BY KIM DONG HWA
(2009, ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITION)
•••
Ehwa contemplates sensuality and desire in this cishet coming-of-age tale.
10.
BIBLIOLEPSY
BY GINA APOSTOL
(2022)
•••
Can life in perpetual transition bring satisfaction? Primi tries ardently.
11.
IN LIMBO
BY DEB JJ LEE
(2023)
•••
A mental health comic-of-age story addressing parental pressures and otherness.
12.
MESSY ROOTS
BY LAURA GAO
(2022)
•••
Gao's story of embracing Queerness and adulthood as Wuhan American.
13.
SPELLBOUND
BY BISHAKH SOM
(2020)
•••
A fascinating memoir told out-of-body to gain perspective and self-acceptance.
14.
HIMAWARI HOUSE
(2021)
•••
Nao and friends learn to adult through self-reckoning, not escape.
15.
THE MAN IN THE MCINTOSH SUIT
BY RINA AYUYANG
(2023)
•••
Noir spiced with historical fiction, centering Filipinx Americans in 1929.
16.
MOONRISE OVER NEW JESSUP
(2023)
•••
Alice discovers life beyond whiteness, and strives to protect it.
17.
WHITE TEARS/ BROWN SCARS
BY RUBY HAMAD
(2019)
•••
A revelatory contextualization of the experiences of many BIPOC women/femmes.
18.
WOTAKOI VOL. 2
BY FUJITA
(2016)
•••
Slice-of-life josei exploring how six otaku navigate identity and relationships.
19.
CITY OF SECRETS
(2020)
•••
A fast-paced, visually-thrilling adventure featuring mech, secret societies, and intrigue.
TAGS: RESOURCES
LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 25, 2023
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