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, middle-grade 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!

Cover of Nubia and the Amazons featuring Black superhero and queen Nubia.

1.

NUBIA & THE AMAZONS

BY STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, VITA AYALA, ALITHA MARTINEZ

(2022)

•••

A vulnerable Nubia faces a nuanced Medusa. Martinez' art sends!

Cover of Scent of Apples featuring a black-and-white photo of author Bienvenido N. Santos.

2.

SCENT OF APPLES

BY BIENVENIDO N. SANTOS

(1979)

•••

Heartbreaking short stories center Pinoys in the U.S. around WWII.

Cover of American Born Chinese featuring main character and Taiwanese American Jin holding a robot toy, on a yellow-hued background with a light orange line illustration of a monkey character trapped under a steep mountain of boulders.

5.

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE

BY GENE LUEN YANG

(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

BY RAEGHAN BUCHANAN

(2023)

•••

A welcome, intense Black punk primer, syllabus, and series teaser.

8.

WHEN WE WERE BIRDS

BY AYANNA LLOYD BANWO

(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.

TAGS: RESOURCES

LAST UPDATED: MARCH 2, 2023

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Text in black says "You May Also Like" followed by a black line break.
White text says, "Allowed special panel edition. What does it take for creators to publish stories that excite them while being treated as humans, not machines? Writers and editors Amanda Meadows, Jamila Rowser, and Kiara Valdez discuss on Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET." Text on a darkened side-by-side photos of Amanda, Jamila, and Kiara.
White text says, "Where I'm Coming From. This new collection by Barbara Brandon-Croft features over 275 select "Where I'm Coming From" comic strips that published in mainstream newspapers during its history-making run between 1991–2005." Text on a darkened photo of the book on a dark table.