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!

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.

10.

BIBLIOLEPSY

BY GINA APOSTOL

(2022)

•••

Can life in perpetual transition bring satisfaction? Primi tries ardently.

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

BY HARMONY BECKER

(2021)

•••

Nao and friends learn to adult through self-reckoning, not escape.

Daytime color photo of the book cover for Moonrise Over New Jessup, which features bouquets of a variety of red, violet, and white flowers surrounding the book title listed in white on a dark background.

16.

MOONRISE OVER NEW JESSUP

BY JAMILA MINNICKS

(2023)

•••

Alice discovers life beyond whiteness, and strives to protect it.

Color book cover photo featuring a black and red illustration of the face and hair of a femme-presenting Black person looking off to the left, surrounded above and below with black, white, and red text that reads, "White Tears/Brown Scars. How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color. Ruby Hamad"

17.

WHITE TEARS/ BROWN SCARS

BY RUBY HAMAD

(2019)

•••

A revelatory contextualization of the experiences of many BIPOC women/femmes.

Color photo of the cover of Wotakoi volume 2 featuring an illustration of a male and female, each in sweats, and keeping each other at bay with an outstretch arm.

18.

WOTAKOI VOL. 2

BY FUJITA

(2016)

•••

Slice-of-life josei exploring how six otaku navigate identity and relationships.

Color photo of the cover of the graphic novel City of Secrets, which features two illustrated children standing tall and heroic while looking off towards the right, and standing amidst hot air ballons and domed buildings.

19.

CITY OF SECRETS

BY VICTORIA YING

(2020)

•••

A fast-paced, visually-thrilling adventure featuring mech, secret societies, and intrigue.

TAGS: RESOURCES

LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 25, 2023

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White text says, "Collectively 2023. The second annual, month-long celebration of artists, writers, and creatives from historically marginalized communities is hosted throughout September, Hello Barkada's anniversary month, and features free online and in-person events, and the release of new content." Text on a darkened graphic of the tan Collectively logo repeated on a slight diagonal down a brown background.