Bookworm Cottage Style

In case you missed it, we are diversifying our bookshelves this year, highlighting stories and voices from a multitude of lived experiences. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, so today, I’m featuring books from Asian authors that I’ve read, loved, and would wholly recommend. If you’re a longtime reader, you’ve heard me talk about most of these before. What should I pick up next?

This American Woman: A One-In-A-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg (2025; 320 pages) // I adore reading about women who find their calling later in life or who reinvent themselves in their second act, so I completely enjoyed this hilarious memoir from comedian Zarna Garg. In this book, Zarna shares funny and heartfelt stories about her life, from running away from home in Mumbai to escape an arranged marriage at 15, moving to America for college, meeting her husband online in the 90s, raising children in NYC, and eventually becoming a standup comedian in her 40s. Zarna is an absolute force of nature and you can’t help but be inspired by her tenacity. (And her big heart… her acknowledgments page is 15 pages long!) A great book!!

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa (192 pages, 2009) // I’ve never read a story quite like this one. In this book, a housekeeper starts working for a retired mathematics professor who has short-term memory loss. Despite the fact that he can only remember 80 minutes into the past and the housekeeper reintroduces herself each day when she arrives at work, the housekeeper and her young son manage to develop a beautiful friendship with the professor over time. I’d also recommend this to anyone with a passion for mathematics, engineering, or education in general. Overally, really thought provoking and really lovely! 

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (2023; 352 pages) // This book is a delightfully cozy mystery about an elderly Asian woman who takes it upon herself to solve a local murder. A lovely story of friendship, found family, and purpose. Highly recommend for fans of The Thursday Murder Club series!

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (2024; 352 pages) // What a delight! This is a really fun time travel book about a UK government worker who gets a new job as a host/chaperone of sorts for a Naval Commander who has time traveled from 1847. Our heroine slowly falls in love with the commander as she gets to know him better, all the while trying to puzzle together what this government time travel project might mean for their past, present, and future. This book was also on Obama’s summer 2024 reading list!

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff (2023, 352 pages) // More people need to read this fun and quirky book! Geeta has become accustomed to a life of independence and solitude when others in her village assume (incorrectly) that Geeta killed off her good-for-nothing husband. When other women start coming to Geeta for tips on how to murder their own drinking, cheating husbands, a comedy of errors ensues. The main character Geeta is a grumpy widow who slowly comes to realize how much companionship has been missing in her life. This playful crime comedy pushes back against discrimination and toxic patriarchy while reminding readers of the joys of friendship. Such a fun book!!

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (2020, 368 pages) // This is one of those books that reminds me why I love historical fiction. The Henna Artist is an engrossing page turner that addresses women’s rights and family drama set against the backdrop of post-colonial India. A fantastic book about Indian women taking a stand against the patriarchy!

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (2020, 272 pages) // This cozy, feel-good read is set in a Japanese cafe where patrons can travel back or forth in time. Although there are rules for the time travel (they must return to present day before their coffee gets cold, they understand that nothing they say or do during travel can alter the future, etc.) it is a really heartwarming book to see how people get a sense of closure.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang (2019; 368 pages) // If you’re looking to pick up a book that will stretch your mind and wake up your critical thinking skills, Exhalation should be at the top of your list. This book is a collection of sci-fi short stories. It was named one of the top 10 books of 2019 by the New York Times and was also featured on Barack Obama’s 2019 summer reading list. These immersive vignettes explore everything from time travel to AI companions to the multiverse, and leave the reader with plenty to contemplate and discuss.