On this episode we discuss our May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada, one of the earliest in the Asian American canon following the story of Ichiro Yamada who returns home to Seattle after serving 2 years in prison for refusing to serve in the military during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War 2. We’re excited to dive into this Asian American classic from 1957, who’s publication journey is just as interesting as the story itself.

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

On this episode, we welcome author Vincent Yu to chat about his debut novel, Seek Immediate Shelter, which follows the stories of several members of a small town community in Massachusetts, who have to deal with the consequences of their impulsive actions when a faulty mass alert is sent our warning them of an imminent missile strike.

Follow Vincent on Instagram at @vinyu12 and check out his debut novel Seek Immediate Shelter available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

For our mid-month book news check in for May 2026, we catch up on the latest Asian American publishing announcements as well as check in on some of the latest news and tea from the greater book industry.

Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:

• The First White Hair by Yasmin Zaher
• The Dragon Thief by Ellen Oh
• It Begins with the End by Samira Ahmed
• Summers in Syria by Shifa Saltagi Safadi; illust. by Hatem Aly
• Our Built World: An Architectural Journey Along the Silk Road by Fiyel Levent; illust. by Daby Zainab Faidhi
• Sheen by Cindy Pon
• Our Chinatown Market by Jasmine Fang; illust. by Thai My Phuong

Book news mentioned on this episode:

• TokyoPop launches Children’s imprint

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

On this episode, we chat with Canwen Xu about her debut novel, Boring Asian Female, a thriller about a Chinese American college student who, in the midst of spiraling from having failed her life’s dream of being accepted into Harvard Law School, decides to stalk a fellow Asian classmate who did make it in to see what makes her so special!

Follow Canwen on Instagram at @Canwen.Xu and check out her new novel Boring Asian Female available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

On this episode, we discuss our April 2026 book club pick, The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, chosen for us by our patrons (you can help us pick our next patron’s choice in July by joining our patreon). Pitched a a Ghibli-style cozy fantasy (but we found it to be a little more than it seems), The Elsewhere Express is a ethereal train that appears to pick up passengers who have lost their purpose in life. This night, it picks up 2 wayward souls, and offers then a chance to find a new purpose on board it’s dreamlike cars, but is there a catch?

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors

On this episode, we welcome Kelly Yang to the podcast to chat about her adult novel debut, The Take, a story about a young Chinese American woman who aspires to become a novelist, and a veteran Hollywood producer who offers to help her break into the industry… in return for a bit of her youth. We’re so excited to finally have the chance to chat with Kelly about her adult debut after a prolific career writing books for middle grade and young adult readers, including past Books & Boba book club pick Front Desk!

Follow Lisa on Instagram at @kellyyanghk and check out her new novel The Take available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!

Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors