Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1979)
1531.
A Spy in the House by Ying S. Lee EN
SingaporeDescription:
Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan and thief Mary Quinn is offered a place at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls where she is trained to be part of an all-female investigative unit called The Agency and, at age seventeen, she infiltrates a rich merchant's home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships.
1532.
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte EN
Description:
Four dead queens. Three days to catch a killer. Two forbidden romances. One shocking twist you won’t see coming. Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but she’s, in fact, one of Quadara’s most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara’s most enlightened region, Eonia. He runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie both find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara’s queens dead. With no other... continue
1533.
El legado by Balli Kaur Jaswal ES
Description:
Singapur, 1971. Amrit, una joven adolescente, desaparece de su casa en plena noche. Aunque su ausencia es breve, regresa convertida en una persona diferente. El episodio provoca una auténtica grieta que amenaza con fracturar a su familia, sij y de origen punyabí. En las dos décadas siguientes, asistimos a la evolución del panorama político y social de Singapur durante el periodo de 1970 a 1990 , mientras la familia de Amrit debe afrontar los cambios de mentalidad de la sociedad con respecto a las castas, la cultura juvenil, el sexo, los roles de género... continue
1534.
The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao EN
Description:
A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao. For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy. Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest s... continue
1535.
The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu EN
Description:
First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth Su Lin, a local girl stepping in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore. 1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin's daughter dies suddenly - and in mysterious circumstances - mission school-educated local girl Su Lin - an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage - is invited to take her place. But then another murder at the residence occ... continue
1536.
Sex and Vanity : A Novel by Kevin Kwan EN
Description:
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A Good Morning America Book Club Pick "Kevin Kwan's new book is his most decadent yet." --Entertainment Weekly The iconic author of the bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians returns with the glittering tale of a young woman who finds herself torn between two men: the WASPY fiancé of her family's dreams and George Zao, the man she is desperately trying to avoid falling in love with. On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can't stand him. She can't stand it when he gallantly offers to ... continue
1537.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters : A Novel by Balli Kaur Jaswal EN
Description:
The author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows follows her acclaimed America debut with this life-affirming, witty family drama—an Indian This Is Where I Leave You—about three Punjabi sisters embarking on a pilgrimage to their homeland to lay their mother to rest. The British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirnia—were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may ... continue
1538.
Ponti by Sharlene Teo EN
Description:
'Remarkable' – Ian McEwan Shortlisted for Hearsts' Big Book Award 2018. Set in 2003 in the sweltering heat of Singapore, Sharlene Teo's Ponti begins as sixteen-year-olds Szu and Circe develop an intense friendship. For Szu it offers an escape from Amisa, her beautiful, cruel mother – once an actress, and now the silent occupant of a rusty house. But for Circe, their friendship does the opposite, bringing her one step closer to the fascinating, unknowable Amisa. Seventeen years later, Circe finds herself adrift and alone. And then a project comes up at work, a remake of the cult seventies horro... continue
1540.
Dinner on Monster Island: Essays by Tania De Rozario EN
Description:
In this unusual, engaging, and intimate collection of personal essays, Lambda Literary Award finalist Tania De Rozario recalls growing up as a queer, brown, fat girl in Singapore, blending memoir with elements of history, pop culture, horror films, and current events to explore the nature of monsters and what it means to be different. Tania De Rozario was just twelve years old when she was gay-exorcised. Convinced that her boyish style and demeanor were a sign of something wicked, her mother and a pair of her church friends tried to "banish the evil" from Tania. That day, the young girl realiz... continue