Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1977)
1621.
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history. Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly. 1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings. Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despit... continue
1622.
Solo Leveling, Vol 1 by Chugong EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
The official English print publication of the popular Korean webcomic! E-class hunter Jinwoo Sung is the weakest of them all. Looked down on by everyone, he has no money, no abilities to speak of, and no other job prospects. So when his party finds a hidden dungeon, he's determined to use this chance to change his life for the better...but the opportunity he finds is a bit different from what he had in mind!
1623.
Reflections from Prison: 20 Years and 20 Days by Shin Young-bok EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Reflections from Prison is the collected letters and essays written by renowned Korean thinker Shin Young-Bok during his 20 years and 20 days as a political prisoner on a life tariff under Korea's military dictatorships. The letters range from postcards, to tiny characters squeezed onto his daily ration of two sheets of toilet paper. The writings themselves are not overtly political since all the letters went through censorships Yet he does not hide the harshness of prison life at the rock bottom of society. They provide a window onto his personal suffering during imprisonment a life sentence,... continue
1624.
Saha by Cho Nam-Joo EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
TIME - Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2022 From the international best-selling author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 comes this chilling dystopian fable for fans of Netflix's Squid Game.
1625.
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Tower is a series of interconnected stories set in Beanstalk, a 674-story skyscraper and sovereign nation. Each story deals with how citizens living in the hypermodern high-rise deal with various influences of power in their lives: a group of researchers have to tell their boss that a major powerbroker is a dog, a woman uses the power of the internet to rescue a downed fighter pilot abandoned by the government, and an out-of-towner finds himself in charge of training a gentle elephant to break up protests. Bae explores the forces that shape modern life with wit and a sly wink at the reader.
1626.
Flowers of Mold : Stories by Ha Seong-nan EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Unsettling, haunting short stories in the vein of Yoko Ogawa and Brian Evenson.
1627.
The Best Girls (Disorder Collection) by Min Jin Lee EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Inspired by a true event, this powerful short story from the author of National Book Award finalist Pachinko explores the meaning of patriarchy and the cost of female silence through the eyes of a dutiful young girl. An excellent student from a poor, traditional family in Seoul, the narrator has absorbed the same message her whole life: Only a boy can provide the family with dignity and wealth. Not her. Not her three sisters. Receiving approval only for uncomplaining sacrifice, she has resolved to take on her family’s troubles. She is a good girl. And she knows what good girls must do. The Bes... continue
1629.
1630.
I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying : A Memoir by Youngmi Mayer EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
From standup comedian Youngmi Mayer, an unforgettable memoir written with "raw, enviable freedom that simply floors you," interrogating whiteness, gender, and sexuality in America, navigating a tumultuous childhood in Korea and Saipan, and coming to terms with her parents' shortcomings (Michelle Zauner). "Do you know what happens if you laugh while crying? Hair grows out of your butthole." It was a constant truism Youngmi Mayer's mother would say threateningly after she would make her daughter laugh while crying. Her mother used it to cheer her up in moments when she could tell Youngmi was ove... continue