Inspiration: Asian

Reading books about other places, cultures, and experiences is a great way to expand your horizons, even when you're stuck at home. For this prompt, we're looking at books about by Asian authors and about the cultures, people, and immigrants of Asian countries.

I went looking for an official list of countries in Asia, and my world view has been expanded to understand Russia and most of the Middle East are included in Asia. I don't know what I thought they were ...

Here are a few I've read:

• Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
• City of Thieves by David Benioff 
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
• The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang
• A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (what I'm reading right now)
• The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Songs of Willow Frost and many others by Jamie Ford
• The Joy Luck Club (and other novels) by Amy Tan
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (I'll be honest - I didn't finish it)
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
• Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson (graphic novel)
• My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame (graphic novel)
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (and other novels) by Lisa See
• The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (nonfiction)
• The Star Maker by Laurence Yep
• A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson (and the scandal later!)
• The Wise Fool by Shahrukh Husain & Micha Archer

A few authors and books I haven't read but would recommend anyway:

• Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan
• Nicola Yoon (YA)
• Mindy Kaling (nonfiction)
• Gene Luen Yang (graphic novels)
• Arcady's Goal by Eugene Yelchin

And a list of lists:

• 5 Korean novels you should read now on Vanity Fair
• 10 award-winning books by Asian authors you should read on Culture Trip
• 10 best Asian novels of all time on The Telegraph
• 10 Japanese books you need to read on Culture Trip
• 12 Asian writers who should be taught in every high school on Mic
• Fiction set in Asia (that teens might enjoy) by the Seattle Public Library

My list seems heavy on Japan and China, with some India. Can you help diversify the list with some additional recommendations?

Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

While watching The Magnificent Seven at the local cinema, a young woman is struck by an idea. Nayeli and three friends set off on a quest (like all epic stories) to America to find seven men to return to their village and begin life there anew.

It's a fun, entertaining "road story" as the group encounters big cities, bus travel, new experiences, love and lust, illegal border crossing, American tourists, and much more.

While written in 2009, the story has some very timely elements. The Mexicans in the book have many, many opinions about migration from the south (and control of their southern border) along with simultaneous, opposing opinions about migration to the north and control of the northern border.

I'd highly recommend listening to this one: The book is an interesting blend of English and Mexican-Spanish - some translated, some left to inference - which made it a fantastic audiobook full of language and nuance and local flavor.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

When immigrants traveled to the new world, they brought with them the foods, traditions, and beliefs of their homelands. Unfortunately, America as a land is not kind to gods and goddesses.

In this sweeping saga, a newly released felon gets hired to act as driver and bodyguard for a mysterious older businessman. Things are odd from the start, and pretty quickly Shadow discovers that gods live among us - but many are worn down at the heels by a lack of belief and waning worship.

It's basically a roadtrip book, although there are periods of inaction, along with side trips into another realm. Shadow's a guy with a heart of gold and a huge capacity to believe the unlikely.

The more old-world gods and goddess stories you know, the more this book will entertain. That said, Gaiman connects legends of Egypt, Romania, Norse, Native American and more - you'll inevitably want to step away to look up a new character's backstory.

I love everything Gaiman produces, and this is no exception. Exceptionally good!

Emma's Poem by Linda Glaser

Meant for older kids, this poetry picture book tells about Emma Lazarus, the woman who wrote Lady Liberty's famous call to "give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

I found the book fascinating, and Kristine said the prose gave her goosebumps. I didn't realize that the Statue of Liberty was never intended as the symbol of immigration that we see it today - it was Emma Lazarus' poem that did that. Her poem was written in response to a call for help fundraising for the immense pedestal needed for the statue (a friendship gift from France). Emma imagined and wrote about what the large lady might have been thinking ... and as a result changed our perspective on this icon.

This is the kind of book kids writing reports on American history love. It's simply and colorfully illustrated by Linda Glaser, and it gives a great amount of information in a fun, dynamic manner.

Under the mesquite

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

McCall's first book is a novel in verse.  It's always kind of fun to see an author who manages to tell a complex story within the confines of poetry. 
Lupita is a high school student with aspirations toward drama and performing.  She's the oldest of eight children in a family that now lives in Texas, but once lived just south of the border.  The family travels freely and frequently back to visit relatives, until Mami gets cancer.  Lupita shows a level of strength that few teenagers in America find themselves needing.