Books and Boba Folgen

On this episode we discuss our July 2023 book club pick The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke by Tina Makereti. A coming-of-age story of a Maori boy, armed with a British education and eager to see the world, who ventures to London to be a living exhibit for a British artist's exhibition. It's an epic tale written in the style of Victorian fiction, but told from the perspective of an indigenous youth growing up under colonization.*Support the podcast by supporting our new Patreon*Timecodes:01:45 - Book jacket description02:40 - First impressions and David Copperfield vibes06:50 - Hemi's upbringing08:42 - Theme of aligning yourself with white majority for survival and privileges11:00 - Hemi’s adoption into a new Maori tribe11:36 - Empire’s goal of erasing marginalized cultural identities13:28 - Hemi agrees to become a living exhibit16:09 - Being tainted by colonization education17:45 - Hemi's first impression of Victorian England18:50 - Victorian England’s class divisions19:17 - The Angus family21:42 - Hemi’s introduction to other living exhibits22:40 - Representation matters25:10 - Intro to Billy Neptune & Henrietta 27:47 - Hemi's sexuality awakening30:12-31:30 Trigger of SA31:33 - What is savage and what is civilized?32:33 - Women's limited rights in Victorian London35:00 - Hemi’s time as a sailor and camaraderie with non-white crewmen39:25-40:15 Trigger of SA40:20 - Life on the margins outside civilization’s watch43:17- What is home?47:22 - Ending50:57 - Hemi meeting a Black doctor and learning about intersectionality53:08 - Taika Waititi options book for adaptationhttps://variety.com/2020/film/asia/taika-waititi-piki-films-indigenous-film-tv-colonization-1234691066/Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba August 2023 pick is Bitter Medicine by Mia TsaiThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast CollectiveMentioned in this episode:Imagine what our democracy could be in this new hit history podcast from More Equitable Democracy and Larj MediaAmerican Democracy sucks right now! More specifically, the United States' electoral system is outdated and needs reform to better represent its diverse population. George Cheung and Colin Cole from More Equitable Democracy probe what the U.S. can learn from Northern Ireland's adoption of proportional representation to overcome political divisions...

On this episode, we welcome Thien Pham, the author and illustrator of Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam, his graphic memoir recounting his life growing up as a refugee in America, with each chapter centering around a specific food-related memory. Follow Thien on instagram at @thiendog and check out his graphic memoir, Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam, available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!*Support the podcast by supporting our new Patreon*Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba July 2023 pick is The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke by Tina MakeretiMentioned in this episode:Imagine what our democracy could be in this new hit history podcast from More Equitable Democracy and Larj MediaAmerican Democracy sucks right now! More specifically, the United States' electoral system is outdated and needs reform to better represent its diverse population. George Cheung and Colin Cole from More Equitable Democracy probe what the U.S. can learn from Northern Ireland's adoption of proportional representation to overcome political divisions and achieve fairer representation. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!Listen to The Future of our Former Democracy now!

On our mid-month check in for July 2023, we review the latest Asian American book and publishing announcements, while catching up on a pretty terrible few weeks for the Asian American literature community (and the literature industry in general). Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon EastonSuka's Farm written by Ginger Park and Frances Park; illust by Tiffany ChenKai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Diamond written by Suhasini Gupta; illust by Devika OzaKill Her Twice by Stacey LeeUntitled YA novel by Sahar JahaniCincinnati Lee and the Spear of Destiny by Heidi HeiligHana's Hajj written by Zainab Khan; illust by Anait SemirdzhyanYou Are Loved by Sujean RimTiny Wonders and Nightsong by Sally Soweol HanA Place in the World written by Rina Singh; illust by Christopher PoulerInfinite Sky: The Story of Tsien Hsue-Shen, the Scientist Who Took Two Countries into Space by Celeste PewterAnother Word for Neighbor written by Angela Pham Krans; illustrated by Thai PhuongThe Demon's Prince by Remy Lai; illust by Lauren DimayaAdoration by June HurEliza, from Scratch by Sophia LeeThe Clock by Pam FongEmbroidered by Farida ZamanPickling Time by Marzieh Abbas; illust by Darshika VermaNews stories covered on this episode:BTS’s book Beyond the Story becomes instant #1 NYT BestsellerYu & Me Bookstore flooded from fireHarperCollins/Harlequin shuts down Inkyard PressSmithsonian abruptly cancels 2023 Asian American Literature Festival (AALF)AALF co-organizers’ open letter to the Smithsonian*Support the podcast by supporting our new Patreon*Follow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:FacebookTwitterGoodreads GroupThe Books & Boba July 2023 pick is