K-Pop Source — Keeping the K-Pop Forum Spirit Alive

Trying to do well in summer classes and read a bunch of aapi books wbu?

you’ll get through this
just getting ready for finals and summer classes rn

ooohhh what aapi books are you reading?

Oooh what summer classes will you take?

nutrition and college success

NUTRITION

crying

For aapi month rn I saved over 400 books

there’s so many about desis, Indians and Pakistani mostly but also Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, and Nepalese so far I’ve found! I’ve also saved from everywhere else, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, japan, Vietnam, iran, Afghanistan, Thailand, Philippines, Fiji, etc

maybe I’ll finish in 15 years

but there’s also a lot of gay stories there

like being gay and Muslim

being gay and Asian

being gay and desi you might like, actually hang on I’ll find a gay Pakistani one for you

there was one about an ace character too that I don’t remember ethnicity I haven’t read yet but it’s cool!

and It’s so cool the diversity of the stories, all diff genres and people like cmon all the stories we read are mostly by white people and media is mostly white with also black and Hispanic but barely any rep for any Asians minus stereotypes

and seeing some common shared Asian experiences like strict, doctor lawyer, family, nosy aunties, marrying “good” family, etc

Rn I’m reading crazy rich Asians (so good so far and pretty relateable for desis too with shared Asian cultural values, other Asians, Indians and Indonesian and Filipino already made appearances) and American born Chinese (a graphic novel) and checked out count me in which is about racism against an Indian girl and her grandfather

I’ll be back with a gay Pakistani book

Ok I GOTCHU

“Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion” by Bushra Rehman is written by a Pakistani American author who has become renowned both among south Asian literature and overall Asian American literature (for an earlier queer book of poems she wrote) and is about a queer Pakistani American girl who falls in love with another girl and grows up in a tight desi Pakistani American community

ok you know what i might check that book out it sounds really good.
do you have any other pakistani books

Yup, a bunch! But mostly not gay ofc, idr if any other Pakistani books I saved were gay

I’ll be back with some in the next comment

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar is about a Muslim Pakistani American boy trying to fit in Wisconsin prior to 9/11 and experiencing first love (with a girl named mina so maybe Japanese)

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood has one of the main characters being a rebellious Muslim boy who is growing up in Pakistan in the 90s and then moves to America with his family and tries to adjust after fundamentalism in Pakistan.

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir is about two generations: the first is in Pakistan and an arranged marriage couple who then move to America and then about their son and his friend named noor in California and dealing with friendship and family issues.

A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi is about a girl with an absent father spending the summer in Pakistan with grandparents she hadn’t met before and befriending the cook’s daughter there who is trying to help support her family and improve her English to go to school.

Unsettled by Reem Faruqi is about a girl who moves from Pakistan to Georgia and is trying to blend but doesn’t because of her Desi appearance and clothes and accent. Then falls in love with swimming and has sibling rivalry with her star athlete brother who is struggling himself, and the girl tries to find confidence through swimming, courage to stand up to bullies and fight for what she believes in, and find her place.

The Marya Khan series by Saadia Faruqi is about a Pakistani American third grader.

A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan is about a Pakistani American 6th grader and a Jewish American 6th grader taking the Pakistani girl’s mom’s South Asian cooking class.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan is about a Pakistani American Muslim middle school girl who is trying to fit in especially when her korean best friend starts hanging out with the cool kids and tries to change her name to be more “American” and then tries to find her voice and herself among those things and her local mosque being vandalized.

Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim is about three Pakistani American teenage girls (and looks like one of them is gay!) taking a spontaneous trip to New Orleans the summer after their freshman year of college and dealing with cultural and family problems and finding themselves.

oh thank you so much!!
i actually have all my rage by sabaa tahir, i just haven't gotten to it yet. these all sound great and i might read a few of these once i finish the stack of books on my desk lmao

Oh you have it? You’ll prob finish it before me with all the aapi books I saved lol

what books are on your desk to read?

i'm currently reading Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister sine @/cupid suggested it to me and I have Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi, The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda, Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw, and One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

If you read any post your review here!

so far it’s been empty but I’ll prob finish the 3 I have now soon lmao