25 Amazing Books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors You Need to Read

Mental Floss recognizes The Sympathizer as one of 25 notable books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which celebrates the lives and contributions of inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through various mediums. In honor of the holiday, here are 25 books from Asian American and Pacific Islander authors that you should include on your reading list, from prize-winning fiction to graphic novels, essays, and memoirs.

1. THE SYMPATHIZER // VIET THANH NGUYEN

The cover of The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer is Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut novel, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize as well as a place on The New York Times Bestseller list. When Nguyen was 10 years old, he saw the film Apocalypse Now, an American drama about the Vietnam War, and realized that not many stories about the war came from the perspective of the Vietnamese people.

Check out the full list here.

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