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Books and Boba

Potluck Podcast Collective

Books & Boba is a book club dedicated to books written by Asian and Asian American authors. We cover a wide range of genres including contemporary, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, YA, nonfiction, thrillers, graphic novels, and memoirs.

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23 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 2 min
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#368
Tuesday · 1 hr 28 min
#368 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
On this episode,we discuss our August 2026 book club pick, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, following Klara, an android "artificial friend," and her quest to bring happiness to her teen Josie as she grows up in a dystopic future. Join us as we dive into another masterful Ishiguro tale about the fleeting innocence of children, having conviction in the face of despair, and the complex responsibilities of parenthood (and more specifically, how far should someone go to give their children a better life). Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba September 2026 pick is Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#367
August 24 · 1 hr
#367 - Author Chat w/ Momo Yamaguchi
On this episode, we chat with author Momo Yamaguchi about her debut novel, Hello, Limerence, an ode to bad decisions made in our mid-twenties following a young Japanese woman, dealing with a soul-sucking corporate job and a stagnant love-life, who lets a growing crush on a Japanese American man become an obsession that throws her life into chaos. Follow Momo on Instagram at @momoyamagucci and check out her debut novel Hello, Limerence is available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba August 2026 pick is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#366
August 17 · 1 hr 1 min
#366 - Author Chat w/ Susan Lee
On this episode, we're excited to welcome author Susan Lee back to the podcast to catch up on BTS news as well as chat about her latest novel, See You at the Sunset, an adult romantic comedy about a young woman, who is staying with her grandmother in a Palm Springs senior living community after losing her job at a law firm in NYC, as she strikes up a relationship with her grandma's new neighbor's grandson, who also happens to be the man who signed her termination papers (as well as her one night stand)! Follow Susan on Instagram at @susanleewrites and check out her latest novel See You at the Sunset is available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba August 2026 pick is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#365
August 11 · 1 hr 8 min
#365 - Author Chat w/ Erin Baldwin
On this episode, we chat with author Erin Baldwin about her latest novel Good Luck, Babe! A sapphic YA coming of age romantic comedy about two former best friends who reluctantly agree to work together to pursue their dream of competing on an Amazing-race style reality TV competition, the catch is they also have to pretend to date because their season is for couples-only! Erin shares with us her journey as an author, her inspirations for the novel, as well as her own personal reality TV competition aspirations. Follow Erin on Instagram at @erinbaldwin.books and check out her newest novel Good Luck, Babe! available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba August 2026 pick is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#364
August 3 · 1 hr 8 min
#364 - Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
On this episode, we discuss our July 2026 Patron's Choice Book Club pick, Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen, A family comedy about the Trans of Toronto Canada, a messy but close-knit family who come together to try and save their family's nail salon when gentrification comes into their neighborhood in the form of a high-tech all-inclusive rival nail salon, by any means necessary. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba August 2026 pick is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#363
July 27 · 1 hr 2 min
#363 - Author Chat w/ Tania Tay (aka Lily Chen)
On this episode, we sit down with author Tania Tay to discuss her new cafe cozy romance novel The Matcha Maker Café (which she wrote under the pen name Lily Chen). We chat with Tania about her journey to becoming a novelist, her experience writing about the British East Asian experience for IP projects, as well as the rise (and decline) of cafe culture. Learn more about Tania at taniatay.com and check out her novel The Matcha Maker Café available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba July 2026 pick is Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#362
July 20 · 46 min
#362 - July 2026 Book News
On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and publishing announcements for our July 2026 mid-month check-is Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Swaplife by Abdi Nazemian and Pedro Rhuas My Heart or Yours by K. Sugimoto Destined or Damned by Sara Jafari Chicken's Noodle Soup by Naaz H. Khan; illust. by Valentina Tu Novae by Jennifer Xu and Kate Rhodes Book news mentioned on this episode: Vincent Yu wins the 2026 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize Trailer for Director Taika Waititi’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Klara and the Sun released Hachette Book Group Employees Win Union Election Publishers, Authors File Class Action Lawsuit Against Google Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba July 2026 pick is Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#361
July 13 · 50 min
#361 - Author Chat w/ Yejin Suh
On this episode, we chat with author Yejin Suh to talk about her debut novel The Last Soldier of Nava, a Korean-inspired fantasy novel following a girl named Shadow, a former peerless soldier who awakens after a thousand years of slumber, who struggles to retain her freedom under a new identity, even as she is dragged back to her immortal father's court by his new protege (whom she also feels an attraction to). Follow Yejin on Instagram at @yejinsuhh and check out her debut novel The Last Soldier of Nava available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba July 2026 pick is Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#360
July 6 · 1 hr 5 min
#360 - The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Join us as we discuss our June 2026 pick, The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo. A queer retelling of the classic American novel The Great Gatsby. Set in a magical alternate Jazz Age New York, this version is told through the perspective of Jordan Baker, a side character in the original text, re-imagined as a Vietnamese American adoptee who does her best to survive in a high society as an outsider while trying to stay afloat amongst the tempest that is Jay Gatsby's obsessive quest to acquire the love of her best friend Daisy. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba July 2026 pick is Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#359
June 29 · 59 min
#359 - Author Chat w/ Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
On this episode, we sit down with author Yu-Mei Balasingamchow to talk about her debut novel Names Have Been Changed, a modern epistolary novel told in the style of tell-all podcast hosted by a Singaporean woman who has been on the run across the world for a decade. We're excited to chat with Yu-Mei about her debut that's part globetrotting adventure and part love letter to diaspora communities and the hidden sides of Singaporean culture. Follow Yu_Mei on Instagram at @yumei.balasingamchow and check out her debut novel Names Have Been Changed available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba June 2026 pick is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#358
June 23 · 54 min
#358 - June 2026 Book News
On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and publishing announcements for our June 2026 mid-month check-is Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Life Is a K Drama by Sherri Shepherd & Jayci Lee Ophelia No. 23 by Saou Ichikawa A Girl’s Spine by Saou Ichikawa Birchwood Prep #1: Lina’s Secret by Mae Raespicio Kapa Kuiki: My Hawaiian Quilt by Ilima Kahokuhealani Todd; illus. by Mae Waite All the Gardeners by Varsha Bajaj; illust. by Grace Easton Shifu Mama by Roger Lam; illust. by Alina Chau Bamboo Magic by Teresa Robeson; illust. by Wazza Pink Kung Fu Crane Girl by Mia Wenjen; ilust. by debut artist Yujie Huang Boss Games by Kelly Yang Eight Little Hands by Hanh Bui; illust. By Kerisa Greene Flickers of Hope by Hanh Bui; illust. By Kerisa Greene Book news mentioned on this episode: Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, dies at 56 Taiwan Travelogue wins the 2026 International Booker Prize Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba June 2026 pick is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#357
June 8 · 1 hr 1 min
#357 - Author Chat w/ Cindy Pham
On this episode, we're very excited to welcome booktuber, and now published author, Cindy Pham to chat about her debut novel, The Secret World of Briar Rose, a sapphic dark retelling of the legend of sleeping beauty, following a jaded thief who, while searching for her missing sister, finds herself transported into the dream world of her fallen kingdom's slumbering princess. We chat with Cindy about the inspirations behind her debut, as well as how her experience reviewing books have prepared her to be on the other side as a published author. Follow Cindy on Instagram at @readwithcindy and check out her debut novel The Secret World of Briar Rose available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba June 2026 pick is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#356
June 1 · 1 hr 25 min
#356 - No No Boy by John Okada
On this episode we discuss our May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada, one of the earliest in the Asian American canon following the story of Ichiro Yamada who returns home to Seattle after serving 2 years in prison for refusing to serve in the military during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War 2. We're excited to dive into this Asian American classic from 1957, who's publication journey is just as interesting as the story itself. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba June 2026 pick is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#355
May 26 · 1 hr 2 min
#355 - Author Chat w/ Vincent Yu
On this episode, we welcome author Vincent Yu to chat about his debut novel, Seek Immediate Shelter, which follows the stories of several members of a small town community in Massachusetts, who have to deal with the consequences of their impulsive actions when a faulty mass alert is sent our warning them of an imminent missile strike. Follow Vincent on Instagram at @vinyu12 and check out his debut novel Seek Immediate Shelter available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#354
May 18 · 46 min
#354 - May 2026 Book News
For our mid-month book news check in for May 2026, we catch up on the latest Asian American publishing announcements as well as check in on some of the latest news and tea from the greater book industry. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: The First White Hair by Yasmin Zaher The Dragon Thief by Ellen Oh It Begins with the End by Samira Ahmed Summers in Syria by Shifa Saltagi Safadi; illust. by Hatem Aly Our Built World: An Architectural Journey Along the Silk Road by Fiyel Levent; illust. by Daby Zainab Faidhi Sheen by Cindy Pon Our Chinatown Market by Jasmine Fang; illust. by Thai My Phuong Book news mentioned on this episode: TokyoPop launches Children’s imprint Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#353
May 11 · 54 min
#353 - Author Chat w/ Canwen Xu
On this episode, we chat with Canwen Xu about her debut novel, Boring Asian Female, a thriller about a Chinese American college student who, in the midst of spiraling from having failed her life's dream of being accepted into Harvard Law School, decides to stalk a fellow Asian classmate who did make it in to see what makes her so special! Follow Canwen on Instagram at @Canwen.Xu and check out her new novel Boring Asian Female available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#352
May 5 · 1 hr 41 min
#352 - The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao
On this episode, we discuss our April 2026 book club pick, The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, chosen for us by our patrons (you can help us pick our next patron's choice in July by joining our patreon). Pitched a a Ghibli-style cozy fantasy (but we found it to be a little more than it seems), The Elsewhere Express is a ethereal train that appears to pick up passengers who have lost their purpose in life. This night, it picks up 2 wayward souls, and offers then a chance to find a new purpose on board it's dreamlike cars, but is there a catch? Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba May 2026 pick is No-No Boy by John Okada This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#351
April 27 · 48 min
#351 - Author Chat w/ Kelly Yang
On this episode, we welcome Kelly Yang to the podcast to chat about her adult novel debut, The Take, a story about a young Chinese American woman who aspires to become a novelist, and a veteran Hollywood producer who offers to help her break into the industry... in return for a bit of her youth. We're so excited to finally have the chance to chat with Kelly about her adult debut after a prolific career writing books for middle grade and young adult readers, including past Books & Boba book club pick Front Desk! Follow Lisa on Instagram at @kellyyanghk and check out her new novel The Take available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba April 2026 pick is The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#350
April 20 · 45 min
#350 - April 2026 Book News
For our mid-month book news check in for April 2026, we catch up on the latest Asian American publishing announcements as well as check in on some distressing news for our legacy Kindles. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: The Library of Lost Time by Vaishnavi Patel BoxBoxBoxBox by Wan Sakamoto Mama's Magical Hands by Yu An Xie The Kids Came Back Wrong edited by Wen-yi Lee Crush by Souvankham Thammavongsa It Was an Ordinary Name by Souvankham Thammavongsa The Golden Shoes by Jocelyn Cho The Summer I Turned Pretty Graphic Novel by Cynthia Yuan Cheng and Arielle Jovellanos; illust by Sara Faber Before & Now by Balsam El-bayya Goat for Dinner by Tao Nyeu Curiosities by Robert Kondo and Megan Bartel Sarah in Charge by Ellen Oh This Is Our Diwali by Jyoti Rajan Gopal; illust by Michelle Pereira The Book Witch by Nora Elghazzawi Magic Shoyu Shop by Debbi Michiko Florence; illust. by Minako Tomigahara Book news mentioned on this episode: Amazon pulls support from Kindles pre-2013 Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba April 2026 pick is The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective
#349
April 13 · 58 min
#349 - Author Chat w/ Rachel Khong
On this episode, we're very excited to bring you an author chat with Rachel Khong, author of our September 2017 book club pick Goodbye Vitamin (episode 28), to talk about her latest book, My Dear You, a short story collection featuring a genre-spanning stories exploring themes of identity, relationships, and time. From a story about missed connections and a cat that conjures the ghosts of ex-boyfriends, to contemplation of the afterlife both literal and figurative. Follow Lisa at thedreamside.com and check out her new book My Dear You available now on the Books & Boba bookshop! Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authors Support the Books & Boba Podcast by: Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perks Purchasing books at our bookshop Rocking our Books & Boba merch Follow our hosts: Reera Yoo (@reeraboo) Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh) Follow us: Instagram Twitter Goodreads Facebook The Books & Boba April 2026 pick is The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

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