I said I wasn’t going to sign up for any more challenges — clearly I am a lying liar who lies, because here we are. (What a way to start the lunar new year!) Though in my defense, I was already planning to read lots of Asian authors this year, so really I’m just adding the step of collecting the list here.
This reading challenge is co-hosted by Vicky Who Reads, CW @ The Quiet Pond, Lily @ Sprinkles of Dreams, and Shealea @ Shut Up Shealea; you should absolutely check them all out because they’re amazing bloggers and amazing people! There’s even a YARC Twitter and corresponding hashtag.
Anyone who knows me at all will know that I’m a chronic overachiever, so we’re all in and aiming for the Bengali tiger (51+ books by the end of the year)! But as to how many I’ll actually manage, we’ll have to wait and see 😅
Current Progress: 58/51 books
Current Badge: Bengali tiger (51+ books read)
Completed August 10, 2019
You can click on the titles below to see each book’s Goodreads page, or the rating to see my review (may be blog post or Goodreads only).
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January
✔ Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ City of Ash and Red by Hye-Young Pyun [ARC] | 🔥 1/2
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February
✔ Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ American Panda by Gloria Chao | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Small Town Hearts by Lillie Vale [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
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March
✔ Descendant of the Crane by Joan He [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
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April
✔ Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ The Bride Test by Helen Hoang [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
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May
Titles marked with an * were also read for Asian Lit Bingo.
✔ Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim [ARC]* | 
1/2
✔ Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen [ARC]* | 1/2
✔ Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao* | 1/2
✔ Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee* |
✔ Not Your Villain by C.B. Lee |
✔ American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang* |
✔ Jade City by Fonda Lee* |
✔ The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan* |
✔ It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura* |
✔ The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen* | 1/2
✔ The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob* |
✔ Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok* | 1/2
✔ The Sky At Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi* |
✔ Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali* |
✔ The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo* | 1/2
✔ Where the Past Begins by Amy Tan* |
✔ Exit West by Mohsin Hamid* | 1/2
✔ Deadline by Stacey Ahn |
✔ Down and Across by Arvin Ahmadi* | 1/2
✔ The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly* |
✔ Reflection by Elizabeth Lim* |
✔ Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton |
✔ A Hero Born by Jin Yong [ARC; translated]* |
✔ Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert* |
✔ The Leavers by Lisa Ko* | 1/2
✔ Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look |
✔ The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani* | 1/2
✔ The Astrologer’s Daughter by Rebecca Lim |
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June
[REREAD: Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2 ]
✔ Eclipse the Skies by Maura Milan | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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July
✔ Mooncakes by Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Stargazing by Jen Wang [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ Jade War by Fonda Lee [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han | 🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki & Rosemary Valero-O’Connell | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
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August
✔ The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan | 🔥🔥🔥
✔ Love, Pride, Virtue, and Fate by Bharat Krishnan | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
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September
✔ Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food & Love ed. by Elsie Chapman | 🔥🔥🔥🔥
✔ This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki | 🔥🔥🔥
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October
✔ The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ Wicked Fox by Kat Cho | 🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ A Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang [ARC] | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
✔ The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang | 🔥🔥🔥🔥 1/2
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November
✔ Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix by Julie C. Dao | 🔥🔥🔥
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December
– none 😕
If you’ve recently read any especially good books by Asian authors, whether backlist or new releases, I’m always open to recommendations ! And for those of you also participating in YARC 2019, I’d love to know what level you’re aiming for and how you’re doing so far!
Nine Tale Vixen 
I’m also doing this challenge. I am also aiming for the Philippines Tarsier badge. Best of luck to you! 🙂
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thank you! good luck to you too 💖
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The Bengali Tiger? Talk about an Overachiever 😅😅😅 but seriously,I am rooting for you! I’ll be trying to get the Giant Panda badge 🐼
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thank you, and good luck to you too! 🍀
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All the best! I’m not participating this year because of school and well, let’s be honest if I started I’d want to achieve the Bengali Tiger Badge as well.
You’ve made good progress and hope you are able to read 51 books by Asian Authors this year.
Btw, have you read Crazy Rich Asians? If not, I’ve heard it’s amazing! I just started listening to its audiobook.
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thanks Jayati! I actually have read CRA (finished the trilogy a few weeks after the movie came out) and it was indeed really good 💖
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Oh nice. I’m glad you liked it, and have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns?
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I haven’t yet, though I read The Kite Runner in high school! it’s definitely on my list 😊
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I want to….but…do I do it? I mean in general I’m trying to diversify my reading list, but, like, will I be able to do it or get sidetracked lol
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Also… GOOD LUCK
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thank you! 💖
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I mean … my general outlook for YARC is “no matter what, at least I can claim some of those adorable animal badges” 😜 and for challenges in general, I like being able to switch my focus throughout the year so that I don’t feel confined by a single reading list!
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<< >> temptation is strong, lol and I really do want to broaden my reading…<< >>
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whispers do it do it do it—
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….doing it
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join the dark side we have cookies — I mean yay, you definitely won’t regret it! 😜
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I suppose you can’t rest anything that involves coookies
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Yay! I’m glad you officially joined this challenge. Good luck on reading 51 books by Asian authors.
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thank you! 💕
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Im unofficially participating as I’m to thinly spread atm to officially take part, BUT I AM HERE FOR THIS AND WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL DIGITAL CHEERLEADER! GO IZZY GO!!!!
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awww thanks Sam!! 💖
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Yay, more people are participating! I can’t wait to hear what you think about Little Fires Everywhere~
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Oh you should remind me to check my read books later because I’m sure I’ve read some good books by Asian authors!
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ooooh yes I’ll come bug you about it later!
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Good luck on your challenge! Little Fire Everywhere is still on my shelf to read. Hope you are enjoying it.
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thanks! and I actually just finished Little Fires Everywhere — it was pretty good, much better than her debut!
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I have been seeing so many fellow bloggers doing this challenge and I hope it goes well for you all x I really loved Little Fires Everywhere and read your review on Goodreads. I am glad you were enjoy it too x
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thanks Olivia! 💖
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What a cool challenge! I’m not participating, but I am looking forward to seeing how you do! I hope it goes well for you!! 😀
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thank you! 💕
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Yay! Glad you joined! I’m also at two books at the moment but I’m only aiming for the Indian Cobra.. 🙈 Good luck!
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good luck to you too! 🍀
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Oooooo go Izzy! Read all the books and get all the badges! To be fair, the badges look really cool and I like making lists…and keeping track of things. But wow…I’m still of my reading game atm >.> So I may join in later on in the year, until then I’m going to cheer you and everyone else on from the sidelines!
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awww thanks Clo 💖 if you get back into a reading flow and feel like taking it on, tracking and making lists is definitely something you’re good at – but no pressure 😉
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You’re knocking multiple books out with one stone – MIGHT AS WELL.
Although that’s partially my logic in deciding whether or not I should join YARC because I PLAN on reading lots of Asian authors??? Anyways, good luck! 51 books is a lot, but you can do ittttt.
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yup exactly! thanks Soph 💕 (and you should do it too … join ussssss)
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“I said I wasn’t going to sign up for any more challenges — clearly I am a lying liar who lies, because here we are.”
This is a big freaking mood. I am so glad that you decided to be a lying liar and sign up for YARC though, and happy reading – you’re off to a great start!
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thanks Kal! 💖 here’s hoping I don’t end up signing up for too many more challenges as the year goes on, because I’ve been known to do that too … 😅
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SAME HERE looks forlornly at Beat the Backlist and Reading Around the World I joined both and then abandoned both. Oops
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