Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1246)
1021.
My Year Abroad : A Novel by Chang-rae Lee EN
Country: Asia / 
South Korea
South Korea
Description:
INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER A New York Times Notable Book * Named a Best Book of the Year by Vogue, TIME, and Marie Claire “A manifesto to happiness—the one found when you stop running from who you are.” –New York Times Book Review “An extraordinary book, acrobatic on the level of the sentence, symphonic across its many movements—and this is a book that moves…My Year Abroad is a wild ride—a caper, a romance, a bildungsroman, and something of a satire of how to get filthy rich in rising Asia.” – Vogue From the award-winning author of Native Speaker and On Such a Full Sea, an exuberant, provocat... continue
1022.
Concerning My Daughter by KIM. HYE-JIN EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Prize-winning Korean author Kim Hye-Jin's debut confronts familial love, duty, mortality, and generational schism through the incendiary gaze of a tradition-bound mother faced with her daughter's queer relationship. When a widowed, aging mother allows Green, her thirty-something daughter, to move into her apartment, all she wants for her is a stable and quiet existence like her own. Ideally, a steady income and, most importantly, a good husband with whom to start a family. But when Green turns up with her long-term girlfriend in tow, her mother is enraged and unwilling to welcome their relatio... continue
1023.
Three Generations by Yom Sang-Seop EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
Touted as one of Korea’s most important works of fiction, Three Generations (published in 1931 as a serial in Chosun Ilbo) charts the tensions in the Jo family in 1930s Japanese occupied Seoul. Yom’s keenly observant eye reveals family tensions withprofound insight. Delving deeply into each character’s history and beliefs, he illuminates the diverse pressures and impulses driving each. This Korean classic, often compared to Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Makioka Sisters, reveals the country’s situation under Japanese rule, the traditional Korean familial structure, and the battle between the modern ... continue
1024.
Familiar Things by Sŏg-yŏng Hwang EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
A vibrant and enchanting novel from one of Korea's most celebrated writers. When 14-year-old Bugeye and his mother arrive at Flower Island -- a vast landfill site on the outskirts of Seoul -- they soon become part of the eclectic community of impoverished outsiders who make their living weeding recyclables from the rubbish. Then, one night, Bugeye notices mysterious lights dancing around the landfill ... Could it be the island's ancient spirits? Is his luck about to change? Familiar Thingsdepicts a society on the edge of dizzying economic and social change. It is a haunting reminder to us all ... continue
1025.
Walking Practice : A Novel by Dolki Min EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
"The mere act of walking on the Earth is a challenge for our most unusual protagonist -- a shapeshifting, gender-bending alien. After crashing their spacecraft in the middle of nowhere, they find themself stranded on an unfamiliar planet, where gravity is a disabling force. They'll need to practice walking in the Earth's atmosphere to survive. And what better way to practice than hunt delicious humans? They chooses their prey, shifts their gender, appearance, and conduct based on the prey's sexual preference, only to attack at the pivotal moment of their encounter. They has found ways to adapt... continue
1027.
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
A dark, funny, deliciously different literary thriller about a jaded hitman, set in the criminal underworld of Seoul 'Kill Bill meets Murakami' D. B. John, author of Star of the North'A work of literary genius' Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of Home'I loved it!' M. W. Craven, author of The Puppet Show'You'll be laughing out loud every five minutes' You-jeong Jeong, author of The Good Son'A mash-up of Tarantino and Camus set in contemporary Seoul' Louisa Luna, author of Two Girls Down'An incredible cast of characters' Le monde'Smart but lightning fast' Brian Evenson, author of... continue
1028.
1029.
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-Mo EN
Country: Asia / South Korea
South Korea
Description:
The kinetic story of a sixty-five-year-old female assassin who faces an unexpected threat in the twilight of her career--this is an international bestseller and the English language debut from an award-winning South Korean author At sixty-five, Hornclaw is beginning to slow down. She lives modestly in a small apartment, with only her aging dog, a rescue named Deadweight, to keep her company. There are expectations for people her age--that she'll retire and live out the rest of her days quietly. But Hornclaw is not like other people. She is an assassin. Double-crossers, corporate enemies, cheat... continue
