A collection of seven diverse book covers by Asian authors, arranged on an orange textured background, each with distinct titles, colors, and designs representing different genres.

Cozy up with these Asian diasporic authors this fall

From literary fiction and romance, to horror and YA, here are stories to check out as the weather cools

You don't wanna miss out adding these seven books to your reading list!

Collage by Ryan Quan

Words by Vandana Pawa

Beach reads have had their moment, but as cozier days appear on the horizon, we’re ready to bring our books from sand to sofa. We’ve curated a selection of novels across the spectrum of literary fiction, romance, horror, and YA to prepare you for the bookish season to come. Whether you’re already a certified bookworm or you’re looking to get back into reading this year, these fall releases from Asian diasporic authors are something to look forward to as the weather changes.

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai

Release Date: Tuesday

This is the first book in nearly two decades from award-winning author Kiran Desai, and it’s highly anticipated this fall, already longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize. Two writers in New York City, previously strangers but brought together by their families living in India, navigate relationships, love, and country over the course of many years in this ambitious and sweeping saga.

Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa

Book cover featuring the title Pick a Color in bold black letters, with twelve colorful painted fingernails at the center. Showcasing asian authors, Souvankham Thammavongsa’s name appears vertically on the left side.

Release Date: Sept. 30

Poet and short story writer Souvankham Thammavongsa’s debut novel tells an intimately human story of labor and class in the life of an immigrant. The book follows retired boxer-turned-nail-salon-owner Ning, and takes place over the course of one single day as she reckons with the friction between her two internal identities.

The Hunger We Pass Down by Jen Sookfong Lee

Book cover for The Hunger We Pass Down by Jen Sookfong Lee, a standout among asian authors, featuring neon green text over a photograph of a woman with long hair, her face partially shadowed and tinted in green and pink hues.

Release Date: Sept. 30

Described as a cross between Jordan Peele’s Us and Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers, this novel is an intergenerational story that tracks the passage of trauma from mother to daughter, and the legacy of violence it leaves behind. Jen Sookfong Lee tells a haunting story about a family’s history, laced with horror themes that will stay with you long after putting the book down.

All the Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian

A book cover featuring a young woman with short dark hair, wearing a yellow top and teal skirt, standing in a sunlit street. The title All the Way Around the Sun by Xixi Tian, one of today’s standout Asian authors, is boldly displayed.

Release Date: Sept 30

Xixi Tian’s sophomore release follows protagonist Stella, whose life has been upended by the tragic death of her brother. As she works to process this loss and the lack of communication within her family, she also relies on an old friend to juggle the stressors of being a young adult on the cusp of high school and college. While this YA novel may seem like a simple tale of two friends, it transforms deeper into a character-driven story that explores themes of grief, diaspora, family, and belonging.

A Guardian and A Thief by Megha Majumdar

Book cover of A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar, one of today’s celebrated Asian authors, featuring a branch with green leaves and white flowers, an orange fruit, bold black text on pale yellow, and a Large Print sticker.

Release Date: Oct. 14

After Megha Majumdar’s first novel A Burning received critical acclaim, the author’s next work has been eagerly awaited. This fall, Majumdar takes readers into the near future in an India devastated by the effects of climate change and poverty. The story takes place over one week and follows two families—one racing to emigrate in search of better circumstances, and another committing a series of desperate crimes—both seeking to protect their children’s lives and futures.

Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen

Book cover for Bad Bad Bad Girl by acclaimed Asian author Gish Jen, featuring large red text and two illustrated geese against an orange background. The author is noted as the writer of The Resisters.

Release Date: Oct. 21

Celebrated author Gish Jen’s latest book comes in the form of an autobiographical, memoir-like novel, chronicling her mother’s life since birth, then her own, while exploring their tumultuous relationship. The lives of two outspoken women unfold before the reader, resulting in a deeply vulnerable, poignant, and extraordinary life story.

Lucky Seed by Justinian Huang

Illustration of seven diverse people, including asian authors, sitting around a red dinner table with wine glasses and plates. A small white dog sits on one guest’s lap. The book title Lucky Seed and author Justinian Huang are displayed.

Release Date: Nov. 11

For fans of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians, Justinian Huang’s latest novel offers up a steamy family drama following the antics of a billionaire family in Los Angeles in the race to produce a male heir. A chaotic cast of characters allow for hilarity and frivolity to ensue as family dynamics unravel, with sex, love, and money at the center of it all.

Published on September 23, 2025