#305 - The Verifiers by Jane Pek

On this episode, we're excited to welcome Carolyn Huynh, the author of Books & Boba pick The Fortunes of Jaded Women, to discuss her sophomore novel, The Family Recipe, another dramedy about a messy Vietnamese American family, this time following the estranged scions of a banh mi empire who are thrown into competition with each other for their inheritance by their eccentric father. Follow Carolyn on Instagram at @carolynkhuynh and check out her latest novel The Family Recipe available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba May 2025 pick is Blob by Maggie SuThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode we discuss our Books & Boba April 2025 pick is The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd, a mystery thriller with magical realism elements about a woman investigating the death of her father who had exiled her from the field of cartography years ago, and uncovering old family secrets through the discovery of the old highway map that had caused their estrangement, which turned out to be the last map of its kind, and also kinda magical.Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba May 2025 pick is Blob by Maggie SuThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

It's a Marvin solo episode for our mid-month check in for April 2025. Listen in as he highlights some of the latest publishing announcements for novels written by Asian American authors!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:THE MIDNIGHT TAXI By Yosha GunasekeraA TEASPOON OF MAGIC By Jackie LauMIGRATORY CREATURES By Jennifer YehENVOY By Yume KitaseiDRAGONFLY By Catherine ChoTASTES LIKE SEEING GOD By Nina Michiko TamSPACE BAR By Eugene LimFOLLOWERS By Audrey Cleo YapBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba April 2025 pick is The Cartographers by Peng ShepardThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we discuss our March 2025 book club pick The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamal, a sweeping historical & contemporary novel about a woman who meets her first love again 60 years ago after he stood her up on the day of their marriage in the midst of political upheaval in 1953 Tehran. Join us as we dive into this not-quite second chance romance as we discuss our own thoughts on the existence of destiny and true loves.Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba April 2025 pick is The Cartographers by Peng ShepardThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On this episode, we chat with author Jane Pek, author of our February 2025 book club pick The Verifiers, and most recently its sequel The Rivals. Jane shares with us her journey into becoming an author as well as the inspirations behind writing a murder mystery series surrounding an online dating detective agency, with the bearing heart of an Asian American family drama.Follow Jane on Instagram at @janepekwrites and check out her novels The Verifiers and The Rivals available now on the Books & Boba bookshop!Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba March 2025 pick is The Stationery Shop by Marjan KamaliThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

On our mid-month check in for March 2025, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, discuss the latest book to TV adaptation news, check in as the first book ban case hits the Supreme Court, and share some exciting news for the podcast!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:BLACKPINK: A Little Golden Book Biography by Jessica YoonThe Swan's Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story by Roshani ChokshiHoneytrap by Kiana Krystle I Dance by Diana Rañola; illust. by Christine Almeda The Summoning of Tess Pham by Trang Thanh TranThe Poet Empress by Shen TaoThe Vale by Abigail Hing Wen; Illust. by Yuna CheongEvery Day I Read by Hwang Bo-reum; Translated by Shanna TanThe Chinese Lady by Bo WangI Got You, Allen Liu by Derrick Chow Habbi's Treasures by Yoojin Grace Wuertz; illust. by Dung HoThe Take by Kelly Yang G Is for Gratitude, by Rina Horiuchi & Risa Horiuchi Don't Feed the Hungry Ghosts by Connie Chang & J.M. BlakemoreBad Dog, Benny by Maggie P. Chang Where There's Room for Us by Hayley KiyokoStrong as a Lion by Karla Sy; illust. by FelishiaHenditirtoThe Riceball Fairy by Michelle Lin; illust. by Alyssa HutchingsThe Late Bird by Sha'an d'Anthes Where Does Dinosaur Go? by Songju Ma Daemicke; illust. by Sian JamesThe Dinosaur and the Bird: A Tale of PrehistoricFriendship by Richard Ho; illust. by Jamie GreenFatal Glitch by Erin Entrada Kelly & Eliot SchreferA Party for Bear by Alice WangStone Lion by Debbie FongWake Up, Poppyville! by Vikki Chu Flowers of the Season by Mishy Wang; illust. by Bianca AustriaBook news mentioned on this episode:‘Crazy Rich Asians’ TV Series adaptation for MaxJulie C Dao's ‘Rise of the Empress’ Fantasy Series a Go at AmazonMahmoud v. Taylor Supreme Court CaseBooks & Boba is nominated for an AmbieBooks & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our...

On this episode, we discuss our February 2025 pick, The Verifiers by Jane Pek, following Claudia Lin, an underachieving Asian American woman with a complicated and somewhat dysfunctional family situation, who is recruited to become an investigator for an online dating detective agency and gets drawn into a vast conspiracy involving big tech and data when one of her clients ends up dead under mysterious circumstances. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books & Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books & Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books & Boba March 2025 pick is The Stationery Shop by Marjan KamaliThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

Welcome to our first book news check-in for the new year (both new years)! As always, join us as we highlight some of the latest publishing announcements of books by Asian authors, as well as go over some recent awards and industry news!Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:But I Won’t Miss Me by Tiffany TsaoThe Magnificent Banyan Tree and the Green Tong Lau by Stephanie Ellen Sy; illust by Ishita JainGo Tuk Tuk Go! by Varsha Bajaj; illust by Bao LuuAmi Moon and the Galactic Peacekeepers by Frances LeeThe Fear Factory by Moniza HossainSweet Heat by Trinity Nguyen&nbsp;Bad Idea, Right? by Trinity NguyenA Boy Called Hero by Marie Miranda CruzAfternoons with Ammama by Meghana NarayanRobot See, Robot Do by Vikram MadanDuck-A-Muck by Vikram MadanExtraordinary Eliana and the Magnificent Hmong New Year by V.T. Bidania; illust by Suji ParkTwo Little Hot Dogs by Camey YehSisters Alone by Shifa Saltagi SafadiRobot Ramen Cafe by Deandra "Nika" TanAll That Chandni Knows by Khushboo PatelRaja's Journey by Varsha Bajaj; illust by Chaaya Prabhat.The Last Giant by Jade ZhangBook news mentioned on this episode:APALA Awards for Youth LiteratureBookshop.org now offers ebooksBooks &amp; Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books &amp; Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books &amp; Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books &amp; Boba February 2025 pick is&nbsp;The Verifiers&nbsp;by Jane PekThis podcast is part of <a...

On this episode, we discuss our&nbsp;first book club pick of 2025, Sister Snake&nbsp;by Amanda Lee Koe, a modern re-imagining of the classic Chinese folktale The Legend of the White Snake, starring two immortal sisters who used to be best snake friends living along West Lake in Tang Dynasty China. When free-spirited Emerald is involved in an altercation with some cops in Central Park, conservative and pragmatic Su flies to NYC to whisk her sister away to her bastion of safety in Singapore, putting their co-dependent and often toxic centuries old relationship to the test once again.Books &amp; Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books &amp; Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books &amp; Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books &amp; Boba February 2025 pick is The Verifiers by Jane PekThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

We're back! After an unintended extended hiatus dealing with the double whammy of early parenthood and uncontrollable wildfires, Books &amp; Boba is back with our belated discussion of our December 2024 book club pick &nbsp;Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982&nbsp;by Cho Nam-Joo and translated by Jamie Chang, a seminal modern text about what it's like to be a woman in modern Korea. Helping us discuss this short but dense novel is our special guest Virginia Duan, writer and entertainment editor of Mochi Mag!Follow Virginia at: @themandarinmamaBooks &amp; Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian American authorsSupport the Books &amp; Boba Podcast by:Joining our Patreon to receive exclusive perksPurchasing books at our bookshopRocking our Books &amp; Boba merchFollow our hosts:Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)Follow us:InstagramTwitterGoodreadsFacebookThe Books &amp; Boba January 2025 pick is Sister Snake by Amanda Lee KoeThis podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective