All the books listed here are available at the library. Stop in, give us a call, or use the online catalog to place a hold and check one out. All book descriptions are provided by the publisher on the back of the book, on Goodreads, or through the library catalog.

Celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Speak, Okinawa: a Memoir by Elizabeth Miki Brina: This memoir follows a young woman’s journey to understanding her complicated parents–an Okinawan war bride and a Vietnam veteran. Growing up feeling no connection to her mother’s distant home and also feeling out of place in her own home, but later coming to recognize the shame that haunts her and her mother.

The Note by Alafair Burke: May Hanover, raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother, has always been a rule-follower. So when she finds herself in the middle of an urgent police investigation while on vacation in the Hamptons with her friends, she begins to wonder if they’re keeping secrets from her. Because she just might  be keeping secrets from them too. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book).

Exhalation by Ted Chiang: If you’re looking for original, short sci-fi stories this is the collection for you. Chiang touches on old questions and brings up plenty of new ones in these stories. Exhalation has been compared to Black Mirror by some people, with lighter themes.  Available on Libby (audio).

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan: A forbidden affair erupts dramatically amid a decadent Hawaiian wedding in this hilarious, sophisticated, and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex—and the lies we tell about them all. Lies and Weddings reveals an enthralling family saga that is as scandalous and satirical as it is full of heart. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (e-book).

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng: Bird lives with his father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a library. After years of economic instability and violence, authorities are relocating children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries are forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, a Chinese American poet who left the family years ago. After receiving a cryptic letter, Bird journeys through the ranks of an underground network of librarians to New York City where change is coming. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio).

Saving Five by Amanda Nguyen: A powerful memoir from Amanda Nguyen, the American-born child of Vietnamese refugees, detailing her life from a tumultuous childhood to groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her sexual assault at Harvard. The Nobel Peace Prize nominee writes to herself at ages 5, 15, 22, and 30, revealing her story and illustrating her healing process. Available on Boundless (e-book).

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin: Spanning thirty years and locations across the country, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows two friends as they come together as creative partners in the world of video game design. Their success brings them not just fame and joy, but also tragedy. Explore the possibilities of play and the importance and necessity of connecting with loved ones. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio/e-book).

These nonfiction titles each feature different facets of mental health, for Mental Health Awareness Month!

The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber: A groundbreaking look at Munchausen by Proxy (MBP)  from a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. With help from MBP experts, they uncover a maze of psychological, systemic, and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find a way out.

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain by Brock Eide, MD, MA and Fernette Eide, MD: Two neurolearning experts explain that while a dyslexic brain has certain challenges with literacy and reading, they also have a predisposition to important skills and special talents. With advice for parents, educators, and those with dyslexia, The Dyslexic Advantage provides a complete portrait of dyslexia. Available on Hoopla (audio).

The Disordered Mind: What Unusual Brains Tell Us About Ourselves by Eric R. Kandel: Eric R. Kandel won the Nobel Prize for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain. In The Disordered Mind, he illustrates how breakthrough studies of disruptions between the brain’s neurons can deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity, and perhaps in the future will lead to the development of a unified theory of mind. Available on Libby (audio) and Hoopla (audio).

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker: Follow the true story of the seemingly perfect Galvin family, until six of the twelve children are diagnosed with schizophrenia. This family’s unforgettable legacy of suffering, love, and hope is interspersed with accounts of scientists searching for the genetic basis of this condition. Available on Boundless (e-book).

This Body is Grief: Making Peace with the Loss That Comes with Living In a Body by Jayne Mattingly: Have you ever felt uncomfortable in your own body? Navigating the rhythms of aging, an unexpected illness or disability, society’s impossible and forever-changing beauty standards? This experience is Body Grief. While the journey through Body Grief is not always linear, it’s possible to feel at peace with the skin you’re in.

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PHD and Oprah Winfrey: Learn about how past experiences can shape your life down the road. With scientific and emotional insights into behavioral patterns many struggle to understand, we can begin to shift our approach to trauma and clear a path for our futures. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book), Libby (audio), and Hoopla (audio).