Honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Storytellers with these New Fiction Picks

Kristin
Kristin

Honor AANHPI storytellers with these new fiction picks showcasing diverse narratives from gothic horror to genre blending romantasy. Bonus- all of the authors highlighted on this list will be speaking at the 2026 PGH Book Fest. Check out our full line-up here and join us Saturday, May 30th at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main (Oakland).  

Asian American, Pacific Islander & Native Hawaiian (AANHPI) Heritage Month was originally commemorated in 1977 as Pacific/Asian American week and celebrated during the first 10 days in May. Over the years, the recognition has evolved and changed into a full-month celebration during May, recognizing and including a wider group of identities in the Asian and Pacific diaspora.     

The month of May was chosen for its historical relevance, as the first Japanese immigrants came to the United States on May 7, 1843 as well as the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869—an endeavor almost entirely completed by Chinese laborers.    

Throughout the month of May, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will amplify the AANHPI identities through booklists, displays, resources and programs in our locations and communities. 

Apr 11, 2026

You can sign up for a free library card here.

If you need help using our Digital Media tools to access these selections, visit our Online Resources Support page.

If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.

If you have any additional questions, you can call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org. You can find additional ways to contact us on the Need Help? page.

In the Catalog

And the Ancestors Sing

And the Ancestors Sing

Radha Lin Chaddah

When a powerful client offers her a chance at security, LuLu faces an impossible choice: seize a future that could lift her family from poverty, or risk everything for a life on her own terms.

From the Catalog

From Libby

Boring Asian Female

Boring Asian Female

Canwen Xu

When Harvard Law School rejects Elizabeth for not standing out enough–which she knows means she’s just another boring Asian female–her carefully constructed life falls apart. What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, her classmate at Columbia, got in. Elizabeth can’t figure out how this could have happened. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?

From the Catalog

From Libby

Death and Dinuguan

Death and Dinuguan

Mia P. Manansala

Love is in the air for the citizens of Shady Palms, but Cupid’s arrow isn’t the only thing striking the town–not with another killer on the loose. Things are looking up for the Brew-ha Cafe, and Lila Macapagal can’t think of anything that could break the spell, especially with Valentine’s Day coming up–she can’t wait to celebrate with her boyfriend, Jae Park.

From the Catalog

From Libby

The Glowing Hours

The Glowing Hours

Leila Siddiqui

A mind-bending, revisionist gothic horror story about the fabled summer Mary Shelley began work on Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid. For fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Isabel Cañas, and Kathe Koja.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

Japanese Gothic

Japanese Gothic

Kylie Lee Baker

Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge–his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house…

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

The Keeper of Magical Things

The Keeper of Magical Things

Julie Leong

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful–to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn’t proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

From the Catalog

From Libby

The Social Circle

The Social Circle

A Novel

Sophie Wan

The Social Network meets Daisy Jones & The Six in this dual-narrative novel about a group of college friends who found a social media company in the early days of the internet, their scandalous falling out, and the 10-year anniversary exposé that forces them back together again.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

Sublimation

Sublimation

Isabel J. Kim

Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you’d sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.

From the Catalog

The Subtle Art of Folding Space

The Subtle Art of Folding Space

John Chu

The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn’t your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

From the Catalog

From Libby

Verity Guild

Verity Guild

Mai Corland

The Traitors meets A Court of Silver Flames in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers with secrets, deception, and blood magic by the New York Times bestselling author of Five Broken Blades.

From the Catalog