Best Maggie Zhang Podcasts (2025)

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#325 - Author Chat w/ Benedict Nguyễn 58:59

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3d ago58:59

58:59

On this episode, we sit down with author Benedict Nguyễn to chat about her debut novel Hot Girls with Balls, a romantic sports satire about two Asian American trans athletes at the top of their game as stars of the international men’s pro indoor volleyball league (who also happen to be girlfriends)! Follow Benedict on Instagram at @xbennyboo and ch…

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#324 - August 2025 Book News 19:58

9d ago19:58

19:58

Reera is off on family business so it's a solo Marvin mid-month check in this week. On this short but sweet episode, Marvin highlights some of the latest publishing announcements for books by Asian and Asian American authors so that you can have even more books to keep an eye on for your TBR lists! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: S…

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#323 - Author Chat w/ Julia & Brad Riew 58:59

18d ago58:59

58:59

On this episode, we chat with Julia and Brad Riew, the sibling writing duo behind the new Asian-inspired fantasy novel The Last Tiger! Julia and Brad share their experiences writing a novel as a team as well as how they were inspired to write their fantasy epic, which takes place in a world inspired by Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1940's, by the …

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#322 - Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon 1:38:15

25d ago1:38:15

1:38:15

On this episode, we discuss our July 2025 pick is Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon, a coffee house romantic comedy set in Seattle about high school senior River, who is reeling from the consequences of a series of disastrous personal decisions and seeks refuge at a small Korean cafe where he finds a found family and maybe even an enemies-to-love…

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#321 - July 2025 Book News 47:51

1M ago47:51

47:51

Note: This is a re-upload of episode 321 since we had the wrong audio file uploaded last week, apologies for any confusion! On our mid-month check in for July 2025, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, and catch up on the latest book news! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Break Room by Miye Lee; t…

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#320 - Author Chat w/ Allison King 46:41

2M ago46:41

46:41

On this episode, we sit down with author Allison King to chat about her debut novel The Phoenix Pencil Company, a novel that's part historical fiction, part magical realism, and part sapphic romance about a young woman who discovers her family's secret magical power to reconstruct anything written by a pencil while taking care of her ailing grandmo…

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#319 - Author Chat w/ Naomi Xu Elegant 55:16

2M ago55:16

55:16

On this episode, we're joined by author Naomi Xu Elegant to chat about her debut novel Gingko Season, a story about a young Chinese American woman finding love, identity, purpose, and political awakening alongside her friends, set in New York City in 2018. Books & Boba is a podcast dedicated to reading and featuring books by Asian and Asian America…

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#318 - Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So 2:02:20

2M ago2:02:20

2:02:20

On this episode, we discuss our June 2025 book club pick is Afterparties by the late Anthony Veasna So, a short story collection about a community of Cambodian Americans in San Joaquin County. Join us as we discuss all nine short stories that take us through a myriad of emotions with Anthony's often melancholic, sometimes hopeful, and darkly funny …

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#317 - Author Chat w/ Mike Curato 55:17

2M ago55:17

55:17

On this episode, we welcome award winning author and illustrator Mike Curato to the podcast to chat about his latest graphic novel, Gaysians, an adult graphic novel following four gay Asians navigating love, identity, found family, and friendship in early 2000's Seattle. Follow Mike on Instagram at @mike_curato and check out his latest graphic nove…

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#316 - June 2025 Book News 1:07:11

3M ago1:07:11

1:07:11

On our mid-month check in for June 2025, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, and catch up on the latest book tea! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Stormraven by Kelsea Yu Momma's Christmas Gift by Kao Kalia Yang; illust. by Jacqueline Tam Blood of Silver by Allie Nguyen Worth a Shot by Dora Wang …

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#315 - Author Chat w/ Susan Lee 58:56

3M ago58:56

58:56

On this episode, we're excited to welcome author Susan Lee to the podcast to chat about her latest novel, The Romance Rivalry, a YA romantic comedy about two rival booktubers who find themselves as freshmen at the same small liberal arts college and enter a competition with each other to see who can find love first using nothing but romance tropes!…

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#314 - Blob: A Love Story by Maggie Su 58:44

3M ago58:44

58:44

On this episode, we discuss our May 2025 book club pick Blob: A Love Story by Maggie Su. A story about Vi, a twenty three year old biracial midwest Asian American woman, reeling from a bad breakup and a lifetime of bad choices, who finds a sentient blob in the alleys behind a bar and decides to mold it into her ideal romantic partner. What could go…

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#313 - Author Chat w/ Axie Oh 1:00:09

3M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

On this episode, we're excited to welcome NYT bestselling author Axie Oh, who joins us to chat about her latest novel The Floating World, an epic romantic fantasy following the adventures of an amnesiac mercenary and a small town village girl (with hidden chosen one powers) that blends the JRPG vibes of Final Fantasy with a re-imagining of the Kore…

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#312 - May 2025 Book News 1:04:08

4M ago1:04:08

1:04:08

On our mid-month check in for May 2025, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, celebrate some Asian American authors on the NYT bestsellers list, and check in on some increasingly bummer news happening in the industry (and society)! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Julia Song is Undateable by Susan …

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#311 - Author Chat w/ Carolyn Huynh 53:49

4M ago53:49

53:49

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 inhe…

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#310 - The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 1:02:50

4M ago1:02:50

1:02:50

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 ca…

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#309 - April 2025 Book News 18:37

4M ago18:37

18:37

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 Gunasekera A TEASPOON OF MAGIC By Jackie Lau MIGRATORY CREATURES By Jennifer Yeh ENVOY …

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#308 - The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali 1:15:09

5M ago1:15:09

1:15:09

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…

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#307 - Author Chat w/ Jane Pek 55:44

5M ago55:44

55:44

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…

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#306 - March 2025 Book News 1:04:37

6M ago1:04:37

1:04:37

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 B…

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#305 - The Verifiers by Jane Pek 1:05:13

6M ago1:05:13

1:05:13

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 dat…

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#304 - February 2025 Book News 41:18

7M ago41:18

41:18

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 Tsao The Magnificent Banyan Tree…

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#303 - Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe 1:01:41

7M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

On this episode, we discuss our first book club pick of 2025, Sister Snake 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…

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#302 - Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo 1:27:29

7M ago1:27:29

1:27:29

We're back! After an unintended extended hiatus dealing with the double whammy of early parenthood and uncontrollable wildfires, Books & Boba is back with our belated discussion of our December 2024 book club pick Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo and translated by Jamie Chang, a seminal modern text about what it's like to be a woman in modern …

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#301 - December 2024 Book News 31:39

8M ago31:39

31:39

On our final mid-month book news podcast of the year, we go over some of the latest publishing announcements of books by Asian American authors. Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: To the Death by Andrea Tang Seven: The Courage, Artistry, and Teamwork of BTS by Lilly Lu Jia Has a Dog Problem by Stephanie Ellen Sy; illust by Isabella Ku…

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#300 - Author Chat w/ Clare Osongco 55:12

9M ago55:12

55:12

On this episode, we chat with author Clare Osongco about her debut novel Midnights with You, a YA coming-of-age story about a teenage girl living with her strict Filipino mother, and her secret late night driving lessons with the new boy next door. Follow Clare on Instagram at @clareosongcoand check out her debut novel Midnights with You available …

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#299 - Author Chat w/ Rosa Kwon Easton 53:34

9M ago53:34

53:34

On this episode, we sit down with debut author Rosa Kwon Easton to chat about her new novel White Mulberry, a historical fiction novel about a Korean woman who moves to Japan as a child to pursue her education during the period when Korea was occupied by Japan. Rosa shares with us the long journey to publishing her debut based on the real life expe…

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#298 - Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu 1:04:42

9M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

On this episode, we discuss our November 2024 book club pick, Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, an award winning novel about a guy living in cop show version of Chinatown who dreams of becoming a "Kung Fu Guy" but is stuck playing generic Asian guy roles, a metaphor for not only how Hollywood treats its Asian actors, but for the model minority myth…

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#297 - Author Chat w/ Julie Leong 44:47

9M ago44:47

44:47

On this episode, we chat with author Julie Leong chat about her debut novel The Teller of Small Fortunes, a cozy fantasy about a young traveling fortune teller who embarks on a journey across her adopted kingdom alongside her party of found family members. Julie shares her inspirations for writing her cozy adventure that explores western fantasy wi…

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#296 - November 2024 Book News 53:55

10M ago53:55

53:55

Our world may have shifted to a darker timeline, but at the very least, there will still be books! On our November 2024 mid month check-in, we review the latest Asian American publishing announcements as well as check in on the latest book tea and awards! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: The Offer by Neel Patel Benny's Bright Qing M…

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#295 - Author Chat w/ Nayantara Roy 52:20

10M ago52:20

52:20

On this episode, we welcome author Nayantara Roy to chat about her debut novel The Magnificent Ruins, a story about an up and coming literary editor in New York who returns to Kolkata (where she was born) after finding out that she has inherited her family's manor from her grandfather and has to deal with her extended family who all still live ther…

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#294 - The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw 57:44

10M ago57:44

57:44

On this episode, we discuss our October 2024 pick, The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw. A story following a flesh-eating mermaid and a plague doctor who encounter a village of children with an unsettling secret while on a journey through a snowy forest. Join us a we dive into this spooky read that melds the fairy tales of Anderson and Grimm and …

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#293 - Author Chat w/ Joanne Howard 46:07

10M ago46:07

46:07

On this episode, we chat with Joanne Howard to talk about her debut novel Sleeping in the Sun, a coming of age story about a family of American missionaries living in India during the final years of the Brisish Raj. Joanne shares about her writers journey as well as how finding out about her own family's history as missionaries in India inspired he…

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#292 - October 2024 Book News 41:37

11M ago41:37

41:37

On our mid-month check in for Spooky Month 2024, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, check in on the latest winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, and weigh in on the possible TV adaptation of RF Kuang's Yellowface! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Kingdom of Waves by Melissa de la Cruz One Wo…

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#291 - Author Chat w/ Teresa Wong 48:50

11M ago48:50

48:50

On this episode, we sit down with Chinese-Canadian author and cartoonist Teresa Wong to chat about her new graphic memoir, All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey, an generation spanning recounting 100 years of her own family's history in China and Canada. Teresa shares how she became a author/illustrator of graphic novels, as …

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#290 - A Burning by Megha Majumdar 55:21

11M ago55:21

55:21

On this episode, we discuss our September 2024 pick, A Burning by Megha Majumdar, a social novel about a poor girl in Kolkata accused of a terrorist attack she wasn't involved in, and the aspiring actress and teacher who have the chance to clear her name but at the cost of their own social ascension. Join us as we dive into Megha's modern social no…

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#289 - Author Chat w/ Preeti Chhibber 54:26

11M ago54:26

54:26

On this episode, we sit down with prolific writer Preeti Chhibber to talk about her new YA rom com novel, Payal Mehta's Romance Revenge Plot, about high school junior Payal Mehta and her ill-conceived plan to get back at her longtime crush for micro-aggressing against her by making him fall in love with her... for revenge of course, in the process …

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#288 - Author Chat w/ Aurora Palit 49:30

11M ago49:30

49:30

On this episode, we welcome author Aurora Palit to talk about her debut novel, Sunshine and Spice, an adult romance story between two members of a conservative Bengali Canadian community who enter into a fake relationship to help solve each others cultural dilemmas out despite being complete opposites. We chat with Aurora about her writer's journey…

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#287 - September 2024 Book News 34:42

12M ago34:42

34:42

On our mid-month check in for September 2024, we highlight some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, get some updates on which authors of Asian descent who made it to the National Book Awards long-lists, and touch a little on the latest controversy with NaNoWriMo! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Flashlight by Susa…

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#286 - Author Chat w/ Randy Ribay 55:28

12M ago55:28

55:28

On this episode, we chat with author Randy Ribay about his latest novel, Everything We Never Had, a YA story about four generations of Filipino men, each grappling with their own unique relationships with identity, masculinity, and father-son relationships. We talk with Randy about his inspirations for the book, as well as his thoughts on its theme…

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#285 - Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang 1:05:43

12M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

Join us as we discuss our August 2024 book club pick, Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. A story about a Chinese American chef who is stranded abroad when a global climate catastrophe hits and decimates the world's food supply, putting her chosen profession (as well as her own identity and livelihood) in jeopardy. The story follows her journey …

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#284 - Author Chat w/ Trinity Nguyen 57:46

1y ago57:46

57:46

On this episode, we chat with author Trinity Nguyen about her debut novel, A Banh Mi for Two, a sweet sapphic romance about a Vietnamese American exchange student and Vietnamese food blogger/street food vendor and their foodie adventures in Saigon. We chat with Trinity about the inspirations for her novel as well as what her favorite Vietnamese foo…

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#283 - August 2024 Book News 37:01

1y ago37:01

37:01

On our mid-month check in for July 2024, we recap some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as get some updates on the latest Books & Boba pick to get picked up for TV and which books by Asian authors made it into the New York Time's best 100 books of the century! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Reasons We…

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From PotluckPod They Call Us Bruce - They Call Us OiYan A. Poon 35:22

1y ago35:22

35:22

We're taking the week off so our friends from They Call Us Bruce are helping fill in with their latest chat with author OiYan A. Poon, please enjoy! --- Jeff and Phil welcome writer and race scholar OiYan A. Poon, author of Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action and Family. She talks about breaking out of her comfo…

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#282 - The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses 56:55

1y ago56:55

56:55

On this episode, we discuss our July 2024 book club pick The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses, a contemporary Asian American novel following the story of Won Lee, the only Asian American player for an NBA team, and his rise to stardom during a period known as "The Wonder." Inspired on the real life Linsanity phenomenon, and the discourse surroun…

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#281 - Author Chat w/ Amber Chen 54:05

1y ago54:05

54:05

On this episode, we chat with author Amber Chen about her debut novel, Of Jade and Dragons, a fantasy adventure and murder mystery set in a Silkpunk world, about a girl who loves engineering as she pretends to be her brother to infiltrate a prestigious academy in order to uncover the conspiracy that killed her father. We chat with Amber about her j…

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#280 - July 2024 Book News 33:02

1y ago33:02

33:02

On our mid-month check in for July 2024, we recap some of the latest Asian American publishing announcements, as well as get some updates on the latest Books & Boba pick to get picked up for TV and which books by Asian authors made it into the New York Time's best 100 books of the century! Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news: Seen: The …

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#279 - Author Chat w/ K. X. Song 53:46

1y ago53:46

53:46

On this episode, we sit down with author K. X. Song to talk about her newest novel, The Night Ends with Fire, an epic adult fantasy inspired by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Legend of Mulan, and Chinese folklore, following the adventures of a young woman, touched by the Azure Dragon, who enters the army as a man to escape her fate as a wom…

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#278 - Author Chat w/ Tara Sim 53:46

1y ago53:46

53:46

On this episode, we welcome author Tara Sim to chat about her latest novel, We Shall Be Monsters, a YA dark Indian-inspired fantasy take on the Frankenstein story following a girl on a quest to resurrect her sister (who's accidental death she may also be responsible for) who gets drawn into a web of political intrigue by people who want her knowled…

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Celebrating & accelerating writers ❤️‍🔥 Bailey Richardson reflects on her time at Substack 50:50

1y ago50:50

50:50

Learn more about Substack and follow Bailey. This podcast was created by the team at People & Company. 📄 See full transcript. We published GET TOGETHER📙, a handbook on community-building. Hit subscribe🎙 and head over to our Substack for updates from the team.By Bailey Riachardson, Katie O'Connell, Kevin Huynh