So, at the beginning of the month, I accepted the Asian Lit Bingo Challenge from Lit Celebrasian because it sounded fun and it meant I had an excuse to read some books I’ve been wanting to read. It took me forever to get the ball rolling, which is pretty typical for me, I’m not going to lie. And, now, with three days remaining, I’m here to give a little update.

I’m not sure if I’m going to make it. I listened to When Dimple Met Rishi and Girl in Translation. They were both wonderful books that worked well in the audio format and I’m glad I listened to them. French Concession has taken me a little while to get into. It has been my before-bed book and it has been a heavier read than I usually pick for that time of day. I’m a third of the way through and I’m really into it now, but its slow-going. I have Running through Sprinklers by Michelle Kim all queued up for when I finish reading French Concession. I believe that counts as a multiracial/multiethnic Asian MC and I’m thinking I might listen to Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan or maybe Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao for comtemporary with Asian MC.

I also started Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses this month, but I don’t know where I’d put that on this chart. I also am not sure audiobook is the best format for Rushdie’s writing. I’ll have to keep listening and see.

Even if the month runs out before I finish the challenge, I’m going to keep at it. The books I’ve found all sound really good and I’m looking forward to reading or listening to them.

The process of looking for books for this challenge was made incredibly easy because of Lit Celebrasian’s monthly posts on New Releases by Asian Authors. An incredible amount of time and effort must go into curating these posts and they are excellent. They provide a synopsis of the book as well as information about reading level, release date and who is represented in the text. They’ve been an excellent way to find new authors and works I might not have otherwise seen. So, if you’re looking for something new to read, you should stop by their blog and have a look!