On this episode, we discuss our March 2021 book club pick, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, an Asian inspired fantasy/action/romance taking about Lei, an independent girl whos been taken from her family to serve as a "Paper Girl" in the Chinese-inspired imperial court of the demon bull king. We chat about the books themes of oppression and objectification of women, as well as Lei's romance with fellow Paper Girl Wren.

Trigger Warning: Discussion of psychlogical and sexual abuse

*Support the podcast by purchasing books at our bookshop *

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The Asian American community is going through a time of collective grief following a year of rising racial tensions and fear, punctuated by this week’s tragic murders in Atlanta. To our listeners who are looking for ways to take more direct action, either to spread the word, protect our community, or support the victims, here are some resources for you:

Support the AAPI Community Fund to uplift and protect Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
3 Ways to support our community in Atlanta (courtesy of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta):
Sign on to AAJA-Atlanta’s collective community statement
Donate to support the victims and their families and to support crisis intervention
Offer to share crisis response resources to those in need

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Follow our hosts:

Reera Yoo (@reeraboo)
Marvin Yueh (@marvinyueh)

The Books & Boba April 2021 pick is How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

This podcast is part of Potluck: An Asian American Podcast Collective

#132 - Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Books and Boba