Asia offers a myriad of stories and insights that are beautifully captured in literature. For those contemplating retirement in this vibrant part of the world, delving into Books about Asia can be both enlightening and essential.
My Favorite Books about Asia
- “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu (Japan, classic literature)
- “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu (China, military strategy)
- “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden (Japan, historical fiction)
- “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy (India, modern fiction)
- “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan (China/USA, modern fiction)
- “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee (Korea/Japan, historical fiction)
- “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan, modern fiction)
- “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” by Jung Chang (China, memoir)
- “Shogun” by James Clavell (Japan, historical fiction)
- “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle” by Haruki Murakami (Japan, magical realism)
- “The White Tiger” by Aravind Adiga (India, modern fiction)
- “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri (India/USA, modern fiction)
- “Empress Orchid” by Anchee Min (China, historical fiction)
- “The Sympathizer” by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Vietnam, historical fiction)
- “The Glass Palace” by Amitav Ghosh (Burma/India, historical fiction)
- “Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie (India, magical realism)
- “The Rape of Nanking” by Iris Chang (China, history)
- “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman (Laos/USA, non-fiction)
- “The Lotus and the Storm” by Lan Cao (Vietnam, modern fiction)
- “In the Shadow of the Banyan” by Vaddey Ratner (Cambodia, historical fiction)
These books offer a varying range of perspectives on various Asian cultures, histories, and experiences.