Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

I recently read a book that took place in Afghanistan, one which took place in India, a book that had an Indian protagonist, a book that took place in China, and plan on reading 3 more books with Chinese protagonists:

The Breadwinner
Homeless Bird
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Maya Running
American Born Chinese
Mismatch
Bound

I have found all of these books fascinating and put me in situations that I would never be able to understand or even know about without reading the books. I think that this genre specifically (all of multicultural) is neglected and needs to be something we expose our young adults to.

I really liked American Born Chinese, and Bound is on my list, too.
I have a few others that work for this too, and some I want to read. Some are set in the Mid/Far East, and some are set in the West with Asian MCs. Not all are technincally YA, but I would say can be read by older-to-mid teens.

Anahita's Woven Riddle
Book of a Thousand Days
The Fold
Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous YouthNumber 9 Dream (<--- not YA, but my favorite book!)
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers
Across the Nightingale Floor

I just recently read Born Confused which is about a teenage girl trying to combine her parents' Indian heritage with her American life.

Last year I read Sold which takes place in Nepal.

Some of my favorites:

Habibi- Palestinian-American teenage girl moves to Jerusalem; author Naomi Shihab Nye has many books, especially poetry, set in or from the Middle East.

A Step from Heaven - Story of a young Korean girl and her family's move to America

Saying Goodbye - Asian American and African American roommates freshman year at Harvard

Bernadette wrote: "Some of my favorites:

Habibi- Palestinian-American teenage girl moves to Jerusalem; author Naomi Shihab Nye has many books, especially poetry, set in or from the Middle..."

Thank you Bernadette!!!

Shizuko's Daughter is one of my absolute favorites- coming of age in '60s/70s Japan.

Thanks for the Saying Goodbye reference Bernadette. I really have to check that one out.

I really enjoyed The Kite Runner