Asian/South East Asian authors/books

[YingMei]

I am British with one Chinese parent. I've lived in South East Asia and miss a lot of things about it. I'd really like to explore some more East Asian and South East Asian authors.
Books I've recently read and enjoyed are How We Disappeared by Jing Jing Lee and Little Gods by Meng Jin which I liked enough to be re reading right now.

Any suggestions for authors to try? Also interested by books set there by any author.

Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Oldie but goodie.
My Year of Meat, Ruth Ozeki
Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

Tan Twan Eng's books might fit the bill, particularly The Gift of Rain, but also The Garden of Evening Mists.

I also really enjoyed Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester.

There are lots more - I may browse my shelves and come back with more suggestions later.

Daughters of the Dragon by William Andrews. It's about the comfort women from Korea who "serviced" the Japanese soldiers. An uncomfortable read, but fascinating.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

Some of the above aren't East Asian authors though.

No, I know, but they are a good read.

I like Crazy Rich Asians too.

Try Sheng Keyi's "Northern Girls" and "Death Fugue". There's loads of great Chinese authors. Also have a look at Su Tong, Mo Yan, Wei Hui.

Amy Tan, all her books including The Joy Luck Club. Although they straddle American and Chinese ways of life.

The Makioka Sisters.

I Am a Cat

The latter are both set in Japan.

Oh thanks so many recommendations! It should keep me busy for a while

Tony's Reading List is an excellent blog about literature in translation that includes a lot of Asian literature, Books and Bao is also good on Asian literature with an emphasis on queer and graphic novels. If you look at some of the literature in translation book blogs you'll get lots of ideas.

I've mainly read Japanese literature which is widely available in translation. No idea about the kind of literature you like so I've included a short description.

From Japan I've loved The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa which is about an island where most people collectively forget thing. It's both beautiful and disturbing. For something lighter Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is about a cafe where if you sit in a certain chair you can go back in time. Hiromi Kawakami does literary romances. The Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto is a novella about love and loss that's on its way to being considered a classic. For something grittier the novels of Mieko Kawakami are fab at addressing issues around sex and class.

Korean literature has a bit of a buzz about it and The Vegetarian by Han Kang is short, disturbing and feminist. From Thailand I loved Bright by Duanwad Pimwana, a series of connecting short stories about a working class community.

I really like Lisa See - The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane was a massive standout for me over the last couple of years.

I also really enjoyed The Tale of Murasaki - a fictionalised account of Murasaki Shikubu who wrote The Tale of Genji (mooted as the first novel). Genji and his antics are also fun.

I liked the early Amy Tan books as i thought they explored cultural identity well. I've just bought Black Water Sister by Zen Cho which I've seen described as YA as well as adult fiction. Also TBR on my shelves is Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun (Korean writer)

I tried to have a thread like this OP, well done for managing to describe what was in my head

There are some great recommendations, I’ve added lots to my list of books to keep an eye out for.