home is where the heart is.
This month, we are highlighting Filipino authors in our Filipino reading collection, no matter where they are in the world. we are proud to present books written by Filipinos who come from different places, perspectives and lifestyles as they share the culture, diversity and, in most cases, the unfavorable realities of what it means to be pinoy.
You are reading: Books by filipino authors
If you’re looking for a book to start looking this August, fully booked, wrapped up with some titles from Filipino authors you might enjoy reading for all kinds of #moods.
mood: memoir fiction
She was the mistress of the president!! by miguel syjuco
In this masterful and audacious novel, Miguel Syjuco’s signature style—hilarious, insightful, playful, and provocative—animates thirteen indelible voices whose stories present a cross-section of a complicated society. I was the president’s mistress!! he plunges headlong into love, politics, faith, history, memory, and the ongoing war over who will tell the stories the world will know to be true.
mood: friendship and magic
sugar and spite by gail d. villanueva
Jolina can’t take Claudine’s harassment anymore! teasing and teasing is too much. Although Jolina knows that she is still training to use her grandfather’s Arbularyo magic, she sneaks into her potions lab to get back at her. Jolina mixes up a batch of gayuma, a powerful love potion. magic comes at a cost and bad intentions breed bad results. controlling another person’s capacity to love, or hate, will certainly have consequences. magic demands payment, and it’s about to arrive for jolina in the form of a mighty storm. Magic and reality collide in this brilliant new middle grade novel from Gail D. Villanueva asking if it’s ever okay to take away someone’s free will.
mood: delicious food with a touch of mystery
arsenic and marinade by mia p. manansala
this book will make you hungry… consider yourself warned! All jokes aside, Arsenic and Adobo is a fun and humorous cozy mystery featuring family moments and of course delicious Filipino dishes.
Lila Macapagal returns home to recover from a horrible breakup and has been asked to save her Aunt Rosie’s dilapidated restaurant. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly veers from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.
both savory and twisted, satisfaction will be served on a silver platter by the end of this book.
mood: light and pleasant
hello, universe by erin kelly entrance
heartwarming and empowering, hello, universe is a fun and relatable story of unexpected friendships told from four intertwined points of view: two boys and two girls.
the 2018 newbery medal winner, hello, the universe celebrates bravery, friendship and the search for the bayani (hero) within you. It’s the kind of book you’ll want to read to unwind after a long, tiring day.
mood: literary fiction in action
insurgent by gina apostol
Award-winning author Gina Apostol takes readers back to 1901 when Filipino revolutionaries attacked an American garrison by following the story of two women, a Filipino translator and an American filmmaker, who were working on a movie script about a massacre during the Philippine-American War.
in what the new york times calls a “bravura performance”, apostol also shares that this historical fiction offers a new perspective to understand our national hero, jose rizal: an engaging and explosive read told smoothly with mastery discreet of the narration.
See Also: Joanne Fluke – Book Series In Order
mood: suspense and suspense
increasingly smaller circles of f.h. batacan
If you’re looking for a Filipino mystery with a plot that will haunt you, Shrinking Circles might be what you’re looking for.
Philippine National Book Award and Grand Prize Winner Carlos Levanta, F.H. Batacan’s harrowing book follows two Catholic priests on the hunt for a brutal serial killer in Manila. is a contemporary Filipino detective novel that has a touch of suspense, crime, and mystery all in one book.
mood: fascinating literary criticism
how to read now by elaine castillo
how to read now explores the politics and ethics of reading and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not only with our fiction and our art, but also with our stories. tangled up Clever, funny, inspiring, and at times profane, Castillo attacks outdated questions and less-than-critical proclamations masquerading as vital discussion: reinventing the cartography of the classics, building a moral case against settler colonialism from praised writers such as joan didion , taking aim at nobel prize winners and toppling independent filmmakers, and celebrating glorious moments in everything from popular television like the vigilantes to the movies of wong kar-wai and the work of contemporary poets like tommy pico.
mood: let go and move on
the last time i will write about you by dawn lanuza
Brief but poignant, The Last Time I’ll Write About You is a collection of poems about falling in love, painful heartbreaks, and moving on: finding the words you long to say (or even hear).
popular fiction and poetry author dawn lanuza presented beautiful and relatable poems that will serve as the perfect companion for anyone who has loved, lost, and risen again.
mood: cookbook and memoir in one step
amboy: alexandra sane and alvin cailan’s filipino-american dream recipes
Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream is a biography of Alvin Cailan, arguably the most high-profile chef in America’s Filipino food movement. When he opened the now-legendary Egglut in Los Angeles, a foodie favorite specializing in affordable yet sophisticated egg sandwiches, he took the dining scene by storm.
This unique cookbook features delicious recipes and puts a spin on Cailan’s personal experiences as an amboy (the term for a Filipino raised in America) as he overcame cultural traditions and family expectations to find his way to success.
Check out the fully booked chats with Alvin Cailan and find out more about the author, his book, and his life as a chef.
mood: fun and children’s activities
salt bread saves the day by norma olizon-chikiamco
Kids, and of course kids at heart, will love this fun-filled book! salt pan saves the day is a colorful, bilingual activity book in Tagalog and English that has games and puzzles.
The 32-page multicultural children’s book, designed for ages 4-8, features beautiful illustrations and interactive games. also includes an answer key on the back to check answers and avoid frustration.
mood: science fiction, music and imaginary worlds
I have never done it because of isabel yap
spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in isabel yap’s debut collection jumps off the page, from the joy in her new novel, a spell for foolish hearts, to the terrifying tension of the urban legend ¿ have you heard the one with anamaria marquez.
mood: crime and suspense with Filipino folklore (in a graphic novel)
after lambana by eliza victoria, mervin malonzo
In the gloomy, noir-tinged streets of Manila, multiple realities coexist and intertwine as the two friends search for a cure for the magical disease. Creeping sirens and wandering ghostly spirits populate a parallel world ruled by corruption and greed, which Conrad must enter to find the cure she seeks. he has little idea of the creatures he will encounter and the truths that will be revealed along the way. Will Lambana reveal her secrets and provide the healing balm Conrad needs? Or will she perish in the process? Fans of Neil Gaiman, Emil Ferris, and Charles Burns will love Love After Lambana!
mood: self-discovery
the fairest: memoirs of meredith talusan
The captivating novel is about a Filipino boy with albinism whose story travels from an immigrant childhood at Harvard to a gender transition and illuminates illusions of race, disability, and gender.
A thoughtful book based on the life of Meredith Talusan’s experience as transgender, Fairest is a beautifully written coming-of-age memoir and story of discovering womanhood.
Mood: Brotherhood and Family Quick Read
we belong by cookie hiponia everman
Interestingly, We Belong is a novel in verse that beautifully blends Filipino folklore and the migrant experience. It’s a story about Stella and Luna, who know that her mom, Elsie, came from the Philippines when she was a child, but they don’t know much more.
One night, they ask her to tell them a story and her mom makes up two stories: her youth as a strong-willed middle child and refugee; and that of the young life of a mayari, the mythical daughter of a god.
The prose is undeniably beautiful and the novel stayed true to Filipino culture and norms throughout the story.
MOOD: Grief, angst, and redemption
nothing patterns by randy ribay
The story revolves around Jay Reguero, a typical teenager heading to the University of Michigan to get into college. When he finds out that his Filipino cousin, Jun, was killed as part of the drug war, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, he travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.
If you’re looking for a powerful and informative coming-of-age book, patron saints of nothing offers nothing less than the best of both worlds: a haunting story of grieving, growing up, and learning about yourself through discovering more about their culture.
mood: nothing beats the classic
america is in the heart of carlos bulosan
First published in 1946, the autobiography of the well-known Filipino poet describes his childhood in the Philippines, his journey to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant following the harvest trail in the rural West.
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timeless in such a way that some of the circumstances that bulosan lived through are still relevant to the present time, america is in the heart reveals the stoic voice of the poet in the face of the terrible events he witnessed.
mood: fast but wildly entertaining
for kay b by ricky lee
for kay b it’s ricky lee, the first novel by the award-winning screenwriter, journalist, and playwright. is a comical, cinematic and entertaining read that will reveal to readers exotic episodes of both life and love. The book, written in both English and Filipino, tells the story of five women and their quest to find the meaning of love in their lives.
is pretty short, so chances are you can finish it in one go. After all, once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself lost in the world of Ricky Lee and Kay B.
See Also: What Are The Stardew Valley Lost Books? – Stardew | Guide