Category: 2026 Books
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Never Finish Making Refuge: Mai-Linh Hongβs Continental Drift” by Anna Nguyen Click HERE to read all entrieson Continental Drift. Mai-Linh Hong. Continental Drift, Trio House Press, 2026. 108 pgs. There…
![[REVIEW] “Never Finish Making Refuge: Mai-Linh Hongβs πΆπππ‘πππππ‘ππ π·ππππ‘” by Anna Nguyen](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/mai-linh-hong.-continental-drift.webp?w=1024)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Christopher Cheung’s Very Vancouver: A City in Everyday Voices” by Raymond K. Nakamura Christopher Cheung. Very Vancouver: Uncovering the Soul of a West Coast City, ECW Press, 2026. 328…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Christopher Cheung’s ππππ¦ ππππππ’π£ππ: A City in Everyday Voices” by Raymond K. Nakamura](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/very-vancouver-uncovering-the-soul-of-a-west-coast-city.jpg?w=971)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βLoss, Survival, and Hope: Yuyutsu Sharmaβs In Godβs Messy Workplaceβ by Arun Budhathoki Yuyutsu Sharma. In God’s Messy Workplace: New Poems, Nirala Publications, 2026. 110 pgs. The COVID-19 pandemic generated…
![[REVIEW] βLoss, Survival, and Hope: Yuyutsu Sharmaβs πΌπ πΊππβπ πππ π π¦ πππππππππβ by Arun Budhathoki](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/in-gods-messy-workplace-new-poems-by-yuyutsu-sharma-author-.jpg?w=1007)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] βWhat Lingers: On Babitha Marina Justinβs The Way Madmen Smellβ by Ankush Banerjee Babitha Marina Justin. The Way Madmen Smell, Red River Press, 2026. 149 pgs. Noted Trivandrum-based academic, poet,…
![[ESSAY] βWhat Lingers: On Babitha Marina Justinβs πβπ πππ¦ ππππππ πππππβ by Ankush Banerjee](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/the-way-madmen-smell-by-babitha-marina-justin-.jpg?w=868)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Between the Rabbit and the Not-Rabbit: Yoo Heekyung’s Surrealism in Winter Night Rabbit Worries” by San Kwon Yoo Heekyung (author), Stine An (translator). Winter Night Rabbit Worries, Ugly Duckling Press,…
![[REVIEW] “Between the Rabbit and the Not-Rabbit: Yoo Heekyung’s Surrealism in ππππ‘ππ πππβπ‘ π
πππππ‘ πππππππ ” by San Kwon](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/winter-night-rabbit-worries-1.jpg?w=600)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Insignificant Moments, Significant Lives: Xu Xi’s Horizon Hong Kong” by Jennifer Eagleton Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Horizon Hong Kong. Xu Xi. Horizon Hong Kong: Selected Stories, Gaudy Boy, 2026. 288…
![[REVIEW] “Insignificant Moments, Significant Lives: Xu Xi’s π»ππππ§ππ π»πππ πΎπππ” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/horizonhongkong122925.webp?w=1000)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βHorizon Hong Kong: Xu Xiβs Hong Kong in Words and Picturesβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason Click HERE to read all entries in Cha on Horizon Hong Kong. Xu Xi. Horizon Hong Kong: Selected Stories, Gaudy…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βHaunted Inheritances and Queer Futures in Salini Vineethβs The Tree, the Well & the Drag Queenβ by Namrata Salini Vineeth. The Tree, the Well & the Drag Queen, Red River…
![[REVIEW] βHaunted Inheritances and Queer Futures in Salini Vineethβs πβπ ππππ, π‘βπ ππππ & π‘βπ π·πππ ππ’πππβ by Namrata](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/the-tree-the-well-the-drag-queen.jpg?w=750)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] βSimmering, Steaming, Spilling: On Hongwei Baoβs Queer Playtext Hot Potβ by Ronny Chan ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaonΒ Hot Pot. Hongwei Bao. Hot Pot, Poetic Edge Publishers, 2026. 112 pgs. “To…
![[ESSAY] βSimmering, Steaming, Spilling: On Hongwei Baoβs Queer Playtext π»ππ‘ πππ‘β by Ronny Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/hongwei-bao.-hot-pot-poetic-edge-publishers-2026.-112-pgs.png?w=1024)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Bodies and Landscapes in Flux: Displacement, Placemaking, and Agency in Mai-Linh Hongβs Continental Drift” by Shui-yin Sharon Yam Click HERE to read all entrieson Continental Drift. Mai-Linh Hong. Continental Drift,…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHong Kong, Then and Now, Through the Eyes of Simon Elegantβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason Simon Elegant. City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong, Pegasus Crime, 2026. 288 pgs.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βHong Kong, Then and Now, Through the Eyes of Simon Elegantβ by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/simon-elegant.-city-on-fire.jpg?w=989)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Every Puddle a Reflection: On Dorothy Tse’s City Like Water” by Jennifer Eagleton ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaonΒ City Like Water. Dorothy Tse (author), Natascha Bruce (translator). City Like Water, Graywolf…
![[REVIEW] “Every Puddle a Reflection: On Dorothy Tse’s πΆππ‘π¦ πΏπππ πππ‘ππ” by Jennifer Eagleton](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/city-like-water-dorothy-tse-cha-an-asian-literary-journal.jpg?w=1000)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βCrabs in a Glass Ceiling Barrel: Kelly Yangβs The Takeβ by Raymond Pun Kelly Yang. The Take, Penguin Random House, 2026. 368 pgs. The Take, the first adult fiction by…
![[REVIEW] βCrabs in a Glass Ceiling Barrel: Kelly Yangβs πβπ ππππβ by Raymond Pun](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/https-www.kellyyang.com_.jpg?w=993)
-
FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liuβs Portrait of Chinaβs Digital Dissidents in The Wall Dancers” by Johanna M. Costigan Yi-Ling Liu. The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet, Knopf, 2026,…
![[ESSAY] “Yi-Ling Liuβs Portrait of Chinaβs Digital Dissidents in πβπ ππππ π·ππππππ ” by Johanna M. Costigan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/wall-dancers.jpg?w=987)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] βNo Useless Poems: Tsering Woeserβs Greater Tibetβ by Angus Stewart Tsering Woeser (author), edited and translated by Fiona Sze-LorrainΒ with Dechen Pemba. Ocean, as Much as Rain: Stories, Lyrical Prose, and…
![[REVIEW] βNo Useless Poems: Tsering Woeserβs Greater Tibetβ by Angus Stewart](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ocean-as-much-as-rain-stories-lyrical-prose-and-poems-from-tibet.jpg?w=1000)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “Kit Fanβs Goodbye Chinatown and the Politics of Taste” by Jonathan Han Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon Goodbye Chinatown. Kit Fan, Goodbye Chinatown, World Editions, 2026. 268…
![[REVIEW] “Kit Fanβs πΊπππππ¦π πΆβππππ‘ππ€π and the Politics of Taste” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/goodbye-chinatown-kit-fan-cha.jpg?w=938)
-
Editor’s note: We are delighted to present an essay by the distinguished translator Howard Goldblatt, whose work has been instrumental in introducing modern Chinese fiction to English-speaking readers. In his essay, Goldblatt reflects on his translation of Liang Xiaoshengβs My…
![[MY DESTINY] “Me and ππ¦ π·ππ π‘ππ𦔠by Howard Goldblatt](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/howard-goldblatt-my-destiny-and-me-for-cha.png?w=1024)
-
Editorβs note: We are pleased to present the first chapter of Liang Xiaosheng’s My Destiny, translated by the renowned Howard Goldblatt, whose work has played a defining role in bringing modern Chinese fiction to an English-speaking readership. Readers interested in…
-
[CONVERSATION] βFlights of Memory and Meaning: On Paper Planeβ by Sadie Kaye and Nifraz Rifaz Nifraz Rifaz, Paper Plane, The Jam Fruit Tree Publications, 2026. 368 pgs. In my review of Paper Plane, first published in The Hooghly Review, on…
![[CONVERSATION] “Flights of Memory and Meaning: On πππππ πππππ” by Sadie Kaye and Nifraz Rifaz](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/nifraz-rifaz-paper-plane-cha.jpg?w=972)
-
Editor’s note: In this feature, we present an interview with Jennifer Wong on her new collection Light Year, conducted by Chaβs staff reviewer Michael Tsang. Wongβs work is widely recognised for its attentiveness to memory, language, and the complexities of…
![[CONVERSATION] “Writing Through Loss, Language, and Home: On πΏππβπ‘ ππππ” by Michael Tsang and Jennifer Wong](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/light-year-paperback-e28093-19-feb.-2026-english-edition-by-jennifer-wong-author.jpg?w=322)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs Everything You Wanted to Know About China (But Were Afraid to Ask)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βFor Novice and Expert: Jeffrey Wasserstromβs πΈπ£πππ¦π‘βπππ πππ’ ππππ‘ππ π‘π πΎπππ€ π΄πππ’π‘ πΆβπππ (π΅π’π‘ ππππ π΄πππππ π‘π π΄π π)β by Susan Blumberg-Kason](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-china-.jpg?w=936)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Understanding China Beyond the Headlines: Jeffrey Wasserstrom’s Everything You Wanted to Know About China” by Jennifer Eagleton Click HERE to read ALL entries in Chaon Everything You Wanted to…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [REVIEW] “A Librarianβs Take on Zheng Liuβs Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China” by Raymond Pun Click HERE to read all entries in Cha on Cultural Mavericks. Zheng Liu, Cultural…
![[REVIEW] “A Librarianβs Take on Zheng Liuβs πΆπ’ππ‘π’πππ πππ£ππππππ : πβπ π΅π’π ππππ π πππ πππππ‘πππ ππ πΌππππππππππ‘ π΅ππππ ππππππ ππ πΆβπππ” by Raymond Pun](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cultural-mavericks-the-business-and-politics-of-independent-bookselling-in-china.jpg?w=971)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Fragmentation and Repair in Leslie Shimotakaharaβs The Breakwater” by Jonathan Han Click HERE to read all entries in Chaon The Breakwater. Leslie Shimotakahara, The Breakwater, Cormorant Books, 2026. 350 pgs. Since committing his…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Fragmentation and Repair in Leslie Shimotakaharaβs πβπ π΅πππππ€ππ‘ππ” by Jonathan Han](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-breakwater.jpg?w=900)
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [FIRST IMPRESSIONS] βBearing Witness in Gigi L. Leungβs Everyday Movementβ by Rebekah Chan ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaΒ onΒ Everyday Movement. Gigi L. Leung (author), Jennifer Feeley (translator), Everyday Movement, Riverhead Books. 2026.…
![[FIRST IMPRESSIONS] “Bearing Witness in Gigi L. Leungβs πΈπ£πππ¦πππ¦ πππ£πππππ‘” by Rebekah Chan](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/everyday-movement-by-gigi-l.-leung-translated-by-jennifer-feeley-.jpg?w=993)
-
Editor’s note: Leslie Shimotakahara reflects on how a childhood encounter with an institutionalised great-uncle, silenced by internment-era injustice, became her latest novel The Breakwater. She recounts research, family reticence, editorial reshaping, and the imaginative recovery of erased places, presenting writing…
![[ESSAY] βFrom Scrapbooking to Novel Writing: Giving Voice to an Unsettling Family Secret in πβπ π΅πππππ€ππ‘ππβ by Leslie Shimotakahara](https://chajournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/leslieshimotakahara_photo.jpg?w=1024)
-
Read Leslie Shimotakahara’s essay on the writing of The Breakwater HERE. [EXCERPT] βFrom The Breakwaterβ by Leslie Shimotakahara Leslie Shimotakahara, The Breakwater, Cormorant Books, 2026. 350 pgs. I wasnβt a week past my seventeenth birthday. Freshly kicked out of the…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] βWe Are What We Read: Reading Zheng Liuβs Cultural Mavericksβ by X. H. Collins Click HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaΒ onΒ Cultural Mavericks. Zheng Liu, Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS Editor’s note: Jason S Polley opens his review essay by recounting his fond and fervent championing of Kit Fanβs first novel, Diamond Hill (2021), whose Cantonese-inflected language enabled rare intergenerational and…
-
θΆ FIRST IMPRESSIONS θΆ REVIEW OF BOOKS & FILMS [ESSAY] “Shelves, Stories, and Silence: Reading Zheng Liu’s Cultural Mavericks” by Laurence Westwood ClickΒ HERE to readΒ all entries inΒ ChaΒ onΒ Cultural Mavericks. Zheng Liu, Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in…
Cha 