Rephonic
Artwork for Books and Boba
Asian American Literature
Asian American Identity
Cultural Identity
Mental Health
Social Media
Family Dynamics
Asian American Authors
Generational Trauma
Cultural Representation
Publishing Industry
Identity
Colonialism
Cultural Expectations
Jane Wong
Sister Snake
After Parties
Bingsu For Two
New York City
The Midnight Taxi
Patriarchy

Books & Boba is a book club dedicated to books written by Asian and Asian American authors. We cover a wide range of genres including contemporary, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, YA, nonfiction, thrillers, graphic novels, and memoirs.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes381Founded10 years ago
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Artwork for Books and Boba

Latest Episodes

On this episode, we catch up on the latest Asian American book news and publishing announcements for our October 2026 mid-month check-in

Upcoming books mentioned in our publishing news:

• Front Desk by Kelly Yang; ilust. by Fumio Obata

• Olivia Har... more

On this episode we sit down with speculative fiction author (and writing Youtuber) Lynn D Jung to chat about her debut novel Mothsblood, A dark academia/fantasy mystery thriller following Larkspur Lee, an ambitions and competitive Korean American wom... more

YouTube

On this episode we welcome back author E. L. Shen to chat about her newest novel Foreigners! Loosely based on her own family's history, Foreigners is a compelling take on the multigenerational Asian American story following characters from Qing dynas... more

YouTube

On this episode, we discuss our September 2026 book club pick, Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim, a classic Asian American multigenerational story, about the tenuous relationship between an immigrant mother and her American daughter, but with a ma... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Lynn D. Jung
YouTube creator and speculative fiction writer
YouTube / author
Episode: #373 - Author Chat w/ Lynn D. Jung
Elizabeth L. Shen
Author of Foreigners, middle grade and YA titles
Episode: #372 - Author Chat w/ E. L. Shen
Julie Abe
Author of The Magic Library of Waterfall Way
Author
Episode: #369 - Author Chat w/ Julie Abe
Momo Yamaguchi
Author of Hello, Limerence
Author
Episode: #367 - Author Chat w/ Momo Yamaguchi
Susan Lee
Author of See You at Sunset
Lee Books/Author
Episode: #366 - Author Chat w/ Susan Lee
Erin Baldwin
Author of Wish You Weren't Here and Good Luck, Babe
Author
Episode: #365 - Author Chat w/ Erin Baldwin
Tania Tay
Debut author of The Other Woman; writes as Lily Chen and Crystal Sung
Author, The Matcha Maker Café
Episode: #363 - Author Chat w/ Tania Tay (aka Lily Chen)
Yejin Suh
Korean American author based in New Jersey; debut YA fantasy The Last Soldier of Nava
HarperCollins (UK then US)
Episode: #361 - Author Chat w/ Yejin Suh
Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
Author of Names Have Been Changed
Author, Names Have Been Changed
Episode: #359 - Author Chat w/ Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

Hosts

Marvin Yueh
Host of Books and Boba; focuses on Asian American literature, book discussions, and publishing news.
Reera Yoo
Co-host focused on author interviews, book club discussions, and publishing industry news.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 231 ratings
  • Change the tone

    Would like to hear more about the authors, book background, and plots and characters.

    And less of the condescending opinions and tones of the hosts. The older woman host is especially insufferable and annoying with her personal grievances and insulting opinions and inserting her experiences into the conversation. Which takes away from the main focus of the podcast, which should be about the books being covered and the writers.

    The condescending and judgmental tones of the hosts seem to be gettin... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    1BLens
    United States2 months ago
  • Yes!!

    Thank you for the representation! I love the focus on Asian/Asian American authors. I actively seek AANHPI authors and my TBR is fuller bc of this podcast. Also so pleased to see favorite authors featured here. Very happy to have this in my ears! Mahalo nui ❤️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KalenaMed
    United Statesa year ago
  • Love this pod

    I love the idea of an AAPI podcast related to books. I listened to a handful so far and I love the book review ones the best. Most podcasts have only glowing reviews about every book so it’s nice to hear both the positive and negatives about a book before deciding to read it. Keep up the great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SeraphinaS100
    United Statesa year ago
  • They are the Boba!

    Reera and Marvin are the Boba! They give me all the same feels as a delightful Bubble Tea and they are cultivating more delectable and diverse reading experiences.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SquidInkyDink
    United States3 years ago
  • Boba?

    I was looking through Apple podcast and saw this and I was so excited because I love books and boba 🧋🧋🧋and then found found out there was no boba involved, i listened a bit and though5 it was a decent podcast but I am still very disappointed that there is no boba involved in this podcast because I really like boba and I think it’s good, I just don’t want other people who love boba to get scammed out of a boba podcast. Thank you for your consideration,

    A disappointed listener,

    The Boba Que... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Podcast Critic/ Boba Lover 🧋
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners note the show's strong book recommendations and community around book clubs.
Listeners praise diverse AAPI representation and the authors featured.
Fans love the warm, conversational banter between hosts and guests.
Audiences appreciate timely publishing news and cross-promotions within the network.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#100
United Arab Emirates/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#106
South Korea/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#126
Ukraine/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#144
Philippines/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#199
South Korea/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#210
United Arab Emirates/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#373 - Author Chat w/ Lynn D. Jung
Q: How did you balance Lark's loathing of her mentor with an attraction to what he can offer?
Lynn explains the mentor's charm is a mask for deeper flaws, and that the dynamic is nuanced, reflecting real-world power imbalances in academia and the complexity of surviving such relationships.
#373 - Author Chat w/ Lynn D. Jung
Q: Did you want to expand more on the Korean element of the magic system or keep it ambiguous?
She chose to keep it ambiguous to center Lark's perspective and to let magic remain folkloric and community-based rather than a grand scheme, while acknowledging its cultural roots.
#373 - Author Chat w/ Lynn D. Jung
Q: Why a Parisian university for your story, and what drew you to alchemy as the central system?
Her personal connection to Paris inspired the setting, and alchemy offered a natural fit for a science-meets-magic framework, allowing a rich historical backdrop and a structured magic system anchored in real-world chemistry and history.
#367 - Author Chat w/ Momo Yamaguchi
Q: How did Mika's internalized male gaze come to be depicted in the story?
I wanted to portray how a young woman absorbing the male gaze from media and culture can internalize it, shaping how she views herself and others, and I used Mika's voice and different narrative formats to show this tension and growth.
#367 - Author Chat w/ Momo Yamaguchi
Q: So for our listeners who aren't familiar with Hello, Limerence, can you give us a brief description of what your book is about?
The book follows a 24-year-old woman named Mika as she navigates her first experiences with love, a dead-end office life, and a chaotic social scene, using intrusive fantasies and a mix of formats (like scripts and documents) to reveal different aspects of her inner life and the world around her.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Books and Boba

What is Books and Boba about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A book-club oriented show centered on books by Asian and Asian American authors, blending author chats, book club-style discussions, and mid-month industry news. Episodes frequently pair in-depth conversations with publishing updates, coverage of trends in Asian American literature, and cross-promotion with other shows in the same network. Notable strengths include candid author interviews, a vibrant community ecosystem (Patreon/Discord/book club), and a warm, informal banter between hosts that keeps book conversations accessible while surfacing thoughtful insights about representation, publishing dynamics, and diaspora voices.

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How many listeners does Books and Boba get?

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What are the audience demographics for Books and Boba?

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How many subscribers and views does Books and Boba have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Books and Boba has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Books and Boba?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Books and Boba:

1. NPR's Book of the Day
2. The Book Review
3. Service95 Book Club With Dua Lipa
4. Sarah's Bookshelves Live
5. What Should I Read Next?

How many episodes of Books and Boba are there?

Books and Boba launched 10 years ago and published 381 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Books and Boba?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Books and Boba?

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What guests have appeared on Books and Boba?

Recent guests on Books and Boba include:

1. Lynn D. Jung
2. Elizabeth L. Shen
3. Julie Abe
4. Momo Yamaguchi
5. Susan Lee
6. Erin Baldwin
7. Tania Tay
8. Yejin Suh

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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