With brat summer coming to a close and demure fall peeking around the corner, Team EnVi reflects on the books that made the top of our summer reading lists. From time-travel tales and translated lit to novels for any foodie and manga for dark fantasy lovers, we rounded up eight books to read during the beach season and beyond.
A Bánh Mì For Two by Trinity Nguyen
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR
Publication Date: August 20, 2024
For some people, food is love. This is crystal clear in Trinity Nguyen’s debut young adult novel, A Bánh Mì For Two. Vietnamese American Vivi just wants to reconnect with her heritage, but her mom won’t talk about why she emigrated to the states. So Vivi takes the situation into her own hands and decides to study abroad in Sài Gòn — and tells her mom that she’s in Singapore. Meanwhile, Vietnam born-and-raised Lan helps run her family’s successful bánh mì stand, her father’s pride and joy before he unexpectedly passed away a few years ago. But ever since he died, Lan herself no longer finds joy in food and exploring her city’s culinary offerings, even though she runs a successful food blog called A Bánh Mì For Two.
Over the course of this sapphic romcom, Vivi and Lan grow closer (and closer) as they explore Sài Gòn — and personal and cultural memories — together through the food they eat. Get ready to experience the love between Vivi and Lan; their love for their city and their families; and, of course, their mutual love for good food. Oh, and you might want to have some tissues nearby — A Bánh Mì For Two pulls on your heartstrings too, not just your tastebuds.
Trinity Nguyen’s Socials: IG | X | website
— Sara C., Digital Editor
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Japanese Publisher: Weekly Shōnen Jump
English Publisher: Viz Media
Publication Date: March 5, 2018
Dedicated to all avid comic consumers and dark fantasy enjoyers, Japanese author Gege Akutami has a series perfectly suited for readers who love a bit of thrill in their lives. Acclaimed for its worldwide popularity and influence within the anime community, Gege has captured the hearts and eyes of millions with his hit shōnen series, Jujutsu Kaisen. Jam-packed with dark cursed energy, Jujutsu Kaisen is an impactful piece of literature that embodies the depths of the human psyche. Behind the suspenseful battles and detailed power systems, the series explores morality, human complexities, and, most importantly, curses.
Written and illustrated by Gege, Jujutsu Kaisen follows the story of Yuji Itadori, a first-year high school student who spends his days in the Occult Club’s flimsy paranormal ventures and tending to his grandfather in the hospital. That is until a so-called baseless phenomena becomes a horrid reality as Yuji encounters a cursed item of the demon Sukuna Ryoumen, the King of Curses. After swallowing the finger of Sukuna, Yuji triggers a chain effect of supernatural events and plunges into the world of curses — monstrous entities birthed from human malice and negativity. Witnessing the high threat curses have on society and humans, Yuji transfers into the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, a school for Jujutsu sorcerers. Here, he hones his newfound powers and walks down a path he could never return from — the path of a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Jujutsu Kaisen has been adapted into a 24-episode anime series with a movie and a second season. The manga is currently sitting on 267 chapters and is set to be completed in five chapters on September 30, 2024.
Bookworm tip from Team EnVi! No reader likes spoilers, especially when you have yet to open up the book itself. With the grand closing of Gege’s acclaimed series and new chapters making their way to fans, it’s best to avoid searching up the title alone or any related terminology to prevent spoilers coming your way.
Jujutsu Kaisen Socials: X (manga) | X (anime)
— Angela Ruedas, Music Writer
What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama, Translated by Alison Watts
English Publisher: Hanover Square Press
English Publication Date: September 5, 2023
What You Are Looking For Is In The Library presents five seemingly unconnected stories that revolve around Sayuri Komachi, a mysterious librarian with an extraordinary talent for recommending the perfect book for each reader. Each protagonist, who faces unique life challenges, finds solace and a renewed perspective through the transformative power of the books Sayuri recommends. The stories, while lightly interconnected, can be read independently, with the library serving as the central thread that ties them together.
The characters are diverse, each representing different stages of life — from recent graduates searching for their place in the world to retirees seeking purpose beyond their careers. Through their interactions with Sayuri and the books she provides, they rediscover the importance of community, open communication, and the value of positive, supportive relationships. This focus on meaningful connections stands out as a refreshing contrast to the individualism prevalent in society, offering a message of hope and kindness.
Although Sayuri Komachi remains somewhat enigmatic (with her character only briefly explored), her role as a catalyst for change in the lives of the protagonists is clear. The book’s emphasis on community and the small acts of kindness that foster trust and connection is heartwarming. It leaves readers with a sense of peace, contentment, and a renewed appreciation for the people in their lives.
— Carissa Alfiora, ACT!ON Writer
Michiko Aoyama’s Socials: IG
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Publisher: Avid Reader Press
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
There are books where you know the author had a fun time writing, and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley is one of them. As noted in her acknowledgements, as well as in multiple interviews, Bradley’s debut began with her love for Commander Graham Gore. In search for more information on Gore, she found herself a community of polar expedition enthusiasts. These were the people she would come to share her small stories about Gore encountering 21st century London. When encouraged by her readers and friends to turn this into a bigger project, Bradley gathered her ideas into what we now know as The Ministry of Time.
The novel is set in the near-distant future where Britain has made time travel possible. A British-Cambodian civil servant is recruited for a government ministry that retrieves people from history, also known as expats. Tasked to be a “bridge” who is required to live with and help the expats adjust to modern day living, our nameless protagonist finds herself the bridge for Commander Graham Gore.
The most available information on Gore is his death on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 Arctic expedition. So when the 19th century commander must move in with the bridge in The Ministry of Time, ideals are bound to clash. What was initially an incredibly awkward roommate scenario blossomed into a deeper connection neither the bridge or commander expected. However, when the ministry’s sinister plan comes to light, the bridge is faced with the consequences of love — and what it means to change the future.
Sharp and witty, The Ministry of Time utilizes humor to explore imperialism, cultural assimilation, climate change, and inherited trauma. Bradley has spun a genre-bending tale that is as gripping as it is hopeful, with the novel’s urgent questions transcending the space-time continuum.
— Thy, Culture Writer
Return of the Blossoming Blade by Biga, Art Adaptation by LICO
Publisher: WEBTOON
Publication Date: June 17, 2021
As the plum blossoms began to bloom in the spring of 2021, so did the journey of Return of the Blossoming Blade. The action-packed world of South Korean author Biga’s martial art novel series blooms to life through STUDIO LICO’s comic adaptation. Also known as The Return of the Mount Hua Sect, the web novel was originally written on Naver in 2019 and is currently ongoing with 1760+ chapters. The online novel was soon serialized on WEBTOON’s comic platform with its first season released on March 23, 2021. It was later followed by an animated trailer and various original soundtracks and animations dedicated to the series.
Standing as the 13th disciple of Mount Hua Sect, Cheongmyeong is one of the three greatest swordsmen on Earth, renowned for his martial prowess and legacy as the Master of the Blossoming Blade. But, with immense power comes great responsibility. The leader of the Demonic Cult Cheonma, however, breeds a blood-stained war — resulting in the close demise of the Ten Great Sects of ancient China. After enduring a battle to the death, Cheongmyeong claims the life of the martial world’s greatest evil, but succumbs to his fatal wounds in the process. Full of regret from the clan’s offset victory, Cheongmyeong awakens a century later to his second chance at life.
Cheongmyeong faces the shocking news of his beloved Mount Hua Sects decline in glory and the shift of the Ten Great Sects. Carrying the facet of sacred Mount Hua through his sword and faith, Cheongmyeong sets off on a journey to restore Mount Hua from a century of oblivion and to its former glory as one of the ten great sects.
Possessing an array of visually diverse characters and poignant storytelling in both novel and comic form, Return of the Blossoming Blade reigns as a story of human frailty, unwavering faith, and the power of bonds among friends.
STUDIO LICO’s Socials: IG | TK | X | YT | Website
— Angela Ruedas, Music Writer
Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng Zǐ, Translated by Lin King
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Publication Date: November 12, 2024
History lovers and food lovers: it’s our time to shine. Taiwan Travelogue by Taiwanese writer Yáng Shuāng Zǐ was originally published in Mandarin Chinese in 2020 and received a Golden Tripod Award, the highest literary honor in Taiwan. This November, the English translation of the novel presented as a Mandarin “translation of a rediscovered text by a Japanese writer” will be released. Through the crisp 320-paged book, readers dive into the little-known colonial history — at least by people outside of Taiwan — of the island nation.
Taiwan Travelogue opens in May 1938 and follows Aoyama Chizuko, a well-known Japanese novelist who journeys to Taiwan with the support of the Japanese government. At this time, Japan is the ruling colonial power in Taiwan — locations have Japanese names, as do many Taiwanese people. Complete with translator introductions, footnotes, editor’s notes, and an afterword, the novel is framed as an English translation of a Mandarin translation of a Japanese work of fiction (yes, our head spun, too, hearing this for the first time).
As Chizuko travels around Taiwan for her book tour — while feeding the “monster” in her stomach — she is accompanied by her translator, a Taiwanese woman who shares the same characters in Chizuko’s name. Ō Chizuru, or Ông Tshian-hóh in Taiwanese, is poised and knowledgeable yet frustratingly secretive. While Chizuru introduces Chizuko to a wealth of Taiwanese food and stories, the translator is more tight-lipped about sharing her own history. As the two women journey around the island, they start to peel back layers of history, colonialism, language, and power dynamics.
Yáng Shuāng Zǐ’s Socials: IG | X | FB | Blog
Lin King’s Socials: IG | X | website
— Sara C., Digital Editor
Guardian: Zhen Hun by priest, Translated by Yuka, Shry, amixy
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Publication Date: August 29, 2023
A trilogy series of supernatural investigations and irresistible passion? Sign us up! From the award-winning Chinese author of the steampunk series Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang and wuxia novel Faraway Wanderers (the inspiration for the popular live action Chinese drama Word of Honor), priest’s hit modern fantasy series Guardian: Zhen Hun invites readers into a world of law and order among the dead and living. Although originally written in 2012, the paranormal mystery danmei has been translated into multiple languages and has inspired the live-action Chinese drama of the same name. So if you’re in the mood for a story packed with thrilling mysteries, heart-pounding romance, and riveting storytelling, then this classic priest novel is the right fit for your shelf.
Officially translated in English for the first time, Guardian: Zhen Hun is set in the metropolis of Dragon City. As head director of the Special Investigations Department (SID) and the Guardian to the Soul-Guarding Order, Zhao Yunlan is responsible for overseeing all supernatural matters within the Mortal Realm. Although adopting a presumptuous personality, Zhao Yunlan possesses an arcane mythical knowledge and a keen mind for all that’s unsolved. During an investigation at Dragon City University, Zhao Yunlan crosses paths with Professor Shen Wei — a gentle man full of dark secrets. Compelled by his beauty and mysterious reservation, Zhao Yunlan shamelessly pursues Shen Wei despite Shen Wei’s attempt to keep distance. As the two men are caught tangled up in puzzling events, their connection becomes impossible to ignore as their burning attraction grows hotter by the second.
Priest’s Socials: Weibo
— Angela Ruedas, Music Writer
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood
English Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
English Publication Date: February 13, 2024
“What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?”
In Kyoto’s Shomen-dori district, where the traditional and the mysterious intertwine, sits Kamogawa Diner, a culinary haven like no other. This unassuming eatery, devoid of any signage, is more than just a place to enjoy fine food — it’s the front for the Kamogawa Detective Agency. Run by the father-daughter duo, Nagare Kamogawa and Koishi Kamogawa, the diner serves as both a gastronomic delight and a detective agency.
Nagare, with his deep knowledge of traditional Japanese cuisine, delights in recounting the intricate details of each dish, from “stewed arame and deep-fried tofu” to “Hirosu tofu ball in broth.” His passion for cooking is matched only by his skill in tracing the culinary memories of his customers. Each dish serves as a gateway to uncovering the personal histories and hidden stories of the customers, whether they yearn for a taste of their mother’s cooking or the flavor of a cherished childhood restaurant.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives blends the art of cooking with the craft of sleuthing. Unraveling the mysteries of the past one plate at a time, their diner quietly maintains its allure as a secret sanctuary for those in the know. This book is light and heartwarming, exploring in-depth topics of food, memories, and fate.
— Syiva Zahra, Culture Writer
Want more reading recommendations? Check out more of EnVi’s fiery book recs here!
