Dear Readers,

If there was ever a week that personified the old adage April showers bring May flowers, this is the one! It's simply beautiful outside and we've got lots of new-on-the-shelf goodness, perfect for enjoying in lazy afternoon sunshine or with early morning coffee β€” whatever suits your fancy! Scroll down for the latest.

For this week's Friday Five we're honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Our front cube is filled with many of our favorites and we hope you'll come in and have a look. The below list is nowhere near comprehensive but it does feature newly released suggestions that we love.

On the event front, we've had some inquiries from folks who missed our virtual conversations β€” no fear! Many are available on demand on our Crowdcast channel. And of course, if you want to know what's happening in between newsletters, feel free to check in via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Be well.
Friday Five
First up: Crying in H Mart which I devoured in a weekend. It's not what I'd call a happy read but reading it made me happy, if that makes sense? This memoir by Michelle Zauner (aka Japanese Breakfast) focuses the waning days of her mother's life. Raw emotional scenes are coupled with the most dazzling descriptions of food, a central character in the tale. Zauner's travels to South Korea and relationships with her extended family are equally compelling. A beautiful exploration of life, death, and complex family relationships.

Next up, a YA book for the mix. Tokyo Ever After comes out on Tuesday and is getting all sorts of buzz. Word on the street is that it's Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians and it's on every most-anticipated list we can find. If live with someone between the ages of 12 and 18 or you simply want a fun escape from everyday life, this is a good pick.

The latest book from Mieko Kawakami is Heaven, a sharp departure from Breasts and Eggs which I chatted about with Darien's own Rosecrans Baldwin (who has his own book coming out in June) in the Tournament of Books earlier this year. This book is different. Tough. And yet, I can't stop thinking about it. The focus is on two young people who are not, to put it mildly, having a good go of it in school. They are different. They are bullied. And yet, they find minor moments of salve, binding together in a kind of community. Not an easy read but an important one.

For the next pick, I'm reaching back to January to one of my favorite books of the year thus far. Burnt Sugar is another mother/daughter narrative (fictional) that toggles between past and present as a grown daughter is called to care for her increasingly forgetful mother. This task is complicated by the fact that her mother, an artist and less-than-stellar caregiver didn't prioritize motherhood as a vocation. A stunningly beautiful read that poses important questions about caregiving and forgiveness.

Finally, I'm adding Dial A for Aunties to my beach bag this summer. Having not read it, here's what I know: woman goes on a blind date. Woman accidentally kills blind date. Woman rings her mother and aunties for help and hilarity ensues. Sounds like the perfect escape hatch for anyone needing a quick departure from reality.

Before I go, I feel compelled to share that the reviews are in for Daniel James Brown's new book Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II and they are *fantastic.* Michael Schaub (NPR) says: "a fascinating account of some of the bravest Americans who ever lived, and a sobering reminder of a dark chapter in American history β€” years of anti-Asian racism that, as we're reminded daily, never really went away ... ... more than just the story of a group of young men whose valor helped save a country that spurned them, it's a fascinating, expertly written look at selfless heroes who emerged from one of the darkest periods of American history β€” soldiers the likes of which this country may never see again."
New on the Shelf: Fiction
New on the Shelf: Nonfiction
Featured Kid Pick: Stamped (For Kids)
Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi have delivered with this volume about Racism and Antiracism for the youngest set yet. A combination of history and, in the words of the authors, "a present book, about the here and now. A book about every day. A book to help us learn about the history of racism in the United States. A book to help us think about ourselves and to understand that freedom and justice have to be fought for continuously. And it's up to us to continue this work." A focus group of one ten-year-old in my household gave it two thumbs up. An accessible and important read.