A Gift Guide: Books by Filipino Authors
This holiday season, why not give these books as gifts to Filipinos and non-Filipinos so we all may #filtheshelves?
Salthouse Place (Mystery, Lake Union Publishing, 2023)
Three best friends spend a day at the lake but only two come home. One of them is Delia Albio who is haunted by what happened to Dee. The third friend, Cara, reaches out years later with some information. On the day they were to meet, Cara disappears. This prompts Delia to look for her in a women’s empowerment group that turns out to be a cult. Delia simply wants her questions answered but ends up with her life in danger.
This is the debut novel of Jamie Lee Sogn who is based in the Pacific Northwest and Seattle. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Oregon School of Law and is a “recovering attorney” who writes contracts by day and fiction by night.
Twelve Hours in Manhattan (Romance, She Writes Press, 2023)
K-drama fans, have you fantasized about meeting your favorite lead actor in real life? This happens to Bianca Marie Curtis one evening in New York City. She wants to escape the ordinariness of her life, while Park Hyun Min just wants a break from fame. They succeed, but when their limited time together is up, the flame of their attraction, the possibility of romance, is threatened.
It's written by Maan Gabriel who is based in suburban Washington, DC. She works in Strategic Communications and is an advocate for women’s stories in literature.
Steady Sarah (Fiction, Penguin Random House, 2024)
Sarah Silvestre is an ambitious workaholic. She is known as “Steady Sarah” because she has her entire life planned out. But when a series of unfortunate events happens, such as a lay-off and a break-up, will she remain as steady? Maybe you know someone like her? Or maybe that girl, is you? Join her on her quest for a new identity (after the old one was tethered to her career, relationship, and societal responsibilities); a highlight includes a trip around the Philippines and discovering its secret waterfalls.
It’s written by Justine Camacho-Tajonera, a marketing professional with an M.A. in English Literature, who is based in the Philippines
Everything We Never Had (Young Adult Fiction, Kokila, 2024)
This engrossing novel is about four generations of Maghabol boys and their life in America at different time periods. In 1930, Francisco, a laborer, questions his decision to leave the Philippines. In 1965, his son, Emil, is a working student determined to succeed in America no matter the cost. In 1983, Emil’s son, Chris, is a student resenting his very controlling father who never taught him about the Philippines, believing this to be un-American and not important. In 2020, Chris’ son, Enzo, is an anxiety-ridden student learning how to heal the decades-long rift between his father and grandfather.
Each one struggles with identity, masculinity, and the ideal father-son relationship. But are their choices justified if all they want is to give their son the life they never had?
The book is written by Randy Ribay who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an award-winning author of young adult fiction. Both his novels Everything We Never Had and Patron Saints of Nothing were nominated for the National Book Award.
Kailani’s Gift (Children’s Book, Waterbrook, 2024)
Kailani, the family’s little sister, is learning how to dance the Tinikling. She wants to perform it for her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Dancing together with her older brother and sister would be the perfect gift, but will she learn it in time? Their family reunion shows how Filipino culture and traditions are kept alive even if they no longer live in the Philippines.
This is by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young from California, a full-time writer of picture books and non-fiction books. She is also the author of Cora Cooks Pancit.
The pages are brought to life by Lynnor Bontigao, a full-time illustrator, who resides in New Jersey. She is also the author and illustrator of Sari-Sari Summers.
Lolo’s Sari-Sari Store (Children’s Book, Atheneum, 2023)
A little girl spends her summers with her lolo (grandfather) tending his sari-sari store (neighborhood convenience store). Through his example of filling his store with what people need, being a listening ear, and treating everyone with trust and compassion, she quickly learns the value of helping the community. When she moves abroad, see how her memories with lolo help her overcome homesickness and adjust to her new life.
This is by Sophia N. Lee who writes books for kids and kids at heart. She is a creative writing instructor and is also the author of Holding On. The lively images are by Christine Almeda, a freelance illustrator and character designer with over 20 books to her name. She is from New Jersey.
A Very Asian Guide to Filipino Food (Children’s Book, Gloo Books, 2023)
If you want to introduce Filipino food to young readers or anyone not familiar with our cuisine, this is the book to give them.
It’s part of the Very Asian Guide Series that intends to cultivate kids’ curiosity and empathy through learning about different foods and cultures. The friendly illustrations, such as how our noodle dish looks like or how we eat our fried chicken, make it an easy starting point for little ones. They learn pronunciation and Tagalog phrases like kain tayo (let’s eat), ingredients and cooking methods, and recipes like Bibingka and Adobo.
The book is written and illustrated by Amira Humes who is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is an illustrator and designer whose passion is to explore culture through cuisine.
Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Essays and Poetry, HarperCollins, 2024)
This is one of Barnes and Noble’s “Best Memoirs of 2024,” a collection of essays capturing taste memories. Each chapter is about a food that takes us back to a specific moment in the author’s life. To her, lumpia (fried spring rolls) is, “knowing it was made by someone who celebrates me and my mother’s heritage, and with that carries a hint of replicating her care and attention for me. It means, too, that I’m likely at a party.” On her love for halo-halo (shaved ice dessert), “Maybe because in Tagalog halo-halo means mix-mix, I carry a special fondness for it. After all, my mom married a man from India…so I am mix-mix too. And because I married the sweetest white man from Kansas, our boys are also mix-mix!”
Her enthusiasm and nostalgia are palpable, and a recurring theme is the feeling of looking different in a neighborhood of white people. It will leave us hungry while nudging us to be more present so that we too can build our own library of taste memories and appreciate how food is really an act of love.
It’s by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, a New York Times bestselling author, essayist, and poet who lives in Oxford, Mississippi. She is also a professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Mississippi’s MFA program where she is the recipient of the faculty’s Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award.
Pacita Abad (Art Book, Walker Art Center, 2023)
Pacita Abad (1946-2004) was a Filipina American artist whose masterpieces include paintings, textiles, and works on paper. She left for the U.S. in 1970 to escape political violence from the Marcos dictatorship. Her travels across the world influenced the subjects and techniques she used in her practice. To experience what she made in her lifetime, her traveling retrospective across North America is on its final leg at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto until January 19, 2025.
An accompanying exhibition catalogue entitled Pacita Abad is a coffee table book showing her extensive creation of more than 5,000 artworks and over 60 global solo exhibitions. It’s a photo album that includes her never-before-seen works, essays and commentaries from family members, art historians, and museum curators. It was named one of Bookforum’s “Best Art Books of 2023.” If you want to give a gift to a collector of books or art, this would be a prized addition to their library.
Claire Mercado-Obias is a writer, food stylist and pastry chef based in New Jersey.
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