Photos / Chloe and the Kaishao Boys, The Hurricane Wars, Some People Need Killing
Three books written by Filipino authors are included in Best Books of 2023 lists in the US and the UK.
These are Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto, The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon, and Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista.
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is included in the New York Public Library’s ten best books for teens.
(RELATED: I Enjoyed “Chloe and the Kaishao Boys” Even if I’m Not a Teen Chinoy)
Coyiuto’s novel follows Chloe Liang, a Filipino-Chinese teenager whose dream of becoming an animator in the United States gets within reach when she is accepted at the University of Southern California. This goes against being the perfect daughter, which means staying in Manila, studying business management, and joining the family company.
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Before she goes, her father sets Chloe up on one awkward kaishao (arranged date) after another, intent on finding her the perfect escort for her eighteenth birthday party. She must decide if following her dreams is worth everything — and everyone — she’ll leave behind.
(RELATED: Mae Coyiuto, Author of “Chloe and the Kaishao Boys,” Discusses the Kaishao Culture)
The Hurricane Wars, meanwhile, is one of Barnes & Noble’s and Waterstones’ best books of 2023. Barnes & Noble is the largest bookstore chain in the US, while Waterstones operates some of the biggest stores in the UK. Its Picadilly branch is said to be the biggest bookstore in London and Europe.
Guanzon’s book was included in Barnes & Noble’s list of The Best Romantasy to Cure Your Fourth Wing Hangover. It is also part of Waterstones’ Best of 2023 list in the Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror category.
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The Hurricane Wars is set in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor under the Hurricane Wars. Talasyn is an orphan who found her family among the soldiers fighting for freedom. She also holds a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.
Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty shadow magic. He discovers the most significant threat yet in Talasyn: a girl burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. The book is noted for its Filipino elements.
(RELATED: Here Are the Filipino Elements in the Fantasy New York Times Bestseller “The Hurricane Wars”)
Guanzon previously made waves in the local publishing scene when The Hurricane Wars was named a New York Times bestseller in its first week. It ranked #12 in the Hardcover Fiction list, joining literary luminaries such as Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Ann Patchett, Ken Follett, Barbara Kingsolver, and Brandon Sanderson.
The book is also a TikTok favorite, with over 4.2 million views on the #thehurricanewars hashtag.
(RELATED: Filipino Author Thea Guanzon Is on The New York Times Bestseller List for “The Hurricane Wars”)
Lastly, Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country was named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker, Time, and the Chicago Public Library. It is also one of The New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of 2023 and one of the 10 Best Books of 2023.
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The memoir is described as “Evangelista’s meticulously reported and deeply human chronicle of the Philippines’ drug war. For six years, Evangelista chronicled the killings carried out by police and vigilantes in the name of Duterte’s war on drugs—a war that has led to the slaughter of thousands—immersing herself in the world of killers and survivors and capturing the atmosphere of fear created when an elected president decides that some lives are worth less than others.”
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