Amy Tan Reading Order
7 series · 49 books · Born 1952
Amy Tan is a prolific American writer celebrated for her contribution to contemporary literature, particularly in the realms of fiction and memoir. With a diverse portfolio spanning 49 titles across 7 series, including novels, novellas, and children's literature, her most acclaimed work remains The Joy Luck Club. Active from 1989 to 2024, Tan continues to explore themes of culture and identity in her storytelling.
Anthologies Series
Complete18 books (1992–2014)
Start with American Voices, the first of 18 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  American Voices 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  The Short Story: 30 Masterpieces 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Charlie Chan is Dead: An Anthology of Contemporary Asian American Fiction 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Growing Up Female: Stories By Women Writers From the American Mosaic 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Mid-life Confidential 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Out of the Mold 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | The Best American Short Stories 1999 1999Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 | The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction 1999Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | 40 Short Stories: A Portable Anthology 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  The Eloquent Essay 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Big City Cool: Short Stories About Urban Youth 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 | 40 Model Essays 2005Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  The Little Big Book of California 2005Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Rotten English 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 | First Words: Earliest Writing from Favorite Contemporary Authors 2009Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  The Boomer List 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
Children's Series
Complete2 books (1992–1994)
Start with The Moon Lady and read in order.
Non-Fiction Series
Ongoing4 books (2003–2024)
Start with The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings, the first of 4 books in the Non-Fiction series.
Selected Shorts Series
Complete17 books (1993–2012)
Start with For Better and for Worse, the first of 17 books in the Selected Shorts series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  For Better and for Worse 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | Even More Laughs 1998Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Timeless Classics 2006Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Edith Wharton 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Falling in Love 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Family Matters 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | Food Fictions 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Pets! 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Tales of Betrayal 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Travel Tales 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Are We There Yet? 2008Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 | A Touch of Magic 2009Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 | The William Hurt Collection 2009Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Whodunit? 2009Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | American Classics 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  New American Stories 2011Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Poe! 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete1 book (2012–2012)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rules for Virgins 2012Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete1 book (2002–2002)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Big City Cool: Short Stories About Urban Youth(With: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.,Walter Dean Myers,Judith Cofer,Neal Shusterman,Cherylene Lee,M. Jerry Weiss,Helen S. Weiss,Elennora Tate,Eugenia Collier,Paul Many,Michael Rosovsky) 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
Standalone Novels Series
Complete6 books (1989–2013)
Start with The Joy Luck Club, the first of 6 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Amy Tan written?
- Amy Tan has written 49 books across 7 series. Their published works span from 1989 to 2024.
- What is the first book in each Amy Tan series?
- Here are the first books in Amy Tan's series: Anthologies: American Voices; Children's: The Moon Lady; Non-Fiction: The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings; Selected Shorts: For Better and for Worse.
- What order should I read Amy Tan's books?
- We recommend reading Amy Tan's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Amy Tan still writing new books?
- Yes, Amy Tan has 1 ongoing series: Non-Fiction.