Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

After an abrupt and messy divorce, unemployed ex-paralegal Guy Watanabe drifts through life drinking and finding meaning only in karaoke; indeed, he holds the title of Seattle's first-ever Karaoke King. When a beautiful and enigmatic one-night stand runs off with his chintzy medal and his heart, Guy stops at nothing to find her. His journey takes him across the western U.S. and into Asia, through glitzy karaoke clubs, fake Bavarian villages, and Salt Lake City's Mormon Temple, and deep into the reasons behind his own crushing bitterness and ennui. Although a meandering plot and a main character who is by turns selfish, thick-headed, and almost unbelievably myopic weigh down this first novel, Taw's keen ear for dialogue and catalog of sharply drawn characters including a misanthropic ex-porn-star dwarf, feral five-year-old, and Thai former prostitute with a tragic past and a Machiavellian spirit keep the pages turning. A predominantly Asian American cast may also be of interest to readers hungering for rounded (if rarely flattering) portrayals of people of color.--Vanderhooft, JoSelle Copyright 2010 Booklist