The cover of 'Johnny Hiro.'
Adhouse Books

Lizards, New York, and love all play major roles in Fred Chao's Johnny Hiro.

Fred Chao's Johnny Hiro is a love story.

On its surface, it's about the love its titular hero, a hapless busboy in a Manhattan Japanese restaurant, feels for his girlfriend, Mayumi. But at its (large and generous) heart, Johnny Hiro is about the love Johnny — and the author, clearly — feel for New York City.