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Giovanni's Room
Reading

Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin
★★★★★ 5
Fiction
2024

“ A heartbreakingly pure classic about love, shame, and self-identity. ”

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The Wall
Reading

The Wall

Marlen Haushofer
★★★★★ 5
Dystopian
2024

“ How a woman survives and thinks alone behind an invisible wall. The ultimate solitude. ”

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Love You Like Love Life
Read

Love You Like Love Life

Wang Xiaobo
★★★★★ 5
Letters
2017

“ The purest and most passionate love letters I have ever read. ”

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Why Libraries Matter
Read

Why Libraries Matter

Yang Suqiu
★★★★★ 5
Non-fiction
2024

“ A moving story of an idealistic professor building a library against all odds. ”

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Vivian Maier Developed
Read

Vivian Maier Developed

Colin Westerbeck
★★★★★ 4
Photography
2024

“ The legendary life of the nanny photographer who saw humanity through her lens. ”

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To Live
Read

To Live

Yu Hua
★★★★★ 5
Classic

“ Man lives for the sake of living itself, not for anything else. ”

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The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
Read

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store

Keigo Higashino
★★★★★ 4
Fiction

“ The inner bonds of modern people; every small act of kindness can change a life. ”

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Norwegian Wood
Read

Norwegian Wood

Haruki Murakami
★★★★★ 5
Fiction

“ Death exists, not as the opposite of life, but as a part of it. A melancholic tale of youth, loss, and growth. ”

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Walrus Diary
★ 5
Wish
Walrus Diary
Graphic Novel
Wu Dong
Warm and healing daily fragments, a fairy tale for adults.
Us Three
★ 9.3
Reading
Us Three
Memoir
2003
Yang Jiang
A touching memoir of a family of three, capturing decades of love, companionship, and the eventual parting. Deeply moving in its simplicity.
You Have Your Plans, The World Has Its Own
★ 7.9
Reading
You Have Your Plans, The World Has Its Own
Psychology
2019
Wan Weigang
Wan Weigang analyzes scientific decision-making in a complex world, helping us break free from mediocre thinking patterns.
13 Steps
★ 8.5
Reading
13 Steps
Mystery
2020
Kazuaki Takano
A social mystery reflecting deeply on the death penalty system. Tense pacing and thought-provoking.
Catfish
★ 5
Reading
Catfish
Memoir
2024
Joan Chen
A stunning memoir by Joan Chen, capturing family history and personal growth.
Giovanni's Room
★ 5
Reading
Giovanni's Room
Fiction
2024
James Baldwin
A heartbreakingly pure classic about love, shame, and self-identity.
The Wall
★ 5
Reading
The Wall
Dystopian
2024
Marlen Haushofer
How a woman survives and thinks alone behind an invisible wall. The ultimate solitude.
Don't think too much
★ 8
Reading
Don't think too much
Natori Hougen
Even if others disappoint me, it's no big deal; I should never embarrass myself when things happen.
Japan as a Mirror
★ 8
Reading
Japan as a Mirror
Social Science
Analyst Boden
Through a detailed analysis of various industries such as education, health, and medical care in Japan's 'lost three decades' bubble economy era, the root causes of various social problems in Japan are sorted out.
Love You Like Love Life
★ 5
Read
Love You Like Love Life
Letters
2017
Wang Xiaobo
The purest and most passionate love letters I have ever read.
Why Libraries Matter
★ 5
Read
Why Libraries Matter
Non-fiction
2024
Yang Suqiu
A moving story of an idealistic professor building a library against all odds.
Vivian Maier Developed
★ 4
Read
Vivian Maier Developed
Photography
2024
Colin Westerbeck
The legendary life of the nanny photographer who saw humanity through her lens.
The Common People
★ 4
Read
The Common People
Fiction
Cai Chongda
Cai Chongda returns to his hometown, depicting the lives of people on the Fujian coast.
Vessel
★ 4
Read
Vessel
Essays
Cai Chongda
The body is meant to be used, not to be served.
My Mother the Cleaner
★ 5
Read
My Mother the Cleaner
Non-fiction
Zhang Xiaoman
Seeing the 'invisible' people; a re-examination of the mother-daughter relationship.
Journey Under the Midnight Sun
★ 5
Read
Journey Under the Midnight Sun
Mystery
Keigo Higashino
I just want to walk under the sun, hand in hand.
Love Letter
★ 5
Read
Love Letter
Romance
Shunji Iwai
How are you? I am fine. The ultimate romance of unrequited love and memory.
Good Morning, Monster
★ 5
Read
Good Morning, Monster
Psychology
Catherine Gildiner
Five heroic stories about trauma, courage, and self-healing.
The Power of Depression
★ 4
Read
The Power of Depression
Psychology
Izumiya Kanji
Depression is not a disease, but a signal from the body to rest.
The Eve of the Three Kingdoms
★ 4
Read
The Eve of the Three Kingdoms
History
Zhang Xiangrong
Understanding the politics of the gentry is key to the power games of the Three Kingdoms.
I Dreamt in Chinese
★ 4
Read
I Dreamt in Chinese
Essays
Alessandro
When a language enters your blood, it changes the way you see the world.
Imaginary Sea
★ 5
Read
Imaginary Sea
Stories
Zhu Yue
Mind-bending philosophical fantasies, a Borgesian labyrinth.
Hidden in the Wild
★ 4
Read
Hidden in the Wild
History
Ya Shalong
Seeing the fate of ordinary people through the cracks of history.
Possible Worlds
★ 5
Read
Possible Worlds
Travel
Yang Xiao
Searching for the possibility of connection in a divided world.
Higher Than Mountains
★ 5
Read
Higher Than Mountains
Mountaineering
Song Mingwei
An epic of free climbers, about finding freedom and self-limits.
The Temptation of Borders
★ 4
Read
The Temptation of Borders
Non-fiction
Bai Lin
Walking on the edges of Central Europe, recording forgotten pains.
Aging While Eating
★ 5
Read
Aging While Eating
Food Essays
Liang Shiqiu
Life is just about eating and drinking; wisdom from the modest cottage.
Stet: An Editor's Life
★ 5
Read
Stet: An Editor's Life
Memoir
Diana Athill
A candid confession of a great editor about books, love, and old age.
The Red Tickets of Kangxi
★ 4
Read
The Red Tickets of Kangxi
History
Sun Litian
A glimpse into the clash of civilizations during the Kangxi era.
The Winter of Literature
★ 5
Read
The Winter of Literature
History
Uwe Wittstock
1933: The fate of German writers in the 33 days after Hitler took power.
Cold Water Pit
★ 4
Read
Cold Water Pit
Fiction
Jin Te
The biting cold wind of Northeast China; a raw narrative of the underclass.
Tumultuous Fire and Water
★ 4
Read
Tumultuous Fire and Water
Fiction
Lin Gesheng
About women, desire, and the dilemmas of contemporary life.
The Reunion
★ 4
Read
The Reunion
Fiction
Yang Yunsu
The tragicomedy of a Chinese family, delicate and real.
When I Sing, Mountains Dance
★ 4
Read
When I Sing, Mountains Dance
Fiction
Irene Solà
Spiritual Catalan literature, a magical poem where everything has a soul.
Zoli
★ 4
Read
Zoli
Fiction
Laird Hunt
A forgotten Roma singer, a wandering history in search of home.
Outlying Islands
★ 4
Read
Outlying Islands
Travel
Ku Suo
Finding another time scale of life on Japan's outlying islands.
Through the Air of Nothingness
★ 4
Read
Through the Air of Nothingness
Poetry
Margaret Atwood
Atwood's poetic sharpness pierces the surface of life.
Knot of Life and Death
★ 4
Read
Knot of Life and Death
Fiction
Yin Xueyun
The myriad faces of grassroots bureaucracy; the entanglement of human nature.
To Live
★ 5
Read
To Live
Classic
Yu Hua
Man lives for the sake of living itself, not for anything else.
The Three-Body Problem
★ 5
Read
The Three-Body Problem
Sci-Fi
Cixin Liu
Give civilization to the years, not years to civilization. The pinnacle of Chinese sci-fi.
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
★ 4
Read
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
Fiction
Keigo Higashino
The inner bonds of modern people; every small act of kindness can change a life.
The Story of the Stone
★ 5
Read
The Story of the Stone
Classic
Cao Xueqin
Pages full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears. Understanding the Red Chamber means understanding the destiny of Chinese culture.
Elon Musk
★ 4
Read
Elon Musk
Biography
Walter Isaacson
A crazy history of adventure, paranoia, and genius; understanding the 'demonic' innovator of our time.
American Prometheus
★ 5
Read
American Prometheus
Biography
Kai Bird
American Prometheus; the glory and tragedy of the fire-stealer.
The Worlds I See
★ 4
Read
The Worlds I See
Memoir
Fei-Fei Li
The memoir of the Godmother of AI; a story about science, immigration, and finding one's North Star.
The Journey to the South
★ 4
Read
The Journey to the South
Historical Fiction
Ma Boyong
Exploring the secrets of the Han Empire amidst the smoke and fire of Lingnan; food and love are not to be betrayed.
Wordslut
★ 4
Read
Wordslut
Social Science
Amanda Montell
How women take back language; a satisfying linguistic counterattack.
The Museum of Unconditional Surrender
★ 4
Read
The Museum of Unconditional Surrender
Essays
Dubravka Ugrešić
A museum of exile, memory, and fragments; picking up life in the ruins of history.
Norwegian Wood
★ 5
Read
Norwegian Wood
Fiction
Haruki Murakami
Death exists, not as the opposite of life, but as a part of it. A melancholic tale of youth, loss, and growth.
Life is Like a Sea
★ 8.5
Read
Life is Like a Sea
Fiction
Mai Jia
Life is like the ocean, always with its ups and downs; finding the touch of heroism amidst despair.
Fortress Besieged
★ 9.3
Read
Fortress Besieged
Classic
Qian Zhongshu
Those outside the fortress want to break in, while those inside want to escape. Marriage and career are both the same.
Wen Cheng
★ 7.9
Read
Wen Cheng
Fiction
Yu Hua
A story about search, promise, and warmth in a desolate era; Yu Hua's return to his pinnacle.
The Seventh Day
★ 7.1
Read
The Seventh Day
Fiction
Yu Hua
Examining the absurdity and cruelty of reality from a post-mortem perspective, cold yet compassionate.
Malice
★ 8.6
Read
Malice
Mystery
Keigo Higashino
Bottomless malice, more chilling than any specific motive.
The Litchi Road
★ 8.5
Read
The Litchi Road
Historical Fiction
Ma Boyong
The workplace struggles of minor characters in a great era; the cruel logic behind the 'lychee arrival'.
The Great White Venus is Worried
★ 9
Read
The Great White Venus is Worried
Satire
Ma Boyong
A workplace deconstruction of the Journey to the West; Li Changgeng's promotion story mirrors our reality.
Not Blown Down by the Gale
★ 7.1
Read
Not Blown Down by the Gale
Essays
Mo Yan
When life encounters a gale, only a resilient soul can stand firm.
Memories of the Past
★ 8.5
Read
Memories of the Past
Essays
Li Juan
Exquisite fragments of wilderness life; reading Li Juan always releases a sense of primal vitality.
The Lost Daughter
★ 8.7
Read
The Lost Daughter
Fiction
Elena Ferrante
A bone-chilling analysis of the dark side of motherhood; the painful process of female self-discovery.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
★ 9.1
Read
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Science
Yuval Noah Harari
From the cognitive revolution to the biological revolution, re-examining humanity's place in history.
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind
★ 8.3
Read
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind
Psychology
Gustave Le Bon
The crowd is not good at reasoning, but eager to act. A classic study of group psychology.
The Stranger
★ 9
Read
The Stranger
Classic
Albert Camus
Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know. The ultimate expression of existential absurdity.
Educated
★ 8.7
Read
Educated
Memoir
Tara Westover
Education is not just the accumulation of knowledge, but the awakening and reconstruction of self-awareness.
A Global History
★ 9.3
Read
A Global History
History
L. S. Stavrianos
From prehistory to the 21st century, a global overview of the evolution of human civilization.
The Razor's Edge
★ 9.1
Read
The Razor's Edge
Classic
W. Somerset Maugham
The path of one seeking spiritual liberation; the razor's edge is sharp and difficult to cross.
The Little Prince
★ 9.1
Read
The Little Prince
Fable
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Only with the heart can one see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
Siddhartha
★ 9.1
Read
Siddhartha
Philosophy
Hermann Hesse
I once obeyed my body, and the body finally obeyed my soul. A journey of awakening.
Walden
★ 8.9
Read
Walden
Philosophy
Henry David Thoreau
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately. The ultimate longing for simplicity and nature.
The Painted Veil
★ 8.7
Read
The Painted Veil
Classic
W. Somerset Maugham
Searching for redemption in love and pity on the brink of betrayal and death.
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks
★ 8
Read
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks
Social Science
Yuval Noah Harari
From the Stone Age to the AI age, exploring how information networks have shaped our world.
The Spy and the Traitor
★ 9.3
Read
The Spy and the Traitor
History
Ben Macintyre
The greatest spy story of the Cold War era, more legendary than any fiction.
Biography of Zeng Guofan
★ 8.5
Read
Biography of Zeng Guofan
Biography
Zhang Hongjie
How an ordinary person achieved immortality through self-refinement.
Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung
★ 9.5
Read
Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung
Politics
Mao Zedong
The pinnacle of dialectics and methodology, essential for understanding modern China.
Das Kapital
★ 9.1
Read
Das Kapital
Philosophy
Karl Marx
A monumental work revealing the underlying logic of capitalism.
Twenty-Four Histories
★ 9.6
Read
Twenty-Four Histories
History
Ouyang Xiu et al.
The grand blueprint of Chinese civilization, the ultimate coordinates for understanding Chinese history.
The Lost Three Hundred Years
★ 8.5
Read
The Lost Three Hundred Years
History
Zhang Xiangrong
China's choices and missed opportunities between openness and isolation after the Age of Discovery.
Classic of Mountains and Seas
★ 8.8
Read
Classic of Mountains and Seas
Art
Shan Ze
Stunning illustrations reshape the world of Shanhaijing; a visual feast of ancient beasts.
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
★ 8.7
Read
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator
Finance
Edwin Lefèvre
The bible of trading; eternal lessons on human nature, patience, and market laws.
The Complete Works of Lu Xun
★ 9.7
Read
The Complete Works of Lu Xun
Classic
Lu Xun
The backbone of the nation, the spear of words. Lu Xun's writing still has a deafening power today.
Harry Potter Series
★ 9.6
Read
Harry Potter Series
Fantasy
J.K. Rowling
The ultimate fantasy chapter about courage, friendship, and love, accompanying the growth of countless people.
Grave Robbers' Chronicle
★ 8.5
Read
Grave Robbers' Chronicle
Suspense
Nanpai Sanshu
A ten-year promise, waiting for the spirit's return. A highly imaginative Chinese adventure and suspense classic.
Jade Dynasty
★ 8.1
Read
Jade Dynasty
Xianxia
Xiao Ding
Heaven and earth are indifferent, treating all things as straw dogs. The pinnacle of classical Xianxia.
The Stories of Ming Dynasty
★ 9.1
Read
The Stories of Ming Dynasty
History
Dang Nian Ming Yue
Writing grand history with modern witty brushwork, making the 300-year history of the Ming Dynasty as vivid as ever.
Four Springs
★ 8.9
Read
Four Springs
Essays
Lu Qingyi
A warm and powerful family record documenting the elderly years of parents in small fragments of time.
Brave New World
★ 4
Read
Brave New World
Inspirational
Justin Sun
Personal reflections on entrepreneurship, competition, and world perception.
The 80/20 Principle
★ 7.2
Read
The 80/20 Principle
Management
Richard Koch
Spend 20% of effort for 80% of reward; a workplace bible on efficiency and focus.
Awakening
★ 8
Read
Awakening
Essays
Liang Xiaosheng
Life insights after seventy, being a simple person in a complex world.
The Oyster with a Shell
★ 8.5
Read
The Oyster with a Shell
Graphic Novel
nini
Under those strong shells, adults hide their softest and most fragile hearts.
We Live in a Huge Gap
★ 8.2
Read
We Live in a Huge Gap
Essays
Yu Hua
Yu Hua's cold dissection of contemporary social phenomena, recording this era of dramatic changes.
I am as Timid as a Mouse
★ 8.1
Read
I am as Timid as a Mouse
Fiction
Yu Hua
The helpless ending of an ordinary person's purity in an absurd society; Yu Hua's early avant-garde work.
Journey to the West
★ 9.6
Read
Journey to the West
Classic
Wu Cheng'en
The pinnacle of fantasy romanticism; the journey of the four masters and disciples is also our growth journey.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
★ 9.6
Read
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Classic
Luo Guanzhong
An epic of strategy and heroes; the rolling Yangtze flows east, washing away all heroes.
Water Margin
★ 9.3
Read
Water Margin
Classic
Shi Nai'an
A tragic hymn of rebellion and loyalty; the passion and helplessness of the 108 heroes of Liangshan.
Dream of the Red Chamber
★ 9.6
Read
Dream of the Red Chamber
Classic
Cao Xueqin / Gao E
The pinnacle of Chinese classical fiction; an encyclopedia of rise and fall, illusion, and true emotion.