Reading List

Up to now, I’ve only read these books—maybe missing one or two. I’ll just make a brief record.

Wolf Totem — One of my favorite Chinese novels, highly recommended.

On the Road — I love this group of confused young people who seem like madmen, highly recommended.

Moment in Peking — Yao Mochou is such an interesting woman, worth reading.

The Golden Age of the Jin Family — I like women like Leng Qingqiu, with a touch of sympathy, worth reading.

Fate in Tears and Laughter — I’ve almost forgotten it, average.

Hawthorn Tree Forever — Read it long before the movie, then watched the film too; equally flavorful, worth reading.

Red Poppies — The description of the fool feeling bubbles coming out of his bones is the most interesting, worth reading.

In Search of Lost Time — Didn’t finish, too long, and couldn’t get through it.

Walden — Rereading it, the kind you flip through when you have nothing to do, a keeper.

Dream of the Red Chamber — The second read was a bit more interesting than the first, but still didn’t finish the second time, recommended.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms — Can’t say I support any side, like Cao Cao’s dominance and Liu Bei’s kindness, recommended.

The Catcher in the Rye — Holden influenced me to some extent, recommended.

Grass-like Youth — Maybe read it again after college; regrettably I read it too early, worth reading.

Return to Provence — Didn’t understand much at the time, just a record of Provence, worth reading.

Ordinary World — XX and XX’s love made me sentimental; life in this world is not easy, highly recommended.

Romeo and Juliet — Not many people like reading plays, worth reading.

Hamlet — Same as above, average.

Romance of the Western Chamber — Just because it was in the textbook, I read the whole thing, average.

Peony Pavilion — You know the type, average.

My Name Is Red — Though it’s a Nobel Prize winner, I’m unfamiliar with Middle Eastern culture, quite perplexing, average.

Fortress Besieged — One of my favorite Chinese novels, highly recommended.

Border Town — Pure love in western Hunan, average.

The Old Man and the Sea — The old man conquered the fish, though it was eaten clean by the time he reached shore; dreams don’t die, highly recommended.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer — Recommend it to the kids of people who visit my blog; I was young once, average.

Gulliver’s Travels — Same as above, worth reading.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea — Same as above, worth reading.

The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe — Same as above, worth reading.

Dong Qiao’s Essays — Forgive me, I didn’t understand much back then, average.

Historical Sky — Actually, I don’t like modern historical novels, really don’t, average.

Norwegian Wood — Thinking back now, this book feels nostalgic: Watanabe, Naoko, Midori Kobayashi, recommended.

Lin Qingxuan’s Essays — Love the wind chimes one the most; seems like Taiwanese people always bring Buddhism into things, worth reading.

Zhou Guoping’s Essays — Lightly touched, no comment.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being — If I have time to read it a second time, maybe I’ll fully understand it, worth reading.

The Reader — Forgot the main plot, only remember reading and making love, worth reading.

Small World — A bit like Fortress Besieged, but not as witty; reminds me of some beast, worth reading.

The Horse Whisperer — Almost forgot the main plot, but I remember it was quite interesting, worth reading.

The Call — After reading this, I had the urge to read McCullough’s The Thorn Birds, but it’s too thick, recommended.

That Summer of Love — Same kind of story about beast scholars, average.

The Last Letter from Your Lover — Some loves you’ll never get, but never forget in your heart, recommended.

Mansion Gate — Another unfinished novel, no comment.

Letter from an Unknown Woman — I love you, you never knew, unless I died, highly recommended.

1984 — No explanation needed, highly recommended.

The Little Prince — Forgive me, I was too childish when reading this, no comment.

Père Goriot — These days, who still reads classics? Quoted in a previous post, worth reading.

To Live — Unfinished, no comment.

The Great Gatsby — No explanation, recommended.

The Bridges of Madison County — Too sci-fi, worth reading.

Tagore’s Poetry Collection — Every piece feels like a classic, recommended.

Eugénie Grandet — Forgot, no comment.

We All Lost on Graduation Day — Many people lost love that day, worth reading.

Sadness Flows Upstream — The only book by the Fourth Miss I’ve read; regrettably, in high school I didn’t have such cool girlfriends, worth reading.

Charlotte’s Web — That spider’s name is Charlotte, recommended.

Currency Wars — Mysterious; I somewhat agree with the gold standard, think it could solve economic problems, worth reading.

Message in a Bottle — Like The Last Letter from Your Lover, a Nicholas Sparks bestseller romance novel; didn’t have time to finish, no comment.

The Kite Runner — For you, a thousand times over, recommended.

The Awakening of Design — Professional book, don’t read if you don’t like it.

Xi Murong’s Poetry Collection — Really like her poems, so beautiful, highly recommended.

Deserted Village Apartment — Actually not scary, worth reading.

Half a Lifetime’s Romance — I want you to know there’s someone in this world who will wait for you forever, highly recommended.

Solo — Out of print, just for collection; not many people regret it, the publisher wisely retreated, average.

Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils — If you’ve seen the TV series, no need to read the novel, recommended.

The Return of the Condor Heroes — Same as above, recommended.

The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber — Same as above, average.

The Legend of the Condor Heroes — Same as above, recommended.

White Night — I just want to walk with you under the sun holding hands; the first few episodes of the Japanese drama of the same name are pretty good, highly recommended.

The Devotion of Suspect X — Two books by Higashino, but I prefer White Night, recommended.

Buddha on Line 1 — The true thoughts of a qualified literati, recommended.

Lang Xianping Says: Why Are Our Days So Hard? — One of the top ten garbage books of 2010, garbage.

1Q84 BOOK 1 — Book 3 was spoiled, looking back book 1 feels interesting, planning to reread, no comment.