London Reading Club Books of the month
Catfish 猫鱼
Filmmaker Joan Chen's autobiographical collection of essays—from her childhood home in Shanghai to her home in San Francisco; from her teenage years on the "Little Flower" film crew to behind the scenes of "The Last Emperor" and "The Sun Also Rises"; from the past of her grandparents to the spiritual journey of three generations of intellectuals—her parents and brother… "Catfish" is a rare contemporary memoir, a spiritual history of intellectuals, a biography of a film artist, and also a book of growth and courage for contemporary women.
电影人陈冲非虚构长篇作品 ——从上海童年的老房子到旧金山的家；从少女时代“小花”剧组到《末代皇帝》《太阳照常升起》的银幕背后；从祖辈的往事到父母、哥哥三代知识分子的精神历程……《猫鱼》是当代不可多得的回忆录，是知识人的心灵史，电影艺术家的传记，也是一部当代女性的成长之书、勇气之书。
Recommended by Wen Diya
No one can grow for you 每个人都得自己长大
This is a collection of essays by Wen Diya, former host of CCTV's "Oriental Horizon"—"Sons of the East" program. The book is divided into five sections, each titled "Life is a Journey of Finding Reasons," "When Love Becomes Everyday Life," "The Trivialities of Life," "On the Road," and "Those People," revolving around personal growth, her studies abroad, love in life, and her experiences as an interviewer for "Oriental Horizon."
Author Wen Diya has a rich background, having hosted "Oriental Horizon" and Phoenix TV, interviewing top figures in various industries. As a senior planner for interview programs, she later earned a Master's degree in "Contemporary Chinese Cultural Studies" from the University of Westminster, London. This allows her to incorporate ample life experience and intellectual resources into her essays, resulting in writing that is both visually engaging and professionally insightful, yet also relatable and down-to-earth.
中央电视台《东方时空》—“东方之子”栏目的前主持人温迪雅的随笔结集。全书分为五辑，分别以“人生是一场寻找理由的旅程”“当爱已成为日常”“琐碎的生活”“在路上”“那些人”为题，围绕个人成长、留学生活、生活中的爱恋、东方时空的采访经历展开。
作者温迪雅经历丰富，先后作为《东方时空》和凤凰卫视的主持人，采访过各行各业的顶流人物，作为访谈节目的资深策划人，其后又获得伦敦威斯敏斯特大学“中国当代文化研究”硕士学位，这令她能够将足够的生活经验和思想资源融入随笔叙事中，文章有镜头感，有专业的思考，同时有烟火气。
Recommended by Author Wen Diya
War And Peace 战争与和平
Tolstoy's magnificent epic novel of love, conflict, fate and human life in all its imperfection and grandeur
War and Peace begins at a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, where conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself.
Recommended by Penny
Some books recommended by our members
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE: AN OLD MAN, A YOUNG MAN, AND LIFE'S GREATEST LESSON
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE: AN OLD MAN, A YOUNG MAN, AND LIFE'S GREATEST LESSON
THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON THAT HAS TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 9 MILLION READERS
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague? Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it? For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.
Recommended by Lili
RIPPLE ON STAGNANT WATER: A NOVEL OF SICHUAN IN THE AGE OF TREATY PORTS
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE: AN OLD MAN, A YOUNG MAN, AND LIFE'S GREATEST LESSON
In the small market town of Heaven's Turn on the Chengdu Plain, a simple-minded shopkeeper has married a beautiful village girl who is determined to rise above her station.
Li Jieren's novel is populated with gangsters, prostitutes, farmers, dilettantes, bureaucrats and Christian converts, all drawn from the author's familiar acquaintance. While giving an incomparably vivid account of the lives of commoners, it illuminates a complex balance of power at the end of the last dynasty, when Western powers were clashing with imperial troops in far-off Peking, and the underground fraternities of this provincial backwater were chafing at the activities of foreign missionaries.
Recommended by Xuefen
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
BY THE NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING ECONOMISTS DARON ACEMOGLU & JAMES A. ROBINSON Why are some nations more prosperous than others? Why Nations Fail sets out to answer this question, with a compelling and elegantly argued new theory: that it is not down to climate, geography or culture, but because of institutions. Drawing on an extraordinary range of contemporary and historical examples, from ancient Rome through the Tudors to modern-day China, leading academics Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson show that to invest and prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, they can make money and actually keep it - and this means sound institutions that allow virtuous circles of innovation, expansion and peace.
Recommended by club member Qiaoping Liu
A LIFE ON OUR PLANET: MY WITNESS STATEMENT AND A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
A LIFE ON OUR PLANET: MY WITNESS STATEMENT AND A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
WHY NATIONS FAIL: FROM THE WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS: THE ORIGINS OF POWER, PROSPERITY
In this scientifically informed account of the changes in nature over the last century, award-winning broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough shares a lifetime of wisdom and a hopeful vision for the future.
*Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Science & Technology Book of the Year*
(Amazon UK)
Recommended by Jessica
WHY GREATNESS CANNOT BE PLANNED: THE MYTH OF THE OBJECTIVE
A LIFE ON OUR PLANET: MY WITNESS STATEMENT AND A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
WHY GREATNESS CANNOT BE PLANNED: THE MYTH OF THE OBJECTIVE
Controversial at its heart, yet refreshingly provocative, this book challenges readers to consider life without a destination and discovery without a compass.
Recommended by Shan
Happier Hour
A LIFE ON OUR PLANET: MY WITNESS STATEMENT AND A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
WHY GREATNESS CANNOT BE PLANNED: THE MYTH OF THE OBJECTIVE
With our schedules overly full, Holmes shares research and easy strategies for not only how to manage, but tap into deeper meaning. Happier Hour is a joyful guide on how to spend hours to live a more satisfying life. —Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play
Recommended by Dan
THE END OF SHANG: THE CHANGE FROM YIN TO ZHOU AND THE REBIRTH OF CHINA
AMERICA'S LOST CHINESE: THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIGRANT FAMILY DREAM 逐梦彼岸:美墨华人家族百年传奇
Start reading Chinese history with this book! The opening work of "Li Shuo's Chinese History"
This book mainly talks about the emergence and transformation of Chinese civilization. From the emergence of the Xia Dynasty (Erlitou Culture) 4,000 years ago to the demise of the Shang Dynasty and the establishment of the Western Zhou Dynasty 3,000 years ago, the time span is more than 1,000 years.
Recommended by Xuefen
AMERICA'S LOST CHINESE: THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIGRANT FAMILY DREAM 逐梦彼岸:美墨华人家族百年传奇
AMERICA'S LOST CHINESE: THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIGRANT FAMILY DREAM 逐梦彼岸:美墨华人家族百年传奇
From the 1850s, as the United States pushed west, Chinese migrants met ordinary Americans for the first time. This epic 100-year drama follows the lives of the author’s ancestors, via untouched personal papers. Though no Chinese group had ever gained such influence over a Western population and territory, their home in Mexico would long be forgotten. Today, this family story is reborn: one of nationhood, state racism and a turbulent century; of exile, grit and new ways of belonging. - Hurst Publishers
Recommended by Andrea
LIFE IS LOVELY, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT 生活可爱，不必完美
LIFE IS LOVELY, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT 生活可爱，不必完美
If we fail to appreciate the ordinary and only value outcomes in our pursuit of lofty goals, we risk hindering our own happiness. In this book, I'll embark on a journey of "embracing imperfection" and discovering love alongside readers. I'll share practical methods to navigate life's distractions through time, energy, and emotion management, making small adjustments that lead to a better version of ourselves. By efficiently managing time, we can lead fulfilling lives, opening ourselves to new perspectives, encounters, and growth. Let's dedicate time and attention to our loved ones, for in this one life we have, these "wastes" are truly indispensable. - Zeng Yanbing (translated)
Recommended by Andrea
FRAGMENTS OF CIVILIZATION IN PORCELAIN 瓷器里的文明碎片
LIFE IS LOVELY, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT 生活可爱，不必完美
"Fragments of Civilization in Porcelain" invites us on a journey through a ceramic epic that spans a thousand years. The author, with a language both leisurely and accessible, navigates us through more than a dozen pivotal moments in the history of porcelain development. From the ancient to the modern, from China to the world, the evolution of porcelain serves as a measure of human civilization's progress. It delves deep into the civilization fragments behind porcelain, appreciating the wisdom and talent of craftsmen through the ages, and feeling the exchange and integration of human civilizations.
Recommended by Anli
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World 丝绸之路 一部全新的世界史
NEXUS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF INFORMATION NETWORKS FROM THE STONE AGE TO AI
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER by Peter Frankopan- Far more than a history of the Silk Roads, this book is truly a revelatory new history of the world, promising to destabilize notions of where we come from and where we are headed next. It is a dazzling exploration of the forces that have driven the rise and fall of empires, determined the flow of ideas and goods and are now heralding a new dawn in international affairs.
"A rare book that makes you question your assumptions about the world." --The Wall Street Journal
Recommended by Li Qian
NEXUS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF INFORMATION NETWORKS FROM THE STONE AGE TO AI
NEXUS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF INFORMATION NETWORKS FROM THE STONE AGE TO AI
The story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Sapiens Stories brought us together.Books spread our ideas – and our mythologies.The internet promised infinite knowledge.The algorithm learned our secrets – and then turned us against each other.What will AI do?NEXUS is the thrilling account of how we arrived at this moment, and the urgent choices we must now make to survive – and to thrive.(Amazon UK)
Recommended by Jialu Wang
FROM THE SOIL: THE FOUNDATIONS OF CHINESE SOCIETY
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY: TIMELESS LESSONS ON WEALTH, GREED, AND HAPPINESS
FROM THE SOIL: THE FOUNDATIONS OF CHINESE SOCIETY
This classic text by Fei Xiaotong, China's finest social scientist, was first published in 1947 and is Fei's chief theoretical statement about the distinctive characteristics of Chinese society. Written in Chinese from a Chinese point of view for a Chinese audience, From the Soil describes the contrasting organizational principles of Chinese and Western societies, thereby conveying the essential features of both. Fei shows how these unique features reflect and are reflected in the moral and ethical characters of people in these societies. This profound, challenging book is both succinct and accessible. In its first complete English-language edition, it is likely to have a wide impact on Western social theorists.
Recommended by Xuefen
THE INSTITUTIONS FOR REPRODUCTION 生育制度
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY: TIMELESS LESSONS ON WEALTH, GREED, AND HAPPINESS
FROM THE SOIL: THE FOUNDATIONS OF CHINESE SOCIETY
This book is a classic work on family sociology that left a strong mark on society when it was first published. The author drew on lecture notes from teaching at a university during the War of Resistance Against Japan, shaping them into a thoughtful exploration of family life. While it focuses on the family’s role in having and raising children, it also looks at much more: how people choose spouses, the meaning of marriage, how families are organized, the roles of parents, the gaps between generations, the passing on of traditions, and the ways kinship networks expand.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY: TIMELESS LESSONS ON WEALTH, GREED, AND HAPPINESS
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY: TIMELESS LESSONS ON WEALTH, GREED, AND HAPPINESS
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MONEY: TIMELESS LESSONS ON WEALTH, GREED, AND HAPPINESS
Doing well with money isn’t necessarily about what you know. It’s about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people.
In The Psychology of Money, award-winning author Morgan Housel shares 19 short stories exploring the strange ways people think about money and teaches you how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics.
©2020 Harriman House (P)2020 Harriman House
Recommended by Lili