“Hey A.J.,”she calls. “There is something kind of heroic about being a bookseller.” When we first meet A.J Fikry, the recently widowed owner of the only bookshop on Alice Island, there seems nothing particularly heroic about him. He’s an irritable drunk who thinks he and his bookshop are probably too good for the island dwellers […]
We Are an Ever-Connected Nervous Mess, But There is Hope—Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
Notes on An Nervous Planet, the latest non-fiction from beloved British novelist Matt Haig, is an important book. Important not in the usual sense in this genre (self-development/self-help/personal growth, pick your name) that it makes you feel better after reading it. Feeling better feels good but it may not—often—be actually good for you. It is […]
The Second Young Adult Book I Have Read and Haven’t Forgotten Since—All the Bright Places
Let’s continue with the second one of my unforgettable Young Adult books: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. I am very grateful I followed my instinct to buy this book in the bookshop I worked in after repeated inquiries from some very eager teen readers. At first, we didn’t carry it and I couldn’t help but order […]
Four Novels I Would Recommend to Anyone, AnyTime
So normally I believe that there is no absolute good or bad when it comes to recommending books; a good book for me might just be a mediocre one for you, and vice versa. But there are a few novels I have read and enjoyed so much that I would recommend them to anyone, anytime. In […]
Why Real Books (still) Matter, or On Remembering How You First Read
Of all the cool things—and believe me, there are many— I love about Ready Player One, or rather, about the fascinating world depicted in this recent blockbuster sci-fi by Ernest Cline every geek in the universe comes to love, one particular passage stands out: It didn’t take me long to discover that the OASIS was also […]
Archaic Self-help on Getting Rich: A Review of The Richest Man in Babylon
If you are like me－a 20-something who just starts working but have no idea where to start on the road to financial freedom, look no further－The Richest Man in Babylon offers tips, rules, , as well as concrete advice, and above all hope. If you don’t mind the archaic-style English (Ten years ago when I stood at the gates […]
How Reading can be Delicious: 4 Types of Reads Everyone Needs
The other day I got an Ask to Answer, aka A2A on Quora: How can I start tolerating books? I thought long and hard－about whether I should write an answer or not. Does the phrase tolerating books indicate the person asking is a lost cause beyond saving? I did write an answer (as you may guess). And I am glad I […]
How I Quit “Good” Reading and Started Free Reading
Only You Can Decide Somewhere along the way, a reader will ask himself/herself: “How do I get better at reading?” I have asked, too and was fortunate enough to find my own answer－a bit too hard a way. The motivation to improve is certainly a good thing, but in terms of reading, it can get […]
What a Kindle Kindles— What You Should Know About Reading
My Paperwhite the first day unboxed What a Kindle Kindles Why would anyone want a Amazon Kindle—a gadget that enable you to do nothing but reading? Well, I do. And I am confident there are many out there like me. Because the Kindle kindles. Refound Interest in Books For one, it kindles my refound interest […]