| Reader | Group | Book Title | Book Author | Book Review or Favorite Quotes |
| Anonymous | Staff | 悉达多 | 赫尔曼黑塞 | 知识可以传授，但智慧不能。 我无权去评判他人的生活，我只能为自己作出判断。 |
| Anonymous | Staff | 84, charing cross road | Helene Hanff | If you happen to pass by 84 Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me? I owe is so much. |
| Kadori | Undergraduate student | The night circus | Erin Morgenstern | Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is a beautifully atmospheric novel that pulled me into a world so enchanting it felt almost real. At first the shifting timelines and perspectives made the story feel confusing, but as the story/circus unfolded, that confusion became part of its magic. What surprised me most was how the book isn’t truly a love story, it’s about how the main characters have a quiet devotion and tension that breathes life into the circus itself, shaping every illusion and every moment. The ending left me wordless: their transformation into the eternal, invisible heart of the circus, and other new character stepping forward as its new guardian, made the whole story feel both bittersweet and breathtaking. It’s a book that doesn’t just tell a story, it creates a new world, and I’m still carrying a piece of it with me |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | A History of the Vietnamese | Keith Weller Taylor | Such beautiful work on Vietnamese history, in which the author draws on his knowledge of both Han and the extinct Nom language. Partly because these historical scripts are no longer the language spoken by Vietnamese people today, Vietnam’s early history and the history of its dynasties, in my view, remain fragmented, with many stories yet to be unveiled. This book, albeit with some minor mistakes, not only provides a comprehensive history of the Vietnamese people, as do most mainstream history books I’ve read, but also attempts to explain the motives behind the changes and vicissitudes throughout Vietnam’s history. Hats off to Professor Taylor for his dedication to the study of Vietnamese history. |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | Leonardo da Vinci: A Closer Look | Alan Donnithorne | An informative book, with high-quality, high-resolution pictures, for die-hard Renaissance art lovers. This book turned me from a lukewarm admirer into a true fan of the Renaissance genius. One caveat: the book focuses more on painting techniques and miscellaneous details, such as the types of pencils and paper used, rather than on the artworks themselves or Leonardo’s personal life. |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | How to win an election : an ancient guide for modern politicians | Philip Freeman, Quintus Tullius Cicero | A wonderful translation of Cicero’s Latin text into English by Freeman. This is a pocket-sized book, yet it is full of wisdom. If you’re a Machiavellian, you might like this one. |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | How to run a country: an ancient guide for modern leaders | Marcus Tullius Cicero, Freeman Phillip | Another fine translation, from Latin to English, by Freeman of Cicero, ancient Rome’s greatest statesman. As expected, the book explores leadership, morality, corruption, and yada yada. My takeaways are (1) politicians—and human nature more broadly—never change; only the circumstances do. And (2) we could use more politicians with moral courage and a strong sense of integrity. A small book with timeless political wisdom to start the day. |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | Monet, or, The triumph of impressionism | Daniel Wildenstein | A book, first and foremost, about Monet, and, in passing, a glimpse into Impressionism. While wandering around DKU, I came across a Japanese bridge over a pond adjacent to the West Gate, and the scene, albeit without the water lilies, evoked the sentiment I found in Monet’s works in this book. In that wondrous moment, I cherished more than ever the beauty of life, love, and art 🙂 |
| A.T | Undergraduate student | Vietnam: navigating a rapidly changing economy, society, and political order | Ljunggren and Perkins | This book provides a “contemporary and comprehensive view of Vietnam’s political, socioeconomic, and diplomatic emergence.” Written by renowned scholars in the field, it’s a great starting point for anyone interested in understanding Vietnam’s transformation and its place in the world, as it provides both essential background and broader perspectives on the forces shaping the country today. |
| Anonymous | Staff | 秦二世必须死 | 马伯庸 | 马伯庸的新书，品质一如既往，建立在丰富历史知识之上的天马行空，非常可读 |
| Jinghan Sun | Undergraduate student | 显微镜下的大明 | 马伯庸 | 本书聚焦于明朝民间的六个案件，通过以小见大的手法带领读者感受明朝民众生活的细节，间接地反映了明朝由昌盛到衰亡的原因：宦官当权，贪污，乡绅官僚勾结……丰富了明朝宏观历史框架下的血肉。不论整个朝代如何变迁，底层人民的生活永远处于被剥削的地位，被封建官僚制度蚕食压迫。但很多时候也是这些被忽视的小人物推动了历史的发展，制度的改革，青史留名。 |
| Yanran Zhan | Undergraduate student | A Room of One’s Own | Virginia Woolf | Every time I finish a book, it’s like the credits rolling after a movie. I jot down the date and a few thoughts at the end, just like the old library cards with signatures from past readers. Virginia Woolf first strikes me with her anger at the injustice done to women, then contemplates whether that anger distorts her own voice, seeking a peaceful and androgynous artistic state. Her final honesty and admonition carry an immense inner force. The further I read, the more I felt my whole being greedily absorbing that power. Her writing is fiercely alive—like ivy and thorns, vigorous and sharp, laced with teasing and irony. I love that vitality, very much. |
| Mars | Undergraduate student | Boathouse | Jon Fosse | Such an interesting book about the anxiety and the prose is unconventional, and frustrating in a good way! One can see why Fosse won the Noble prize in literature |
| Tingxue Bai | Staff | 东方快车谋杀案 | 阿加莎·克里斯蒂 | 通过这起案子我意识到，正义的天平，未必永远都能保持平衡……车上没有杀人犯，只有需要重生的人 |
| Anonymous | Staff | 命运 | 蔡崇达 | 很多人的内心不怕苦难，怕的是不安定。 |
