Taiwan's bestsellers

1. Shangsan, Shangsan, Love

(上山．上山．愛) By Li Ao (李敖)

The title refers to the names of the mother and daughter characters, who both fall in love with the same man, 30 years apart. The book was first published in 1984 as a serial for a Chinese-language magazine but was banned for its "provocative" content.

2. Hooligan Professor (流氓教授)

By Lin Chien-lung (林建隆)

This is an inspiring autobiography of a man who grew up in a bad environment, was arrested and convicted for attempted murder at the age of 23, but later found his calling and became an English professor.

3. Wisdom from Aesop's Fables

(伊索寓言的智慧)

Translated and revised by

Liu Yi-chun (劉怡君)

This is a collection of 120 stories translated from Aesop's Fables. The English versions of the stories are also included for the purpose of learning English.

4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (哈利波特 II)

By J.K. Rowling

Translated by

Peng Chien-wen (彭倩文)

The long summer vacation has finally ended and Harry Potter can't wait to go back to magic school. But a string of strange and terrifying things take place and Harry must find the culprit behind them.

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (哈利波特 -- 神秘的魔法)

By J.K. Rowling

Translated by Peng Chien-wen (彭倩文)

Mysterious letters lead the 11-year-old Harry Potter into a kingdom of sorcerers, who send their mail by owl messengers and travel on brooms.

6. Love Needs No Restraint

(愛又何必矜持)

By Liu Yung (劉墉)

A new collection of short inspirational stories from the US-based best-selling writer Liu Yung.

7. The Blue Day Book

(你今天心情不好嗎?)

By Bradley Trevor Greive

Translated by Chuang Ching-chun (莊靜君)

A collection of amusing animal photos as well as warm and inspirational texts designed to cheer anyone who's got the blues.

(把話說到心窩裡)

By Liu Yung (劉墉)

A meditation by the maestro of inspirational books -- this time about speech and the right ways to express oneself.

9. All About Eve I, II

(愛上女主播 I, II)

Translated by

Yin Chen-yi (尹晨伊)

The novels are an adaptation from a Korean TV series that defeated Endless Love (藍色生死戀) to win the position of the "most popular TV series" in a Korean online poll last year.

10. Sky of the Gods: Greek and Roman Myths of the Zodiac

(諸神的星空: 希臘羅馬星座神話)

By Homer and Ovid

This is a retelling of Greek and Roman myths about the gods that rule the Zodiac signs.

11. The Works of Shakespeare

(莎士比亞全集)

By William Shakespeare

A selection of the bard's works in Chinese translation.

12. Everything Is Difficult If You're Stupid (人笨凡事難)

Edited by the Grimm Press

This is a collection of 88 Chinese fables dating back to the Spring and Autumn period. The stories, all about fools and their foibles, deliver an abundance of moral lessons.

13. La Rive Gauche D'amour

(愛情左岸)

By Wu Ruo-chuan (吳若權)

As the title suggests, this book talks about history's most popular subject -- love. But despite its French title, the book is a Chinese original.

14. A Love Tree in the Black Forest (黑森林的愛情樹)

By Cheng Hwa-jiuan (鄭華娟)

The Germany-based author brings more amusing and heart-warming stories from her adopted home.

15. The Human Nature You Have To Know II (你不可不知的人性 2)

By Liu Yung (劉墉)

The author reveals the dark side of human nature through stories of events that happened to people around him. The book also looks at human weakness from a constructive perspective.

16. Yu Hsi's Poetry Collection I

(愚溪詩集 I)