1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (
By J.K. Rowling
Translated by Peng Chien-wen (
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.
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Ezkaban (
By J.K. Rowling
Translated by Peng Chien-wen (
The action begins in this third episode of the Harry Potter series when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the dreadful Aunt Marge to inflate like a balloon and float to the ceiling. Fearing punishment, Harry lunges out into the darkness with his trunk and his owl, Hedwig, beginning a journey that will have children and adults cheering.
3. Harry Potter II (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 begin to happen, and Harry must find the culprit behind them.
4. Quidditch through the Ages; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
(
By J.K. Rowling
For all fans of Harry Potter, Quidditch through the Ages is the reference book that Harry Potter borrows from the school library; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the assigned textbook for all first graders at at Harry's school, Hogwarts.
5. Mistletoe (懈寄生)
By Tsai Chih-heng (蔡智恆)
A 120,000-character novel about how a research assistant makes a choice between two girls.
6. The Bible of Reincarnation: Part I (葬書: 上)
By Carmelita Chao (趙慧娟)
A mystical novel from the Hong Kong-born teacher of meditation who spent much of her life in Taiwan and is now based in the San Francisco area.
7. Wisdom from Aesop's Fables (索寓言的智慧)
Translated and revised by Liu Yi-chun (劉怡君)
A collection of 120 stories translated from Aesop's Fables. The English versions of the stories are also included.
8. Going Left, Going Right (向左走*向右走)
By Jimmy (幾米)
One in Jimmy's popular series of cartoon sketches and literary musings.
9. Love in the Moonlight (
By Wu Ruo-chuan (吳若權)
Another book from one of Taiwan's best-selling essayists on life.
10. Harvard Girl -- Liu Yiting (哈佛女孩劉亦婷)
By Liu Weihua and Zhang Xinwu (劉衛華, 張欣武)
A book dedicated to all parents who love their children. Liu Yiting was awarded scholarships to four famous US universities and has become the new idea student in China. Liu's parents, influenced by the book, Early Education and Genius, describe how they educated their daughter.
11. The Toast Boy's Kiss (吐司男之吻)
By Chi Hsi-lin (齊錫麟)
A love story adopted from a popular TV series about a high school girl who falls in love with a gangster's son in a summer.
12. Lost Souls and Fallen Spirits (失魂落魄)
By Carmelita Chao (趙慧娟)
Another mystical novel from the Hong Kong-born meditation teacher in discussing "karma" -- which regards the doctrine of fate as the inflexible result of cause and effect.
13. Lady! Don't Be Angry (小姐小姐別生氣)
By Liu Yung (劉墉)
One of Taiwan's best-selling essayists tells you all the things a girl should know.
14. Lonesome Like You (妳,這樣寂寞)
By Tsai Shih-pin (蔡詩萍)
The author, editor in chief of the United Evening News, tries to analyze lonely women from the male perspective.
15. A Message from the Spiritual World (靈界訊息)
By Carmelita Chao (趙慧娟)
A novel about the mysteries of love and life, with a focus on a cursed female journalist's horrifying story.
16. Say it to Your Heart (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, as the famous New York-based essayist teaches you the art of speaking through vivid stories and examples.
17. The Moon Has Forgotten (月亮忘記了)
By Jimmy (幾米)
Another one in Jimmy's popular series of cartoon sketches and literary musings, which tells the story of a lonely boy.
18. This is My Answer (這是我的答案)
By Teng Ching-shu (藤井樹)
A male university student meets a girl with beautiful, long hair and a sweet voice in a bookstore. He wants to turn the precious, short encounter into an everlasting love story.
19. Early Education and Genius (早期教育與天才)
By Kimura, Kuichi (木村久一)
Translated by Chen Hui-li (陳惠莉)
The book, first published by the Japanese author in 1916, advocates the importance of early education for a child.
20. The Bible of Reincarnation, Part II (葬書: 下)
By Carmelita Chao (趙慧娟)
The second installment from the Hong Kong-born meditation teacher.
-- Kingstone Books
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Ahead of incoming president William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on May 20 there appear to be signs that he is signaling to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that the Chinese side is also signaling to the Taiwan side. This raises a lot of questions, including what is the CCP up to, who are they signaling to, what are they signaling, how with the various actors in Taiwan respond and where this could ultimately go. In the last column, published on May 2, we examined the curious case of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweight Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) — currently vice premier
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