1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (
by J.K. Rowling, Translated by Peng Chien-wen (
Harry, now 14, comes in touch with his godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black, while Lord Voldemort and his sinister Death Eaters lurk on the Dark Side.
2. Little S' Braces Diary (
by Hsu Hsi-ti (
This is a hotchpotch diary of cartoon sketches, photos and poetry from pop singer and TV host Hsu Hsi-ti (
3. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (魔戒1-3)
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Translated by Chu Hsueh-heng (
The three-volume package of the Tolkien saga, featuring goblins, magicians and hobbits.
4. Lavender (薰衣草)
by Tu Hui-chuan, Chou Hsin-yi and Chou Hsin-Yi (
Another book of illustrated scribblings from a young triumvirate -- on the usual subject of young love. This one bears the distinction of refined art work and full-color printing.
5. The Hobbit (
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Translated by Chu Hsueh-heng (
In this prequel to the Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins sets out on an unintended adventure and finds a mysterious ring.
6. Murder on the Orient Express (
by Agatha Christie, Translated by Chen Yao-kuang (
A remarkable set of characters are brought together for a journey on the Orient Express train as it travels from Istanbul to Paris. But who murdered the American passenger? How will Hercule Poirot unravel the mystery?
7. 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.
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (
by J.K. Rowling, Translated by Peng Chien-wen (
The long summer vacation has finally ended and Harry Potter can't wait to go back to magic school.
9. A Guide to Happiness (早知道早幸福)
by Wu Tan-ju (
What kind of happiness do you want? The famous essayist published her first account of her own marital love. This is the guide you will need in the quest for happiness.
10. 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.
11. Mistletoe (懈寄生)
By Tsai Chih-heng (
A 120,000-character novel about how a research assistant makes a choice between two girls.
12. A Girl Called Feeling (
By Hiyawu (
The story began six years ago, when the boy accidentally met a cute girl at a cram school. He painstakingly courted her, but he found himself loved by another girl. How should he decide?
13. Say it to Your Heart II (
by Liu Yung (
A sequel to the successful inspirational book from the New York-based essayist Liu Yung.
14. Quidditch Through the Ages; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (
By J.K. Rowling
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 Harry's school, Hogwarts.
15. The Bible of Reincarnation: Part I (葬書: 上)
by Carmelita Chao (
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.
16. My Mother's Golden Watch (母親的金手錶)
By Chi-chun (琦君)
This is a collection of essays about the author's memories of her childhood and the time she shared with her mother.
17. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Translated by Chu Hsueh-heng (
In this first of the Tolkien trilogy and sequel to The Hobbit, young Frodo Baggins sets out with companions on a quest to rid the world of the evil ring of power.
18. Say it to Your Heart (把話說到心窩裡)
By Liu Yung (
A book for reflective minds from 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.
19. The Bible of Reincarnation: Part II (葬書: 下)
By Carmelita Chao (
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.
20. Love, the Happiest Belief (愛情, 最幸福的信仰)
By Wu Ruo-chuan (
It is a collection of 10 short love stories that will change your views about love forever.
May 6 to May 12 Those who follow the Chinese-language news may have noticed the usage of the term zhuge (豬哥, literally ‘pig brother,’ a male pig raised for breeding purposes) in reports concerning the ongoing #Metoo scandal in the entertainment industry. The term’s modern connotations can range from womanizer or lecher to sexual predator, but it once referred to an important rural trade. Until the 1970s, it was a common sight to see a breeder herding a single “zhuge” down a rustic path with a bamboo whip, often traveling large distances over rugged terrain to service local families. Not only
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
The last time Mrs Hsieh came to Cihu Park in Taoyuan was almost 50 years ago, on a school trip to the grave of Taiwan’s recently deceased dictator. Busloads of children were brought in to pay their respects to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正), known as Generalissimo, who had died at 87, after decades ruling Taiwan under brutal martial law. “There were a lot of buses, and there was a long queue,” Hsieh recalled. “It was a school rule. We had to bow, and then we went home.” Chiang’s body is still there, under guard in a mausoleum at the end of a path
Last week the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) released a set of very strange numbers on Taiwan’s wealth distribution. Duly quoted in the Taipei Times, the report said that “The Gini coefficient for Taiwanese households… was 0.606 at the end of 2021, lower than Australia’s 0.611, the UK’s 0.620, Japan’s 0.678, France’s 0.676 and Germany’s 0.727, the agency said in a report.” The Gini coefficient is a measure of relative inequality, usually of wealth or income, though it can be used to evaluate other forms of inequality. However, for most nations it is a number from .25 to .50