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.
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
This year’s Michelin Gourmand Bib sported 16 new entries in the 126-strong Taiwan directory. The fight for the best braised pork rice and the crispiest scallion pancake painstakingly continued, but what stood out in the lineup this year? Pang Taqueria (胖塔可利亞); Taiwan’s first Michelin-recommended Mexican restaurant. Chef Charles Chen (陳治宇) is a self-confessed Americophile, earning his chef whites at a fine-dining Latin-American fusion restaurant. But what makes this Xinyi (信義) spot stand head and shoulders above Taipei’s existing Mexican offerings? The authenticity. The produce. The care. AUTHENTIC EATS In my time on the island, I have caved too many times to
In the aftermath of the 2020 general elections the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was demoralized. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had crushed them in a second landslide in a row, with their presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) winning more votes than any in Taiwan’s history. The KMT did pick up three legislative seats, but the DPP retained an outright majority. To take responsibility for that catastrophic loss, as is customary, party chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) resigned. This would mark the end of an era of how the party operated and the beginning of a new effort at reform, first under