China Mountain Zhang
Maureen McHugh
The novel follows the life of Zhang Zhong Shan, a young man living in New York City. Chinese culture now influences most aspects of life.
Hong Kong Book Club
Archive by Year
A brief background of the HKBC
All I Asking for is My Body
Milton Murayama
Murayama's novel explores the struggles of the Japanese immigrant community in Hawaii during a time of social and economic inequality. Kiyoshi comes from a poor family. They face discrimination…
Breakfast of Champions
Kurt Vonnegut
_Breakfast of Champions_ is set in the fictional town of Midland City…
The Purloined Letter
Edgar Allen Poe
The Purloined Letter begins with Dupin's friend, the narrator, visiting him…
The Colossus of Maroussi
Henry Miller
The book chronicles Miller's experiences traveling through Greece in the late 1930s…
The Great Wall of China
Franz Kafka
a fictional account that explores the construction and purpose of the Great Wall, employing allegory and philosophical themes.
A Contest for Supremacy
Aaron Friedberg
Examines the socioeconomic forces at play in US-China relations. I do not share the author's conclusion, but it's an engaging book.
The Royal Game
Stefan Zweig
It tells the story of Mirko Czentovic, an uneducated but exceptionally talented chess player…
Desert Queen
Janet Wallach
The book provides a comprehensive account of Gertrude Bell's life, beginning with her privileged upbringing in a wealthy British family.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Hunter S. Thompson
It is a semi-autobiographical account of a drug-fueled journey through Las Vegas…
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Leo Tolstoy
…a high-ranking Russian bureaucrat, and his gradual realization of his own mortality as he faces a terminal illness.
Man Walks Into A Room
Nicole Krauss
The story centers around Samson Greene. Greene is a professor of cognitive science who discovers that he has lost all memory.
The Ruined Map
Kobo Abe
Set in Tokyo, the story follows a private detective named Mr. Nemuro. Takahashi seeks Nemuro's help in finding his missing brother-in-law, Katsumi…
The Driver's Seat
Muriel Spark
…in the psychological thriller genre, dealing with themes of alienation, isolation and loss of spiritual values.
Life and Death are Wearing Me Out
Mo Yan
The story spans several decades of Chinese history, following the protagonist, Ximen Nao, through his various lives and reincarnations.
Le Grand Meaulnes
Alain Fournier
The novel revolves around Augustin Meaulnes, a young man from a rural background who arrives at a boarding school in the village of Sainte-Agathe.
The Rider
Tim Krabbé
Recounts the author's personal experience of participating in a cycling race called the Tour de Mont Aigoual.
The Lemon Table
Julian Barnes
The book explores themes of aging, mortality, and the complexities of human relationships through a series of interconnected narratives.
Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi
…about the author's childhood and adolescence in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War.
Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy
Set in the mid-19th century, the story follows a runaway known as "the Kid" who joins a band of ruthless scalp hunters.
Hunger
Knut Hamsun
The novel follows the story of an unnamed protagonist, a struggling writer living in the city of Kristiania (now Oslo).
The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury
The book presents a series of loosely connected narratives that depict humanity's colonization and exploration of Mars.
Poems of Philip Larkin
Philip Larkin
Known for his introspective and often pessimistic view of the world.
Laughter in the Dark
Vladimir Nabokov
The story follows the life of Albinus, a middle-aged art critic who becomes infatuated with a young aspiring actress, Margot.
The Sense of an Ending
Julian Barnes
The first part focuses on Tony's youth and his friendships with a group of intellectual classmates.
Death in Venice
Thomas Mann
Set in the early 20th century, it tells the story of Gustav von Aschenbach setting a trap for Sherlock Holmes. Wait, no.
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor wrote Man's Search for Meaning in 1946.