sparklingwatermelon

Lonely Game
The entire book is shrouded in a mysterious green imagery. The protagonist lives in a poetic and vague but unrealistic life. The instant connections, hurts, neglect, and losses between people are all experienced in that dream-like state. I can understand why the author chose to end their own life. It reads beautifully, but once you've read it, you can put it down.

Vulgarly
The best work of fiction I have read in recent years, a portrayal of all living beings. It successfully reproduces the changes in the bustling urban state over several decades, as well as the different life experiences of the protagonists. I can hear the laughter and resentment of different people, and their inner strengths. The author describes the vulnerable immigrant and female communities in a plain tone. What is it that harms you invisibly? What gives you strength? What kind of life do you choose?

Story
Robert McKee's screenwriting textbook. It outlines what makes a good script, what makes a bad script, and what clichés are. After reading this book, I can't help but think about themes, plot conflicts, and character arcs when appreciating literary works. The most significant moment for me: when I was at a museum looking at a Hokusai exhibition, I realized that poetry is life itself. When we say a literary work is good, it's because it truthfully reflects a rich and complex part of life. For example, the hidden desires of a person that contradict what they say, the gap between ideals and reality, and the fact that everything is complex and never goes according to our own will. And life itself is poetry, it can be a pilgrimage, a melodramatic love story, a war epic, and everything is within me. What plot, characters, and themes do I want in my own script?

Why Buddhism is True
A combination of Eastern philosophy and evolutionary psychology. It successfully reconciles the incompatible parts of my cognitive systems. It explains concepts in Buddhism such as emptiness, non-self, and the five aggregates in a very practical and scientific way. I discovered that they are all true, and it opened up a new chapter in my life. More importantly, I made a good friend because of it.

Philosophy for Polar Explorers
A very readable and practical book. What kind of mindset and habits does an Arctic explorer need to accomplish the impossible and survive? Planning ahead, staying focused on the present. It is also extremely applicable in our everyday lives. With this book, I completed several projects and dealt with many difficulties.

Faint Shadows in the Distant Mountains
The first work I read by Ishikawa Ichio. The entire book describes a hazy memory, immersing people in a restless and mournful reflection on World War II and immigration. The design is very exquisite. What is real, what is fiction. After reading the afterword, I finally understood what kind of story it was, and I was amazed.

Nonviolent Communication
How to establish effective connections with people, express your needs, understand the needs of others, and achieve a cooperative relationship based on empathy to solve problems. The structure of the book is very clear, and it is highly practical. Everyone needs to read this book.
Next on my reading list: Never Split the Difference

Chinese Rural Society
Coincidentally, I read this book on the day I went to Wujiang. It is a very good work of comparative sociology, and it also solved a big problem for me at the time: why do I feel so lost when I return to my hometown, which is so different from the life I have become familiar with in Western cities in recent years? It describes the differences and reasons between rural China and modern cities. Both systems naturally exist and are feasible in their respective environments.
Next to read: Guns, Germs, and Steel

Illuminating the Light of Self-Nature
A work by Krishnamurti. It has many insights, but the part that overlaps with "Why Buddhism is True" is probably the only part I can understand. I plan to reread it in a few years.

Jiang Xun Talks about Tang Poetry
Jiang Xun is such a peaceful, upright, and reflective old man! He uses poetry to analyze and reproduce the flourishing Tang Dynasty, with Zhang Ruoxu, Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Li Shangyin, all those poets who are so different yet so beautiful, so good at empathy, can all bloom brilliantly in that era. They all come alive in front of me, injecting new strength into my worldview.

I'll Teach You to be Rich
A personal finance enlightenment. For someone like me who knows nothing about finance and economics, this book is a remedy. It introduces some very basic financial concepts, provides a cognitive framework, and offers practical advice. Compared to the documentary and podcast of the same name, this book has been the most helpful.

Investment 101
Also an introductory book on investment. It may be easier to understand after grasping the basic concepts from the previous book. After reading it, I will have a more comprehensive understanding of investment products.

Sociology That Will Blow Your Mind
A very concise history of sociology. Each page summarizes a major sociological concept in a few sentences, accompanied by illustrations. I just finished reading it yesterday, and I am still digesting the book, trying to establish a framework in my mind for modern ideologies.
Next to read:
Escape from Freedom
Ideology and Utopia
Wild Thinking
Stigma
The Condition of Postmodernity
Between Men
Risk Society