Han Han

Lovely illustrations, beautifully composed music, and a touch of foreign culture, while holding the needed sense of familiarity, too...yep, this one holds everything possible to make it a wonderful read.

Everyone heads home as the day slowly comes to an end with groceries and children in tow. Apartment lights come to life, and the usual routines set in. Until the electricity goes out and leaves everything in darkness. But this little girl and her parents have a wonderful idea on how to create an evening everyone will enjoy.

I honestly don't know where to start praising this one. The illustrations are well done and allow the watercolor to carry the necessary details while still leaving an airy effect, which fits so well to the overall atmosphere of the story. Then, there's the story itself. It describes a scene most young listeners can relate to, in one way or another, with a little girl, who is just like any other little girl a person might meet. The evening routine's description is calming and will connect with many young listeners, while still pulling them in. And then, the entire thing hits a wonderful scene, which will leave listeners wishing they could take part, too...and they can, in a way.

That's where the music comes in. This book also includes an audio narration with background music, and the 'summer concert' itself in pure musical form. The music can be heard while simply flipping through the pages (it's impossible not to notice the composition's connection directly with the tale) or even on it's own. The instruments and composition also hold true to the Chinese culture, expanding young readers/listeners awareness on that end as well.

In other words, I enjoyed this one quite a bit and find it an excellent combination for young readers in single as well as group settings, and can really recommend it.

I received an ARC and found this to be beautifully done.… (mere)

A young man goes on a road trip to his childhood hometown to pick up a friend, accompanied by a young woman who turns up at his hotel room to provide sexual services. Interspersed with the narrative of the road trip are scenes from the man's childhood and youth, episodes of his life that led him to his current adventure. While the past and present scenes are not as well interwoven as I would have liked, making it hard at times to know why certain scenes are important and not just filler, the story comes together nicely in the end. The English translation is well done, and reads smoothly, though occasionally there are details I am not sure carried through correctly from Chinese to English (in particular, I find it hard to imagine a school for pre-teen children in China where the pretty girls are all over 5'9"- no Chinese women I know are that tall, let alone an entire school's worth of teenage girls, even in the US, let alone in China). Despite such details, this was a good book, and an interesting glimpse at China from the past few decades.… (mere)

Tightrope Walker

Han Han (“Chill Chill”) is one of those starcrossed people. Coming from a modest rural family, and flunking in high school, he emerged with the best-selling novel of the past 20 years. His passion though, was racing, and he used his royalties to become a racecar driver, without any knowledge of motors or systems. He has also become a film director and major celebrity blogger. He now over 30.

This collection of his musings is obviously a translation, and the translators have worked hard to note the nuances that translating erases. They also footnote the personalities, events and language twists Han Han employs. The result is you can appreciate why he is widely read and highly regarded.

The look into his growing up in China reveals the same concerns, deeds and processes found here, with the one overhanging exception of intrusive, corrupt government. You don’t know where the boundaries are in China, so you have to be careful and self-edit all the time, both on paper and in person. He is very conscious of this, and pushes the limits to the breaking point. This of course, increases his readership and popularity all the more. So far, he has not been banned.

The best essay was his visit to Thailand, where his arrogant Chinese superiority got a major smackdown and comeuppance. He learned there were better people living in better societies, a major revelation. His sarcasm is self-deprecating, making it all the funnier. He had a similar awakening in Taiwan, and it would be interesting to know what he feels in the USA, if that comes to pass.

David Wineberg… (mere)