The New Zen Garden: Designing Quiet Spaces by Joseph Cali [in AsianWeek]
10 Sep, by in Adult Readers, Japanese, Nonfiction, Repost
In today’s fast-paced world, the promise of a quiet space is not only tempting but necessary to recharge our scattered souls. Just looking at the gorgeous photos alone will help calm the...
Okay, call me a terribly old fuddy-duddy, but I just don’t get the lure of reading about the sex lives of misdirected, apathetic teenagers. I know there’s an audience out there because Doll is...
One part culinary history about one of the best kitchen tools ever invented; two parts personal memoir that includes travels around the world; three parts story-telling about a number of...
Oooh, this one would make a sweeping epic film for sure – Bollywood’s even got a starring role already! An innocent underage girl is seduced by a smoothtalking Bollywood star and gives birth to...
In spite of its rather cheesy title, this is actually both an informative and fun read. Part history, part photo album, part cultural document, part memoir, part language lesson, even part cookbook,...
Written by a British Chinese author, Bridge pulls the reader in bit by bit, almost like unraveling a mystery. At the book’s core is the relationship between a young Chinese student living in London...
A powerful collection of prose and poetry by a talented not-yet-30 Korean American writer, named the poet laureate of Queens, New York. In quick snapshots made of words, Park captures...
Say you’re allergic to dairy products (like me, boo hoo), but you still crave sweets like crème brulee or mocha cappuccino or ice cream or even tiramisu … crave no more in vain because...
It’s no wonder that Chinese film auteur Zhang Yimou chose the title novella for his film of the same name, about four desperate women vying for the attention of their...
This is one of those perfectly sized, well-designed books that add that something extra to an already enlightening reading experience. Perhaps the most powerful section of Uyehara’s slim volume is...
Don’t be put off by the tacky cover with the bare chest of a necklaced young man. The story within, with all its rawness and shock, is hard to put down. Five Dragons, an...
These days, the many health benefits of green tea are well-known … now here’s a book to tell you why it’s so good for you, as well as...
Ever wonder why so many Chinese restaurants have the word “dragon” in its name – like Golden Dragon around the corner from the AsianWeek office? Or how about...
Four fun, fuzzy-covered board books from the APA queen of board books, 
A Yellow 'Country of Origin'
Technically, writer Don Lee is a third-generation Korean American. But he was born in Tokyo where his father was working for the U.S. State Department. Then after moving...
Sabina Murray’s PEN/Faulkner Follow-Up: ‘A Carnivore’s Inquiry’
With last year’s prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award for her stunning short story collection, The Caprices, in hand, Sabina Murray is looking at her career through new eyes:...
In post-Tian’anmen China, Ni Niuniu refers to herself as “a fragment in a fragmented age.” Indeed, at almost 30, she is a young woman who has lost all the important people in her life,...
If you don’t feel like dealing with planes, trains, and automobiles this summer, grab a lawn chair and this book instead. Head to far-flung areas around the globe and experience the surreal...
With way too many viruses trying to get into my inbox every day, reading Transmission has been something of a voyeuristic romp.
Arjun Mehta can’t believe his good luck when he lands a job in Silicon...
An engaging memoir by the adopted son of a famed Vietnamese doctor and spiritual master. Growing up in a country devastated by war, the mischievous son eventually learns...