Top Books in Chinese Reading Community 2021 | New Year Special - I
Happy New Year 🎉 2022 is the year of the tiger. And in Chinese culture, tigers are the king of all the beasts, so I wish you all have a strong year as a tiger 🐯 Every year around this time, I like to talk about the popular books in the Chinese reading community in the past year. Based on the reading report from douban.com, which is my favorite online Chinese reading community, we can see the popular and high rated books in Chinese in the past year, and also compare the taste of English and Chinese reading communities. It’s great fun for me every year 🥰 You can also watch my video on this topic on BookTube.
🐯 Now let’s take a look! 🐯
This is the first of my two 2022 New Year Special posts. It’s also one of the pairing blogs for my video on this topic.
Click the Chinese title of a book will direct you to douban.com for more information about the Chinese edition of the book.
Click the English title or title in other languages will direct you to Goodreads for information in according languages.
The most popular books of 2021
Douban: 8.2/10
Klara And the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro was the most popular book in the Chinese reading community in 2021.
This came as no surprise to anyone. This newly released science fiction of this profound author was anticipated and loved across the globe.
Goodreads: 3.8/5
Douban: 7.7/10
アルファベット・パズラーズ is a short story collection features the same group of friends who lived in the same apartment building, and liked to solve mysteries and murders along with their landlord.
The quality of the stories varies differently, but the last case was very strong as a closure of the book. And it is also why this book is very popular.
Goodreads: 3.79/5
03 从零开始的女性主义 By 上野千鹤子
translated by 吕灵芝
上野先生、フェミニズムについてゼロから教えてください！by 上野 千鶴子
Feminism from zero by Ueno Chizuko
Douban: 8.8/10
Written by Japanese sociologist Ueno Chizuko, this book about feminism was the third popular book of the year. It’s also the third time I’ve seen Ueno’s books on the most popular books in the Chinese reading community list. The previous two are 女ぎらい――ニッポンのミソジニー (Misogyny) and 家父長制と資本制 (Patriarchy and Capitalism). It shows the continuous discussion and reflection of patriarchy and feminism among the Chinese reading community.
Goodreads: 4.43/5
Douban: 8.9/10
This is a book looking at the Chinese economy from within. Written by Lan Xiaohuan, a professor from Fudan University, the book has two parts. The first part discusses microeconomics including local investments and debts and tax operations. The second part discusses the connection between these microeconomic activities and macroeconomic phenomena. It also tackled how policies change economic behaviors and their impacts.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 8.9/10
This is a memoir of a therapist who was crashed down by a crisis in her life, and she needed to talk to someone. Written in a humorous language, Gottlieb invited us to her world as both clinician and patient. And offers us a deeply personal tour of our hearts and minds.
I read this book in 2020, and knowing how popular it is in both communities, makes me want to revisit the book.
Goodreads: 4.38/5
06 刘擎西方现代思想讲义 by 刘擎
Liu Qing’s Lecture Notes on Western Modern Thought by Liu Qing
Douban: 9.1/10
This book is a collection of lectures scholar and philosopher Liu Qing gave, on the topics of Western Modern Thoughts, including the origin of western modern thoughts, the meaning of freedom and burden, the lessons we can learn from the 20th century and reflections on Liberalism.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 8.6/10
This nonfiction journeys through the lives of several Americans, including farmers, business man, factory workers and billionaires. Discusses democracy in today’s America, and the crisis it faces.
This book is published in 2013, but still relavant in today’s political environment.
Goodreads: 4.13
Douban: 7.8/10
Wen Cheng is the name of a city that our protagonist kept looking for. He is a peculiar man covered in snow, hair, and bread. He didn’t talk much, he’s humble and silent. But he kept looking for a non-existed city,
This is the first full-length novel Yu Hua published in eight years. As one of the most profound Chinese writers, Yu Hua has many books translated into other languages, including 活着 (To Live) and 十个词汇里的中国 (China in Ten Words). So maybe someday we will see the translated version of this book!
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 8.0/10
This is a short story collection of 12 peculiar stories that are all unexacting and twisting. Huang Li-chun author said the stories are shattered, ruined, and not pretty, but they are about the little scares in our lives that we cannot stop loving.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Goodreads: 4.19/5
10 桶川跟踪狂杀人事件 by 清水洁
translated by 王华懋
桶川ストーカー殺人事件―遺言 by 清水 潔
The murder case by a stalker in Okegawa by Shimizu Kiyoshi
Douban: 9.0/10
A young woman was stabbed to death by the station of Okegawa in 1999. This case was first concluded as a random murder case. But with the investigation from journalist Shimizu, it appears that this case was so much more than it showed. Moreover, the police were slow and irresponsible.
This book was the record of Shimizu’s investigation, which eventually changed how the Japanese legal system treats stalker cases.
Goodreads: 4.57/5
Top rated books in 2021
Douban: 9.1/10
Midnight in Chernobyl is a well-written nonfiction about Chernobyl that covered the full event that started from the control room or Reactor No.4. It was highly praised ever since it was published. So it’s not a surprise that the Chinese translation of it was well loved by the community as well.
4.38/5
Douban: 9.1/10
This is a short story collection of South Korean director and writer Lee Chang-dong. It talks about people’s day-to-day life in this rapidly changing South Korean society, and how characters evolving with time.
Goodreads: 4.29/5
Douban: 9.1/10
Started with Twenty-five hundred scientists have been herded into an isolated site in the Nevada desert. This science fiction and thriller masterpiece discuss what would happen if scientists found out there’s a possibility of other beings and what does it means by “men of science”.
Goodreads: 4.10/5
Thirteen Talks is a series of TV shows, where the author interviewed others. After the show, the author collected all the interviews and made them into four books.
The third volume is a collection of interviews with writers and scholars.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 9.1/10
This book is a collection of lectures scholar and philosopher Liu Qing gave, on the topics of Western Modern Thoughts, including the origin of western modern thoughts, the meaning of freedom and burden, the lessons we can learn from the 20th century and reflections on Liberalism.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 9.1/10
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor of the earth, and the last chance to preserve humanity and the earth. However, he doesn’t know that, he can’t even remember his name. Thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.
This science fiction is a combination of scientific mystery, puzzles, and discovery.
Goodreads: 4.53/5
07 桶川跟踪狂杀人事件 by 清水洁
translated by 王华懋
桶川ストーカー殺人事件―遺言 by 清水 潔
The murder case by a stalker in Okegawa by Shimizu Kiyoshi
Douban: 9.0/10
A young woman was stabbed to death by the station of Okegawa in 1999. This case was first concluded as a random murder case. But with the investigation from journalist Shimizu, it appears that this case was so much more than it showed. Moreover, the police were slow and irresponsible. This book was the record of Shimizu’s investigation, which eventually changed how the Japanese legal system treats stalker cases.
4.57/5
Douban: 9.0/10
It’s an autobiography about the author finding out the truth behind her mother’s death when she was 10 years old. The one thing she knew is that her parents had to leave Mariupol because of the Nazi forced labor program in 1943.
Goodreads: 4.17/5
Douban: 9.1/10
National Southwest Association University, founded during the Second Sino-Japanese War ( WWII), left a lot of legacy in Chinese educational history. Writer 杨潇 (Yao Xiao) backpacked the route where the university took when it’s moving. And reflected the correlation of the history and the present.
This book does not have a translation yet.
Douban: 9.0/10
This is the biography of the profound philosopher, novelists and feminist icon Beauvoir. Including new personal details that are revealed for the first time, and deepen the mystery and fascination with her.
Goodreads: 4.34/5