In addition to English collections, the library holds books in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, French, & Spanish. Chinese learners and native speakers – check out these 6 Top Picks by Sunny from the Recreational Library!

Want to review/recommend a book, DVD or LP record? Email us at
msa-jml@monash.edu – all reviews will go into the draw for a $20 MSA voucher each month!

1. 房思琪的初恋乐园Si Qi’s Very First Love
这本书讲述了作者林奕含的亲身经历。在13岁的年纪，房思琪体验了她的“初恋”，男老师暴力猥琐的行为改变了她的人生以及她对生活的理解，这是爱吗？为何爱如此暴力？本书以不同的视角讲述了少女被性侵的经历，她所经受的心理挣扎和对自我的怀疑。台湾年轻作家林奕含用揭开自己伤疤的方式呼吁社会群众去关注未成年性骚扰问题。不幸的是，林奕含因少年时的不幸经历患上严重的抑郁症，在此书出版不久结束了自己26岁的生命。

The book was written by young Taiwanese writer Lin Yi Han based on her true life story. The ‘first love’ was not a good experience for Siqi, as her teacher repeatedly sexually assaulted her during school. Siqi was just 13, and this experience totally changed her life and her understanding of life. She was confused, ‘is this love? Why is this love violent?’ ‘Did I do something wrong?’
The sad fact is the writer, Lin Yihan committed suicide in 2017 due to severe depression, it seems she was never able to walk out from the past. However, she chose to confess her own sadness and dark past to the readers, expecting her own experience would have an impact on the public to pay attention to the issue of sexual assault and teenager protection.

2. 至味在人间Real Life Deliciousness
本书作者为纪录片《舌尖上的中国》总导演陈晓卿，他热爱美食，更衷于探索大隐于市的平民美食。《至味在人间》是这位美食爱好者十年笔记的整理，这里有独家秘方，煎炒蒸炸，柴米油盐，青山绿水，全在舌尖。这里更有美食背后的故事，亲情，爱情，友情，故乡情。中国人讲究：民以食为天，美食更是情感寄托的载体，没有人情没有记忆，再浓的滋味也显得平淡无奇。幅员辽阔，历史悠久，打开此书，了解中国饮食变迁的沧海桑田。

The author, Chen Xiaoqing, is the director of a famous documentary, A Bite of China. In this book, he collected his experience of travelling all around China and tasting different food. Chen believes that authentic Chinese food always comes from real life, from cities to the countryside. This book is more about people and their feelings, food can represent family, love, motherland and memories. Readers may follow his footsteps, to discover the change and development of Chinese foods.

3. 智能时代 The Era of Intelligentisation
大数据是当今社会的热点话题，可大数据与机器智能引领的技术变革究竟会对我们的社会发展，商业与生活有什么影响？前谷歌项目经理，现风险投资人吴军带着其十几年的从业经历为我们解读我们深处的这个智能时代。从专业角度看待发展，联系到社会生活中最常见的例子，读者将被带入到一个以前无法想象现在已经到来的未来。本书被豆瓣读书列在2016年度榜单商业经营类榜首，适合想要了解未来商业，社会，信息工程趋势的读者。

Big data is one of the top phrases in our society. The development of big data and intelligentisation has led to technological innovation, it therefore significantly influences commercial activities and social life. Author Wu Jun, former project manager for Google and current CEO of a venture capital (VC) firm, analyses this era of intelligentisation for readers. Standing on a professional grounds, the author relates the notion to the simplest examples in our life, the readers could be brought to the future that has already arrived, although we have never realised it. For those people who would like to understand the future trends of commerce, society and information technology, this book is on your must-read list.

4. 独自上场 My Life
亚洲首位网球大满贯得主李娜的自传，它是最受国际关注的中国女运动员之一。从家乡武汉走到国家队所在地北京，在体制中挣扎十载，她从北京走向墨尔本，巴黎，伦敦和纽约，载誉而归。一个冠军的背后总有许多艰辛，荣耀的背后是常人无法想象的付出与奋斗，这是对胜利的渴望也是对理想的坚持。本书会让你看到一个冠军之外的李娜，这里有她的成长故事，成才之路，更有她的爱情故事，与人生感悟。总之，这里有一个不一样的李娜等着你去发现。

This is the autobiography of Li Na, the very first grand slam champion who comes from Asia. She is also one of the most famous Chinese athletes who has drawn great attention on an international stage. From her hometown Wuhan, to Beijing where the national tennis team is located, Li Na struggled in the national sports system for over 10 years. She finally built her own team and stood on the courts of grand slams in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York. There have always been difficulties on the road to success, winning honours means hours of training and unlimited efforts that we could not imagine. She has the desire to win championships, and the persistence to achieve her dream. In this book, you can have an insight into Li Na’s extraordinary and ordinary world, her upbringing, her achievements and also her love story. There is a different Li Na here for you to discover…

5. 我们仨 We, Three
作者杨绛先生是中国著名的编剧，作家以及翻译家，她也是中国最伟大的女人之一。除去她的这些头衔以外，人们更加津津乐道于她与著名作家钱钟书的爱情与生活。《我们仨》记述了钱钟书，杨绛和他们的女儿的故事，这个家庭63年来的风风雨雨，点点滴滴。本书的故事温暖而平凡，深情而动人。丈夫和女儿在两年间因病相继离去，思念涌动，杨绛用文字倾诉思念。 本书分为两部分， 第一部分，作者以独特的写法讲述了最后几年一家三口相依为命的情感体验， 第二部分，是长达63年的记忆，从1953年在剑桥的爱情到1998年钱钟书逝世，那些鲜为人知的故事，倾吐而出。“我们仨失散了，剩下我一个。我却觉得我这一生并不空虚，我活得很充实，也很有意思，因为有我们仨。”

The author, Yang Jiang, was a famous play writer and translator, she was also awarded as one of the greatest women in China. Apart from these rewards, people admire more about her relationship and life with her husband, Qian Zhong Shu. ‘We, Three’ talks about the stories between Yang, Qian and their daughter, ups and downs that happened in this family over 63 years. The narrative is ordinary but full of warmth, emotional and touching. Yang’s husband and daughter both passed away within 2 years, Yang uses literature to express her love and loneliness. There are two parts in this book, in the first part, the author talked about the emotional experiences during the last few years she spent with her family members. The second part contains all the memories in 63 years, from their love story at Cambridge to the day when Qian passed away.
‘We three got lost, there is only me left, but I don’t think my life is empty, I lived an interesting and fulfilled life, because I have us three.

6. 我二十九岁的夏天My 29th summer
这本书讲述了一个四季流转而步履不停的爱情故事。生命中第二十九个夏天，就好像之前所有的夏天一样，有一种不可名状的温柔气息，因为告别而产生的种种萦绕心头的忧伤，最终也并没有凝结成影响生活的事件，秋天来临，又是一个轮转。书中的夏天，好像就是我们所有人的夏天，时间就这样走着，四季像一个圈，那些曾经在意的，曾经担心的与曾经惊喜过的，也并不会在下一个四季中留下足迹。‘一切没有那么好，一切也没有那么糟’生活不就是这样。作者有鹿用温暖的文字，清新的插画，告诉我们他的生活哲学。

Seasons come and go but the road never ends. For the main character, his 29th summer has been similar with all other summers in his life, there is an indescribable atmosphere, saying goodbye to some people, the emotion of sadness hanging around him. However, there was no such events that could influence his life significantly in the end, autumn has come, another turn of season starts. The summer described in this book looks like the summer all of us have spent, time flies, four seasons are like a loop. The events we cared about, worried about or were surprised by, would not leave a single footprint as we entered the next round. “Nothing is too good, nothing is too bad”, this is life. The author, You Lu, uses the warm narrative, and bright pictures, to talk about his life philosophy.