The Alchemist

"The Alchemist" is an allegorical novel written by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho. It is a novel which encourages people to pursue their dream.

The main character in this novel is a Shepherd boy Sandiago, who likes to travel around. One day, Sandiago meets the king of Salem. The king encourages him to go and find out the big treasure which was buried near the pyramid that Sandiago had dreamed of for two times. During Sandiago's travel to Africa, he encounters a lot of difficulties. His money was stolen by thieves, and the caravan he joined to across the Sahara desert was forced to stop in an oasis for certain reasons. However, Sandiago still doesn't give up his dream.

The concepts that the author wants to convey to the readers through this novel are that every one in the world has his or her own destiny and goal to follow, and striving hard for your own destiny is not only your job but the way you live in the world. Besides, some people may give up their dream because of marriage or their family, but in this novel, the author explains that love will not stop people from pursuing their dream; therefore, if a person gives up pursuing his or her dream because of love, it is not the true love.

The sentence that impressed me the most in this novel is "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."(From: The Alchemist) It conveys the concept that once a person tries his or her best to pursue something, he or she can attract others to help him fulfill the dream, which gives courage and confidence to those who wants to pursue their goal.

More detailed: http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010269364

The Gift of Nothing

"The Gift of Nothing" is a picture book which written by American illustrator Patrick McDonnell. 

The main characters in this picture book are the cat Mooch and the dog Earl, and they are good friends. One day, Mooch wants to give Earl a gift; however, even Mooch spends lots of time thinking, he still doesn't know what gift to prepare for Earl, because he thinks that Earl doesn't lack of anything. Finally, Mooch comes up with an idea. He brings a big but empty present box to Earl, and tells him, "This is the gift of nothing, but you and me."

Nowadays, people focuses a lot on their material lives. They spend a lot of time on work to earn more money because they think that giving money to their family, making sure that they can live without fear is the way to show their love and attention to them. However, this picture book tells that there are something more precious that cannot buy with money, such us love and friendship.

Love and friendship are invisible, but they are definitely the best gifts for people who value each other. The appearance of love and friendship is presented through the companion to each other, and they are more valuable than the visible material. 

This is a short story with simple illustration and words, but it conveys a very important concept for people. 

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Verbrechen

"Verbrechen" is a book that collects several real stories, and most of the main characters in these stories commit a crime. The author is a German lawyer who defends for these defendants, and he wrote this book as records of every story.

I will always rethink about the crime happen in out society. Every time when I read the crime events from news, especially the cruel murder events, I cannot understand, and I cannot bare that why a person can do such terrible things. However, after reading this book, I discover that perhaps not all the people who commit the crime is because of hostility, but some of them have their own difficulties which we cannot imagine or understand before experiencing them. 
As a law student, it is important for me to learn to stand on these convicts' side to think before I make a comment on them.

Besides, I am of the opinion that law is the symbol of justice. Therefore, I used to feel angry and unfair as I see the news which reports the "dinosaur judge", which means the judge who makes an unacceptable judgement. Nevertheless, in this book, it records lots of real cases which cannot be solved due to the limited evidence and the lawyer's defending skill. These stories make me rethink that judge is not a god but a person; therefore, judge does not have the ability to reappear the truth. The only thing the judge can do is to follow the evidence, and try his or her best to make a good judgement. The society should give more respect to the judges' decision, and should not condemn them too much.

"Verbrechen" is a book that worth of reading not only for law students but also for every citizen, for law may be a specialized field which most people are not familiar with; therefore, many people may have lots of misunderstanding on it. After reading this book, people will find out that some of their opinions to law may be wrong, and it definitely should be corrected. 

More detailed: http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010509001

The Devotion of Suspect X

"The Devotion of Suspect X" is a detective novel written by Japanese novelist Higashino Keigo. 

Ishigami, the main character in the novel is a math genius teaching in high school. Ishigami is a very rational person, who always follows his own logic as doing every thing, and never being influenced by any emotion. Nevertheless, one day, Ishigami unexpectedly has a crush on his new neighbor, Yasuko for the first sight, and Ishigami's deep love to Yasuko even makes him help Yasuko to conceal her crime of killing her ex-husband who keeps exerting domestic violence to her and her daughter. 

Genius as Ishigami, he absolutely knows that his behavior of helping Yasuko conceal the crime and destroy the body of her ex-husband's will lead himself to crime, but why such a rational person like he still be affected by his emotion and cannot help to do so?  In the novel, the story explains that it is because before knowing Yasuko, Ishigami thought that he himself was just like a robot that living a regular and boring life everyday, the only thing he had in his life was math and number. One day, Ishigami cannot bare his crazy life anymore and decide to commit suicide. On the moment that he wanted to hang himself, it is Yasuko that knocked his door for greeting, and saved his life.

"Sometimes, a person can rescue another person's life by only being alive." I think that this sentence is the main concept that the author wants to convey in this novel. Like Ishigami, he thought that it is Yasuko that saved his life, so all he did for her is not to help but to return, because Yasuko is his motivation to keep living in the world. Perhaps this kind of affection is not only between love, but also between closed friends and family. For the person we take to heart, the only thing we care about is he or her can live safety and happiness, and there's nothing else. 

In this novel, readers can not only be attracted by the complicated and suspense plots, but also be touching by the pure love that runs through the whole story. Besides, there're many things to rethink after reading "The Devotion of Suspect X".

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I Like You

"I Like You" is a picture book written by American author Sandol Stoddard Warburg. It is a book which can finish reading it quickly,but the touching feeling will last permanently.

In this picture book, every sentence in every page starts with "I like you because......", which shares many reasons why people like each other. The author uses simple words and illustration in the book, but appropriately expresses the true meaning of relationship. 

Nowadays, people are often too shy to express their true emotion and love to their family, friends, or love ones, especially for conservative Asian people. However, emotional communication is really important for people who want to keep a good relationship with others, for it can build up more solid trust between people and people. After reading this book, readers will discover that perhaps it is not too difficult to express their love, but they just need an action, for example, giving this book to their special one. 

"Here is the book that Romeo would have given Juliet; Charlie Brown would have given Snoopy; and now friends of all ages can give this to their special someone."(From: I Like You) Try to express your love to your special ones, and both of you will receive happiness after a simple action.

More detailed: http://www.books.com.tw/products/F010002125

Norwegian Wood

"Norwegain Wood" is a romantic novel written by Japanese novelist Murakami Haruki. This is a story not only describe the romantic relationship between a boy and two girls, but also explain the attitude of facing dead. 

The main character in this novel-Watanaba, who is a college student, has experienced that his best friend committed suicide. Watanaba not only felt sorrowful himself but also felt sympathy for his best friend's girlfriend-Naoko. Watanaba wanted to console Naoko's sadness, so he accompanied her all the time, and gradually fell in love with her. However, Naoko still could not walk out of the sorrow, and she ended her life by committing suicide as her boyfriend did eventually.

At the same time, Watanaba discovered that not only did he fall in love with Naoko, but he was also attracted by his friend Midori. His feeling to two girls made him feel confused and guilty. Even after Naoko committed suicide, Watanaba was still afraid to accept Midori's love. Fortunately, it was Midori's love that finally gave him the courage to pursue his own happiness.

The author conveyed two important concepts in this novel. The first one is about love. Some people may have the experience that they fall in love with someone at first; however, their love to that person gradually transfer into friendship or family affection, and they are attracted by another person. In this situation, some people may feel guilty and have pressure of not being able to fulfill the promise they had made before. In this novel, the author said that the two people are just like beautiful lake and blue sky, both of them are charming and appealing to you in the beginning. Nevertheless, one day you will find out which one you like more, and all your changing is reasonable; therefore, it is unnecessary to be so disappointed that even lose the opportunity to pursue your truth love and your own happiness.

Another concept is about the attitude of facing dead. The main character in this novel had two experience of facing dead. One is his best friend, and another is his beloved girl. In the two times experience, he realized that no matter what kind of truth or belief you have, it can not cure the sorrow of losing beloved. Even you already have an experience, but the experience will still be useless when you face the next parting. This is because everyone is irreplaceable; therefore, the only thing you can do is to walk through the sorrow and you can finally end the sorrow.

I really recommend this novel, for the author conceals a lot of important concepts for readers to reflect by themselves in the plot. It is a novel that worth of reading, because readers will have different feedback during their every time reading. 

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Battle Royale

"Battle Royale" is a detective and horrible novel written by Japanese novelist Koushun Takami. It's a novel about the test of the humanity, which is the best explanation of the proverb "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

In the story, one class was selected randomly from all the high schools in Japan. The class was forced to attend a "plan", which imprisoned all the students in the class in a secret island, and demanded them to kill each other until the only survivor came out. If the students didn't follow the order, all of them would be killed in 24 hours. The only way to survive and escape from the island is to be the winner in this massacre.

How can the pure high school aged students kill people? Even the ones they are forced to kill are the classmates who they get along with from morning till evening? Once people are in the danger which threaten their life, they will find out that how frangible is the trust between people and people, and how large is their desire to live. People's fear to dead and their eagerness to live may control their behavior, and this will make people behave in the way that is out of their imagination. 

I really recommend this novel, not only because of the intensive and attractive plots of it, but also because of the exquisite description of humanity. People with different personalities will act in a totally different way as they face the danger; however, one thing that can make sure is all people's behavior are for their own benefits. 

Readers can imagine that if you are in the same situation as the characters in the novel, what will your reaction be? "Battle Royale" is a novel that readers can understand themselves more after reading it.

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The Woods

"The Woods" is a suspense fiction written by American novelist Harlan Coben. It is a novel which talks about keeping secrets.

Every character in "The Woods" keeps one or more secrets for certain purposes. For example, the main character- Paul, who is a prosecutor that is responsible for crime investigation. However, Paul hid an important clue of a two dead and two missing case to protect his beloved girlfriend, even his sister was one of the missing people. In addition, a husband in the story killed his wife secretly and peached his mother in law's crime. All his behavior was only to protect his family. Moreover, a father concealed the truth of a homicide, and even killed someone for keeping the secret. The only reason that he committed a crime is to protect his daughter.

In the name of protecting someone, many people keep secrets, or even lie to each other. Nevertheless, this story makes me rethink that is it good to behave in this way or not? Keeping a secret is to defend the truth for our own, but it may be a deceit for others. A not well hidden secret is just like an uncovered deceit, which is more heartbreaking than the secret or deceit itself, for it makes people discover that how fragile and vulnerable their relationship is.  

After reading "The Woods", I understand that every one in the world has his or hers own secrets, and it is impossible to make a no secret world. That being the case, the things we have to learn is to be considerate to each other's secret instead of trying to uncover it, and respect other's reason for keeping the secret. 

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Make a Face

"Make a Face" is a novel written by Japanese novelist-Miyabe Miyuki. It is a ghost novel but famous for its warm and touching story. 

The main character in this novel-Lin, whose parents run a Japanese restaurant by themselves. One day, Lin was sick and had a high fever. When Lin was absentminded, she felt somebody doing massage for her, and she even saw a strange girl making a face to her. After Lin recovered, she discovered that there were a lot of ghosts gathering in the house which her family live in now, and what surprised is that she could not only see these ghosts but could talk to them, too. Soon after, There was a rumor that Lin's parents' restaurant was a ghost house; therefore, the restaurant's business was poor. In order to help the restaurant's business, Lin plans to talk to every ghost in her house, finding out their reason for gathering here, and help them to solve their resentment.

The concept which the author wants to explain in this novel is encourage people to forgive. Not only forgive others but also forgive themselves. The ghosts wander around the world because there are still resentments in their mind. They cannot remove the resentment, so they are unable to reincarnate. Those people who can see the ghosts, they probably have the same resentment as the ghosts in their mind, because the appearance of the ghosts is the reflection of the viewer's mind. The ghosts are not horrible at all. What really appalling is the resentments that people cannot forgive in their mind.

I really recommend this novel. Unlike normal ghost story, readers can not only enjoy the warm and touching plots that the author created, but can also rethink themselves through a little girl's perspective. Perhaps the world is not so complicated as we had thought, the thing that truly makes people confused is our emotion and the opinions that deeply rooted in our mind.

More detailed: http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010372375

Welcome to the Sea of Books

Books are the communication bridge between past and present, strangers and strangers. By reading, different thoughts can be conveyed to each other, different perspective can be discussed and exchanged. Reading books is not only to pass the time, but it is also a good way to gain new knowledge, stimulate people's thoughts, and broaden people's visions. 

For me, writing down my reading review is the best way to examine how much I understand the content, and what my viewpoint of the books is. Therefore, in this blog, I'm going to share my personal review after reading different kinds of books. It may be novels, magazine, reference books, etc. Readers can get a brief introduction of the books' content on my blog  and decide whether to read by themselves or not. If readers had read the same books as me by coincidence, they can also share their perspective of the books and have a discussion with me. 

Good books need to be shared. The review which I post on the blog are the books that had certain part that attracted me a lot. Welcome to recommend and share new books in my sea of books. Hope that everyone can discover their own treasure here.