Personal Rating: The Tao of Pooh is an introduction to Taoism for Westerners explained through the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh. It all started when the author Benjamin Hoff observed that the English language writings about Taoist philosophy often miss the point. According to him, they are more concerned with “bickering over minute particulars” than telling the […]
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks: A True-to-Life Literary Mystery
Personal Rating: “People of the Book” is an Islamic reference to Jews, Christians, and Sabians. However, many other religious denominations have also embraced the term to refer to themselves. People of the Book is also a bestselling novel by the American writer and journalist Geraldine Brooks. Indeed, it is a title apt for the historical […]
Poetic Accounts on Women’s Health: I Knew A Woman
Personal Rating I may have an alternative way of learning about things in life. Like some of us, I wasn’t that much enticed with textbooks from school. I instead learn history through historical fiction books, science through sci-fi novels, and problem-solving through mystery books. In human biology, particularly female biology, I remembered being overwhelmed with […]
The Consequences of Counting Moments: The Time Keeper
Imagine a world without the concept of time. There will be no such thing as promptness or haste. Every movement won’t be defined and limited by digits. Rather, we simply enjoy moments. But when our bodies get up as if summoned by the rising sun and retire upon the appearance of the moon’s shy crescent […]
Beautiful Girls in the Paris of China: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
I have been putting off writing a review while I rid myself of strong feelings for this novel. But it has been two weeks since I finished the book, and my heart still aches for the characters. Perhaps, it will always do. Personal Rating: Beautiful Girls in the Paris of China In Shanghai Girls, author […]
Seeing Life’s Realities Through a Child’s Eyes: Angela’s Ashes
I’ve always got a penchant for books that take me to a different time and place. So when I picked up Angela’s Ashes by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, I was expecting to be transported to 1930’s Limerick, Ireland. However, I was surprised at how I found the time and place so familiar. Francis “Frank” […]
Around The World in Eighty-Books
Rapid digitalization paired with the recent health crisis has simultaneously connected and divided people around the world. Moreover, it showed us we are all human, and all we need is solidarity. Each of us has a role to play in understanding nations and each other, and we can start by reading books. Through the lens […]
The Writer, the Workspace, and the Quest for Productivity
Have you ever wondered how your favorite author or writer managed to write such magnificent books? Do you sometimes wish you can write about your dreams too than just dream about writing? Because I do. I’m guilty of too much daydreaming and never having the time to write. I admire Haruki Murakami’s dedication to writing […]