Chaos and Grime: A Year in the Life of a Chinese City by Jacob Acerbi My rating: 2 of 5 stars I enjoyed much of this book, and the author’s honesty in showing the less pleasant aspects of his own behaviour and personality should be applauded IMO. I don’t condone his nastier actions, but he … Chaos and Grime: A Year in the Life of a Chinese City
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novel switches between the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Qingdao, and Dandong, and between the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. However, in my calculations, over half of the book takes place in Shanghai in 2007. This was important to me because I … River East, River West
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux My rating: 5 of 5 stars Having lived and worked in the British Protectorate, Nyasaland in the 1960s, Singapore in the 70s and England after that, Paul Theroux is well-placed to write a book on the in-and-outs, snobberies and brutalities of the British Empire. He also has the language of … Burma Sahib
White Monkey by Carlos Hughes My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a hilarious take on the English teacher in a foreign country story. To those who have been there, the stages are familiar. For the rest, it goes like this: A twenty-something with a university education but limited prospects accepts a job in … White Monkey
American Pilgrim by Roosh V. My rating: 4 of 5 stars Even in his pick-up artist phase, Roosh Valizadeh’s writing displayed a level of introspection and observation which made his books worth reading. In ‘American Pilgrim,’ Roosh is on the road—giving us his take on worldly issues for possibly the last time. His aim isn’t … American Pilgrim
1. Fish Farming (draft) Kurt found the shallow-bottomed canoe awkward. Sitting down, he feared a wrong move would capsize it, and kneeling hurt his hips and ankles. And why wasn’t the paddle wider? Each effort of sweeping it through the water led to a pitiful amount of forward propulsion. When a local spotted him in … Sulphur Lake Chapter 1
Smoko is available on Amazon. A second paperback edition will be published by Piwaiwaka Press soon. I sat on an uncomfortable chair with a thick manual in front of me. As I read about the history of the postal service, two more trainees, a woman and a man, arrived. ‘Cutting it fine, guys,’ Norm … SMOKO Chapter 1
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not a spoiler because it’s made clear early in the book: Mike Stoner’s protagonist Newbie has come to Indonesia on the run from the grief he’s suffering from the accidental death of his English girlfriend. Jalan Jalan is an accomplished entry into the ‘Clueless Westerner in Asia’ genre. Most … Jalan Jalan
A tightly written, hilarious, and with hindsight tragic memoir of Shawn Matthews’ first three months in Korea teaching at a Hagwon on an island off the coast of Busan. A qualified teacher working as a mental health counsellor for low pay, Matthews is living in Syracuse, New York. He still pines after his ex-girlfriend. He … Island of Fantasy
