Editor’s Note:

As Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO said, "The power of books must be fully harnessed. We must ensure access to them so that all people find refuge in reading and can thus dream, learn and reflect." April 23 marks World Book and Copyright Day. Here are ten widely praised books which received unanimously high scores on Douban, a major review aggregator in China.

The Death of a Princess

The Death of a Princess is a work of legal history. The author elaborates on the classic case of Princess Lanling of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), who was beaten by her husband and suffered a miscarriage leading to her death, exploring important and profound legal and marital ethical issues such as domestic violence and the inferior status of women.

Delivering Packages in Beijing

Author Hu Anyan has worked as a courier, a night shift stock picker, a convenience store clerk and a security guard. He transforms the bits and pieces of everyday life and the joys and sorrows of work into a sincere narrative. He ultimately realizes that a life filled with resentment is not worth living.

The Annoyance of the Gods

Author Ma Boyong, who has written The Longest Day in Chang'an, uses the classic Journey to the West as a backdrop to describe a series of workplace issues, such as how to write a work report during a project and how to respond to emergencies.

Bright Night

Written by Choi Eun-young, the book is a female version of Yu Hua’s To Live. It tells the story of the friendship and struggle of four generations of women. The women in the book are no longer characters to be pitied against one another, nor do they play supporting roles in the lives of men.

Consent

This is a memoir about trauma, healing, and courage. Author Vanessa Springora reflects on power inequality and violence through her own experiences at the age of 14, using calm, precise, and candid language.

The Man in a Rush

Author Wang Jibing is a delivery man whose running routes have accumulated 150,000 kilometers, equivalent to running back and forth along the Great Wall of China 15 times. Like all workers from the grassroots of China, Wang records his embarrassment and the self-respect of being a worker.

Caliban and the Witch

The book is a classic in Marxist feminism, complementing the missing female perspective. It allows readers to better understand the close relationship between modern patriarchy, the rise of the nation-state, and the transition period from feudalism to capitalism.

An Ideology for Survival

Are women inherently pacifists? Is feminism about women being able to fight like men? Author Ueno Chizuko examines feminism from a new perspective of the state, ethnicity and violence.

How Many More Times Will I Watch the Full Moon Rise

In March 2023, the famed Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away. This book records his late footprints, philosophy behind artistic creation and social activities, as well as the bond between his family history and family members.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk lived in South Africa as a child, where he often suffered from school bullying, but these pains were insignificant compared to the emotional trauma caused by his father. Renowned biographer Walter Isaacson uncovers the mysterious veil of today's globally notable and innovative entrepreneur from close observation.