Seems like the holiday season is a good time to read more books! So, here are 8 more books reviewed:

• American Born Chinese

  American Born Chinese is a book by a second-generation Chinese on how he overcomes the Chinese Stereotype, which is told within the tale of the Monkey King. I find the “moral” a bit contradictory and confusing (Monkey King is told there is no place for him among the “Gods”.) At least it brings racism to the front without accusing or wronging another race.

• The Best of Simon and Kirby

  The Best of Simon and Kirby is a gorgeous book of full-page illustrations by Jack Kirby. Enough said.

• Aya

  Aya is one of the rare graphic novels about Ivory Coast which does not talk about poverty or civil war but is a humourous look at the world of young people. I am definitely reading the whole series.

• The Girl Who Played with Fire

  The Girl Who Played with Fire is the next in the Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson. As usual it is dark and thrilling. I have never been taken up by a thriller like the ones written by him. It rankles me that we will see no more from Steig.

• Fatherland

  Fatherland: A Novel is a fantasy novel set in the alternate world where Hitler won the war. But the plot of the book is rather trivial and did not need an “alternate world” at all. It was a good read, but not quite what I expected.

• By Design

  By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Object Lessons is a great series of essays on Design. It has such gems like “Making it nice is not making it right”, “I know when taste improves, it becomes closer to what I like”, and “Take pleasure seriously”. It also explains how the occupation of a “Designer” came into existence and what separates design from art or engineering. Must read for anyone interested in design.

• The Adventures of Herge

  The Adventures of Herge: Creator of Tintin is a fanboy biography of Hergé. It has some lovely pictures and explains how Herge created different adventures of Tintin. It also states Hergé liked the idea of Steven Spielberg creating a movie on Tintin and I am glad that it is finally happening. It is also funny to see the real-life photos of different characters of Tintin (Dr. Muller, Thomson & Thompson, Tintin, Sponz, Chang) and note how strikingly alike they are!

• The New Kings of Nonfiction

  The New Kings of Nonfiction is a compendium of articles from the 80s to early 00s. The one that struck me most was that of Akumal Ramachander (mainly because I am, in some ways, similar to him) and a story on a right-wing radio show host by David Foster Wallace.

What did you read over the holiday season? Do recommend books in the comments!