China

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Thumbs up for Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern by Jing Tsu. History.

An absolutely fascinating history of the technical and political problems faced by the men who brought the written Chinese language into the modern age. By which I mean, how to make a typewriter that can handle thousands of unique characters, while still being portable and easy to use?… >> Read more

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Two thumbs up for Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China that Never Was by Barry Hughart. Fantasy.

I was (am) reading a beautiful but very sad book, so I picked up Bridge of Birds, long lingering on my TBR list. Good heavens, why did I wait? Bridge of Birds is a picaresque fantasy of chaotic event, genuine heart, satisfying plot development, and many laugh-out-loud moments.… >> Read more