Duckspotting!

Sorry for the title, folks. I could not resist.

The buzz around Hong Kong this week is all about the floating rubber duck exhibit in Victoria Harbour. I took the Star Ferry to see it on Sunday...

When we pulled up to the dock, I could see the crowds.

They lined the harbor and the top of Ocean Terminal.

And the duck gazed down on them.

I'm not sure what to say about it. I like it. I've read that the installation is meant to promote camaraderie and good feelings. Despite the crowds packed in around me, I suppose I did feel good looking at the duck. No one was pushing or shoving, which is very unusual for this corner of Tsim Sha Tsui. My fellow gawkers seemed both bemused and cheered by the sight of the big floating toy in the harbor. 

When I made my home later that night, the crowds were just as big, and seemingly just as happy.

I'm not sure what to say about it, but I think the duck is worth a visit.

Have you been down to see the duck yet? Do you think it's cute? Gimmicky? Dumb? Inoffensive? Inspiring? How did it make you feel?

Bookspotting and Selections

Over the past few weeks I've been hard at work on a few editing projects. I sent my initial selections for the Expat Women in Asia anthology to the publisher for approval. With his input, I finalized the selections and sent out notifications to all the authors. (If you submitted a piece and didn't get an email from me in the last 24 hours, please contact me!) It was a tough process because we received so many great submissions. I could have easily put together two full manuscripts, and there were some pieces that were very difficult to turn down. Nevertheless, I now have a file of moving and varied essays by 26 terrific expat women, and I can't wait for you to read them (the anthology comes out next spring).

Despite my recent blog silence, I've been spotting books along the way. There's a woman who often crosses the platform at Mongkok station with me in the morning carrying books. Recently, she was reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. Today, I spotted the Chinese gentleman with the fancy white shoes again, and he had a white Chinese paperback. I saw two people reading Kindles on the MTR and three people carrying Hong Kong guidebooks around Central. I heard from friends about how they're reading Sophie Kinsella, Hugh Howey, and Robin Hobb. In my own reading, I've been on a fantasy kick lately. After the final Wheel of Time book, I read Brandon Sanderson's Elantris and The Emperor's Soul, and I just started Hobb's Liveship series. I also read the YA book Beautiful Creatures and saw the movie. I'm finishing up Country Driving by Peter Hessler and expect to post a review soon.

What are people reading in your town? Do you read more than one book at a time?

Also, has anyone seen the rubber duck in Victoria Harbour? I haven't had a chance to get down there yet.

NOTHING GAINED by Phillip Y. Kim

THE GIST:

The drowning of a prominent investment banker in Hong Kong forces his wife to investigate a complex weave of lies, greed, and intrigue behind the scenes of the Asian financial sector.

THE VERDICT:

This debut thriller from a Hong Kong banker-turned-author gets deep into the seedy side of the finance industry in Asia. Kim draws on his experience at banks like Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley to create a story rooted in the post-financial crisis investment world. Jason Donahue is a star banker at a boutique firm. After he drowns during a midnight swim gone wrong, hints of disturbingly risky investments and corruption begin to surface. His wife Cheryl must delve into a world that is more dangerous than she realizes to figure out just what was behind her gilded lifestyle. When her children are threatened, she becomes desperate to learn the truth, even though she may not like what she finds.

Kim's novel explores what it means to do business in Asia. One memorable Western character tries to browbeat his way through deals like he would in New York or Las Vegas. Others understand that you have to play by certain rules and participate in unspoken rituals in order to build trust. Kim's intimate understanding of these unspoken rules sets this novel apart from other tales of corrupt finance types. There is an air of moral ambiguity that pervades the story. Although a few characters end up feeling stereotypically evil, others demonstrate surprising complexity.

Hong Kong in this story is fast-paced and glitzy. Kim takes readers from the luxury apartments of Repulse Bay to the bars of Lan Kwai Fong and over on the ferry to the karaoke brothels of Macau. He creates a vivid picture of a specific side of the city that is actually very real. I see hints of this world everyday, but this novel provides a peek into the back rooms and business deals of an elite sector of Hong Kong society. Even the most scrupulous characters must be willing to compromise their integrity in order to survive.

THE LINK:

Phillip Y. Kim blogs at Asia's One Percent.

THE COST:

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of Penguin China.

THE QUESTION:

Do you think it is possible to be extremely financially successful while always making ethical choices? Do you think that is different if you are in Hong Kong vs. New York vs. London vs. Singapore, etc.?

Bookspotting and The Anthology

I just got back from a two-week holiday (from my day job) during which I read all of the submissions for the Expat Women in Asia anthology. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you will know I drank way too much coffee and ate a few too many baked goods while I worked. There were 85 submissions set in 17 Asian countries for a total of 263,541 words. Needless to say, there are more good essays than we will be able to accept, and I'm currently working on narrowing down my "yes file" to a publishable size. The draft manuscript will need to be approved by the publisher before I can notify the authors of my final decisions, but I wanted to keep you all updated on the process. 

Despite all the time I spent in coffee shops, I didn't spot as many books during the holiday as I usually do during my commute. My fiance pointed out a woman reading a book by Arthur Miller at Holly Brown. We went for a foot massage in Soho where, in addition to celebrity gossip mags, they had Sophie Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess and Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Last night, the Women in Publishing Society had an event on the evolution of the publishing industry, and there was a table of books being given away for free. I took home Nick Hornby's About a Boy. This morning, I spotted a schoolgirl carrying an English YA novel under her arm that had a blue and silver cover.

What are people reading in your town? Are you working on any exciting projects at the moment?

Bookspotting and Workshopping

This week I spotted a young man in a coffee shop carrying a book with the word Young written in bold colors on the mostly white cover. I spotted three different Chinese books on the MTR and one Hong Kong guidebook. Last night I attended a workshop at the Fringe Club for the Hong Kong Writers Circle. My friend brought along A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo. Another writer was reading The Dragon Book before the workshop began. When we did introductions, several of the writers shared what book they are reading at the moment. Titles included Conscious Living, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Nothing Gained (that was me), and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The workshop was about the ubiquitous "show don't tell" principle. It was a great way to kick off my Easter holiday, which I plan to spend writing and making the selections for the Expat Women in Asia anthology. If you are planning to submit an essay, the deadline is this Sunday!

Bookspotting and IMPRINT

This was a productive bookspotting and literary week for me. I spotted a woman on the MTR reading a book called The Blue Door. Across the train car, another woman was reading Pearl of China. I spotted two different Kindles on different days, one in the hands of a Chinese schoolboy, which I don't think I've seen before. A young girl had a copy of a Percy Jackson book, this one with the word Heroes in the title. On my way to work yesterday, I saw a man reading a Robert Jordan-sized hardback, but I couldn't see the cover. This morning, a girl sitting two seats away from me also had a thick English book open on her lap. I snuck a peak on my way out of the train and saw the title, City of Bones, at the top of the page. Finally, I received a paperback review copy from Penguin China of Nothing Gained, a new thriller by Phillip Y. Kim set in Hong Kong.

On Friday, I was the MC for the launch party celebrating IMPRINT, the annual anthology of the HK Women in Publishing Society, and the Saphira Prize for unpublished writing. Below is the quick write-up about the party I did for the HK WiPS website. There was a special surprise for me when the Saphira Prize coordinator announcing the winner mentioned that my entry, The Art of Escalator Jumping, had also received a special commendation from the judges. It was quite encouraging for me because that entry was my first novel, and I had been thinking about banishing it to a drawer. Now, I feel inspired to rework it and see if I can find it a home.

What are people reading in your town this week? Have you heard any encouraging words lately? 

P.S. I hope you've all heard by now that Susan Blumberg-Kason has signed a book deal! She's a regular commenter on this blog and a terrific inspiration to me as a fellow American writing about a love affair with Hong Kong.

IMPRINT 12 Launch and Saphira Prize Announcement

15 March 2013, FCC

By Shannon Young

The main event on the HK WiPS social calendar is the launch party for IMPRINT. 2013 is the twelfth year that members have gathered their best works of fiction, poetry, memoir and art into a collection that showcases the many talents of Hong Kong’s publishing women. To celebrate, over 80 WiPS ladies, their partners and curious creatives from Hong Kong and abroad gathered in the FCC for a crowded, joyous party.

The Hughes and Burton rooms, decorated with covers from past editions of IMPRINT, provided a cozy venue with just enough room to mingle and make regular trips to the hors d’oeuvre table.

This year’s IMPRINT bears a striking, modern cover featuring a typical Hong Kong sign, a temple door and a pair of shoes. Designer extraordinaire Tania Willis shared that the inspiration behind this year’s cover is the way writers leave behind their everyday lives like a pair of shoes when they step into their creative work. It is sure to stand out on the shelves of bookstores and personal libraries across the city.

Attendees enjoyed readings from Jessica Wang, the winner of this year’s Student Competition, and four IMPRINT contributors: Laura Besley, Mags Webster, Elizabeth Vongsaravanh and Aparna Assomull Bundro. Elizabeth made a special trip from Laos to read her poetry at the event.

The 2013 launch party celebrated a new development for WiPS, the awarding of the inaugural Saphira Prize for unpublished writing to Elsie Sze. Elsie, a longtime WiPS member and IMPRINT contributor, made a special trip from Canada to accept the Saphira Prize in person. Her novel will be edited and published by fellow WiPS members.

Thank you to all of the IMPRINT contributors, Saphira judges and WiPS committee members, past and present, who helped make this year’s launch party a success!

WOOL by Hugh Howey

THE GIST:

Humanity has survived an apocalypse in an underground silo, but they don't know what's really going on above the surface.

THE VERDICT:

Hugh Howey's Wool has gotten a lot of attention lately, which it deserves. I recently recommended this book to my sister as the best page-turner I've read in a long time. In the five-part Omnibus edition (it was originally released as serial e-novellas) we are introduced to the silo, an underground tower where a large community survives after an apocalypse they know little (or nothing) about. Although their lives are closely regulated, a few people notice suspicious coincidences and embark on investigations that prove to be dangerous - and even deadly.

The novellas take place chronologically with intersecting characters and story lines. Each main character shares a common desire to learn the truth, though their motivations are varied and personal. The relationships between the characters are complex and often moving, even as they are dealing with issues that turn out to be much bigger than themselves. The silo itself is a fascinating place, divided into over a hundred levels and connected by a massive central staircase (there is no elevator). Everyone wears coveralls corresponding with their jobs, creating factions and identities within the larger community. It's a fresh take on a post-apocalyptic scenario that will likely appeal to people who are not necessarily hardcore sci-fi fans.

The writing style is both economical and vivid. Howey uses carefully placed details to evoke an entire world without wasting words. The inhabitants of the silo have a unique vocabulary that adds authenticity to their world. Howey tackles some big ideas through the voices of his characters, making Wool more than just a good story. He poses philosophical questions throughout the narrative that keep you reading and dig into your mind long after you turn off your Kindle.

THE LINK:

Hugh Howey's website

THE COST:

The Wool Omnibus (1-5) is $3.99 for the Kindle edition. I would have happily paid that just for the first story.

THE QUESTION:

What makes you unable to put down a book? Do you think a good novel must pose deeper questions about the human condition or is it enough for it to be engaging to the last page?