What better way to brave the heat than to curl up in a shady spot with a good book and a tall, dewy glass of something cold? This summer, we’re asking some of our favorite people about town to share what’s on their list. Check back every Friday for new recommendations.

First up, the wonderful team over at Pathlight, the magazine for new Chinese fiction in translation. (See details for a panel with Pathlight editors at end of post)

Eric Abrahamsen

I’ve got my eye on 马原’s [Ma Yuan] new novel 《纠缠》, though frankly I don’t expect all that much of it. Also there’s a Shanghai writer we heard about recently that Alice has read and liked, though I can’t remember her name, Alice will know [editor’s note: Alice did in fact know, see below for name and title]. Another Shanghai writer I want to read is 周嘉宁 [Zhou Jia Ning], one of the editors of 鲤 [Li], Zhang Yueran’s novel. I don’t know which title to choose yet, but will be picking something.

Alice Xin Liu

I’m reading The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

A whole slew of Chinese novels, none of which I’d like to give away right now, because I’m reading them for translation interest.

Oh, Blossoms by Jin Yucheng (Chinese: 繁花 by 金宇澄) is the Chinese novel Eric is referring to. It sets to be a great read.

Canaan Morse

Italo Calvino, Six Memos for the New Millennium

苏童，《少年血》

笑笑生，《金瓶梅》

文康，《儿女英雄传》

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

David Markson, Reader’s Block

Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney, editors, The Rattle Bag: An Anthology of Poetry

Pathlight presents “The Future” – a discussion with Chen Qiufan, Hao Jingfang and the editors of Pathlight

Tuesday, July 16 7:30pm

40/50rmb

Pathlight is a magazine of Chinese fiction and poetry in English translation. The Spring 2013 edition is themed around “The Future”: stories about the future of China, the future of technology, and the future of individual lives. Joins us as we discuss the issue with some of the editors of Pathlight as well as writers Chen Qiufan and Hao Jingfang.