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Episode Summary
Looking for a great gift for a book-lover? We’ve got you covered! From coffee table books to fiction, historical fiction and expat accounts of life in Asia, Amy Chavez and John Ross weigh in on their favorites.
Episode Notes
Books discussed in this episode, in order of appearance:
The Last Great Australian Adventurer: Ben Carlin’s Epic Journey Around the World by Amphibious Jeep by Gordon Bass (Random House Australia, 2017)
Once a Fool: From Japan to Alaska by Amphibious Jeep, by Boye De Mente
Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan’s Greatest Samurai Warriors, by Paul Martin (Tuttle, 2024)
The Modern Japanese Garden, by Stephen Mansfield (Thames & Hudson, 2025)
The Wondrous Elixir of The Two Chinese Lovers, by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025)
China Running Dog, by Mark Kitto (Plum Rain Press, 2025)
An American Bum in China: Featuring the Bumblingly Brilliant Escapades of Expatriate Matthew Evans by Tom Carter (Available in Audio book format, narrated by Eryk Michael Smith)
The Cuttlefish, by Chris Tharp (Plum Rain Press, 2025)
A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa, by Yao-Chang Chen (Plum Rain Press, 2024)
The Lotus Moon: Art and Poetry of Buddhist Nun Ōtagaki Rengetsu, by John Stevens (Floating World Editions, 2023)
Other podcast episodes mentioned:
BOA Ep. 56: Ted Goosen on translating Hiromi Kawakami’s The Third Love
Formosa Files Podcast about Ben Carlin’s ocean journey by amphibious jeep
BOA Ep. 39: Paul Martin on Japanese Swords and Armor
BOA Ep. 48: Stephen Mansfield on The Modern Japanese Garden
BOA Ep.54: Mark Kitto on China Running Dog
BOA Ep. 35: John Stevens on The Healing Power of Ōtagaki Rengetsu
Formosa Files Podcast: Taiwan and Xu Fu, and the Two Chinese Lovers with Tim McGirk
Formosa Files Podcast: A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa
The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.
Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.
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