Books Every Student Should Read: Essential for Surviving the Rat Race 学生应该看的书 内卷必备

1. 501 书 A Light in the Sea of Books 书海拾光者 Drunken Dream Sand City醉梦沙城Female-Channel Fanfiction45k WordsCompleted A Gatherer of Light from the Sea of Books 6Reads—Score—Shelves
2. 502 水 The Testimony of Water 水的证词 Drunken Dream Sand City醉梦沙城14k WordsCompleted The Testimony of Water 1Reads—Score—Shelves
3. 503 北 Beijing Drifter Xiuxiu 北漂修修 White-Browed Eagle Who Likes Mucuna Beans喜欢牛蹄豆的白眉鹰Urban589k WordsCompleted I’m Wu Qi, an utterly ordinary poor kid. After graduating from high school, I ended up in Yanbei at a third-rate diploma mill where you could earn a degree through self-study exams. Then, in one night, I unexpectedly inherited a legacy, completed the Foundation Establishment stage, and reached the Golden Core stage in a month... From then on, I cultivated my mind, character, and practice in the mortal world... I started working part-time in Yanbei, selling things at street stalls, looking for jo 63Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   A good book to open your eyes.

4. 504 袁 Yuan Tiangang Reads Huang Chao's Fate 袁天罡算黄巢 White-Browed Eagle Who Likes Mucuna Beans喜欢牛蹄豆的白眉鹰7k WordsCompleted Yuan Tiangang Predicts Huang Chao’s Rise 59Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 505 梅 Mei Feixin Takes the Case to Court 梅费心打官司 White-Browed Eagle Who Likes Mucuna Beans喜欢牛蹄豆的白眉鹰8k WordsCompleted Mei Goes to Great Lengths to Sue 18Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 506 南 Nanjing, Nanjing: A Pain We Must Never Forget 南京南京：不能忘记的伤痛 Tian Bolie田伯烈Historical108k WordsCompleted The British journalist H. J. Timperley, who witnessed the Nanjing Massacre, wrote: “After the Japanese army occupied Nanjing, Japanese newspapers reported very little about it, or, one might say, almost nothing at all. A review of English-language newspapers published in Japan reveals no trace of the many atrocities committed by the Japanese army in Nanjing and other cities. Yet the Japanese press sought to portray Nanjing as a peaceful place.” He had compiled accounts of the Japanese army's atr 142Reads9.5Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   All students should read.

7. 507 趣 The Three Kingdoms, For Fun 趣品三国 Jiu Chu 97九初97Historical86k WordsCompleted Liu Bei's fellow townsman and former classmate, he followed him from the very beginning in Zhuo Commandery and remained loyal for life, never abandoning his lord. He knew Liu Bei even before Guan Yu and Zhang Fei did, yet history has overlooked him. He was just an obscure nobody. What can ordinary people like us find in his story? What truths can we learn from it? 10Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   I heard the wanderers singing songs of departure in the morning, and I first crossed the river with a slight frost last night.

8. 508 白 The Meaning of the White Tiger 白虎通义 Ban Gu班固Historical53k WordsCompleted The Baihutong, also known as the White Tiger Discussions or the White Tiger Treatise on Virtue, is a collection of proceedings from an officially convened meeting on Confucian studies during the Eastern Han dynasty, as well as an imperially sanctioned work interpreting the Confucian classics. It holds an exceptionally important place in the history of Confucian thought and Han political thought. In 79 CE, the fourth year of Emperor Zhang of Han’s Jianchu era, the emperor personally convened a la 26Reads8.6Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country and bring peace to the world! [Working on manuscript][Working on manuscript][Working on manuscript]

9. 509 长 The Battle of Lake Changjin: The Turning Point of the Korean War 长津湖战役：朝鲜战争的拐点 Li Ran李然Historical52k WordsCompleted Discover the true story of the Battle of Lake Changjin, a desperate clash of wills and faith. We salute the great soldiers. Those faces hidden beneath the ice, those who died under the bombs: they deserve to be remembered! More than seventy years ago, the Langlin Mountains were rugged and buried beneath heavy snow. The wind howled into people's ears, as loud as an exploding shell. Many lay in the snow. The charge sounded, but they could no longer move. Snowflakes settled on their eyelashes, and 682Reads9.4Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   Although the real history is not so legendary, it is more flesh and blood [punch out][punch out][punch out]

10. 510 中 A History of Chinese Warfare: Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods 中国战争史之春秋战国 Historical and Military Archives历史军事档案室Historical63k WordsCompleted [History + Military + Warfare + Strategy] On the battlefield, split-second decisions to kill or spare can determine a nation's fate. From Duke Huan of Qi's hegemony under the banner of “revering the king and repelling the barbarians,” to the rise of Qin's fierce army after Shang Yang's reforms; from the gleam of blades in the Wu-Yue conflict to the strategists' cunning schemes and verbal battles with scholars, every detail is steeped in the turmoil and bloodshed unique to the Spring and Autumn a 167Reads9.2Score—Shelves
11. 511 四 The Secret Histories of the Four Great Beauties 四大美人秘史 Master Su Jiu素阄主人Historical103k WordsCompleted The Secret History of the Four Great Beauties is a vivid, legendary novel about four famous beauties of ancient China: Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diao Chan, and Yang Guifei. Skillfully blending history and legend, fact and fiction, this work uses delicate prose and rich storytelling to reveal the important roles these four beauties played in their respective eras and the influence they had. During the Spring and Autumn period, Xi Shi used her beauty to beguile King Fuchai of Wu under a plan devised b 202Reads9.2Score—Shelves
12. 512 中 One Book Is All You Need to Read Chinese History 中国历史读这本就够了 Lü Simei吕思勉Historical357k WordsCompleted Discover the truth of history through clear, accessible writing. A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese History is the magnum opus of the renowned historian Lü Simian. Organized chronologically, it covers politics, economics, culture, society, and much more. In this sweeping historical work, Lü Simian brings a series of vivid scenes to life with engaging prose and a rigorous historical perspective: from ancient legends of the world's creation to the gradual formation of ritual and musical civilization 104Reads8.4Score—Shelves
13. 513 战 King of the Battlefield: The Decisive Edge in the Age of Cold Weapons 战场之王 冷兵器时代的决胜关键 Bai Ze白泽16k WordsCompleted Although guns and cannons rule the modern battlefield, cold weapons are once again catching people's attention thanks to their irreplaceable advantages. They are the true veterans, embodying humanity's deep-seated yearning for iron and blood! The appeal of weapons goes beyond killing. It lies in the stories of blood and tears hidden behind the killing, and in every warrior who stands on the battlefield with a sword or knife in hand! History is no fairy tale. Where will the stories of cold weapon 28Reads8.1Score—Shelves
14. 514 被 The Truth the Japanese Army Tried to Hide: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru 被日军掩盖的真相：里斯本丸沉没事件 Xing Jian行简Historical10k WordsCompleted [Lisbon Maru, Japan, World War II, prisoners of war, shipwreck, war] The Truth Hidden by the Japanese Military: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru centers on a humanitarian disaster during World War II, bringing to light a chapter of history long buried. In October 1942, the Japanese cargo ship Lisbon Maru was carrying around 1,800 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong to Japan when it was torpedoed by an American submarine near the Zhoushan Islands. As the ship slowly sank, the Japanese military 82Reads9.2Score—Shelves
15. 515 妖 Monster Codes: Journey to the West 妖怪密码：西游记 Bai Ze白泽Eastern Fantasy333k WordsCompleted How many demons are there in Journey to the West? The White Bone Spirit, Tiger Vanguard, the Red-Rumped Macaque, Red Boy... Only after enduring the Eighty-One Tribulations can one look upon the world's fortunes with a smile. What are their true forms? What becomes of them? Is there a connection between demons and natural phenomena? Here, I'll reveal the answers to all these questions, one by one. 145Reads9.3Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Interpreting famous works from another angle [note][note][note]

16. 516 一 The Three Kingdoms: History So Addictive, You Can’t Put It Down 一读就上瘾的三国史 SpikeHistorical191k WordsCompleted The Three Kingdoms era was marked by endless warfare and rival warlords, and is now familiar to everyone thanks to Romance of the Three Kingdoms. But the novel isn't history, and some of the famous stories we all know never actually happened! Did Zhuge Liang really borrow arrows with straw boats? Why is Zhang He known as “the Three Kingdoms strength tester”? How did Fei Yi live a life worthy of the title “master of pacing”? Did Cao Zhi really love his sister-in-law? Why is Cao Cao's life said to 992Reads9.5Score100Shelves
17. 517 资 Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance: Zhou Chronicle, Modern Chinese Edition 资治通鉴·周纪（白话版） Sima Guang司马光Historical66k WordsCompleted Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government is a monumental chronological history of ancient China, compiled by Sima Guang during the Northern Song dynasty. It covers 1,362 years of history, from the Warring States period to the Five Dynasties. This book presents the “Zhou Annals” as a standalone work, translated in full into clear, modern language for contemporary readers. This edition covers all five volumes of the “Zhou Annals,” from the twenty-third year of King Weilie of Zhou (403 BCE) to the 13Reads8.6Score—Shelves
18. 518 趣 The Song Dynasty, Told with a Twist 趣说大宋王朝 Historical and Military Archives历史军事档案室Historical696k WordsCompleted The emperor's art of statecraft in a single cup of wine, the fateful legend of the “fragrant boy's birth,” a prophetic monk who foretold that “the inspector would become emperor,” and the schemes and ambitions behind a yellow imperial robe... The founding of the Song dynasty was far more fascinating than the history books suggest! Discover Zhao Kuangyin's rise from street urchin to founding emperor: his “forced” ascension at Chenqiao Station, the mysterious prophecy at Xiangyang Temple, the lig 6.9kReads9.5Score315Shelves
19. 519 奸 Tales of Treacherous Ministers: The Five Fiends and Six Bandits of the Northern Song 奸臣传之北宋五鬼六贼 Trajectory轨迹Historical49k WordsCompleted [A roll call of treacherous ministers, with a touch of spicy humor and theatrical satire!] The Biography of Treacherous Ministers: The Five Ghosts and Six Bandits of the Northern Song is like a blacklist of history's ultimate “villain club”! No need to transmigrate to the Song dynasty. You can “watch remotely” as these self-serving, scheming power brokers stir up trouble. Wang Qinruo, Ding Wei, Chen Pengnian, Liu Chenggui, and Lin Te, along with Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Wang Fu, Liang Shicheng, Zhu 10Reads8.4Score—Shelves
20. 520 这 This Tang Dynasty Is a Little Chilly 这个唐朝有点冷 Chen Taiyao陈太瑶Historical107k WordsCompleted [Lesser-known Figures + History for Fun] Don't imagine the Tang dynasty as just officials and scholars leaning on railings along Chang'an's avenues to compose poetry, a noble consort gently waving a fan, and Emperor Taizong solemnly surveying the realm. This book opens the “refrigerator door” of history to show how the celebrated figures presented so seriously in official records may actually have been jokesters, master wisecrackers, and purveyors of astonishing twists. Come along, and you'll di 22Reads9.2Score—Shelves
21. 521 封 The Feng Clan's Record of Things Seen and Heard 封氏闻见记 Feng Yan封演Historical30k WordsCompleted Records of What Feng Yan Heard and Saw is a ten-volume collection of informal writings by the Tang dynasty scholar Feng Yan. Its broad-ranging contents cover many aspects of the Tang dynasty, including politics, institutions, culture, customs, geography, and anecdotes about notable figures. Written as a record of personal observations and accounts, it carefully documents little-known details of Tang social life, providing valuable firsthand material for the study of Tang history and culture. Unl 23Reads7.9Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Knowledge enters the mind in an incredible way [full] [full] [full]

22. 522 古 The Survival Code of Ancient China: Decoding the Nine Classes of Society 古代生存密码：解密三教九流 Bai Ze白泽Historical155k WordsCompleted Confucianism: The state religion through the ages, assisting the Son of Heaven in educating the people... Confucianism takes Confucian thought as its supreme belief and honors Confucius as its founding teacher. To distinguish it from Taoism, which venerates the thought of Laozi, Zhuangzi, and other Daoists, later generations began calling it Confucianism during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Thus, Confucius is also revered as the holy founder of Confucianism. The Dao: The way of heaven and 108Reads9.3Score—Shelves
23. 523 圣 A Brief History of Christmas 圣诞简史 Mister Cangshan苍山先生34k WordsCompleted In December, the thing people look forward to most, besides snow, is of course the holidays. At this time of year, you can see the whole city come alive with festive cheer. Christmas trees and lights are everywhere, white-bearded old men appear on the streets, Christmas songs play in shopping malls, and all kinds of gift boxes announce that Christmas is on its way! Christmas comes around every year, but how much do you know about the holiday? Christmas, also known as the Feast of the Nativity, i 11Reads9.1Score—Shelves
24. 524 中 An Introduction to Ancient Chinese Culture 中国古代文化常识 Li Ran李然Historical839k WordsCompleted This book is a systematic and comprehensive encyclopedia of essential knowledge about Chinese literature, intended to provide readers with thorough, well-organized cultural knowledge. Covering literature, art, religious beliefs, politics, economics, culture, entertainment, philosophy, science, and many other fields, it uses detailed discussions and a rigorous scholarly approach to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the breadth and depth of Chinese culture. The section on literature prov 152Reads8.6Score—Shelves
25. 525 打 I Lost a Fight, So I Deserved to Become a Peerless Fairy Monster 打架输了活该穿成绝世大妖精 Big Dragon Fruit大那火龙果Ancient Romance566k WordsCompleted [Male-to-female transformation, gender-bender, exclusive romance, brainless fun, thrilling throughout with a touch of angst.] [Fantasy immortal-demon world meets ancient reality] [forced love + sweet romance + no saintly heroine] [Insight + bewitching charm + dazzling beauty + demonic physician + lightning-fast makeovers] Before transmigrating, he was a ruthless demon lord. Afterward, she became an ordinary young woman. The original owner was the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's house 515Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Well, I made chicken stewed with mushrooms, and called my best friend to come over to eat, but he didn't come. So I took my baby and walked my dog ​​at home and wrote a novel. Yes, it's the one you see.

26. 526 我 My Best Friend Is Such a Stud, and She Hits So Hard 我闺蜜超man，她打人老疼了 Big Dragon Fruit大那火龙果Urban609k WordsOngoing [Man transmigrates into a woman] [Strong heroine] [Decisive and ruthless] [Gender-bending romance] An ace agent's soul transmigrates into a young girl. She doesn't shrink back or lose heart, but calmly accepts reality. Let's stick to one principle: The strong never complain about their circumstances. Even if I've become a woman, I'm going to be the female lead of a male-oriented power fantasy! When it's time to be decisive, she's decisive. When it's time to take down scum, she does so without me 317Reads—Score—Shelves
27. 527 两 The Civilization of the Two Song Dynasties: Rethinking Three Hundred Years of Song History 两宋文明——重解宋朝三百年 Li Peicong李沛聪Historical559k WordsCompleted This book offers a detailed exploration of Song dynasty history and civilization. Through an in-depth analysis of the dynasty’s three hundred years, the author presents a vivid, comprehensive, and multifaceted portrait of the Song from political, economic, cultural, and military perspectives. The book covers the historical period from the reforms of Chai Rong, Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou, to the final years of the Song dynasty. The author not only recounts the dynasty’s founding, developme 4.6kReads9.5Score712Shelves
28. 528 翦 The Conquest of Shang: The Shang-Zhou Transition and the Birth of a New China 翦商：殷周之变与华夏新生 Li Shuo李硕Historical320k WordsCompleted Drawing on archaeological evidence and surviving written sources, this book traces the rise, flourishing, and disappearance of human sacrifice in ancient times, as well as the great turning point when human sacrifice went from accompanying early Huaxia civilization to being separated from it. It brings to life the immense efforts made by the ancients, the Zhou people, to bring the Shang Dynasty and the practice of human sacrifice to an end, offering us an entirely new understanding of the origin 2.8kReads9.5Score1.1kShelves
29. 529 大 When the Stars Shone Over Great Song, Volumes One and Two 大宋群星闪耀时（上下册） Chen Wangbei陈望北Historical287k WordsCompleted A historical ensemble drama set in the Northern Song dynasty! Here, you’ll discover how bloody Li Yu’s upbringing really was; how the Southern Han, whose court officials were all eunuchs, used elephants in battle; how Liu Yong became a “traitor to the nation” over a single poem... Did Su Shi actually cheat on an exam? Wang Anshi and Sima Guang were once close friends, so how did they end up as enemies? Who snitched in the Crow Terrace Poetry Case? Su Shi’s exile for forming a faction was no misc 149Reads9.3Score103Shelves
30. 530 失 The Lost Three Hundred Years: China’s Opening and Closing After the Age of Discovery (1516–1840) 失去的三百年：地理大发现之后中国的开放与封闭（1516—1840）（经纬度丛书） Guo Jianlong郭建龙Historical338k WordsCompleted A new book on Chinese history by Guo Jianlong! Recommended by Luo Zhenyu and Yu Minhong. Discover China’s opening up and setbacks over the three centuries from the late Ming to the late Qing. China once had opportunities to learn from the West and open itself to the world. It was eager to learn about technology, commerce, finance, and systems of governance. China opened up to the outside world more than once in its history, but without learning from the past, every opening eventually closes in o 97Reads9.3Score—Shelves
31. 531 大 Three Hundred Years of Tang Dynasty: Rise and Fall (Complete in 7 Volumes) 大唐兴衰三百年（全7册） Shi Cheng Donglin士承东林Historical2.3M WordsCompleted This series tells the story of the three centuries of the Tang dynasty, from 607 to 907. Drawing on official histories and classic historical works such as the Old Book of Tang, the New Book of Tang, the Record of the Founding of the Great Tang, and the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, it uses time as its framework and the key figures and events that shaped history as its focus. Told in a witty, humorous style, it offers a sweeping portrait of the lives of the Tang dynasty's twenty-one 3kReads9.5Score700Shelves
32. 532 知 A Little Knowledge of Chinese History 知道点中国历史 Wang Miao汪淼Historical147k WordsCompleted Which emperors in history were most notorious for killing their meritorious officials? What was life like for ancient ethnic minorities? Why did the ancient kingdom of Loulan disappear? Which places were strategically contested by military commanders throughout history? These are things we should all know a little about. 744Reads9.4Score112Shelves
33. 533 典 China Through the Classics (4-Book Set) 典籍里的中国（共4册） Has Books有书Historical404k WordsCompleted Our people have endured and flourished among the nations of the world because generation after generation of our sages distilled their culture, spirit, and character into bamboo slips, onto paper, and between the lines. Generation after generation of Chinese descendants have turned to classic texts for strength to move forward, passing the torch from one generation to the next. Classics should not be left to gather dust on high shelves. That is why China Through the Classics selects works from t 406Reads9.2Score126Shelves
34. 534 世 A Brief History of the World 世界简史 Hendrik Willem Van Loon亨德里克·威廉·房龙Historical258k WordsCompleted A Brief History of the World is one of Hendrik Willem van Loon's classic works. Breaking away from the traditional approach of geography books that simply list facts and figures, it uses vivid literary language to bring together the natural and human worlds. It tells how people living in different geographic environments adapt to nature and try to change their surroundings in pursuit of happiness. This is both an accessible work of popular science and a history of the development of different na 20Reads8.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I still have it on my bookshelf, so I can read it myself.

35. 535 光 All Beings Beneath the Light 光遇众生 The Quiet Duke静谧的公爵Anime Fanfiction974k WordsOngoing Adventure + high-IQ showdowns + suspicious, scheming characters + no female lead + ensemble cast + slow pace + revelations about the world’s truth, layer by layer (A Sky: Children of the Light fanfiction) After transmigrating into the world of Sky: Children of the Light, the Duke becomes a Light Child manipulated by the ancestors. “Go make an offering,” they say. “It is your supreme glory.” He believes them and fights his way forward with his companions, only to discover the horrifying truth aft 124Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The plot progresses layer by layer, and the reversals are all within logic, but the emotional impact is unexpected. After reading it, I felt very energetic, and all I could think about was, "So that's what he meant when he said that..."

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