3 . Writing a book is a long and challenging process, but new technology is increasingly making it easier for authors to finish their books.

Michael Green, a US data scientist-turned-novelist, felt that technology could help him simplify the writing process when he was in the middle of writing his debut (首部) book.

He said that the process had become difficult to manage: “In the midst of editing, I got to the point where I started feeling like I had a lot of plots and characters,” he told the BBC. “I had all these documents on the deeper aspects of the world I was creating. I was worried about being able to keep track of it all. That’s when I switched into my more data science-minded approach to solving a complex problem with a lot of different pieces.”

Green went on to create Lynit, a digital platform to help authors plan and weave together the many elements that form a story, such as themes, characters, and major events.

“As the author gets a new idea that they want to bring into the story, they are able to input it into a natural framework,” he told the BBC. “Piece by piece, they’re adding to the story. As new ideas come in, they change, maybe by creating new nodes (节点), new relationships.”

Once the book has been published, technology is also playing an ever-increasing role in publicity and connecting with readers. Websites and apps from specialist firms allow authors to participate in live question-and-answer sessions with their audience.

Another tech firm, Crazy Maple Studios in California, US, offers authors four apps that can add music, animation, sound effects and in some cases, gameplay.

Michael Green believes technology will become even more important as a new generation of tech-savvy (精通技术的) writers becomes more well-known.

“What I’m finding with the Generation Z and even younger writers is that they’re looking for technology to give them guidance,” he told the BBC. “They see it as a tool to learn and grow with, rather than extra work.”

6 . You can either travel or read, but either your body or soul must be on the way. The popular saying has inspired many people to read or go sightseeing. Traveling just like reading, is a refreshing journey from the busy world. Books, brain food, can keep you company on your travel.

On the Road, 1957, by Jack Kerouac

The book is a globally popular spiritual guide book about youth. The main character in the book drives across the US continent with several young people and finally reaches Mexico. After the exhausting and exciting trip, the characters in the book begin to realize the meaning of life. The book can be a good partner with you to explore the United States.

Life is Elsewhere, 1975, by Milan Kundera

Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains (链子).” The book tells a young artist’s romantic but miserable (痛苦的) life, about how he reads, dreams, and has a relationship. Experience the artist’s passionate (激情的) life in the book during a trip to Central Europe. The book invites you to deeply reflect on your current life.

The Stories of Sahara, 1967, by Sanmao

The book narrates the author’s simple but adventurous life in the Sahara Desert, which seems a desolate (荒凉的) and dull place. The fancy natural scenery and life there, along with the author’s romantic and intensive emotion, will inspire you to explore the mysterious land. Reading the book is like participating in a dialogue with the author, who is sincere and humorous.

Lotus, 2006 by Annbaby

This novel set in Tibet, tells three people’s stories, each with their unique characteristics. It shows modern people’s emotions and inner life, their confusion about love and exploration of Buddhism (佛教). The book is a good partner to bring you to the sacred (神圣的) land Tibet.

7 . I’ve been reading 100 books per year on average during the past decade. So obviously I get the usual question of what books I recommend. Well, here’re my top 4 favorite books of all times, which influenced me into who l am today.

1. Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

One of the biggest bestsellers of all times. Napoleon Hill spent two decades analyzing over 500 successful men like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and John D. Rockefeller to discover how they did it. The result of Hill’s research is in Think & Grow Rich —13 steps to achieve your goal, whatever it is. All other self-help books are just copies of Hill’s book first published in 1937.

2. Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz.

Another bestseller and the only self-help book you’ll need next to Think Grow Rich. Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon who was amazed that some patients still felt ugly after surgery (外科手术). That’s when he discovered they also needed reconstruction work inside—their “self-image”. Everything about how to use the “mind-body” connection to achieve your goals, and how to feel confident about your body is inside this book.

3. Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin.

This book drives the point home that success in any field is not determined by genetics or talent but deliberate practice. Colvin uses examples from world class achievers like Tiger Woods, Jack Welch, Warren Buffet, Mozart to prove that they all got theirs through years of practice—the 10,000 hours rule. You’ll reexamine your beliefs about what it takes to succeed and supercharge your motivation after reading Colvin’s book.

4. Mastery by George Leonard.

This book also stresses that practice is the secret of success in anything. Leonard explains that mastership never ends—you will never have perfect technique and be able to stop. Instead you’ll keep learning, improving, and hitting plateaus (瓶颈期). The big point in Mastery is that plateaus are vital for improving your skills and that you therefore must start enjoying them instead of getting impatient or quitting like most guys do.

8 . Now that it's spring, you can take your reading from cozy couches and day beds to balconies, gardens, and anywhere the glorious natural light is going to touch. Here are some books that are just as illuminating as that spring sunshine.

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

$17.70（34% off）

Gingerbread men, gingerbread houses—when you think about it, this sweet treat is more popular in fable and fiction than you might expect. The magic of fairy tales plays a part in this novel about the myth- building that takes place in families, from the author of What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours.

The New Me by Halle Butler

$11.00（31% off）

Wake up, look in the mirror, swear it will all be different today. Sound familiar? Here's that feeling in novel form：Meet Millie, a 30-year-old flailing around in dissatisfaction. A job offer seems promising? Reinvention—but, sadly, easy transformations are for caterpillars, not lonely, anxiety-ridden women.

The White Card by Claudia Rankine

$11.00（31% off）

Mac Arthur Fellow Claudia Rankine follows up her award-winning 2014 poetry book Citizen with a play. Charlotte Cummings, a black artist, has a conversation with the family of a white art dealer, and a collector. As they discuss works of art, the differences between how each values art become apparent, especially when the subject of it is black suffering.

Invisible Women by Caroline Perez

$17.70（34% off）

You know, chest and arm pain, faint and sweating abnormally. But guess what? Those are typically experienced by men—a woman having a heart attack is more likely to feel tired and an unexpected stomach pain. Feeling unbalanced from the built-in prejudices all around us is common, and a corrective like Perez's book is welcome.

9 . Speed reading is a skill with which a person can increase the rate of words read a minute. Generally speaking, a person can read between 200 and 250 words a minute.     1     Here are some ways that can help you read fast.

◆Have a general idea about the topic before reading. If you’re reading a book, it’s a good idea to read the introduction or preface before reading the main text.     2    .

◆Increase your eye span. Your eyes can take in several words at a time and this is known as eye span. To increase your eye span, avoid reading word by word, but try reading blocks of words in a sentence.     3    . Even if you ignore them, you’ll still understand the main idea of the sentence you’re reading.

◆Do not reread. The most common mistake made by readers is frequent going back to think about some sentences they’ve read.     4    . In other words, cover each line once you've finished reading it.

◆     5    . Some people move their lips and speak out while reading, which will lead to a low reading speed. The best way to break this habit is to pay attention while reading and if you catch yourself moving your lips, just place a finger on your mouth.

High-quality books on traditional Chinese culture are being brought back,     1    (judge) from the results of the 12th annual Wenjin Awards, China's national-level comprehensive book award to encourage public reading.

The results were announced on the World Book and Copyright Day. Awards from the National Library of China were given to 10 winning books from about 80 finalists     2    (choose) by 14 top librarians and scholars. Before that, several rounds of selection had been carried out among a field of 1, 800 books     3    were published in China last year.

The award has three categories: humanities, popular sciences and children’s books. Half the winners this year dealt with different     4    (aspect) of traditional Chinese culture. The mixing of social and physical sciences was a trend, and the winning children’s books were     5    (suit) for adult readers too.

“Many good children's books     6    (introduce) into China from other countries in recent years. They helped broaden people's horizons and inspired     7    (we)writing,” said Yu Hongcheng, author of the award-winning Dishes on Plate. “ However,     8    worries me that Chinese children may not have enough self-confidence from a cultural viewpoint when exposed to a market    9    ( main) filled with translations.” That concern encouraged her to create the picture book, which focuses     10     Chinese agricultural culture- starting with rice, a foundation of Chinese cuisine.