No, shut up.

Answer: Books.

Yes, Thailand has one the largest selections of English-language books in South East Asia. New, used, mint, or nearly destroyed, The Kingdom of Thailand has them all, ready to be read by the literature-starved, China-based expatriate.

There’s a lots of books in China. Funny though, they’re all in Chinese. This makes reading them difficult for me as I recognize about 100 characters. Note: You need to know about 2000 characters to be able to read a Chinese newspaper.

Buying used books in Hong Kong is a pricy venture. Those Honker bastards like to flaunt there superior salaries by pricing things out of the range of real adventurers. Another reason I hate Hong Kong.

Question: What did you buy, Stevo.

I’m glad you asked. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing profound. No literature. Candy and fluff really, for a starved mind.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King.
I wanted to buy this when it was first released. At the time I had no access to bookstore (living in the wilds of Northern Ontario, Canada). When I moved back to the city I didn’t have the requisite funds to purchase said tome. So, a trip to Thailand was the answer. I’ve already finished it. As we are bloggers, writers and scribes of sorts, I recommend this to everyone. It’s packed full of information and humorous anecdotes.

‘Salem’s Lot, Black House, Stephen King’s Danse Macabre, by Stephen King (and Peter Straub)
Yes, mind candy. Salem’s Lot is my all-time favorite novel. It was the first King I read and it scared the life out of me. I’ve read it many times since.
Danse Macabre is King’s non-fiction treatise on the history of horror fiction. I started it years ago but never finished.
Black House is the sequel to The Talisman, written with Peter Straub. The Talisman is a mythical adventure in a parallel world. Black House follows the main character years after the original.

The Rape of Nanking, Iris Change
In December 1937 the Japanese army attacked the ancient Chinese capital of Nanking. More than 300,000 civilians were tortured, raped, and killed during the infamous event. Two movies are being released about Nanking, one American and one Chinese. I’d like to know more about this, and maybe understand a little better why the Chinese bitterly hate the Japanese. On a personal note: Mrs. Stevo’s grandfather had his head lit on fire by Japanese soldiers. You don’t have to look very far to find a personal story related to The War of Liberation Against Japanese Aggression.

Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau (Lonely Planet Hong Kong and Macau), Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides), Lonely Planet Travel Guides
Self-explanatory.

The Best American Travel Writing (2000), Edited by Bill Bryson
A way to see other cultures, in my own backyard and beyond, and learn more about my craft at the same time.

Lost Cities of China, Central Asia and India (The Lost City Series), David Hatcher Childress
I remember learning about an Aztec city discovered in the middle of the jungle, in junior high. Since then I have been a lost city sucker. Indiana Stevo?

I’ll keep you updated on my progress with these books. Things are about to get busy for me again. Maybe I have enough reading material to last until my next vacations.