Slip beneath the pages and steal the dreams and thoughts that belong to you

In dreams, we can become travelers through time, wandering through unknown cities, or confronting the deepest parts of ourselves. Within this "dreamscape," the boundary between reality and imagination expands without limit. Books, like another passage into dreams, guide us through the secrets of the subconscious, the layers of human existence, and the delicate intersection between reality and fantasy.

In this curated reading list, we invite you to set aside the labels imposed by reality and temporarily abandon familiar frameworks of understanding. Follow your intuition into dream worlds woven by words, journey through hidden realms, and complete your own voyage of stealing thoughts from the depths of imagination.

The Dream of Logic·The Foundation of Reality

This is the starting point of dreams, where the "source code" that forms the world is displayed. When the light of reason pierces through the fog of perception, the wisdom of history, societal dynamics, the essence of science, and philosophical contemplation will build the most solid foundation for your thinking.

01 《苏菲的世界》/ Sophie's world

Call Number: PT8951.17 G33 2017 CN

                            PT8951.17.A17 G33 2007  

A 14-year-old girl is gradually led into the questioning of herself and the world through a mysterious letter titled “Who are you, and where does the world come from?” The novel wraps profound philosophy in a light, narrative form, making abstract concepts tangible and thought-provoking. While probing the world, it subtly reflects upon our own selves. When the questions are sparked, are you ready to begin with reason and build the foundation of your own world?

02 Sette Brevi Lezioni di Fisica

Call Number: QC24.5 R68 2016 CN

Seven lessons, seven doors leading to the mysteries of the universe. If many popular science books can be compared to “explaining the world,” then this book is more like shaking your certainty about the world: Time, space, matter, and even “reality itself,” are far less stable than we imagine. In this shaking, we are given a glimpse of the very skeleton of reality.

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Splendid Dreams·The Wilderness of Imagination

Farewell to the constraints of reality, and welcome to the realm where imagination reigns. Here, rules are no longer boundaries, common sense can be overturned, and all things may find new life through words. Be cautious—when the splendor of imagination sweeps over you, you may willingly lose yourself in this unfettered dream.

01 《云游》/ Flights

Call Number: PG7179.O37 T65 2019 CN

                    PG7179.O37 T65 2019a

The author shatters the narrative, scattering it into over a hundred fragments—anatomical diagrams, airports, travel notes, bodily fables. Reading it feels like leaping among constellations, pondering, and ultimately arriving at a profound recognition of the state of being "on the road": we are all eternal wanderers, seeking home and meaning in motion.

02 クラインの壷

Call Number: PL858.K274 O33 2019 CN

The boundary between the virtual and the real is completely dissolved in this book. From the moment you enter the “Klein Bottle," your senses are hijacked, and truth and falsehood lose their bearings. The two authors, with scalpel-like logic, trap the reader in a web of narrative tricks layered upon one another. This is not just a futuristic prophecy about VR; it is a sharp interrogation of the "reality of existence"— when all perceptions can be fabricated, how can you be sure you're awake?

03 Le città invisibili

Call Number: PQ4809.A45 C35 2023a CN

The empire of Kublai Khan is redrawn in words by Marco Polo. Each city he describes becomes an embodiment of desire, memory, or symbol: the city of lightness, Zaira; the city of webs, Octavia; the city of trade and the city of the dead…Calvino doesn't build with bricks and mortar; he builds "possibilities." This book is a labyrinth of thought, and each time you enter, you’ll encounter a city that is uniquely yours, ever-changing and brand new.

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The Sea of the Subconscious · The Deep Flow of Emotions

Passing through the carnival of imagination, you arrive at the most intimate third layer of dreams. Here, the light is soft, the sounds are whispers, as if you’re immersed in the tranquil sea of the subconscious. Books are like drops of clear water, falling deep into the soul, reflecting the subtlest emotional ripples within you. Now, are you ready to temporarily shed your disguise and have a profound conversation with your true self?

01《月光落在左手上》

Call Number: PL2973.X58 Y89 2020 CN

From the ridges of a rural village in Hubei, a poem of life sways into existence. The author Yu Xiuhua has forged her disabled body, barren marriage, and undying desires into verses — like iron nails, yet also like moonlight. Her poetry is like moonlight: cold and clear, illuminating a life confined by fate, yet giving all suppressed emotions the hottest weight on paper.

02 Ministarstvo boli

Call Number: PG1619.31.G7 U37 2023 CN

Can pain become a language? As the homeland crumbles behind them and their mother tongue becomes a relic, a group of exiles in an Amsterdam classroom learns to speak about literature using a language that has passed away. Dubravka Ugrešić doesn't write a story, but rather a pervasive "post-war syndrome" — where memories are distorted, traumas have nowhere to reside, and everyone becomes a carrier of pain.

03 Le Nœud de vipères

Call Number: PQ2625.A93 M38 2022a CN

A deathbed confession woven from resentment, pride, and coldness. Nobel laureate François Mauriac uses a scalpel-like writing style to dissect the soul of a dying miser, Louis. Throughout his life, Louis has built a fortress with money and calculation, keeping love at bay, yet a poisonous serpent named "selfishness" lurks at the core of his being. This novel is a ruthless gaze into the dark side of human nature and a severe interrogation of whether redemption is still possible, even under the faint light of faith.

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Lost Domain Warning · Unexpected Secret Realms

In some hidden corners of the exhibition hall, there are unofficial "lost domains" . Here, there are no clear categories, no predetermined themes, but instead, a collection of books that defy definition, independent publications, and unexpected surprises. They may be niche, underrated masterpieces, unique cross-disciplinary creations, or alternative thoughts with a sharp, unconventional perspective.

01 Nymphéas noirs

Call Number: PQ2662.U845 B87 2021a CN

The Black Water Lily is a captivating "oddity" within the lost domain — a graphic novel that seamlessly blends suspense with artistic depth. In the Giverny village painted by Monet, a murder intertwines the fates of three women. The narrative perspective shifts and twists like the play of light and shadow in Impressionist art, with the truth sinking and rising on a "canvas" where reality and illusion blend. Every character, every storyline in the book, floats like petals on the water's surface—mesmerizing yet chilling, making it impossible to look away.

02 Ulysses

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In this journey of words and consciousness, every layer of dream is like a mirror world: reason lets you see the structure clearly, imagination lets you see the possibilities, emotion lets you feel what is real, and limbo reminds us that a world without boundaries also has its own rules. Reading is not the destination, but a way of life that lets you carry your questions and inspirations forward into continued thinking—this is the true growth belonging to a reader.

Content & Layout | LI Siyao
First Review | TANG Lianyi
Second Review | HU Linxiao & GU Mengmeng
Third Review | REN Yuanyuan