By Ann-Marie Stillion

Dictée, by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, published by University of California at Berkeley Press, 2001.

This was the only book by a young writer and artist who died shortly before it was published in 1982. Now standard issue in college courses on women's history and ethnic studies, Cha's writing is widely considered to be important for many reasons.

This recently reissued book is a mixture of memoir, history and personal observation. Cha surveys her own life and that of people central to her, including her mother. She also explores her relationship to historical figures like Joan of Arc.

Her work is poetic prose, and some may find it difficult to read since it lacks easily understandable structures. Readers who are willing to go deeper will be thrilled, however. Cha is brave and unafraid of her own voice, a quality I think that has gained her only more respect.

If you like reading out loud, this is an excellent book. I think book clubs would get enormous satisfaction out of reading Dictée together.

Explore, and don't be afraid of the untested waters of art in writing.

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstres, by Dai Sijie, distributed by Random House Audio, 2002.

This novel was much more lush and exciting as an audio book than my reading of it in printed form last year. Narrator B.D. Wong is clearly enthused to bring to life a book that itself is a story about stories. Packaged as beautifully as the book, the four bright-red CDs positively glow on the shelf.

The writer's style is sparse and fast-paced, which is why the recording works so well. I found myself easily traveling off in my imagination to Mao's revolution as Wong read. Characters that once seemed a bit flat sprang to life in audio, leaving me to wonder if some stories are better told out loud. Since the novel itself revolves around the retelling of movies and novels to people who cannot read, there was a sort of resonance that drew me easily from the stale bureaucratic hallways and high mountain paths.

Ram, by Kwok Man-Ho, published by the Chinese Horoscopes Library, 1994.

Those who were born during the Year of the Ram -- and those who know and love them -- will find this slim volume a fun read. Full of illustrations and photography, the editors and the astrologer have gone a long way to breathe life into concepts that can be difficult to understand.

Part of a series of books that includes all of the Chinese astrological figures, Ram includes lots of information on the relationship of the ram to other animals. Kwok also describes the ram's characters with engaging stories. My favorite is the story of the ram and the tiger: The tiger is about to eat the ram when the ram blurts out that he has become the king of the forest. The tiger, who is curious by nature, allows the ram to prove it. So the ram walks through the forest with the tiger in tow. Other creatures bow before the passing pair. The tiger doesn't realize it is he, not the ram, they fear. And so the ram is spared.

There is enough information for the book to be taken seriously, but without being overbearing or boring.