Describe a book you have read recently
You should say:
- What kind of book it is
- Who wrote the book
- What the story of the book is
- And explain if it is a good book or not.
Sample Answer
I’m going to talk about a book named “一个人，三十座城.” I just started it and I’m halfway done. It doesn’t have an English version, so there’s no proper English name either. By a literal translation of its Chinese name, it simply means “One person, thirty cities”. As its name suggests, it’s a travel journal.
If memory serves correctly, my friend Lisa, who is crazy about traveling, recommended the book to me several months ago. It came with glowing recommendations from her. She said the book mainly focuses on showcasing the beautiful nature and interesting places in China. And it would be the best book to choose if I wanted to travel without going anywhere.
The author of this book is a journalist in a travel program. She traveled to 30 cities in mainland China with a budget of only 20 thousand yuan. And she wrote a specific travel log for each city she’s been to. The book also has tons of knowledge about the local conditions and customs in all parts of China. I actually gained so much useful and helpful traveling information from it.
Even though I haven’t finished this book yet, I’m so fond of it. It really helps me to relax. Whenever I’m stressed with work and study, I always read it to wind down. Plus, from this book, I learned some great tips that’ll help me enjoy the journey without breaking the bank.
Vocab Highlights
if my memory serves me (well/right/correctly): used for saying that you think you have remembered something correctly
be crazy about something: to be very interested in something or love someone very much
glowing /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/ (adj): giving enthusiastic praise; praising with enthusiasm
travelogue/travelog /ˈtrævəlɔːɡ/(n): a film, broadcast or piece of writing about travel
wind down: to gradually relax after doing something that has made you tired or worried