Want to beat the heat with a cool read? Xing Yi and Liu Zhihua find out what books some authors, diplomats and businesspeople are thumbing these days.

Robert Olen Butler

Robert Olen Butler: American author

What are you reading?

The top of my reading list has to do with books that are related to the novel I am beginning. So I am reading books about the battle of Hue, which is the imperial capital of Vietnam. The novel I am writing is entitled Perfume River, which is the river that runs through Hue.

Do you prefer paper books or e-books?

I love physical books. I own them and I will continue to buy them. But the pleasure of carrying 2,000 books with me all the time, and being able to come to Shanghai for two weeks and have all the books I need to read with me in my iPad is very attractive. So I can't live with-out either of them. I often have the paperback and the e-book of the same title.

Who is your favorite writer this year?

My favorite writer this year is Charles Dickens.

How much time do you spend on reading every day, every week?

If we don't count the reading professionally for research, I probably read an average of about an hour a day for pleasure.

Do you bring a book when you travel?

Thanks to e-books, I carry many books when I travel.

If you had a free evening, would you read a book, or watch a movie or TV?

It's between reading and watching movies. They are both narratives. Our favorite way to spend an evening is with a creative narrative - it might be a book or a movie.