Love this slim little book. Compiled from a bunch of essays written over the course of a couple years, Murakami muses on being a novelist, growing up and growing older, running and the undeniable links between all three.

I found his humor and fatalism refreshing and honest. Running can suck, it can hurt, just like getting older and having to make choices about what you decide to focus on in life. But it can also feel amazing and transcendent. As a newbie runner, and one who still views long distance running as something for the certifiably insane, I found his stories about running very inspiring.

So inspiring, in fact, that I went running this morning along the Charles in honor of Mr. Murakami.