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[Alwynne]

Carol wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "I finished a new edition (not yet listed on GR) of The Gossamer Years: The Diary of a Noblewoman of Heian Japan

Link to my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/..."
It was an ARC via Edelweiss for the new edition, not sure if it's still on there or not.

[Bill]

I recall reading it in my first Japanese literature class way back when, and most people found it monotonous. I saw it as historically important and read it as such, rather than for enjoyment.

[Damon]

Just finished Miyabe Miyuki's Sabishii Karyuudo (in Japanese). I am a fan of Japanese detective/mystery literature, but this book is probably not one I would recommend, given the abundance of better titles out there. For those of you who ARE interested in the genre, I would point you towards All She Was Worth (Miyabe Miyuki), which is a little under-rated on this site, in my opinion.

My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bill]

I'm currently reading the first volume of the Doctor Koto manga Doctor Koto (in Japanese, rather than the French or Indonesian? at that link. I'll have to add the Japanese edition after I'm done).

This is supposed to be the true story of a young doctor who left a Tokyo hospital to move to a small, rural island. But it isn't. It's full of manga cliches and ridiculous melodrama. I won't be continuing to volume two. Not that it's all bad; the manga artist they hired for this did a decent job, and is especially good at drawing the ocean.

It makes me wonder if Doctor Koto is any better. Is this book, written by the doctor himself, an autobiography or the basis for the manga? If the former I'd like to read it, and if the latter I'd rather not.

[Carol]

I started The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. I think I’m a fan but I’m not far enough in to be certain.

[Agnetta]

Carol wrote: "I started The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. I think I’m a fan but I’m not far enough in to be certain."

Made me think of The little Prince by Saint-Exuperie, in it's atmosphere.

[Alan M]

Carol wrote: "I started The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. I think I’m a fan but I’m not far enough in to be certain."

I enjoyed it. In my review I called it charming and whimsical. But then again I love books and cats and work in a bookshop, so I'm a bit biaised....

[Carol]

Alan wrote: "Carol wrote: "I started The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. I think I’m a fan but I’m not far enough in to be certain."

I enjoyed it. In my review I calle..."

Books about books are easy for me to love. I can tolerate the cat :)

[David]

Reading Kobo Abe's The Ruined Map

Having trouble getting into it. It jumps around and even descriptions of events the narrator is witnessing are so vague that I have difficulty getting a handle on what's even happening. Maybe that's part of the intent? Either way, not quite working for me so far.

[Alwynne]

I really enjoyed Jesse Kirkwood's new translation of Seichō Matsumoto's classic mystery Tokyo Express

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bill]

I've started on Immortal Wishes , about women's austerities on a mountain in northern Japan. In some places it's heavily laden with academic speak, but it's not a constant stream of that, and has managed to convey a lot of history of the place and its people so far.

Will it be as good as The Catalpa Bow ? It's too early to say. The Catalpa Bow is hard to beat.

[Anya]

I've started reading Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa, but I'm taking my time with it. It's a huge book, but I'm enjoying it so far.
I was lucky to find an old bound library copy in decent condition in a thrift shop.

[Jon]

I am reading AFTER THE MATINEE by Keiichirō Hirano-- I enjoyed the same author's A MAN, which is in group read right now. I am finding this one more of a challenge to like. For one, much of the dialogue is terribly clunky. At times this seems to me simply translating polite aspects of the Japanese language into English, in situations where characters would speak in far more natural, direct ways. Thus, not so much a language translation issue as a culture translation issue. At other times, it is just that every character sounds as if they are reading from a book. E.g., "Your father's images are magically beautiful, but at his core he's a socially aware artist"; "The towering beauty of Bach's music was far beyond everyday emotions."

I was especially compelled to read this one as I am (very out of practice) classical guitarist. When the book is dwelling on musical performance, it is interesting, although quite dry in its presentation -- I think that is just the way the author thinks, but one would hope that some of his characters wouldn't think in exactly the same manner as he does... As for the author's bent toward philosophical speculation, while I tend to like that sort of direction, I am not sure it is the best voice for unfolding the mysteries of romance...!

I am trying to decide whether to keep going, and thus any en- or discouragement from the group appreciated.

[Alwynne]

I finished the first in a trilogy by Yoko Tawada recently translated from Japanese to English, Scattered All Over the Earth

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[David]

Just finished Haruki Murakami's most recent collection, First Person Singular.

It's... okay. A couple of the stories are really good, but most of them feel like B-sides.

[Alison]

David wrote: "Just finished Haruki Murakami's most recent collection, First Person Singular.

It's... okay. A couple of the stories are really good, but most of them feel like B-sides."

I thought Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey was the best story in the book. You can read it for free on the New Yorker's website: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20....

[Alison]

Alwynne wrote: "I finished the first in a trilogy by Yoko Tawada recently translated from Japanese to English, Scattered All Over the Earth

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..."

I can't see your review. Did you like it?

I enjoyed it a lot and wrote a positive review for the Asian Review of Books. (https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten...)

[ladybluerose]

I read First Person Singular late last year and enjoyed it a good deal, though a couple of the stories... didn't resonate with me (e.g. I have no interest in baseball). I think "Cream" would have been my favourite, with all of my favourite Murakami things (classical music, weird supernatural stuff, philosophising about life) and none of my least favourite (graphic sex, incest, violence, etc.). I also thought "Confessions of a Shinagawa Monkey" was excellent. And I loved "Carnaval", which of course inspired me to listen to Artur Rubinstein's recording of the Schumann on repeat. ;)

I'll have to add Scattered All Over the Earth to my already bulging reading list!

[The Reading Lantern]

I'm reading Revenge by Yōko Ogawa and I normally really like horror like short stories but I'm struggling to get through this. It all feels a bit detached to me.

[Carol]

The Reading Lantern wrote: "I'm reading Revenge by Yōko Ogawa and I normally really like horror like short stories but I'm struggling to get through this. It all feels a bit detached to me."

When I read it, I recall thinking it was a bit uneven, e.g., several stories were really powerful and I was highly invested, but they were broken up by 2 - 3 I had to push to get through. I think it benefits from being read in a single go, and really drags if you're reading it in bits and pieces over several days. Good luck.

[The Reading Lantern]

Carol wrote: "The Reading Lantern wrote: "I'm reading Revenge by Yōko Ogawa and I normally really like horror like short stories but I'm struggling to get through this. It all feel..."

You're right I tried reading most of the rest of it in one sitting last night and it was better. I think because the stories are meant to be interconnected it kind of hits better if you read them together?

[Carol]

The Reading Lantern wrote: "Carol wrote: "The Reading Lantern wrote: "I'm reading Revenge by Yōko Ogawa and I normally really like horror like short stories but I'm struggling to get through thi..."

I think you're right. You're less likely to get the connections unless you read the other stories 30 minutes ago. I'm glad it got better for you.

[Agnetta]

As we have a Mieko Kawakami coming up in the group reads , I decided to read Breasts and Eggs first. First part I really liked but now it ís kind of very very long in the second part... the interesting characters from the first part are not getting any protagonisme. So now maybe I jeopardized my motivation for the August read... tricky.

[Avery]

Agnetta wrote: "As we have a Mieko Kawakami coming up in the group reads , I decided to read Breasts and Eggs first. First part I really liked but now it ís kind of very very long in the second part... the interes..."

I agree about the second part. While I did end up really liking the novel and Kawakami's message and commentary, it does drag a bit.

[Bill]

Sometimes a book tells a story...

This US first edition hardcover of Lieutenant Lookeast was bought by a middle aged woman in 1971, and was donated along with her entire collection to Mills College Library on her death in 1978. No one ever checked it out at Mills College, and who knows how long it sat there or how many other hands it's passed through. It's a bit yellowed and missing its slipcover, but is otherwise in excellent shape. I hope I'm not the first person to read it in almost 50 years.

[C.]

Agnetta wrote: "As we have a Mieko Kawakami coming up in the group reads , I decided to read Breasts and Eggs first. First part I really liked but now it ís kind of very very long in the second part... the interes..."

you're right, it does drag a bit. I still really enjoyed the ending though, so I found it worth it to stick with it. also, if you haven't, I'd suggest reading Heaven; it's a lot shorter and doesn't drag on like Breasts and Eggs - it's roughly the length of All the Lovers in the Night.

[Agnetta]

Thanks C !
I am nearing the end, and it is ok, but really not the level of enjoyment I experienced in the first part, which was so varied and dynamic.
I read originally the novel was shorter and then Kawakami expanded it. I think part one could stand alone, and for me it would have been preferable to have a novel centered on Natsu, Makiko and Midoriki exclusively.
But I will not abandon. I am still in for All the lovers in August read and will be on the lookout for Heaven if it reaches the library.

[Alwynne]

I was really impressed by Minae Mizumura's wonderfully complex A True Novel

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Agnetta]

Alwynne wrote: "I was really impressed by Minae Mizumura's wonderfully complex A True Novel

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I can not see it as it seems to be set to private based on your profile. I sent a friend request, not sure if that went thru or if it was also blocked.

[C.]

Agnetta wrote: "Thanks C !
I am nearing the end, and it is ok, but really not the level of enjoyment I experienced in the first part, which was so varied and dynamic.
I read originally the novel was shorter and t..."

I would've preferred two separate books as well. I was quite disappointed when I realised the story of part II wasn't centred around the three main characters from part I, I really wanted to know more about them than the tiny bit provided in part II.
let me know how you enjoy the ending!

[Agnetta]

I finalized Breasts and Eggs , and I did enjoy the ending too. All by all a positive experience and a positive novel, especially for Japlit standards, where you are never free of the danger of doom and gloom.

Still I think readers were setup for disappointment with the 2 parts, and the fact that it took so long before we realized we would not get real updates on how part 1 "resolved". I suppose it is courageous of the author to just leave us with that and not care whether readers will be complaining or not, she just writes the story she thinks needs telling. I salute the author.
Certainly a well written and interesting book.

[Alwynne]

Thanks Agnetta, I don't have notifications on all the time so only just noticed your message. I have over 70 friend requests pending so GR doesn't automatically take me to that page anymore when I log in. I'm trying to keep my friend list to manageable levels so only link to people I've had considerable interactions with or whose reviews I've been consistently reading, nothing personal. I'm sure the review will show up publicly on the page for the book but probably not that interesting anyway!

[Agnetta]

Alwynne wrote: "Thanks Agnetta, I don't have notifications on all the time so only just noticed your message. I have over 70 friend requests pending so GR doesn't automatically take me to that page anymore when I ..."

Indeed, now found it quickly by sorting the reviews of the novel on Newest first!

In any case, links to reviews that are then not accessible is kind of pointless, so I just made the comment so you would be aware of that.

That said, I marked the novel as TBR, so all is good :)

[C.]

I'm currently reading Der Spielplatz der Götter - after finishing The Forest of Wool and Steel, I was curious about other works by the same author and stumbled upon Der Spielplatz der Götter.
it's the collected writings of Miyashita's column for a Japanese magazine where she wrote about the year she spent in the tiny village of Tomuraushi, which in turn also inspired her work The Forest of Wool and Steel.
I wouldn't say it's particularly interesting as it's mostly about life in and with nature, but it's perfect for when you're tired or keep getting distracted.

[Bill]

I wish those friend requests would just expire, the way they used to.

[Alwynne]

I enjoyed an ARC of interlinked short stories from Makota Shinkai which build on his original anime, She and Her Cat: Stories

[Monique]

Currently reading From the Fatherland With Love and it really like it. It's set up with a lot of characters so I have to refer back to the characters list in the front of the book. It's not very dystopian feeling yet (I heard it was light dystopian, which is why I picked it up), but it's setting up the story well so far, it's about 600 pages and I'm on page 81. So we'll see.

[Salma]

I just got Sayaka Murata's new short story collection! Anyone started it?

[Alison]

Monique wrote: "Currently reading From the Fatherland With Love and it really like it. It's set up with a lot of characters so I have to refer back to the characters list in the front of the book. It's not very dy..."

I would have described it as "alternative history." It is one of my favorite books, though.

[Bill]

Currently reading 天よりも星よりも (ten yori mo hoshi yori mo. Don't ask me to translate that. It doesn't mean much and has nothing to do with the story) manga by Akaishi Michiyo. Eight volumes. 1987.

As a result of recent tragic events (including the death of her parents) Mio's superpowers of water control awaken. Taken to live with relatives she's never met before, she quickly loses sight of who to trust.

The plot centers on a love triangle between three superpowered teenagers who control water or fire or air. It would not be accurate to say the two boys are fighting over Mio, but they fight inconclusively several times and Akaishi comes up with good complications that stop the fights midway. There are quite a number of unexpected twists in the story line. My main criticism is that one of the characters is pure evil; it really is a bit too much. Despite being from early in her career, it's very well and consistently drawn. Though occasionally it has pages with not much on them.

[Alwynne]

Salma wrote: "I just got Sayaka Murata's new short story collection! Anyone started it?"

I read an ARC and really enjoyed it, there are few weaker ones but overall very inventive.

I finished an ARC of The Tatami Galaxy which inspired the hit anime series, the sequel is going to be translated too, there's a new TV series on the way via Disney+ The writing style can be a little clunky at times but I liked the offbeat style and the humour.

Review on the title page or here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jacob]

Posting some of the books I've been reading below. Would love to hear thoughts from others who have read any of these or are interested in reading them!

I just finished reading All the Lovers in the Night and thought it was all right. I think I liked Breasts and Eggs more and Heaven less, if I'm comparing the three of the Mieko Kawakami novels I've now read.

I'm halfway through Woman Running in the Mountains and just as I've adored everything by Yuko Tsushima so far, I'm very taken by this one too.

A much more dense and academic book I'm reading in translation is Kohei Saito's Karl Marx's Ecosocialism: Capital, Nature, and the Unfinished Critique of Political Economy. I heard Saito's book on Degrowth has been a bestseller in Japan recently so I'm reading this previous book since it's available in English now.

I also picked up Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician last week and will perhaps start it next week. If anyone has read that or has thoughts, I'm interested to hear.

Lastly, I started Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but I'm not sure I am enjoying it. When I learned it was adapted from a stage play it made more sense to me.

[Alison]

I've just finished Mishima's Beautiful Star. Does anyone have any info about when it might get published in North America?!? 9/10 would recommend! I'll be working on a review for the ARB.

Speaking of which, I have recent reviews out on a couple of titles y'all mentioned, if it's of interest to anyone.

All the Lovers in the Night: https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten...

Life Ceremony: https://asianreviewofbooks.com/conten...

[Bill]

Started on Lonely Woman . It's expensive, but I found a used copy for a reasonable price.

The translator gives a brief life of Takahashi and an analysis of her works. I skipped much of the analysis to avoid spoilers. Who knows? These might get translated some day.

The main text is 147 pages of 5 linked stories. The GR page count is wrong. I guess whoever entered it looked at the number on the last page and neglected that there are 40 pages of introduction before page 1.

The first story "Lonely Woman" is oddly titled, because our MC doesn't appear to be lonely. She is alone much of the time in the story and lost in her own thoughts, but likes it that way. She is quite anti-social (under the old definition of 'not socializing with people or responding as they expect' as opposed to the new definition of 'violent and destructive').

There is an arson in her neighborhood, and a policeman stops by to ask her a few questions. Which sets her to thinking she might be the arsonist, and she daydreams about what the arsonist might do. This arsonist always strikes twice. Will 'she' strike again before the story ends?

I enjoyed this story a great deal, and I'm curious as to where the book will go from here. I thought her anti-social thought processes were realistic, having been there myself (sans arson).

[Bill]

I'd say two of the five stories are worth reading, including the first story I described above. Calling them linked stories, too, is rather an exaggeration; while characters from one story are mentioned in another, none of them seem at all involved in any plot except that of their own story. And except in one case, the characters from one story don't even know those from the others.

[Carol]

I started Anne's Cradle: The Life and Works of Hanako Muraoka, Japanese Translator of Anne of Green Gables by Eri Muraoka; have been looking forward to it for awhile and already am loving the footnotes (really, endnotes) and other resources at the end.

[Alwynne]

I was completely gripped by Emi Yagi's inventive and insightful Diary of a Void

Review via book page or here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alwynne]

I finished an ARC of Rin Usami's prize-winning novella Idol, Burning it's an ambitious piece which doesn't quite come off but I still found it interesting as an examination of fangirling and identity. My review is on the GR book page or alternatively here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bill]

I'm currently reading Kaichuu! by Hayashi Yuuki. It's a manga series about a high school archery club, and the title translates to Bullseye! This GR entry is mistakenly listed as a kindle edition; its ISBN13 matches that of the paperback I'm reading.

Our main character Tachikawa goes to a specific high school because an archery prodigy named Fudou Gonzaburou that Tachikawa has seen in action before is already enrolled there. ('Zaburou' makes this a very masculine name.)

Fudou, though, dresses and acts like a girl and is referred to as Gon-chan by most of the school, and even has a fan club celebrating Gon-chan's cuteness. Then Gon-chan starts hitting on straight Tachikawa.

So where are we here in terms of transgender? Gon-chan doesn't have a new name, hasn't explicitly expressed any gender identity, and pronoun usage isn't applicable to Japanese. When called male, Gon-chan doesn't complain or even seem annoyed. Gon-chan dresses and acts as a girl both in and out of school, and did so even in junior high. Gon-chan is perfectly fine with competing as a boy in the archery club. Overall, I don't see Gon-chan's character as a parody of any kind of transgender.

Where this manga seems to me to cross a line is how much Gon-chan is hitting on Tachikawa while knowing Tachikawa is not interested. I would be equally annoyed if it was about a straight character hitting on a gay character.

Let the silly archery begin! But please let them two of them accept each other as just friends.

[Nocturnalux]

Bill wrote: "I'm currently reading Kaichuu! by Hayashi Yuuki. It's a manga series about a high school archery club, and the title translates to Bullseye! This GR entry is mistakenly listed as a..."

I saw the anime and it was the usual, "let us queer bait really hard but stop at that".

Odds are you know this already but for canonically queer characters and archery, there is Rin!, Volume 01. Not canon but veering close to it, in KyoAni fashion, there is the anime Tsurune (I haven't read the light novel) that does a brilliant job at rendering Japanese archery.

I just started ヘヴン Hevn . My policy of reading out loud makes this one a painful yet very rewarding reading experience thus far.