Currently Reading Showing 351-400 of 1,285

[Bill]

Just read The Letters by Yumoto Kazumi, a slice of life story about a grade school girl who lost her father and moved to a new home. Highly recommended, if you like slice of life. I'll have to look for her other books; I know at least The Friends is available in English.

[Jeshika]

I really enjoyed both Autofiction and Snakes and Earrings. I wish more works had been translated. :(

I’m in a massive reading slump at the mo, starting one hundred things, finishing none.

[Carol]

Jeshika wrote: "I really enjoyed both Autofiction and Snakes and Earrings. I wish more works had been translated. :(

I’m in a massive reading slump at the mo, starting one hundred things, finishing none."

That’s a bummer, Jeshika. I hope you enjoy and finish one soon. Maybe a graphic novel?

[Rhea]

Jeshika wrote: "I really enjoyed both Autofiction and Snakes and Earrings. I wish more works had been translated. :(

I’m in a massive reading slump at the mo, starting one hundred things, finishing none."

If you want advice:
(view spoiler)[You can try reading in a different location like a park or a coffee shop, though I imagine the latter would get expensive. But for me what's been working: Look at what you've read this year like what you've tagged things as. I did this in a spread sheet. Things can fall in more than one category (like something can be both YA and fantasy), and then I calculated the percentage compared to books completed. You do not have to take this step if it is blinding obvious what you read. But I wanted raw stats because I am a nerd and I needed hard numbers for "stop reading YA ok" Basically the advice I found was to read something different. (hide spoiler)]

That's why I'm reading a half-memoir on religion right now, and when I go to the library, I got some graphic novels and non-fiction to pick up. There's a memoir on a cat I'm looking forward to picking up! I'm assuming this is one special cat, because I don't think my cat would give me much material.


"three weeks later, I bopped my owner because she looked at me wrong. She didn't give me the canned chicken supreme."

[Carol]

I started The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa. So far, so good.

[Ian]

Carol, me too. I’m reading it and Cult X at the same time and it’s hard to decide which is better. I think I know where it’s (TLK) going, but it’s a ride I’m enjoying.

[Carol]

Josh wrote: "Carol, me too. I’m reading it and Cult X at the same time and it’s hard to decide which is better. I think I know where it’s (TLK) going, but it’s a ride I’m enjoying."

I like that it doesn’t feel dated, in terms of his writing style. Cult X is next for me. I hope you’re a fan, or my commitment might take a hit.

[Rhea]

I'm in a Margaret Atwood mood and I'm rereading the Penelopiad.

[Bill]

I'm reading Prehistoric Japan by Imamura Keiji. Dry stuff, full of pottery styles and stone tools. But I'm learning things about Jomon culture I didn't know before.

[J]

Tim wrote: "I thought that one was pretty fun. Agatha Christie rather hated the Poirot character, and I think this is the first book in the series where it really shows. His arrogance in this one seems amped up quite a bit to an almost comical degree ("My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world"). The plot isn't one of her best, but the characters are all pretty good."

Took me forever to finish what should have been a quick read, but yes, I quite enjoyed the Blue Train too. Poirot really takes the cake in this one, but somehow quite endearing, haha. And there was a nice hint of romance too, and some decent characterisation.

Now I'm about a third through Goodbye Tsugumi, by Banana Yoshimoto. So far so good. This is my first book of hers.

[Christian]

Alan wrote: "Am currently reading 'A Dark Nights Passing' like we are meant to. Not convinced many people are right now. Oh well, have plenty other stuff to read. I don't need this......"

I am! I like it so far :P

[Tim]

I've almost finished Usher's Passing by Robert R. McCammon. An excellent horror novel but a bit... messy. It has so many good ideas, but McCammon packed them all into one book and it feels a bit jumbled, that said I'm greatly enjoying it and wondering how he's going to tie it all together.

[Christine]

I started The Book of M by Peng Shepherd today, liking it so far!

[Ian]

Ill grab my Dark Night from the library Thursday!!

[Ian]

Just finished writing my Japan Summer Reading list for GaijinPot. Should be out this week: what do you think of this hodgepodge:

The Lady Killer
Seventeen
Cult X
My year of Dirt and Water
Tokyo Romance
Japanese Whiskey
Ultimate Samurai Guide
Samurai Castles
Amy’s Guide to Manners in Japan
Merchant’s Tale

I’ll link it once it goes live.

[Agnetta]

Christian wrote: "Alan wrote: "Am currently reading 'A Dark Nights Passing' like we are meant to. Not convinced many people are right now. Oh well, have plenty other stuff to read. I don't need this......"

I am! I ..."

I started too!

[Carol]

Josh wrote: "Just finished writing my Japan Summer Reading list for GaijinPot. Should be out this week: what do you think of this hodgepodge:

The Lady Killer
Seventeen
Cult X
My year of Dirt and Water
Tokyo Ro..."

I"m excited that I'm only familiar with 4 of them, so you get to be my canary in the coal mine. :) Looking forward to your reviews/feedback!

[Agnetta]

oh Rhea, dreadful. i googled canary in a coal mine, thinking this was going to be like bringing a bit of music and magic in the darkness.

"If dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide collected in the mine, the gases would kill the canary before killing the miners, thus providing a warning to exit the tunnels immediately."

poor Josh. can't he be our brave avant-guard samurai explorer instead.

[Carol]

Agnetta wrote: "oh Rhea, dreadful. i googled canary in a coal mine, thinking this was going to be like bringing a bit of music and magic in the darkness.

"If dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide collected in t..."

I was counting on all of his reads being full of oxygen and garnering 4 - 5 stars a piece. Of course, it's possible that one of them along the way might be dangerous, but Josh is a fit and hardy reader. I've yet to see the reader that is fatally wounded by a bad read. :)

But brave avant-guard samurai explorer, while a mouthful, is a suitable alternative.

[Agnetta]

ups sorry carol it was you not rhea🤗

[Agnetta]

we count on you Josh 😉

[Carol]

Agnetta wrote: "ups sorry carol it dad hoy not rhea🤗"

no problem at all, agnetta. It's happened to all of us. :)

[Jeshika]

Thanks Rhea and Carol. I'll give your suggestions a try. :)

My friend visited for a week so I haven't done much reading, hopefully that will help too.

[Bill]

After A Dark Night's Passing, I cleansed my palate with a bit of Wodehouse, and then went to another Japanese author writing about being a Japanese author The Dark Room.

It's a more modern take on the same subject, more sexualized, non-linear, like 60s experimental Japanese cinema. The author enjoys being unmarried and living alone... or does he?

[Carol]

Bill wrote: "After A Dark Night's Passing, I cleansed my palate with a bit of Wodehouse, and then went to another Japanese author writing about being a Japanese author The Dark Room.

It's a more ..."

that's a fascinating summary at the GR page, too. Can't wait to see what you think when you're finished.

[Tim]

I'm currently reading Ring by Kōji Suzuki. It's enjoyable so far, but one of those rare cases where I think the movie (Ringu specifically) is better.

[Carol]

I started The Cake Tree in the Ruins by Akiyuki Nosaka, and already am a fan.

[Ian]

Currently reading too many books:

Shinata’s Ryoma Sakamoto bio (fun, in depth)

M or N (Trying some Agatha to calm my nerves)

Cult X (good, but slow at times)

Dark Nights Passage (ibid)

And more

[Lorenzo]

I am currently enjoying reading the last 100 pages of The Wind-up Bird Chronicles. After Norwegian Woods and After the Quake I was looking forward to finding out the surrealistic Murakami I had so much heard of.
And yes, his style has totally conquered me.

[Scott]

I started S by Koji Suzuki.

[J]

Tim wrote: "I'm currently reading Ring by Kōji Suzuki. It's enjoyable so far, but one of those rare cases where I think the movie (Ringu specifically) is better."

I read the novel after I saw the film. I found the novel really freaky, especially since I was reading it late at night. That said, I couldn't rewatch the film either, haha.

[Scott]

J wrote: "I read the novel after I saw the film. I found the novel really freaky, especially since I was reading it late at night. That said, I couldn't rewatch the film either, haha."

The film is great but there is so much more to the books.

[Tim]

J wrote: "I read the novel after I saw the film. I found the novel really freaky, especially since I was reading it late at night. That said, I couldn't rewatch the film either, haha. ."

I'm in the rather awkward spot of thinking this is one of those rare cases where the movie improved upon the book in every way. I understand where many of the books defenders come from, but to me, every change in the film improved the story and took a somewhat silly supernatural meets science story and turned it into a chilling (and in a way, rather touching) film.

Also, fun story about the film. First time I watched it, the lightbulb in my room blew out halfway through the film, leaving me in darkness other than the light from the television... then my phone rang. Scared the hell out of me. :D

[J]

Scott: I agree, I prefer the novel, but the film was pretty solid as well.

Tim: Haha, as for me, I saw it in the cinema and the part where Sadako crawled out freaked me out so much I had to walk it off afterwards. My friend couldn't stop laughing at me.

[Carol]

Tim wrote: "J wrote: "I read the novel after I saw the film. I found the novel really freaky, especially since I was reading it late at night. That said, I couldn't rewatch the film either, haha. ."

I'm in th..."

ACK!!!!!

[Carol]

If anyone here is interested in reading and discussing, The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai in August, please join in the discussion at the Forgotten Classics
group. The link to the discussion thread is below. I suspect it might be a very quiet thread unless some readers who live and breathe Japanese lit wander over and comment, so please do so if you're in the mood for Dazai or have read it previously and want to share your thoughts.

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

[Ian]

I always find it difficult to separate Setting Sun and No Longer Human, as I read them together and they share so much, specifically atmosphere...

[Carol]

Josh wrote: "I always find it difficult to separate Setting Sun and No Longer Human, as I read them together and they share so much, specifically atmosphere..."

Does it matter which order I read them in? I didn’t realize they were related other than by Dazai’s perspective and talent.

[Ian]

I don’t believe they are connected, but the brooding and impending doom makes them very similar in my memory.

[Carol]

Josh wrote: "I don’t believe they are connected, but the brooding and impending doom makes them very similar in my memory."

That makes sense.

[Kamo]

I'm currently reading Battle Royale.
I don't know why but I think the writing style is kinda loose.

[Ana]

Just finished Shusaku Endo's 'Silence'! I greatly enjoyed it -recommended reading irregardless of your personal beliefs (or lack thereof!)

Am trying to get Megumi Goto's 'Chorus of Mushrooms'...once I finish my current reading, though.

[Tim]

Currently reading "The Killer Inside Me" by Jim Thompson. It's an extremely dark piece of noir that borders on a horror novel. It's a first person narrative, from the point of view of a sheriff in a small town who commits a murder and covers up evidence as he "investigates" the case.

"I tried to be extra pleasant to her. She was getting on my nerves, hanging around so much. But she wouldn't be hanging around long, so I thought I ought to be as nice as I could."

Our narrator's thoughts about his girlfriend who he plans on killing. It's, uh... rather terrifying.

[J]

Halfway through The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri, and enjoying it. Montalbano is a riot, and I just love how hilarious he and his subordinates are. I can imagine it's even funnier in Italian. I wish the entire Montalbano series was translated in English.

[Carol]

I started The Lonely Witness by William Boyle and am delighted so far —60 pages in.

[Bill]

I tend to only post here about Japanese novels I'm reading (that aren't the monthly selection). Do people want that to be the norm for this thread?

I don't mind the extra notifications for this thread about non-Japanese books, but some might.

[Christian]

Bill wrote: "I tend to only post here about Japanese novels I'm reading (that aren't the monthly selection). Do people want that to be the norm for this thread?

I don't mind the extra notifications for this th..."

Just my personal opinion, but I think it's ok for this one to be off-topic. I think the purpose of this thread was to share what other members are reading, so more of a social thing ^^

[Erick Del Río]

I want to read a very good J-Horror novel, any recommendations? :)

[Jeshika]

Erick - What sort of J-horror are you looking for? My favourite Japanese author is Ryu Murakami but I feel his books are more human horror and the bizarre extremes of people.

Bill - I don’t mind what people post about here, at first I was confused that it wasn’t all Japanese stuff but I think it’s kind of fun to see what else people enjoy. :)

[Bill]

About the only J-horror I've read and liked is Another.