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ilyareads · 10 months

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short books recs (under 200 pages)

1. Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

This book follows Sentaro, who runs a dorayaki stall, and his friendship with Tokue, who makes killer sweet bean paste. It is a heart-warming and endearing story that brings you comfort. I love the friendship between Sentaro and Tokue, especially seeing how it develops. The ending feels a little rushed. I kind of wished it was longer. Kind of sad. I cried. 10/10 would read again.

2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Funiculi Funicula cafe provides a time-traveling service, and the book, divided into four parts, retells different characters' experiences traveling in time. I always associate time-traveling with angst and regret, and this book has just that. I love how each part explores different relationship dynamics, so the time-traveling experience varies for each character. Very heart-warming, but very emotional as well. Cried a lot. It's a series but you don't have to read other books. But if you want more info on the cafe and the characters' backstory, then I highly recommend reading the other books.

3. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami

This book revolves around two students, who are victims of bullying. Due to their shared struggle, a friendship blossoms between them. The depiction of bullying and its impacts is raw and authentic, the story providing the perspectives of both the victims and the perpetrators. It was a rage-inducing but thought-provoking read.

4. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

This book follows Nana the cat as he embarks on a road-trip with his owner, Satoru. Now, cats are my absolute weakness. I love cats. I WOULD DIE FOR THEM. Which is why reading this book was hard and painful. The writing is witty, since it is written from the perspective of a cat. The plot itself is kind of predictable, but it doesn't make it any less painful. Tldr; Shredded my heart into pieces. Cried so hard, I couldn't breathe.

5. Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn

The story follows the main character, Yunjae, who suffers from a rare condition called Alexithymia that essentially makes him unable to feel emotions. Due to that, he couldn't understand social cues so people shun him. The development of the story centers on the people Yunjae are going to meet, and how his relationship with these people develops. The ending felt a little anticlimactic, but I loved it nonetheless.

6. Eartheater by Dolores Reyes

The unnamed protagonist can locate missing people and find out their fate by eating dirt, so people seek her to know the fate of their missing loved ones. It was definitely an interesting read, with elements of magical realism in relation to the protagonist's ability. It is also an intriguing depiction of femicide, a reflection of a system that continuously fails women. I felt rage for the women failed by the system and the sufferings they had to endure at the hands of hateful men.

7. A House is a Body by Shruti Swamy

This book is a collection of short stories, which is a raw and authentic depiction of what it is like being human. I enjoyed certain stories, while some left me utterly confused. The narratives are enticing and poetic, so despite some stories not hitting that hard, I enjoyed the writing.

8. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

After having a bizarre dream, Yeong-Hye declares that she is turning vegetarian, and this sudden change concerned her family. I made the mistake of thinking that this book is merely a depiction of what it's like to be a vegetarian. HELL NO. It utterly deviates from my expectation. I could only describe the book as bizarre and spooky, in an unconventional way. It depicts the complexity of the human mind when the contraint of societal expectations is disregarded.

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buffetlicious · 19 days

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We often purchase ang ku kuehs or red tortoise cakes from Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh (吉祥红龟粿) if we are around the vicinity of the stall. This lot of colourful snacks are for both my family and sister’s friend. Each colour represented a different filling except for the red ones which is either Peanut (花生) or Sweet Bean Paste (豆沙). Grey is Salted Bean Paste (咸豆沙), Green is Coconut (椰子), Purple is Yam (芋头) and Yellow is Corn (玉米).

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literaturecravings · 1 year

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—Sweet Bean Paste, Durian Sukigawa

#sweet bean paste #durian sukigawa #literature #words #excerpts #myposts!#classic literature #dark academia books #alternative literature #dark academia #books & libraries #classic academia

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samireads · 1 year

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March wrap up. I was coming off the SKZ high from last month and I went to Japan… this was the result 🫣

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nerdishfeels · 4 months

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BEST READS OF 2023

Hey guys! Here’s my top reads this year. I finished 10 books out of 20, which I’ll take proudly. Most of the year was spent stressing and writing lol.

The only book not pictured is Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa (I listened to the audio book).

Also, does anyone else notice the colour scheme here? A lot of reds and purples. I’m loving the random colour coordination lol.

I hope you all had a great reading year and gained new favourites. I know I have. Let me know what you enjoyed!

Here’s to a year filled with more great and exciting reads! ❤️

#best reads #best reads of 2023 #2023 #booklr #book addict #reading #books #bookworm #a good girls guide to murder #legendborn #the severed thread #longshadow #the girls I’ve been #you’ve reached sam #one of us is lying #sweet bean paste

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alexandrarosa · 11 months

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East Asian literature/movies/shows I’ve been currently enjoying and falling in love with:

Already consumed:

The housekeeper and the professor (or my preferred title: Professor’s beloved equation) by Yōko Ogawa – Japanese slice of life (find my short review here)

My neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli

Revenge: Eleven dark tales by Yōko Ogawa – slice of life-ish horror

First Love: Hatsukoi – slice of life Japanese romance (find my analysis here)

Little Forest – Korean slice of life movie

Something in the rain – Korean slice of life romance

If cats disappeared from the world by Genki Kawamura – Japanese slice of life meets Goethe’s Faust

The guest cat by Takashi Hiraide – the most slice of life book I’ve read

When the weather is fine – korean slice of life romance (find my posts about it here and here)

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa – dystopian fiction (if you enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury you’ll love that too)

I will be your bloom – Japanese… I don’t even know how to describe the genre – it was wild, weird and wonderful (the analysis will be coming your way soon)

Sweet bean paste by Durian Sukegawa – Japanese slice of life

Your eyes tell – Japanese drama/romance – it wrecked me thank you very much, can’t recommend it enough

Please look after my mom by Kyung-sook Shin – Korean drama, very emotional

Norwegian wood by Haruki Murakami – Japanese romance, psychological drama

Currently consuming:

Garden by Hiroko Oyamada

To be consumed:

Ponyo by Studio Ghibli

Arrietty by Studio Ghibli

The wind rises by Studio Ghibli

Love like the falling petals – Japanese romance movie

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elysianightt · 1 year

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Some lives are all too brief, while others are a continual struggle. I couldn’t help thinking that it was a brutal assessment of people’s lives to employ usefulness to society as a yardstick by which to measure their value.

Durian Sukegawa in, Sweet Bean Paste.

#novels #japanese literature #literature #sweet bean paste #durian sukegawa #words #quotes #books #quotes from books #spilled words #spilled ink #on life #book blog #book rec #bookworm

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miscellaneous-03 · 10 months

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I know you may not be able to hear anything now, even if you try, but please don't give up. I feel sure that one day you will find whatever it is you seek, and that the spark that leads to it will come from hearing some kind of voice. People's lives never stay the same colour forever. There are times when the colour of life changes completely.

- Durian Sukegawa, Sweet Bean Paste

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desdasiwrites · 6 months

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– Durian Sukegawa, Sweet Bean Paste

#book quote of the day #durian sukegawa #Sweet Bean Paste #Japanese literature #short and sweet books #dorayaki #confectionery shop #friendships #contemporary fiction #novellas #social stigmas #book recommendations #there's a movie too #spilled ink

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highsummonertemptress · 2 years

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Books with food in the title

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fiapple · 1 year

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Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa [trans. Alison Watts]

#we're gonna pretend this didn't royally fuck me up #advice to the last of my sanity #tokue yoshii #sweet bean paste #durian sukegawa #currently reading #2023 reads #excerpts #this used to be a tag

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your-neighbours-cat · 7 months

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She said that was the only way for us to live, to be like the poet's.That's what she said.If all you ever see is reality,you just want to die. The only way to get over barriers,she said, is to live in the spirit of already being over them.

Sweet Bean Paste , Durian Sukegawa

#read #sweet bean paste #durian sukegawa #cherry blossom #Doraharu #dorayaki #tokue yoshii #sentaro tsuiji #wakana #japan aesthetics #slice of life #friendship #humble

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ijustkindalikebooks · 9 months

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Found these in Oxfam today.

#booklr #books #bookblr #fiction #book #book cover #book covers #sweet bean paste #lit

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fictionalbond · 1 year

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2022 Book Wrap-Up (Part 1)

I read a lot of books this year, I didn't achieve my reading goal but I nonetheless had good reading year overall. Here's part 1 of the books I've read and enjoyed in 2022.

1) Sweet Bean Paste by #duriansukegawa 🇯🇵 2) Lemon by #kwonyeosun 🇰🇷 3) Carmen by ##prospermérimée 🇫🇷 4) HumanActs by #hankang 🇰🇷 5) Before the coffee gets cold by #toshikazukawaguchi 🇯🇵 6) A song of wraiths and ruin by #roseanneabrown 🇬🇭🇺🇸

#books #booklover #bookstagram #fictionalbond #sweet bean paste #durian sukegawa #lemon #kwon yeo sun #human acts #han kang #before the coffee gets cold #toshikazu kawaguchi #a song of wraiths and ruin #roseanne a brown #japanese literature #korean literature

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bubblesandpages · 2 years

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“It’s all very complicated,” he blurted out.

“It’s just good hospitality,” Tokue countered.

“For the customers?”

“No. The beans.”

“The beans?”

“Because they came all the way from Canada. For us.”

They are THE CUTEST dang duo!!

#i love them your honor #Sweet Bean Paste #Fizzy talks #books #reading

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luxid-rambler · 1 year

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I bought a book a looong time back and somehow forgot about it until I stumbled upon a review of said book, which rekindled my motivation. I’ll go read it now haha

Unless I forget again..

#sweet bean paste #durian sukegawa #goodreads #maybe I’ll actually write a book review if I feel like it.#luxidrambler

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