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lettersfromandie · 3 years

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#JanuaryInJapan: 5 Japanese Books I Read in January

Ever since I started watching anime avidly last year, I gradually became more interested with Japanese culture. It began with just consuming anime, then reading mangas, later developed into being curious to learning Nihongo, and now I'm at that phase where I want to tuck myself with books written by Japanese authors.

Besides that, my 2021 new year's resolution is to read more books. At the same time, I also want to diversify my reading selection. So if I'm interested in Japanese culture and also wish to venture outside the YA genre, there's all the more reason to add books to my cart, right? 😅

Thus far, it's been a great start in accomplishing my new year's resolution since I had read 7 ½ books this month! (The ½ is a novel that I paused on reading last year and read again where I left off.) And five of those are Japanese books that I'm going to share in this blog post.

So for the bookworms out there, this one's for you.

1. Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa (translated by Jay Rubin)

Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories is a collection of Akutagawa's short stories and autobiographical writings. It contains 18 works (including the famous Spider Thread, Rashomon, and The Life of a Stupid Man) and is divided into four parts: A World in Decay, Under the Sword, Modern Tragicomedy, and my favorite part, Akutagawa's Own Story, in which his works are based from his personal life.

Apart from just reading, I also wanted to "study" since I believe it's the only way to be able to comprehend more his writings. Luckily, the copy I got is kind of like a study material too. It is full of notes and indices which I super appreciate. If it weren't for those added information in the book, I think I'd merely understand words in their face value. I think it's hard to grasp the message and what the words imply if you don't, in one way or another, "study" it. That's why I'm so happy that I bought a really good copy from Fully Booked even if it's worth two books. Lol.

If you want to delve right into Japanese lit, it would be perfect to consume works from one of the most notable Japanese writers. Even Haruki Murakami wrote an 18-page introduction about him in this one. If you do, I think you'll find one story familiar (at least to me that was my reaction, I didn't know it was Akutagawa who wrote it 😉).

2. The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai (translated by Donald Keene)

It follows a story of a Japanese aristocratic family in crisis and decline during Japan's transition after the Second World War. It is narrated by the family's daughter, Kazuko, who struggles in the midst of fragile existence with her ill mother and drug-addicted brother.

There is something about Japanese literature that will always make me feel that bittersweet emotion even in the presence of serious social themes. At first I thought I'll be diving myself into a social science reading material and geek about Post-World War II Japan. Little did I know that I would end up shedding tears (which is my usual reaction whenever I consume a deeply moving material). What I most especially loved in this book is the protagonist's letters to her "M.C.". It warmed my heart how genuine and unapologetic she was in writing her feelings and sentiments. Grabe. I am incredibly in love with her honesty and sincerity, that I wish I'd be able to write letters as beautiful as hers. Overall I am amazed by how Dazai can effortlessly write an utterly sublime story describing the challenges of human existence. I finished it in one sitting so it wasn't a heavy read. Definitely recommend.

3. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder)

This dystopian novel takes place in a surveillanced island where people, and even things, are controlled by the Memory Police. From time to time, things disappear in the island and along with these disappearances, people also 'forget' about them. The Memory Police makes sure that these objects are completely vanished from the island and eradicate people who continue to remember them. The story follows on a female novelist whose editor, R, is one of those who are still capable of remembering the disappeared objects. Together with the help of an old man, she tries to help R hide away from the Memory Police.

Sci-fi/dystopian novels are scary because it is possible that they can happen in the future, whether we think it now as far-fetched or not. But this one gave me a different feeling. It is terrifying, but beautiful. Terrifying in a sense that its totalitarian-like setting is evident in today's milieu in different parts of the globe. I don't wish for the events to happen in real life, even if disappearing objects are too dreamy to think that it could possibly happen in this world (the future is uncertain, but hopefully not). However, it is also beautiful because of its writing. It is so compelling that no matter how depressing it is when an object disappears, the writer describes it as if it has its own funeral. I love how a vanishing moment, a short inkling, a lost attachment, can be described so exquisitely, that I can't ever forget how deeply moved I was while reading it. The ending made me want to blankly stare at the wall for a long time because it tugged my heart SO MUCH :'-) As of this post, I think this is my favorite book. HIGHLY recommend.

4. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (translated by Philip Gabriel)

Kafka on the Shore revolves around two interrelated plots of two characters: a teenage boy named Kafka, who runs away from home trying to escape his father's "curse" similar to Oedipus myth; and a not-so-bright old man named Nakata, who is able to talk to cats and is in search for something.

Personally I did not enjoy the book as much as I had expected (like I super had high expectations for myself with this), and it's probably because the explicit content still lingered in my thoughts even if I'm already reading a rated-G page. By explicit content, I mean the "Oedipus myth" concept involved in the story. If you're familiar about the story of Oedipus, then I guess you already know what to expect in this novel... So, this novel isn't necessarily for everyone's consumption and it's not something I want to recommend in general. However, if that hadn't made me uncomfy, then I think I would've really loved it. I still enjoyed the journey of the two protagonists in the story though. Haruki Murakami said himself that the Oedipus myth contained in the story isn't really the main point -- that there's so much deeper sense and meaning to the story. He also said that it is full of riddles and you get to really understand it once you read it more than once (but I still have a lot of TBR so I only read it once hihi). I mean, Jenn Im, a Youtuber and book enthusiast, has it as one of her favorite books and even recommended it as a must-read. PewDiePie also found it disturbing but still gave it a 4/5 rating regardless. So I guess, to each their own. I'm just saying that it's a good book but you might find some parts disturbing.

5. The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami (translated by Allison Markin Powell)

Yukihiko Nishino hopelessly falls in love and in love again. It is divided into ten parts - representing different stories from the ten women that Nishino has loved over the course of his life.

"If you like Haruki Murakami and Yoko Ogawa, it's a safe bet that you'll love The Ten Loves of Nishino" this was printed on an alternative cover of this book. It piqued my interest because I admire Murakami's unique and magical realm and Ogawa's captivating writing style, so I thought that it was the perfect book to have a light read on.

I loved how Hiromi Kawakami described Nishino through the eyes of her love interests. Albeit the story is fragmented by the different experiences of the women in Nishino's past, these different stories aggregate to the conclusion that he is a hopeless romantic, but has a hard time committing to a solid relationship since he can't even decipher his feelings (let alone understand what love is). But even if we already presume that he is a "womanizer" (which is kinda obvious from the title itself), it'd still be interesting to know who he is from whom he "womanized" (similar as being curious on what other people think of us). Most would say na, "Ah, pakboi." Lol. But what if that's not the kind of person he is to one of his loves ? Nevertheless, I enjoy this style of storytelling wherein different point-of-views are integrated. Though personally not so thought-provoking, it succeeded in making me tear up 😢 Because no matter how he is labeled as a ladykiller, I still feel sorry for him. And more so wish him well, even if he's just a fictional character.

So that's it for this month's #JanuaryinJapan! I'm happy that these books compelled me to read more Japanese literary fiction. I wholeheartedly love the subtleties, imagery, and the uniquely-composed narratives in Japanese literature; so I am looking forward to relish more 💗

Love, Andie

#books

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mervederya · 2 years

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10/100 Days of Productivity Back on track after getting ill last week, well still in bed but I'm trying to finish one of my finals tomorrow and start my other final. I'm actually 10 days early with both, so that's nice! Here are some shots from a couple of months ago on a rainy day! I watched Bergman Island. Both of them have some sort of similar atmosphere but are completely different. Bergman island was a beautiful homage to the last days of summer where that little warm breeze slides between strands of hair. And then you watch the waves on the beach as the sun sets over your head. This is exactly the emotions this movie evoked in me and I seriously didn't want it to end and now I want to rewatch it all over. It was such a scenic movie and not exactly about Bergman but I suppose his legacy and how he inspired filmmakers and also film lovers. I know his films but never watched them before, so my next mission is to finally watch Bergman's movies.

Also started reading Snow Country yesterday for #januaryinjapan, which seems perfect for cold days because there is a melancholy driven character and also quite a sad plot. So looking forward to reading the first part tomorrow! Have a cosy night ☕️

Instagram: mervederyayazicioglu

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mayak · 3 years

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Joined #JanuaryinJapan on bookstagram, read my first Japanese novel of the month, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, loved it a lot.

Such a brilliant novel, style of writing and dialogues. Tragic and sad story of growing up and making choices, still full of hope, in my opinion.

Decided to return to my old handwriting for journaling

#januaryinjapan #haruki murakami #Norwegian wood #korean studyblr #study inspiration #study motivation #studyblr #study with me #korean langblr #korean language #studyspo #langblr #Japanese literature #mayak #heyara

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backpacksnstuff · 3 years

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I’m getting addicted to Japanese literature and there is no stopping it 🙃These two are the recent reads that I liked: one is about a schoolboy in love with a woman working in a convenience store, the other is about a peculiar woman working in a convenience store (a lot of things seem to take place in Japanese コンビニ... 🤔). #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #instabook #instareads #whatimreading #whattoread #whattoreadnext #januaryinjapan #japaneseliterature #japaneseauthor #msicesandwich #conveniencestorewoman #miekokawakami #sayakamurata #novella #contemporaryfiction #novel (at Tallinn, Estonia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJyMgQIAaiv/?igshid=tzt3iujr2jdg

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #instabook #instareads #whatimreading #whattoread #whattoreadnext #januaryinjapan #japaneseliterature #japaneseauthor #msicesandwich #conveniencestorewoman #miekokawakami #sayakamurata #novella #contemporaryfiction #novel

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januarsroom · 5 years

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ระหว่างนั่งรถไฟสาย Romantic Train #januars #JanuaryInJapan #saganoromantictrain #japan #kyoto (at Sagano Romantic Train) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqT40KLAG7I/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hy2556xhih27

#januars #januaryinjapan #saganoromantictrain #japan #kyoto

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princesswind · 2 years

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ℕ𝕠 𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟 [ ℚ𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ] . 𝙳𝚊𝚣𝚊𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚝, 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 - 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚑�� 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢, 𝙾𝚋𝚊 𝚈𝚘𝚣𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎, 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚕𝚊𝚣𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏, 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚐𝚢𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖, 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 - 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚎. . “𝒮𝑜𝒸𝒾𝑒𝓉𝓎...𝐼𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝓊𝑔𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓋𝒾𝒹𝓊𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇,𝒶 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃-𝒶𝓃𝒹-𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝓊𝑔𝑔𝓁𝑒, 𝒾𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓂𝓂𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓊𝓂𝓅𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝐻𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓊𝒷𝓂𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈. 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝓅𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉𝒾𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃. 𝐻𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁 𝑒𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓂𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃-𝒶𝓃𝒹-𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓈𝓉.” . ℕ𝕠 𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 ℍ𝕦𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕺𝖘𝖆𝖒𝖚 𝕯𝖆𝖟𝖆𝖎 𝟣𝟫𝟧𝟪 ｂｏｏｋ：ｆｏｕｒ . . #book #books #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreader #winterreads #winterreading #quarantinelife #quarantinebooks #osamudazai #nolongerhuman #japaneseliterature #januaryinjapan #japanesebooks #windputribookshelf #weekendreads #buibubacabuku https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ4dj_mgIFq/?utm_medium=tumblr

#book #books #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreader #winterreads #winterreading #quarantinelife #quarantinebooks #osamudazai #nolongerhuman #japaneseliterature #januaryinjapan #japanesebooks #windputribookshelf #weekendreads #buibubacabuku

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annetsagkari · 3 years

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata It's funny how most of the books I've been reading lately seem very relatable. Some of them have the answers to the questions I've been asking myself. Others are asking me to be more honest with myself. Others are making me reaveluate my beliefs. It could be though that I am finally listening. I loved this book. I recommend it to the people who feel they do not belong anywhere. It was a short but poignant read. To me the message of this book is to⛵Live your life unapologetically🌊 I didn't want to post an aesthetically pleasing photo because frankly I am not in the mood to take one. This is my reality right now. Not books paired with antique vases. Like my chronically ill friends, I am struggling with my mental health. We have been struggling before the pandemic and we will continue to struggle after this. It's ok to acknowledge it, to be honest to ourselves and to others, and to take the time off when we need it. I love you. Take care of yourself 💕 If you've read this far, read @books_etal latest post on the importance of being gentle with ourselves. It inspired me a lot. Thank you @elleestviolette and @the_biblionaut for discovering this book before me and recommending it to me 🤍 🏷️ #bookstagram #bookphotography #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookish #bookreview #translatedliterature #asianliterature #readersofinstagram #beautifulbooks #bookworm #translatedfiction #literaryfiction #livrestagram #womensfiction #womenintranslation #januaryinjapan #sayakamurata #conveniencestorewoman #japaneseliterature #mentalhealthawareness #chronicpain #mentalhealth #invisibleillness #chronicillnessawareness https://www.instagram.com/p/CKJ6hytAhJU/?igshid=2i6601rwsmc4

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missydurdenknowsbest · 3 years

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Reading: "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki

Reading: "The Makioka Sisters" by Junichiro Tanizaki – a wonderful Japanese classic that I loved … all 500+ pages of it :)

“She [Sachiko] was sometimes startled at the thought that she spent more time worrying about her sisters than about her husband and her daughter, but they were like daughters—they were on a level with Etsuko in her affections, and at the same time they were her only friends. Left alone, she was surprised to note that she had no friends worthy of the name. […] Because of her sisters she had not…

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#book blog #book blogger #book review #Books #januaryinjapan #Japanese classic #Junichiro Tanizaki #reading #reading journal #short review #The Makioka Sisters #translation

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greeniezona · 4 years

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My #januarywrapup! I didn’t expect this to be so impressive, as I kind of slacked off in the second half of the month, as far as reading time was concerned. Having finished two much longer bedtime story books this month (Good Omens and Tristan Strong) certainly helps! As you can see I got pulled into the #januaryinjapan hashtag for a bit. I loved this challenge. Both because it encouraged me to pull down and read books that were already on my shelves, and because I think it helped me find more bookstagram accounts and helped more people find me than any other hashtag I’ve followed. Except maybe #witmonth. It was a very friendly conversation. ANYWAY, onto the books! 💖💖💖💖💖: The Trans Space Octopus Congregation by Bogi Tokács The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami The Water Spirit & Tyna of the Lake by Alexander Utkin Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (reread) . 💜💜💜💜: The Skin is the Elastic Covering that Encases the Entire Body by Bjørn Rasmussen np by Banana Yoshimoto Snakes and Earrings by Hitomi Kanehara The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima Love After the End ed. by Joshua Whitehead Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia . ❤️❤️❤️: The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami . . Mini-reviews of all the January in Japan books are posted in my feed, and someday I will catch up on goodreads reviews for the rest. But I am always happy to talk about any of these! . . #bjørnrasmussen #theskinistheelasticcoveringthatencasestheentirebody #np #bananayoshimoto #snakesandearrings #hitomikanehara #thesailorwhofellfromgracewiththesea #yukiomishima #thestrangelibrary #harukimurakami #thetenlovesofnishino #hiromikawakami #thetransspaceoctopuscongregation #bogitakács #loveaftertheend #joshuawhitehead #tristanstrongpunchesaholeinthesky #kwamembalia #goodomens #neilgaiman #terrypratchett #gamayuntales #thewaterspirit #tynaofthelake #alexanderutkin https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CW0Mkgz78/?igshid=1tsvci8daxc4j

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kyotokimono · 4 years

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【KYOTO JAPAN】 in winter～京都の冬～the season that it snows and is piled up by...

If you’ve been to Kyoto, you’re sure to enjoy the views of many of the popular sites under a snowy blanket. It doesn’t snow every year in Kyoto (but winters ARE always cold!) - and when it does, it adds even more magic to this very special place. Enjoy!

#kyotowinter #winterinjapan #snowinkyoto #snowinjapan #decemberweatherinjapan #januaryinjapan #doesitsnowinjapan

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aniehart · 2 years

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January in Japan

Books to read for #JanuaryinJapan

January in Japan is a hashtag going around social media to encourage reading Japanese literature in January. As good a time as any if you ask me. I’ve kicked off the year with japanese literature before; in january 2018 a month after Kazuo Ishiguro won the nobel peace prize I read some of his books. And if I remember anything I remember the mood they set. Cold, pale and hard comes to mind and a…

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#books #bookshelf #fiction #Japanese literature #Literature

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mervederya · 2 years

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New notebooks from @retronotestore Courtesan Asleep & Cuckoo and Azaleas by Katsushika Hokusai 🕊🤍 -Would you prefer notebooks or digital notebooks? I am a notebook addict and I’m literally in love with these. We ordered some more after receiving it because the texture is heavenly. Also, they are unlined, so I can write in them freely. I was looking for some notebooks to write down the theories and metaphors I’m studying and also for the languages I’m learning. I’ve been studying so many random things that I need to write down the academic texts I’m using. Also, #januaryinjapan reminded me how much I was in love with woodblock prints. I needed to fill my study desk with some more. I forgot to share these, so I had to post again today. I’m just excited to use them for my personal studies.

Instagram: @mervederyayazicioglu

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fictionfromafar · 3 years

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Unmissable International Crime Fiction Novels from August 2021

3 August: The Night Singer by Johanna Mo, translated by Alice Menzies, Penguin Books

Police detective Hannah Duncker didn’t expect to return to her native Öland. She fled after her father’s murder conviction and returns to make peace with her shame. She has a new job with the local police and a nosy new partner. A fifteen-year-old’s death catapults her into a murder investigation that resurrects ghosts from her previous life. As she hunts for the truth, she must confront the people she abandoned. Not all are pleased to see her back home, and she soon learns that digging through the past comes with consequences.

5 August: The Soul Breaker by Sebastian Fitzek, translated by Jamie Bulloch, Head Of Zeus

He doesn’t kill them, or mutilate them. But he leaves them completely dead inside, paralysed and catatonic. His only trace is a note left in their hands. There are three known victims when suddenly the abductions stop. The Soul Breaker has tired of his game, it seems. Meanwhile, a man has been found in the snow outside an exclusive psychiatric clinic. He has no recollection of who he is, or why he is there. Unable to match him to any of the police’s missing people, the nurses call him Casper. My review of Passenger 23:

Fiction From Afar

Passenger 23 by Sebastian Fitzek Passenger 23 By Sebastian Fitzek Translated by Jamie Bulloch Head Of Zeus “Every year on average 23 people

The Woman in the Blue Cloak by Deon Meyer, Hodder

The brilliant two-time-frame novella The Woman in the Blue Cloak has not appeared before in mass-market paperback. It is joined here by several shorter stories, published for the first time in book form.

The title story features Meyer's much-loved detective Benny Griessel at a key moment in his relationship with his new love, Alexa.

The Bucket List: An Agent John Adderley Novel by Peter Mohlin & Peter Nystrom, The Overlook Press

The Bucket List starts when undercover FBI Agent John Adderley wakes up in a hospital bed in Baltimore with extensive gunshot wounds. He knows he’s lucky to be alive. And just a few beds away is the man who 24 hours ago pointed a gun to his head.

10 August: Cold Sun by Anita Sivakumaran Dialogue Books

Bangalore. Three high-profile women murdered, their bodies draped in identical red saris. When the killer targets the British Foreign Minister’s ex-wife, Scotland Yard sends the troubled, brilliant DI Vijay Patel to lend his expertise to the Indian police investigation. Stranger in a strange land, ex-professional cricketer Patel must battle local resentment and his own ignorance of his ancestral country, while trying to save his failing relationship back home.

17 August: Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jo Fletcher Books

1970s Mexico City: while student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes from her humdrum life in the stories of passion and danger that fill the latest issue of Secret Romance. She is deeply envious of her neighbour, Leonora, a beautiful art student who lives the life of excitement and intrigue Maite craves – so when she disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite jumps at the chance to uncover Leonora’s secrets.

No Honour by Awais Khan, Orenda Books

A young woman defies convention in a small Pakistani village, with devastating results for her and her family. A stunning, immense beautiful novel about courage, family and the meaning of love, when everything seems lost

19 August: Come Hell Or High Water by Christian Unge, MacLehose Press

The first in a new Swedish crime series featuring Tekla Berg – a fearless doctor with a remarkable photographic memory. With 85% per cent burns to his body and a 115% risk of dying, it’s a miracle the patient is still alive. That he made it this far is thanks to Tekla Berg, an emergency physician whose unorthodox methods and photographic memory are often the difference between life and death.

Bread: The Bastards of Pizzofalcone by Maurizio de Giovanni, Europa Editions

Sometimes it takes facing a formidable adversary to truly know one’s worth. The Bastards of Pizzofalcone may have found just that: when the brutal murder of a baker rattles the city, they are ready to investigate. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do to prove themselves to their community. But this time the police are divided: for the special anti-mob branch, the local mafia is doubtlessly responsible for the crime, but the Bastards are not so sure and think there may be another reason for the murder of the renowned artisan, whose traditionally baked bread attracted customers from far and wide. A rivalry between the policeman and the magistrate is formed, one that, in the end, will extend to more than just their work lives.

Of Fangs and Talons by Nicolas Mathieu, Sceptre

When a factory that employs most of a small town is scheduled to close - to the despair of the workers and disdain of the overlords - things start to fall apart. The disenfranchised factory workers have nothing left to lose. Martel, the trade union rep with innumerable tattoos and Bruce, the body-builder addicted to steroids resort to desperate measures. A bungled kidnapping on the streets of Strasbourg goes horribly wrong and they find themselves falling prey to the machinations of the criminal underworld.

End Of Summer by Anders De La Motte, trans Neil Smith , Zaffre

Summer 1983: Four-year-old Billy chases a rabbit in the fields behind his house. But when his mother goes to call him in, Billy has disappeared. Never to be seen again.

Today: Veronica is a bereavement counsellor. She's never fully come to turns with her mother's suicide after her brother Billy's disappearance. When a young man walks into her group, he looks familiar and talks about the trauma of his friend's disappearance in 1983. Could Billy still be alive after all this time?

Resilience by Bogdan Hrib, translated by Marina Sofia, Corylus Books

Stelian Munteanu has had enough of being an international man of mystery: all he wants to do is make the long-distance relationship with his wife Sofia work. But when the notorious Romanian businessman Pavel Coman asks him to investigate the death of his daughter in the north of England, he reluctantly gets involved once more in what proves to be a tangled web of shady business dealings and political conspiracies. Moving rapidly between London, Newcastle, Bucharest and Iasi, this novel shows just how easy it is to fall prey to fake news and social media manipulation.

31 August: My Name is Jensen by Heidi Amsinck, Muswell Press

Guilty. One word on a beggar’s cardboard sign. And now he is dead, stabbed in a wintry Copenhagen street, the second homeless victim in as many weeks. Dagbladet reporter Jensen, stumbling across the body on her way to work, calls her ex lover DI Henrik Jungersen. As, inevitably, old passions are rekindled, so are old regrets, and that is just the start of Jensen’s troubles. The front page is an open goal, but nothing feels right….. When a third body turns up, it seems certain that a serial killer is on the loose. But why pick on the homeless? And is the link to an old murder case just a coincidence? With her teenage apprentice Gustav, Jensen soon finds herself putting everything on the line to discover exactly who is guilty …

2 September: The Second Woman by Louise Mey, translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie, Pushkin Vertigo

Missing persons don’t always stay that way. Sandrine lives alone, rarely speaking to anyone other than her colleagues. She is resigned to her solitary life, until she sees on TV a man despairing for his wife who has mysteriously disappeared. Sandrine is drawn to him and eventually the two strike up a relationship. When the man’s wife reappears, Sandrine is forced to confront the truth about him.

The Wrong Goodbye by Toshihiko Yahagi, translated by Alfred Birnbaum, MacLehose Press

In a nod to Raymond Chandler, The Wrong Goodbye pits homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession hit Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran’s bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of “goods” to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. My review:

The Wrong Goodbye

The Wrong Goodbye An Eiji Futamura Investigation by Toshihiko Yahagi #JanuaryInJapan The Wrong Goodbye An Eiji Futamura Investigation by Tos

FICTION FROM AFAR

28 September

The Ice Coven by Max Seeck, Berkley

Investigator Jessica Niemi is in a race against time to find the link between a body with strange markings that has washed up on a frigid shore in Finland and two mysterious disappearances in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Hunter.

30 September

The Jealousy Man and Other Stories by Jo Nesbo, Harvill Secker

This outstanding collection of short stories showcases all the writing skill that has made Jo Nesbo the undisputed ‘king of all crime writers’ (Daily Express) and a repeat Sunday Times #1 bestseller. Filled with dark intrigue, twists and unforgettable characters, these page-turners will have you reading late into the night.

Wild Shores by Maria Adolfsson, Zaffre

One terrible truth will create a perfect storm. While her colleagues enjoy the seasonal festivities, DI Karen Hornby is called to investigate a suspicious death on the northernmost island of Doggerland. But how close to home is the truth of the case...

Night Hunters by Oliver Bottini, MacLehose Press

Over the course of several days one hot summer, a female student from Freiburg disappears, a father is murdered in a brutal attack, a teenage boy drowns in the Rhine in suspicious circumstances. It soon becomes evident to Chief Inspector Louise Boni and her colleagues at Freiburg’s criminal police that the three cases are connected – and that others are now in terrible danger.

The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg, MacLehose Press

A heartrending existential drama by the acclaimed Swedish writer Sara Stridsberg, The Antarctica of Love is an unfliching testament of a woman on the margins, a tale of family lost and found, and a report of a murder in the voice of the victim. This novel of life after death unfolds in brief vignettes, brimming with unexpected tenderness and hope.

7 October: The Stoning: Peter Papathanasiou, MacLehose Press

A small town in outback Australia wakes to a crime of medieval savagery.A local schoolteacher is found taped to a tree and stoned to death. Suspicion instantly falls on the refugees at the new detention centre on Cobb’s northern outskirts. Tensions are high, between whites and Aboriginals, between immigrants and the towniesStill mourning the recent death of his father, Detective Sergeant George Manolis returns to his childhood hometown to investigate.

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun House Of Zeus

Focusing on the unsolved murder of teenage girl, this literary crime novel offers insights into gender, class and religion. In the summer of 2002, my big sister Hae-on was murdered. She was beautiful, intelligent, and only nineteen years old. Two boys were questioned, but the case was never solved. Her killer still walks free.

The Survivors by Alex Shulman, Little Brown Dog

Three brothers return to the family cottage by the lake where, more than two decades earlier, a catastrophe changed the course of their lives. Now, they are here to scatter their mother’s ashes – young men, estranged but bound together by the history that defines them. Their lives have been spent competing for their father’s favour and their mother’s love, in a household more like a minefield than a home. What really happened that summer day when everything was blown to pieces?

12 October: The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock Crooked Lane Books

It’s early September in Copenhagen, the rain has been coming down for weeks, and 36-year-old journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. And then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and ominous letters from an alleged killer.

14 October Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri, MacMillan

The long-awaited last novel in the bestselling Inspector Montalbano series “At eighty, I foresaw Montalbano’s departure from the scene, I got the idea and I didn’t let it slip away. So I found myself writing this novel which is the final chapter; the last book in the series. And I sent it to my publisher saying to keep it in a drawer and to publish it only when I am gone.” –Andrea Camilleri

The Lonely Ones by Hakan Nesser, MacMillan

Begins in 1969. Six young people arrive in Uppsala. Different circumstances push the three young couples together and, over the course of a few years, they become friends. Years later, a lecturer at Lund University is found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the woods close to Kymlinge. And chillingly, it is the very same spot where one of the Uppsala students died thirty-five years before

28 October The Hideout by Camilla Grebe, Zaffre

Inertia is an eerie psychological thriller from the award-winning Swedish bestselling author Camilla Grebe. When 18-year old Samuel finds himself at the centre of a drug deal gone wrong, he is forced to go underground to escape the police and an infamous drug lord.

The Commandments by Oskar Gudmundsson Corylus Books

On a cold winter morning in 1995, Anton, a 19-year-old boy, met a priest outside Glerárkirkja in Akureyri. After that, he was never seen again. Two decades later a priest is found murdered in the church in Grenivík. When the police investigate the case, they finds that a deacon has also been executed inside Akureyri.

Punishment of a Hunter: Yulia Yakovleva, Pushkin Vertigo

1930s Leningrad: As a mood of fear cloaks the city, Investigator Vasily Zaitsev is called on to investigate a series of bizarre and seemingly motiveless murders. In each case the victim is curiously dressed and posed in extravagantly arranged settings.

Hilde Vandermeeren: The Scorpion’s Head Pushkin Vertigo

Shortly after a fractious weekend away with her family, Gaelle wakes up injured in a psychological hospital in Berlin. Her son is is a coma and the police suspect her of attempting to murder him. With no memory what happened but convinced of her innocence Gaelle escapes and begins a determined hunt for the truth

28 October Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurdardottir, Orenda Books

Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren‘t on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realizes that her sister isn’t avoiding her … she has disappeared, without trace.

Here is my review of Betrayal:

Crimes In Translation

Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðardóttir Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðardóttir, translated by Quentin Bates, Orenda Books 2020 This is the second book

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Toumainen, Orenda Books

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal. And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.

2 November Bricklayers: Selva Almada, Charco Press

Oscar Tamai and Elvio Miranda, the patriarchs of two families of brickmakers, have for years nursed a mutual hatred, but their teenage sons, Pájaro and Ángelito, somehow fell in love. Brickmakers begins as Pájaro and Marciano, Ángelito’s older brother, lie dying in the mud at the base of a Ferris wheel. Inhabiting a dreamlike state between life and death, they recall the events that forced them to pay the price of their fathers’ petty feud.

My review of Dead Girls:

Dead Girls — Charco Press

Dead Girls By Selva Almada Dead Girls By Selva Almada Translated by Annie McDermott, Charco Press Billed as journalist fiction, “Dead Gi

FICTION FROM AFAR

4 November The Night Will Be Long Santiago Gamboa, Europa Editions

When a horribly violent confrontation occurs outside of Cauca, Colombia, only a young boy is around to witness it. But no sooner does the violence happen than it disappears, vanished without a trace. Nobody claims to have seen anything. Nobody claims to have heard anything. That is, until an anonymous accusation catalyzes a dangerous investigation into the deep underbelly of the Christian churches present today in Latin America.

11 November The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee Harvill Secker

When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath? Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge.

Turf Wars: Oliver Norek, translated by Nick Caistor, MacLehose Press

Since Capitaine Coste and his team’s last case, calm appears to have returned to the SDPJ93 – but not for long. The summary execution of three young dealers – one them shot in the head in full view of a police surveillance team – is the signal for hell to be unleashed in the suburb of Seine-Saint Denis.

The Lost and the Damned

The Lost And The Damned by Olivier Norek The Lost And The Damned Olivier Norek, translated by Nick Caistor, MacLehose Press Aside from th

FICTION FROM AFAR

16 November The Deathwatch Beetle by Kjell Eriksson, Minotaur Book

Four years have passed since Cecilia Karlsson disappeared from the island of Gräsö in Roslagen. When Ann Lindell receives a tip that she has been seen alive she cannot help getting involved, even though she is no longer with the police.

25 November Question of Guilt by Jorn Lier Horst, Penguin

In 1999, seventeen-year-old Tone Vaterland was killed on her way home from work. Desperate for a conviction the police deemed the investigation an open-and-shut case and sent her spurned boyfriend, Danny Momrak, down for murder. 20 years later William Wisting receives a puzzling letter. It suggests the wrong man was convicted for Tone’s death and the real murderer is still out there, and could kill again. . .

December Will To Kill: RV Rama Pushkin Vertigo

Aging and wheelchair-bound patriarch Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris –a mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths; a colonial edifice that stands alone in a valley that is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Englishman. But Bhaskar has other, more practical problems to deal with.

Skin Deep by Antonia Lassa, translated by Jacky Collins, Corylus Books

The corpse of an elderly millionaire is discovered brutally scarred with acid burns. Her young lover is the chief suspect but the authorities admit they are baffled. It will take the intervention of private detective Albert Larten to explore all the complexities of desire, and ultimately reveal the truth.

Erin by Cyril Carrère, trans David Warriner

Erin Silva is struggling to get a grip. She’s young, naive, and has a deep connection to those she loves. But she’s not as fragile as she seems. As she prepares to take over the family business—in spite of some maternal reticence—she finds herself caught up in a chain of ill-fated events. It’s distressing for Erin to stir up the pain of the past, but she’s determined to find out the truth as she sets out to track down those responsible and make them pay. Even if it means letting go of the last illusions that remain of the life she once knew.

#crime fiction #crimeintranslation #european literature #nordicnoir #french noir #latinamericancrimefiction

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pmg227 · 3 years

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Reading Books Around the World: Japan

Though traveling is at a minimum these days, traveling through books is still a great way to view and learn of other cultures. This year I’ve been making a conscious effort to read books around the world by jumping into the #readtheworld21 challenge. January was #JanuaryinJapan. I’ve read three books from Japan and have several more on my TBR. In fact, at this point, I could have just made the…

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#Before the Coffee Gets Cold #Japan #Japanese literature #readtheworld21 #Shion Miura #The Great Passage #The Housekeeper and the Professor #Toshikazu Kawaguchi #Yoko Ogawa

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januarsroom · 4 years

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เปิดวาร์ปกลับไปถ่ายรูปที่ญี่ปุ่น อยากเที่ยวแล้วววว #januars #tbt #JanuaryInJapan (at teamLab Borderless / チームラボボーダレス) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCIPdzjHi5M/?igshid=1m4lu8buxnby7

#januars #tbt #januaryinjapan

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annetsagkari · 3 years

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