Butter by Asako Yuzuki and Translated by Polly Barton - #bookreview

The row of tall, narrow houses all in the same shade of ecru trailed up the gently sloping hill, with no end in sight. Everywhere in this well-kept neighbourhood left a seamlessly uniform impression, and Rika Machida had begun to feel as if she were circling round and round a single spot.

***

The Blurb

There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.

Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back.

Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body. Might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought?

Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, 'The Konkatsu Killer', Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, gripping exploration of misogyny, obsession and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton.

My Review

This is a unique book, and I cannot recall anything similar in my reading experience.

It is a genre-defying novel based on fact. The main character is a journalist, Rika Machida who is trying to find a way to interview Manako Kajii, who has been convicted and imprisoned for the murders of three older men after they have eaten meals that she prepared for them.

This is a really interesting book. It was fascinating to observe the way in which Rika, the only female journalist in her office, finds a way in which she can get an exclusive interview with Kajii, who has refused all approaches from the press before. Through Kajii's love of food, she is able to find a way through and to meet her face to face.

There are many references to food and dishes in this book, most of which were new to me. As we watch Rika's own attempts at cooking some of the recipes that Kajii demands she cooks, we become immersed in this story of discovery alongside her. The food and cooking is described in detail. The descriptions are mouth-watering and sensual, and Rika attempts to understand Kajii's motivation and psyche in her love of cooking.

Whilst there is a mystery running alongside, the book is really about how society views women in Japan and how women are expected to conform to a particular size and role. It also touches on themes of trauma, and we read how all these things are affected by an attitude to food.

I enjoyed this book very much, and I recommend it if you fancy something a little different.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 0008511715

Publisher: Fourth Estate

Formats: e-book, audio, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 464 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the Author

Asako Yuzuki was born in Tokyo in 1981. She won the All Yomimono Award for New Writers for her story, Forget Me, Not Blue, which appeared in her debut, Shuuten No Anoko, published in 2010. She won the Yamamoto Shūgorō Award in 2015 for Nile Perch No Joshikai. She has been nominated multiple times for the Naoko Prize, and her novels have been adapted for television, radio and film. 

You can also find Asako at:

X

(media courtesy of https://www.rcwlitagency.com/authors/yuzuki-asako/)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

The Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift - #blogtour #bookreview

 

Zofia stirred the pot in the airless heat. The stew would never be eaten, but Zofia didn't know that yet. Unfinished things were already a part of her life, as they were for so many in wartime...

***

The Blurb

1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive.

A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it.

Pursued across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racing to expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her mission before time runs out?

My Review

There are a plethora of books on the market which are set during wartime. It would be easy to think that the genre has nothing fresh to contribute, and I might have agreed until I read this fabulous book. I seldom give books of this type five stars, but this one fully deserves it for bringing something new and refreshing to the genre.

In fact, I have read many books set during World War Two. What separates this from the rest is that it is concerned with the part that was played by the real life Japanese diplomat, Sugihara Chiune, by his issuing Jewish refugees in Lithuania, visas to Japan. Even though I believe myself to be fairly widely read about the plight of the Jews during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction, this was one aspect that was new to me, and I applaud the author for bringing this to us in fictional form. 

The book is largely set on the gruelling Trans-Siberian railway on which the main characters are journeying. The main character Zofia, is escaping with her twin brother, Jacek and his girlfriend, Masha. Accompanying them is Sugihara's German assistant, Otto. The four make an interesting cast of characters, and the dynamic between them made for fascinating reading. However, we see the narrative and story through Zofia's eyes, and it was impossible not to root for her every step of the way. We observe the changing relationships with them through her perspective alone. Her journey, both physically and emotionally, is arduous and at times terrifying, but she faces this with bravery and resilience at every turn. She is a fabulous character, and the author has done a great job in bringing her to life on the page.

This has clearly been very well researched and is plentiful in the historical detail of the time in which it is set. I appreciated the author providing a list of further reading at the end of the book. She also provides an explanation of the history surrounding her novel, along with an explanation of the factual and fictional parts.

This is an accomplished novel which is compelling and fascinating. I could hardly bring myself to put it down as I was so immersed in it.

Even before I read this book, I was a fan of Deborah Swift. I have previously read The Shadow Network and Operation Tulip, both of which are part of her WW2 Secret Agent series. Additionally, I have read Shadow on the Highway. You can find the reviews of these books by clicking on the titles. Deborah Swift was also kind enough to tell me about which books she would take with her to a desert island, and you can read about it here. You can also find an excerpt from The Fortune Keeper here.

The Last Train to Freedom is an outstanding novel which I highly recommend.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 0008739706

Publisher:  HQ Digital

Formats:  e-books, audio and paperback 

No. of Pages:  361

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the Author

Deborah Swift is the English author of twenty historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Poison Keeper the novel based around the life of the legendary poisoner Giulia Tofana. The Poison Keeper won the Wishing Shelf Readers Award for Book of the Decade. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.

Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against a background of real historical events. Deborah lives in England on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

You can also find Deborah at:

Author Website

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Pinterest

Bluesky

Instagram

(ARC and media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Illustrated by Yas Imamura - #bookreview

 The miracle is in us. As long as we believe in change, in beauty, in hope...

***

Tama works in the library at the Minidoka incarceration camp, where she has been imprisioned because she is Japanese American. Life in the Idaho camp is scary, sad, confusing, frustrating and lonely. Getting through each day is hard. Tama prefers to escape into her books, which are filled with stories of honour and adventure.

But every day, George is at the library, too - with a smile, yet another stack of books and his comforting presence. It is George who helps Tama understand that she isn't alone, and in that realization, hope is found.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall's wrenching and beautiful tale is based on the experience of her own grandparents, who met in Minidoka during World War II. Their story is one of hope, about a family bornout of love during an unconscionable time in American history, a time that has troubling resonance even today.

***

In this book, the author Maggie Tokuda-Hall tells the story of how her grandparents, Tama and George, first met and fell in love.

It is an unusual premise for a picture book aimed at children, particularly bearing in mind that they met in a the a prison camp during World War Two. The Minidoka incarceration camp in Idaho was the place where American Japanese residents were forced to go following the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Within these awful conditions Tama worked in the camp library. It was through their love of books that she met George, fell in love, married and their first child was born.

It is a story of hope, love and survival. I particularly liked the Author's Note at the back of the book which includes a photo of Tama and George.

It is nicely illustrated with a muted colour pallette which is appropriate to the setting of the book. This book will appeal to both boys and girls.

ISBN: 978 1536236668

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats:  e-book, hardcover and paperback

No. of Pages:  40 (paperback)

About the Author:

Maggie Tokuda-Hall is the author Also an Octopus, illustrated by Benji Davies, The Mermaid, The Witch and The Sea, Squad, illustrated by Lisa Sterle, and Love in the Library illustrated by Yas Imamura with more books forthcoming.

She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, son, and objectively perfect dog. 

She has a BA in Studio Art from Scripps College, and an MFA in Writing from University of San Francisco. 

About the Illustrator:

Yas Imamura is an Asian American illustrator living in Portland, Oregon.

Her works include collaborations with Anthropologie, Sanrio as well as her growing list of children’s books. Her preferred materials are gouache and watercolor and often finds herself drawn to projects that are playful, mysterious and a little offbeat.

(book and media courtesy of the publisher)

(author media courtesy of the author's website https://www.prettyokmaggie.com/)

(illustrator media courtesy of the Bright Agency)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in June 2024

 

In the run up to June I have been looking at all the fabulous books which are being published. It is time for a cool drink in a comfy garden chair, with a new book.

Here are just ten new releases for June.

The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel

A woman’s ambitions clash with familial expectations in a captivating novel about generational secrets and self-discovery by the bestselling author of The Candid Life of Meena Dave.

Raised by her mother and grandmother and tutored in the healing wonders of spices, Tulsi Gupta is expected to carry on the ancestral tradition from her family’s Salem spice shop. Restless and reluctant, Tulsi yearns to follow her own path―destiny has other plans.

 Tulsi finds a letter written by her grandmother, addressed and never sent, that speaks of a long-ago betrayal, she decides to unravel the mystery as a distraction. But Tulsi stumbles into much more than she bargained for. With each new discovery, she learns there’s much more to her mother and grandmother than their expertise in the remedial aromas of coriander and cloves. When an attractive neighbor begins renovating the shuttered deli next door, Tulsi finds the courage to break her routine and chase the unexpected.

As Tulsi digs into the past and secrets come to light, she’s determined to heal old family wounds and find her true purpose―and maybe even love―every step of the way.

The Cry of the Silkworm by Shi Naseer

Growing up in 1990s China, in a village where failure to observe the rigidly enforced one-child policy is deemed tantamount to a crime, Chen Di must fight to get the education she craves in a world in which boys are prioritized. Following her mother's untimely death, 16-year-old Chen Di's thirst for vengeance against those she holds responsible brings about her transformation from a gutsy, marginalized child into an aikido-practising young woman who braves Shanghai. 

A startling illumination of the ripple effect of the authoritarian regime's policies still being felt today, this moving debut is perfect for readers of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The Butterfly Garden by Rachel Burton

A gripping and beautiful tale of love, loss and secrets. Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Lorna Cook and Kathryn Hughes.

1963: When Clara Samuels buys Butterfly Cottage, she knows the scandal she’ll cause. A single woman buying property is not the ‘done thing’, especially not in a village like Carybrook. But Clara has been in love with Butterfly Cottage, and its garden, since she used to play there before the War. And when she reconnects with her childhood friend James, her decision feels serendipitous. But the true scandal is yet to come, because within six months, Clara will leave England under mysterious circumstances, and Butterfly Cottage will stand empty for more than 50 years.

2018: No one is more surprised than Meredith when she’s bequeathed a cottage by a great aunt she’d never heard of. She hopes, briefly, that the inheritance could be the answer to her financial problems. But when she arrives in Suffolk, she is shocked to discover a man is already living there. A young gardener, who claims he was also bequeathed half of Butterfly Cottage.

As the pair try to unravel their complicated situation, they unearth a decades old mystery involving Clara, the garden, and a stack of letters left unread for over 50 years…

Husbands by Mo Fanning

In Hollywood, every pavement star tells a story. Not all of them shine.

Wannabe actor Kyle Macdonald is down on his luck. Working as a supply teacher in an inner-city Birmingham school, he's single again at 28, and sleeping in his childhood bedroom beneath a 'Hard Candy' Madonna poster.

He gets a call claiming he drunkenly married top Hollywood director Aaron Biedermeier in Vegas six years ago. Rather than panic, he sees a golden ticket to fame and the life he's always fantasised about.

But the glamorous veneer of Los Angeles - non-stop sunshine, celebrity actors and exclusive hotel suites - starts to crack, revealing a darker, corrupt underbelly to La-La Land. Kyle digs deeper into his so-called husband's past, unearthing disturbing allegations of abuse and underage sex parties.

With the help of Biedermeier's fiancé, actor Noah Winters, he embarks on a cross-country race to unravel the mystery and expose the truth - finding love along the way.

Lucky Day by Beth Morrey

CAN SHE SAY F*CK IT, JUST FOR ONE DAY?

After a morning that starts with a terrible migraine, an accidentally strong concoction of painkillers, and a bump on the head, Clover Hendry is not quite herself.

And as she walks out of work at 9.47am, for once Clover isn't worrying about anything. She is taking some much-deserved me-time, and everyone else had better get out of her way.

As she crashes from once incident (a deliciously illicit swim) to the next (art theft), Clover is on a one-woman mission to do exactly as she pleases – consequences are for tomorrow!

It's a day of joyful recklessness, but behind the chaos, a plan is afoot. Will her new-found freedom uncover long-buried secrets?

A euphoric, raging, galvanizing story about putting life on pause, pleasing yourself, and getting your own back – whatever it takes.

What They Said About Luisa by Erika Rummel

An enchanting tale of the complex and fascinating life of Luisa Abrego of Seville, an emancipated woman who forges a new future for herself in colonial Mexico and gets caught in the Spanish Inquisition.

Luisa Abrego, an enslaved woman in Seville, is impregnated by her master, then set free upon his death. With limited options for her future, Luisa agrees to marry a white man who wants to take her with him to Mexico, even though it means leaving her infant son behind in the care of nuns. The couple set off on a dangerous sea voyage and a perilous trek across unconquered territory, and when the settlers’ caravan is attacked by Indigenous warriors, Luisa is forced to kill a man in self-defence. Years later, still wracked with guilt and convinced she must atone for her sin, Luisa confesses to having made a promise of marriage to another man long before, in Spain. By the laws of the church this makes her a bigamist, a criminal who must be tried by the fearsome Inquisition.

Based on sixteenth-century trial records of the real Luisa, this novel is not just one woman’s life in fragments but a carefully researched imagining, told in the vivid, distinct voices of the Europeans who came into contact with her.

The Mother by Valerie Keogh

A terrible wife...

Sarah Westfield is unhappily married to perfect husband Nick. Handsome, devoted and kind, he should be the ideal man for her, but Sarah knows their marriage is the biggest mistake she’s ever made…and she wants out.

But then Nick offers her one last chance to make their marriage work – a baby.

Sarah is horrified – a baby would tie herself to this man forever…wouldn’t it? Or could it be exactly what she needs?

So Sarah agrees.

A terrible mother?

When the baby arrives, Sarah struggles with motherhood and her resentment towards Nick only grows. Sarah feels more trapped than ever, but she loves her precious daughter...doesn’t she?

And then baby Kaya goes missing...

And everything Sarah has ever believed in comes crashing down around her...

Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki

The only thing to fear about the past is it may destroy the future…

2005: While researching her Japanese ancestors, Isla travels from Scotland to Kagoshima. There, a vicious typhoon hurls her through a strange white gate and back to 1877, amid the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion – the conflict that ended the samurai.

When she meets Keiichiro Maeda, a samurai who introduces her to a way of life only previously encountered in books, Isla begins to wonder if she has found her true home. But as the samurai fight a losing battle, she is increasingly distraught. Should she forewarn Keiichiro and save the man she loves or let him die the glorious death he so believes in, proud to the end that he remained a faithful warrior?

And what will become of Isla? Is she willing to leave the past behind, knowing her future will forever be changed? 

Gorgeously Me! by Jonathan Van Ness

A celebration of all the things that make you extraordinary, unique and gorgeously YOU by Jonathan Van Ness, New York Times bestselling author and star of the Netflix hit show Queer Eye.

"I won't be afraid to stand out or show the world what I'm all about.

I am exactly who I'm meant to be. Perfectly, happily, gorgeously me!

Being true to yourself and showing the world who you are isn't always easy."

Gorgeously Me! assures young readers that they are loved and cherished, exactly as they are. A joyful story of pride, self-acceptance, community and all the things that make us exceptional.

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

From the author of The Change, comes a novel about book banning and those brave enough to stand up against this censorship.

In Troy, Georgia, Lula Dean has decided to cleanse the town’s reading habits. All banned books have been removed from public spaces, and the townspeople are only allowed to read books Lula has deemed ‘appropriate’.

But a small group refuse to be told what they can and can’t read.

The revolution is coming …

(clip art courtesy of clipart.com)

Takeout Sushi by Christopher Green & Illustrated by Rebecca Purton - #bookreview #blogtour

 

Tsune moved home at the end of January. Her husband Matsu's company was due to relocate to Yokohama in April and, after several months of searching, they settled on an apartment in nearby Kawasaki...

***

Takeout Sushi is a collection of 17 illustrated short stories set mostly in contemporary Japan that explore feelings of belonging, displacement, and the strangeness of everyday human interaction.

In an innovative, fast-paced company, a man’s job comes under threat when a team of robots are brought in to replace the HR department. A husband’s search for shortcuts to his domestic tasks goes painfully wrong. Overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, a foreigner takes a weekend break and discovers something other than solitude in the mountains.

Marking Christopher Green’s debut adult fiction and inspired by his own experiences, these whimsical slice-of-life tales are full of heart and humour—perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

***

Generally speaking, I am not a lover of short stories. However, every now and again I discover a collection which entices me to read them. When I was offered an advanced reader's copy of this book I was sufficiently interested to try it.

My son and I share a mutual interest in Japanese fiction, and books frequently get passed back and forth between us. This book is a little different to our normal reading fare in that it is not written by a Japanese author. That said, the author has lived in Japan for many years, and these stories are written with insight. His observations of contemporary Japanese life made for easy and enjoyable reading.

The short quote at the header of this post is the opening couple of sentences to the first story in the book, Swallows, which I really enjoyed reading and is a great introduction to the quality of the stories.  They are entertaining and some are written with wit and humour. I laughed out loud at the efforts that a husband went to demonstrate that he could cope alone when his wife was away on business in Burned. 

There are just a few stories towards the end of the collection which are set in other parts of the world but are equally entertaining.

Each of these stories had something to offer, and I hesitate to say which was my favourite as I enjoyed so many of them. However, if I had to pick just one, it would have to be Spinning Wheels, as it demonstrates the fiasco that could occur if we allowed robots to be in charge. I am certain that everyone who reads this book would have a different list of their preferred ones and that is what makes this book so appealing. 

The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition, and I liked their simple yet appealing style.

I recommend this book to lovers of short stories and those interested in modern Japan.

ISBN: 978 1915584311

Publisher:  Neem Tree Press

Formats:  paperback

No. of Pages:  272

About the Author:

A long-time resident of Japan, Christopher lives near Tokyo with his wife and daughter. Christopher writes short stories and children's stories. His first collection of short stories Takeout Sushi is due for publication by Neem Tree Press in May 2024.

For a little more about Christopher and his books, please visit www.greeninjapan.com.

For Christopher's goodreads page for his children's books, please visit Chris Green.

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)

Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley - #CoverLove #spotlight #bookboost

 It has been ages since I published a Cover Love post.

This is the place when I literally judge a book by it's cover. I have not read it or come across it before, but it's cover jumped out at me when I saw it and I could not resist choosing it for a cover love spot.

 So, here is the cover along with a bit about the book.

The Blurb

Flo is sick of Tokyo. Suffering from a crisis in confidence, she is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a fellow passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life...

It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge. The journey is just beginning.

From the author of The Cat and The City, Four Seasons in Japan is a gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong.

ISBN: 978 0857529343

Publisher:  Doubleday

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback (paperback publishing in June 2024)

No. of Pages:  336 (hardback)

Available from all good bookshops.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - #bookreview

 

From late summer to early spring the next year, I lived at the Morisaki Bookshop. I spent that period of my life in the spare room on the second floor of the store, trying to bury myself in books. The cramped room barely got any light, and everything felt damp. It smelled constantly of musty old books...

***

The Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book.

When twenty-five-year-old Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.

Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru's pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.

Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.

And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.

Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to readers of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.

***

I read this book as it was the selection of the month at my Book Group. In fact, it was me who selected it as I have been wanting to read this for sometime. Also, my son and I both enjoy Japanese literature and pass our books back and forth to one another. This one will be winging its way to his house very soon as it was a lovely novel and one that I think he will enjoy. I also cannot wait to hear what my book group thought of it but I shall have to be patient for a few more days. 

I also cannot resist books about books. This one is set in a bookshop in Tokyo's Jimbocho's district, and I enjoyed following Takako's journey as she fell in love with books and reading.

The book is divided into two parts; the first is about Takako's move to the bookshop, and the second is based around the sudden return of her aunt Momoko although Takako features in this part too.

It is an uncomplicated narrative, short and therefore, easy to read. With only 160 pages I completed it in a couple of sittings and found it engaging and enjoyable. It reads as a balm to the soul as it has a calmness running through the prose. It is the sort of book that made me sigh with satisfaction as I was reading it.

It contains themes of love, friendship, loss and discovery. It is about new beginnings and how we can find a way to move forward. Charming and beautiful to read I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1786583239

Publisher:  Manilla Press

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  160 (paperback)

About the Author:

Satoshi Yagisawa was born in Chiba, Japan, in 1977. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, his debut novel, was originally published in 2009 and won the Chiyoda Literature Prize.

(book and author media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2018 - White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht - #BookReview

 

It is nearly dawn, and the semi-darkness casts strange shadows along the footpath. Hana distracts her mind so that she doesn't imagine creatures reaching for her ankles. She is following her mother down to the sea. Her nightdress streams behind her in the soft wind. Quiet foot steps pad behind them, and she knows without looking back that her father is following with her little sister still asleep in his arms. On the shore, a handful of women are already waiting for them. She recognises their faces in the rising dawn light, but the shaman is a stranger.

The holy woman wears a red and royal blue traditional hanbok dress, and as soon as they descend upon the sand, the shaman begins to dance...

***

Hana and her little sister Emi are part of an island community of haenyo, women who make their living from diving deep into the sea off the southernmost tip of Korea.

One day Hana sees a Japanese soldier heading for where Emi is guarding the day’s catch on the beach. Her mother has told her again and again never to be caught alone with one. Terrified for her sister, Hana swims as hard as she can for the shore.

So begins the story of two sisters suddenly and violently separated by war. Moving between Hana in 1943 and Emi as an old woman today, White Chrysanthemum takes us into a dark and devastating corner of history — and two women whose love for one another is strong enough to triumph over the evils of war.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2018 and was originally posted on 18th July of that year.  This book has stayed with me ever since I read it.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

This is one of the best books I have ever read; praise which I do not give lightly. Rarely has a book simultaneously shocked, affected and impressed me as this one has. In fact, I borrowed this from the library and having read it I have ordere a copy of the paperback from a book retailer, when it was released on the 30th of August of that year, as I am certain that I will want to re-read this book.

I have read some excellent debut novels this year and I am confident in saying that this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. The writing is beautiful and tells the story of the little known history of Korea's women during the Japanese invasion of Korea during World War Two. Ms. Bract is to be applauded for bringing this to the attention of modern readers. I, for one, had no knowledge of this devastating aspect of twentieth-century history.

If ever fictional characters deserve to be fallen in love with, it is Hana and Emi. The author portrays her characters so fully that I really felt that I knew them and cried for the horrors that they were forced to endure. It is hard to leave this book behind.

The authors research has been thorough and she conveys this information with intelligence and understanding. By the time I had finished this book I was deeply affected and inspired by the bravery and strength of the women being portrayed and, therefore, their real life counterparts.

Bravo, to Ms. Bract for bringing this horrendous period of history to the fore and I strongly recommend this book to you all.

ISBN: 978 1784705459

Publisher:  Vintage

Formats: e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  320 (paperback)

About the Author:

Mary Lynn Bracht was born in Stuttgart, Germany and grew up in the United States. She studied Anthropology and Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and received her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. Her debut novel, White Chrysanthemum, was published in January 2018 by Chatto & Windus Books and Putnam Books and translated worldwide.

(all author media courtesy of her website https://marybracht.com/)

(all opinions are my own)

Books to Read in November 2022

 

Goodness me, it is November already. Is it just me or does time seem to pass more quickly than it used to?

Soon it will be Bonfire Night. I enjoy watching the fireworks from the comfort of home. I wouldn't dream of going out and leaving my dog alone on what is such a scary night for pets. I am planning on using it as an excuse to cuddle up with my furry fellow on the sofa, with a hot drink and a book.

I am excited by all of the books that I hope to read this month. Which books are you planning to read?

Happy November reading to you all.

Love and War in the Jewish Quarter by Dora Levy Mossanen

The Only Daughter by A. B. Yehoshua

The Orange Grove by Rosannah Ley

The Samurai by Shusaku Endo 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

Hope is a Woman's Name by Amal Elsana Alj'jooj

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

The Night Gate by Peter May

(Header photo courtesy of Kristopher Roller/Unsplash)

Reading Roundup - October 2021

 

Here in the UK the clocks go back on Sunday. And as much as I don't want to mention the 'Christmas' word just yet, it's really not that far away. I can't believe how fast 2021 has flown by.

Actually, I am a little ahead of the game and have already bought a couple of festive gifts. I know that many people will have already been doing this for a while now, but usually I resist doing so until November.

October has been a great month for reading. As most of you already know, I usually read somewhere between seven and ten books in a month. In an average month I consider myself lucky if I read one outstanding book. Lots of books are good but not that many can be counted as amazing.

However, amongst my reading this month there are two absolute gems which I can't recommend enough; The Girl With the Louding Voice and Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. Details are below.

 How about you? Have you read anything amazing this month?

Books I Have Read During October

The Last Witches of England: A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition by John Callow - This is an amazingly well researched book about the Bideford Witches. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick by Sharon Wright - a biographical account of the oft overlooked mother of the famous Bronte sisters. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier - I was unsure about what to expect from this collection of short stories but I enjoyed them very much. Disquieting rather than scary.

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin - This is a fabulously heart-rending book and my review will be up very soon.

Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler - an enjoyable novel which is the first in the Heart of Carolina series.

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - An outstanding achievement of a book. Well done Ms Dare. You can read my review by clicking here.

Books I Am Partway Through

Tales from the Italian South by Angelina Brasacchio

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Rags of Time by Michael Ward

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa - Translated by Stephen Snyder - #BookReview

 

"We called him the Professor. And he called my son Root, because, he said, the flat top of his head reminded him of the square root sign.

'There's a fine brain in there,' the Professor said, mussing my son's hair. Root, who wore a cap to avoid being teased by his friends, gave a wary shrug. 'With this one little sign we can come to know an infinite range of numbers, even those we can't see.' He traced the symbol in the thick layer of dust on his desk."

He is a brilliant maths professor with a peculiar problem - ever since a traumatic head injury seventeen years ago, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory.

She is a sensitive but astute young housekeeper who is entrusted to take care of him.

Each morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are reintroduced to one another, a strange, beautiful relationship blossoms between them. The Professor may not remember what he had for breakfast, but his mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past. He devises clever maths riddles - based on her shoe size or her birthday - and the numbers reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her ten-year-old son. With each new equation, the three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory. 

***

If someone had told me that I would ever enjoy a book which features both maths and baseball I would have laughed. However, whilst a reasonable portion of this novel is about just that, I was utterly enchanted by it.

This is one of those books that has sat on my shelf for years (come on, we've all got them.) I am not quite sure why I have not taken it down before now. So, having finally blown off the dust and brewed a cup of tea, I settled in to read it. Having now done so, my heart sighs every time I think of it.

It is a short book of less than 200 pages but contains one of the sweetest and endearing relationships I have read in a novel. The closeness that develops between the professor, his housekeeper and her son was an absolute delight to read.

There is a fair amount of maths in this book; the discussion of various types of numbers, and having never been a lover of maths even when I was at school, in fact especially when I was at school, I remain unable to see the beauty in numbers that as described in the book.

Neither am I a baseball fan. It is not a common sport here in the UK but it's use as a device to enable the development of the relationship between the Professor and Root, the housekeeper's son, was perfectly achieved.

However, it is not necessary to be a fan of either of these things to enjoy this book. In no way did it detract from my enjoyment of the burgeoning affection between the three characters, and I was sorely disappointed when the book came to its inevitable conclusion. I felt a little bereft that these people were no longer in my life.

I definitely think that this is a book that I will read again. It has the ability to soothe and is a real balm to the soul. I strongly encourage you to read it, and would love to hear your thoughts.

ISBN:  978 0099521341

Publisher: Vintage

***

About the Author:

Yoko Ogawa has written more than twenty works of fiction and non-fiction and has won every major Japanese literary award. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, A Public Space and Zoetrope.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro - #BookReview

 

"When we were new, Rosa and I were mid-store, on the magazines table side, and could see through more than half of the window. So we were able to watch the outside - the office workers hurrying by, the taxis, the runners, the tourists, Beggar Man and his dog, the lower part of the RPO Building. Once we were more settled, Manager allowed us to walk up to the front until we were right behind the window display, and then we could see how tall the RPO Building was. And if we were there at just the right time, we would see the Sun on his journey, crossing between the building tops from our side over to the RPO Building side."

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

***

This highly original and exceptional read was given to me as a gift for Mother's Day when we celebrated it in March. I was not sure what to expect of it, as I never do with Ishiguro, but I enjoyed it very much.

The unusual narrative is told by Klara who is known throughout the book as an AF (artificial friend). We follow her story from the start of her 'life' in a shop through to her latter days. It provides the reader with an indication as to how a subsequent time could evolve if we fully embrace the use of artificial intelligence in order to provide companionship as well as technological and practical tasks.

Klara has a clear voice throughout the novel and I found her to be an endearing character. Her willingness to learn and understand how the humans around her interact was excellently portrayed. For all of her technological advances she had a naivety that ensured she was a very special protagonist. 

I have read other books by Mr. Isiguro and they are all written with a touching understatement and Klara and the Sun is no exception to this. The narrative is tenderly expressed and, thus, was a joy to read.

I highly recommend this book and would welcome your thoughts.

ISBN:  978 0571264879

Publisher: Faber

About the Author:

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honours around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have sold over a million copies each in Faber editions.

He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.