We have a winner of the Tokyo Heist bonus contest: Kat (Kathie) C! Congratulations! You’ll be hearing from me shortly. Thank you to everyone who participated!
As I promised yesterday, I wanted to share some of the Japan-related books that people recommended in the comments on this blog over the past week. You can scroll through last week’s post and check out what people enjoy reading or are looking forward to reading, but if you don’t have time to wade through all the comments, I’ll give you some highlights here.
The books people mentioned most often in the comments were:
Stormdancer, by Jay Kristoff. Steampunk + feudal Japan + dystopia + romance + action/adventure. I know, right? I’m also really looking forward to this debut by one of my fellow Apocalypsies.
Shadows on the Moon, by Zoe Marriott. This looks like a great story, blending fantasy with feudal Japan. It’s near the top of my own TBR list right now.
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arther Golden. This book’s been out for years, but remains a favorite with readers. I loved it too. I never did see the movie, though; did you? The detailed descriptions in this novel made me feel like I didn’t need to see it on the screen.
Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. This is one of my all-time favorites too. It’s a compelling, romantic coming-of-age story. I often recommend this one as a gentle introduction to Murakami, for people who might be feeling daunted by the size and scope of 1Q84.
And I got many great new book recommendations, thanks to your tips! I will be sure to check out some titles I hadn’t heard of, like Little Sister (by Kara Dalkey) and this YA mystery/thriller series-in-progress by Thomas Randall: Dreams of the Dead and Spirits of the Noh, which are set in contemporary Japan.
I’ll give you the art and manga highlights from the comments in the next couple of days, when I’ve had time to look through those — so many great suggestions there too! Thanks for sharing!
