I have been a reader growing up, and it became my personality even though I didn’t do it as much later in life as I did when I was younger.
That said, bookworms will always be bookworms (so corny to say it but whatever 🤣).
I read a considerable amount in different genres until I found my love in the contemporary literary fiction genre when I started reading Japanese books. This was around the last two years as of writing.
My first Japanese book was “Kafka on the Shore” authored by Haruki Murakami. I love and resonate with this book. The magical realism and metaphysical world in this book were gorgeous. Although Murakami has a knack for screwing up the portrayal of women which led me to read another Japanese author, and I made sure it’s a woman.
I read the work of Mieko Kawakami “Breast and Eggs” which has a nuanced and carefully crafted narrative of womanhood. I love its cover, and I love the content even more. I did not expect this book to be so good, but it is.
Despite this growing fondness for the genre, I didn’t read that much.
I was in university and I had so much going on at once that sitting with a book was a challenge adding to the fact that literary fiction has an emotional weight that can be hard to process when I was depressed. But at this stage of my life, I am finally able to have time on my own and leisurely read. I wanted to step up my game and understand the books I read better by writing book reviews and tormenting my brain to produce the analysis.
But circling back to the goal of this blog, I want to wrap up the books I read in April because this is a monumental moment for me as I was able to surpass the number of books I would usually be able to finish in a month.
Most Favourite
The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai
This is the kind of book I would avoid reading when I know I am down and it could easily trigger my depression. But I don’t listen to myself and continue reading it. I fucking love this book. It conveys the emotional weight of the characters with plain language yet comes out stunning and poetic.
Least Favourite
Welcome to Hyundam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
This book is nice and did deliver what it promised but did not stand out when it comes to writing.
Other Books
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami
Interesting read. I read this partly because it’s popular but also because of its beautiful cover. I love the grains and how it makes me curious about what the hell it was all about. Alas, it was a big surprise. Strange, unique, and excellent writing.
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
This is my second time reading this book and just what a goddamn book. The character, Holden, is an asshole and complicated as fuck, but strange enough, I like him.
Did Not Finish
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
I am not engaged with the writing style, so it was painful for me to keep reading it. But judging from the first few pages I read in this book, I love how I get an outsider’s view of a Korean American woman living in America. I can also imagine this being enjoyed by many people not only for its cultural background reason but also because the author’s writing is so casual that it almost feels like she’s a best friend telling you what happened in her life. I would probably give this one a try again soon.
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