I'm going to disappear because there is no finish line

When you read books, the world never ends.

I got a lot of reading done after 1Q84 (just had to shake off the "Legendary Murakami Ennui" or so I'd like to call it) and here they are:

Gossip - Beth Gutcheon
Darcy's Story - Janet Aylmer
A Partisan's Daughter - Louis de Bernieres
The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House - Emily Chase
Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto
More Like Her - Liza Palmer
Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day - Winifred Watson

Maybe I can do reviews sometime in the future. But really not anytime soon. I do love these books! The stories were amazing. I really did cry while reading Kitchen, and I had a optimistic view of the world while reading Miss Pettigrew. They made me happy, all of the books were wonderfully told!

I have just finished a book I borrowed from another friend, a short novel entitled The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase. Chills! Wow! It's not scary as it is pretty creepy!

Wonderful sketchy, inky illustrations pepper the book :)

During my absence, here are the books I will be pursuing. Plenty of novels to keep me busy and happy at least.

Thank you for reading!

Comments

Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai: Melancholic Contemplation

Arriving all the way from USA, I had a tiny traveler plop down right in front of my desk. The moment I held the book, I immediately focused long and hard on the book cover. I've had my small share of contemporary Japanese novels and each had very interesting designs, but not one is as gently arresting as this Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai published by One Peace Books . Soft yet stark. I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, but it certainly is a good way to hold the interest of the readers. A closer look at the cover would remind one of things that are "beautiful in its simplicity". Everybody knows the Japanese aesthetics, a "set of ancient ideals that include wabi (transient and stark beauty), sabi (the beauty of natural patina and aging), and yûgen (profound grace and subtlety). * " Reflecting at these values, it's wonderful to observe how the cover follows the flow of wabi and yugen, isn't it? But a book should offer more than...

Go Home Faulkner, You're Drunk ('Difficult Books' series)

In my quest to 'broaden my literary horizon' I made a point to go out of this terrible 'complaisant zone' I am currently at. To be honest, my reading state is probably a lot bleaker that what I'm letting on: I have not finished a novel since three months ago! As penitensya for my incessant lack of drive and, I suppose, to jolt my brain back to the pace it used to enjoy prior to this reading drought, I decided that I must go the route of reading 'Difficult Books'. "A difficult book is still just a book", I told myself; how silly to get hung up on what other people say about how much of a PitA it is to slough through. I pride myself on reading basically everything I get my hands on. Because when all your life you've felt that reading a book was the warmest , most comfortable state to just be , it feels as natural as a breeze turning a page. So I grabbed a copy of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury . I am lucky enough to be at ...

Atoning

Okay so it's not a clever title. Well, I am currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan (wow, I've been at this book for aaaages) and I am trying to atone for the lack of posts lately! We were having--- actually we still are having a tough time at home. We're moving!!! Been pretty busy with the repairs of the new home and packing all our stuff. *Sniff, Sniff* I feel really sad leaving our home. We've lived there for around 13 years. Hopefully we can all scramble and leave before September 18. And ugh, it's such a downer to spend September 19 unpacking and decorating our home. It's my b irthday , I was planning to host a Crab Party! :( Anyway, I thought I would just like to share my favorite quotes on Atonement , if you don't mind. I love this book. Everytime I read a passage that struck me, I hastily jot it down. The book is wonderfully written, it is so erudite! The story itself makes me contemplate on the dynamics of family, the strength of imagination ...

Aicha Amano

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