Reading list

[kaerra]

Last night, I discovered book_it_2006, which is a community where all the members undertake to read 50 books this year. Unlike the standard book club, where everyone reads the same things, however, the book list here is totally up to each member's own discretion. Which means I'll be a lot more likely to do it (especially since it includes fiction, even of

Comments

[wonderelf]

If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend Underground by Haruki Murakami. It's a book of interviews he edited and compiled from the Tokyo Sarin gas attacks from both victims and some former Aum cult members. Out of all the books out there I feel this one really offers an accurate picture of modern Japanese society. In general the interviews are simply beautiful and heartbreaking.

I need to branch out with my reading materials. Gotta try some new authors! 1491 sounds like a great book to pick up!

[kaerra]

Oooh, that sounds fascinating! That's definitely one I'll have to pick up for my reading list. Thanks for the suggestion!

How are things going for you? I've been on LJ sporadically, so I've only caught a few of your posts. I loved that one about the children with their play and the magical western toilets. Hee! I'm glad you got placed in the elementary schools too. ^_^

How much longer are you in Japan?

Oh, I'm looking for some more Japanese music of late. I just got some great tracks from one of my friends who is more up on anime than I am, stuff from a group called See Saw. What are you listening to these days?

(the pic in the icon is about a year old, but it's been a lot longer than that since we last hung out together. :P My hair is much nicer short, I think, although I really wish the glasses weren't a necessity. Ah well.)

[wonderelf]

I'm a sporadic LJer too. I manage to mostly read all the posts, but then run out of time to comment and keep up with people! -_-;

I'll be in Japan for another year at least, probably until summer of 2007. If you ever find your way here then you'll always have a place to stay in the Kansai area!

I have to thank you for your music posts. I don't remember when it was, but I'm now a Neko Case fan! As for Japanese music...hmmm I really love Bump of Chicken (rock, bit of folk mixed in, gorgeous lyrics), LOVE PSYCHEDELICO (think Tuesday night music club era Sheryl Crow), and Kick the Can Crew (fun Japanese rap).

Once in a blue moon I'll update my Japanese music LJ.
one_suger_dream

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your grad school application!

[kaerra]

Agreed, LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is good stuff, although I haven't heard anything new of theirs since the album with "I'll Be With You" on it came out. My friend who lives in Yokohama got Sara and I into the band when she came out for my wedding in 2003, so that's the vintage I have of them. Bump of Chicken sounds nifty--I'll have to see if I can grab a few tracks of theirs off of ML Donkey, unless you have a spare minute to email one or two of your favorite songs to me directly [kaerra at gmail dot com]. ^_^

I'm so glad you liked the Neko Case song I posted... *scratches head* several months ago at least. :P I put up two more for you that you may or may not have already, if you've been downloading more of her songs. You can get them from my latest mp3 post. Also, one of my mp3 buddies on LJ (who, incidentally, introduced me to Neko in the first place) just posted two new songs of Neko's a few days ago (the links should be good for a few more days at least), hereI'm glad you're having fun in Japan! I'm hoping to come out for 2 weeks

[dangermonki]

I think the only book that I could recommend is Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. It's told in first person, and it's about a girl in Ireland of quite a while ago (I don't know the exact time, but it was some time after the Britons came and took away their sacred islands) whose brothers are turned into swans by their step-mother. She herself escapes, but in order to save her brothers she has to do something, and she can't speak a word until she's completed her task. It's a really interesting and romantic. It's also the first in a trilogy, but I didn't like the second book so much, so I haven't read the third.

So, if you're into magic and Ireland and all that, it's a good read.

[kaerra]

I've heard of Juliet Marillier, having seen her books in the fantasy section fairly often. But I've always passed on her in the past because I just thought a lot of her concepts were like rip-offs of "The Rent Tent" and "Mists of Avalon". But since you did enjoy the first book of this series, I might pick that one out at the library the next time I'm there. I trust your judgment. ^_^

Speaking of fantasy books, have you read "The Family Trade" by Charles Stross? That is the first book of a really interesting series. It involves parallel worlds, and one woman who can cross between them rather unexpectedly. But what is so fascinating about the series is how the main character approaches the whole set up of her "family" in the parallel world in a business perspective. You learn a lot in this series. The second book came out in hardcover like 4 months ago? Something like that. I don't know if it's out in paperback yet. But I'm definitely waiting for book 3 in the series. Or for any sign of a sequel to Sunshine by Robin

[dangermonki]

*jots both books down* I haven't read either, though I'm a fan of Robin McKinley. She writes some good stuff, even if I am prone to writing incredibly long sentences with lots of commas after reading her. The first one sounds interesting. I'll definitely have to check that one out.

[ianna_loncar]

Dude, Sunshine sounds awesome, also I really want to read In the Company of the Courteson. Its a new one based inVenice during the Italian reniscance.The main character is a roman but flees to Venice for various reason, liek oh I duno, troops invading rome, etc. I'll get a link to it since its early, my spellin gis horrid and my thoughts are on coffee.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400063817/sr=8-1/qid=1140106342/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-6154831-8870360?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[kaerra]

Yeah, Sunshine is one of the most brilliant books I've read, both in terms of pure characterization and actually in terms of prose. It's first person, but Rae is very stream-of-conscious in the way that she talks and thinks. What I also love about this book is how real Rae's questions and reactions are about vampires, and Others and all the other funky weird stuff that's going on in her world. I think you would enjoy it a lot. ^_^

In The Company of the Courtesan also sounds really interesting. I was looking at the link on amazon and found one for what was apparently a real life Venetian romance between two "unacceptable" lovers. The link for that is here.

Also, I read this book last year, and I really enjoyed it a lot. It's set in the Tudor era, in the zone between when Edward (Henry VIII's son) was king all the way up to when Elizabeth becomes queen. The protagonist is a Spanish Jewish girl with The Sight (basically, her family was what is known as "Conversos", because they made all the outward motions of being Christian