Thomas, of My Porch, brings us Barbara Pym reading week from June 1 through June 8, 2013. I'm hoping to read both A Glass of Blessings and Excellent Women.
Yet as eager as I am to delve into Pym Week, I'm even more excited for the beginning of the Japanese Literature Challenge 7. The welcome post will go up on Saturday, June 1, giving more specifics about the challenge as well as a truly thrilling list of suggested reads offered up by not only myself but by previous participants as well.
Here is the button which I've prepared using the kiri-e done by artist Aki Sogabe.:
I love the mood of it: a little camping site on a wooded hill underneath the sliver of moon. "What does it have to do with books?" you might ask. But, of course! Who doesn't take a good book with them on a camping trip?!
The books I'm pondering include:
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
Supermarket by Satoshi Azuki (a modern classic)
Stationmaster by Jiro Asada (won Naoki Award in 1997)
The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon (a major work of classic Japanese literature)
Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto ("enchanting and surreal")
First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata (a collection of stories evoking a Japanese atmosphere)
The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories (a short story anthology spanning over 200 years)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (five stories of music and nightfall)
The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogawa (a slice of life)
Taroko Gorge by Jacob Ritari (a mystery)
Have I piqued your interest in reading Japanese literature with us? I certainly hope so!
