Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

The Olympic Games will be taking place in Tokyo from Friday 24 July to Sunday 9 August. Over 10,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Games in sports including archery, cycling, gymnastics, swimming and many more.

For this prompt you could read a book by or about an athlete, a book about the Olympic Games itself, or even a book set in Japan or by a Japanese author.

Suggestions:

AtY Group Listopia
The Guardian: Best books for the Olympics
Goodreads: Popular Olympics books
Listopia: Olympic athletes
The 30 best sports books ever written
Goodreads: Popular Japanese authors
14 Japanese authors you should know

Optional questions:
- What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
- Will you be watching the Olympic Games?
- If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement

I'm planning to do Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, and the connection is that surfing will be a new Olympic sport in 2020. I will probably watch bits and pieces of the games.

Right now I’m trying to choose between Don’t Tell Me You’re Afraid, Tumbling and Gold.

If anyone is looking for ways to approach this prompt that have nothing to do with sports or Japan, I shared a rather extensive list of alternative ideas over on the KIS/BIO thread. You can go directly to that post by clicking HERE.

I have 2 choices I'm considering:
The Black Jersey - mystery involving cyclists
23 Degrees South: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether...- Olympic rings on the cover but I'm not sure why yet.
I think I'm going to stick with an Olympic sports theme rather than a Japanese theme.

I think I'm going to try 1Q84, by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.

Top choice - Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami. I've had this on my TBR for a long time.

I got Unstoppable: My Life So Far from Netgalley. Tennis counts right?

Anyone know of books with both a Japan and sports connection?
I can only think of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (which I haven´t read so that´s an option, but long distance running is my least favourite sportsrelated thing to do).

I'm going with a Japanese author for this prompt

Going with a mix of Japanese authors, set in Japan, (loosely) sports related, or just with topic-sounding titles I have the following on my physical/Kindle shelves

Borrowed Light
Convenience Store Woman
Geisha of Gion
Great Expectations
Nocturnes
Snacks After Swimming
The Age of Innocence
The Great Believers
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
While the World Watched

I was hoping to read Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yū for this one, it seems like a perfect fit for the prompt. But I was playing price-chicken with Amazon, hoping it might go on offer, and they removed it from Kindle. So I don't have it, can't get it, and am now reading The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino instead, because it's set in Tokyo.

I have zero interest in the Olympics, so won't be watching.

I'm considering Fat City by Leonard Gardner -- it's a classic book about boxing, and has a lovely New York Review of Books edition out, too!

Johanne wrote: "Anyone know of books with both a Japan and sports connection?
I can only think of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (which I haven´t read s..."

I read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption this year, which is about an American Olympic athlete who ships off to the Japanese side WWII. I would work for both the Olympics and Japan (although he was also a runner).

Johanne wrote: "Anyone know of books with both a Japan and sports connection?
I can only think of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (which I haven´t read s..."

I read (on audio) the The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa this year, which is about baseball. Baseball is returning to the Olympics in 2020

Thanks guys :)

Set in Japan: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street: one of the main characters is Japanese, and Japanese culture plays an important part. The sequel, The Lost Future of Pepperharrow, will be set in Japan.

Johanne - Gentle Black Giants is a book that is set in Japan and about baseball. Sounds interesting! There is also a graphic novel titled Sumo by Thien Pham that might be good.

Linda wrote: "Johanne wrote: "Anyone know of books with both a Japan and sports connection?
I can only think of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (which ..."

I didn't know Baseball was making an olympic comeback! Thanks for the update!

Heres a few more sports books I've read or am considering:

The Art of Fielding would work for baseball
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - I'm not into baseball but this was a great read
Stephen Florida - wrestling
You Will Know Me features gymnastics
Gold features track cycling
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - rowing of course
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption - first half is olympic running, second half is wartime imprisonment in Japan

I think I'm going to go with The End of the Perfect 10: The Making and Breaking of Gymnastics' Top Score—from Nadia to Now. Gymnastics is always my favourite part of the Olympics and the scoring system they use continuously baffles me. Definitely not something I would typically read but I'm intrigued by the topic so hopefully it goes well!

I just finished The Travelling Cat Chronicles (set in Japan, by a Japanese author) and really enjoyed it, to add another non-sports recommendation.

Sarah wrote: "Going with a mix of Japanese authors, set in Japan, (loosely) sports related, or just with topic-sounding titles I have the following on my physical/Kindle shelves

Borrowed Light
[bo..."

The Great Believers doesn't take place in Japan (but it was my favorite book last year and I encourage everyone to read it!)

I just finished The Silence of the Girls for this prompt. It was our book club pick for this month, so when I pulled this topic out of the jar, I knew it would be the perfect fit here.

It's connected to the Olympics because it's set in Ancient Greece (Troy, I guess), and during funerals, they have funeral games, where people compete and are awarded medals and honors during a funeral (which is bizarre to me, but whatevs).

I loveeee the summer Olympics and I'm usually glued to the TV watching gymnastics for the whole competition. Here's hoping Simone Biles has another amazing run and brings home a gold for the US!

Not being a sports fan, I read The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. The book can also cover the book you can read in a day. The book is set in Tokyo by a Japanese author.

I watch some of the Olympics on TV. I love the women’s gymnastics and the opening ceremony.

- What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
I read Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax. It is primarily set in 2049 Japan. Fantastic book which I highly recommend!

- Will you be watching the Olympic Games?
Yes, of course! I love the Olympics.

- If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement
Gymnastics is my favorite Olympics sport.

- What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
Patriot Games

I picked it because it's more of a play on words than a connection to the Olympic games.

- Will you be watching the Olympic Games?
Most likely not. Maybe an occasional event here or there for archery or trampoline (my mind is always blown by the physics!).

- If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement
Not a team or athlete, but I have certain sports I enjoy. Usually obscure ones :D



I did not really care for this book. It just seemed to drag ooooonnnnnnnn. 2/5

For this prompt I have chosen to read Circe. The story is about a Greek goddess and is fantasy fiction based on Greek mythology. As the Olympic Games were originally held in Olympia (hence the name Olympics), and the king of the gods (Zeus) were originally who the games were held in honour of, the book seems fitting for this prompt.
I am not sure if I will watch the Olympic Games this year unless there is a particular sport or athlete I am interested in watching. But being an Aussie I watch a lot of sport throughout the year anyway with NRL and the Australian Open (Tennis) and various other sporting events that are televised.

Yesterday I finished Convenience Store Woman for this prompt and I would definitely recommend it. It's quirky and insightful, and humorous although not quite 'laugh out loud' funny. At 163 pages it's also a short read so useful for anyone who's falling behind!

It's set in Tokyo so could also be used for 'book set in a global city', and the main character could definitely be described as neurodiverse (although no specific diagnosis is mentioned) so it could be used for that prompt too.

- What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
I read Revenge by Yōko Ogawa, who is a Japanese author.
- Will you be watching the Olympic Games?
I'm sure I will watch some.
- If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement
beach volleyball is my fav.

Nanette wrote: "Maybe The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. I tried to read it a couple years ago and just couldn't get through it."

I chose this one for the prompt and was expecting to have to slog through it, but I absolutely loved it!!

What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
I read The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. The book is set in Japan and translated into English from the Japanese.

- What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?

- Will you be watching the Olympic Games? Yes next year.
- If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement
Women's football and gymnastic.

For this prompt, I read After Dark by Haruki Murakami. It relates to the 2020, or rather 2021, Olympic games in that they both are set in Tokyo.

I think I will downsize a lot, from Shōgun to Convenience Store Woman. The latter was on sale recently on one of the ebook platforms.

I always watch at least some of the Olympics. For summer games, I like gymnastics, in winter figure skating. I am always impressed by the young Olympians and their level of achievement.

I read All Those Mornings...at the Post: The 20th Century in Sports from Famed Washington Post Columnist Shirley Povich by Shirley Povich. How does this book relate? Shirley Povich was a columnist for The Washington Post for more than 75 years. By the end of his career 1923-1998 he was more historian than sports writer. Shirley Povich covered everything & saw everyone. He covered the 1936 Berlin Olympics & was one of the few reporters in the Olympic village during the Munich Olympics terrorist attack. His first love was baseball which was suppose to be one of the events at the 2020 Olympics. He covered boxing which is still an Olympic sport. This book is a selection of his columns covering all sports & sporting events. Will you be watching the 2020 Olympics? Not till 2021.
My favorite sports team is the Washington Nats. They won the Word Series 2019.

Is there anyone thinking of reading something about pandemics because the Olympics has been postponed due to coronavirus, or is this not really in the spirit of the prompt?

I think you could go that route. Especially if one of the major themes is about how pandemics disrupt normal events.

by Yōko Ogawa
Wonderfully weird book.

The book I read for this was about as satisfying to me as the 2020 Olympics - . I know many readers found it enjoyable, but for me, it just didn't work.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

For those still needing a book in this category, I saw that "The Memory Police" is on sale for $2.99 on Amazon today. I read it last year & really enjoyed it!

Set in Japan Pachinko

I read Bird Box as I found it on one of the lists. The main character is rowing throughout the book so it is related a to one of the sports including in the Olympics.

What about Tokyo Cancelled ? It probably won't be my choice, I just like the how the title applies to the topic.

I read Downfall and Other Stories by Hayashi Fumiko. This is a recent translation of Short stories by a Japanese woman who wrote mostly in the mid20th century. These are little character vignettes, most set in Tokyo just after World War 2. Most of the characters are poor, often with their homes gone from the bombing of Tokyo.

Good one Donna :D

I read The Great Passage about the making of a Japanese dictionary. It was a cute little book that I really enjoyed. It's a bit of a love letter to the Japanese language and some of the extreme subtleties in it.

I love the Olympics and become obsessed with the really obscure sports. Yet another thing to add on to the disappointment that is 2020.

I read The First Mistake by Sandie Jones, although not for this challenge. I won't give any spoilers, but part of the book focuses on buying a plot of land adjacent to the site of the 2020 Olympics in Japan. I gave the book 4 Stars, and thought I would mention it here in case someone is still searching.

Shelley wrote: "I read The Great Passage about the making of a Japanese dictionary. It was a cute little book that I really enjoyed. It's a bit of a love letter to the Japanese language and some of..."

Glad to hear it, I am planning to use this one for my 2nd go-round this year. I bought it on either Kindle or nook though I have no memory of doing so. I recently forced myself to add lists of those ebooks to GR shelves because I always forget I have them.

What are you reading this week and how does it relate to the Olympic Games?
I read You Will Know Me which is a thriller centered around a gymnastics prodigy who is an Olympic hopeful.

Will you be watching the Olympic Games?
I was planning on it and I'm really sad that they got canceled this year.

If you have a favourite athlete or sports team tell us who it is and their greatest achievement.
I enjoy so many different sports--no standout favorites.