Japanese Literature discussion

This is the thread to nominate books for [February and March 2025]. Nominate by [1/8], please, then we will have a week or two to vote.

Remember to turn on the “Notify me when people comment” box.

Nominations close January 8.

Please nominate only one book. If your nominee isn't (a.) in print in both North America and the UK+ and/or (b.) originally in Japanese, please say so. (No worries. If you don't have time to look this up, We will look it up for you.)

I want to nominate Fumio Takano's Swan Knight once again. :-)

I’d like to nominate Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai

Trinity, Trinity, Trinity (トリニティ、トリニティ、トリニティ) by Erika Kobayashi, eng trs by Brian Bergstrom, fra by Mathilde Tamae-Bouhon. There is also an eng audiobook version.

(Update) I think Trinityx3 is better for a buddy read so I am withdrawing my nomination. If anyone reads it for January in Japan 2025, I would be happy to discuss it with them.

Alison wrote: "I want to nominate Fumio Takano's Swan Knight once again. :-)"
Seconding this!
But also nominating my own in another attempt to bring down the tbr: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas

The Strange Library (図書館寄譚) by Haruki Murakami, eng trs by Ted Goossen

(also to bring down my tbr _strange_ books pile)

Alison wrote: "This is the thread to nominate books for December 2024 and January 2025. Nominate by 11/15, please, then we will have a week or two to vote.

Remember to turn on the “Notify me when people comment”..."

Correction, this is for Feb and Mar 2025...

Oh dear. That’s what I get for copying and pasting. I hope folks have been trusting the post title. 😬

I’ve read and reviewed Trinity, Jack. Happy to discuss

Alison wrote: "I’ve read and reviewed Trinity, Jack. Happy to discuss"

I have completed the Trinity, Trinity, Trinity audiobook. I will be reading the print version during JanuaryinJapan2025. I will check back and be glad to discuss after that. Family also gave me Sunrise: Radiant Stories to read. Yay!

Good article: https://www.booknerdtokyo.com/post/er...

I need to finish that one. I was in the middle of it when I was in a big car accident last summer and reading a work that “thinky” was just too much.

This is a "mid" nomination summary. Please correct mistakes or omissions and continue to nominate. :-)

Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas by Akira Sakuraba (trans. Jocelyn Allen)
464 pages; available on eReader and used

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami (trans. Ted Goossen)
96 pages; widely available

Swan Knight by Fumio Takano (trans. Sharni Wilson)
124 pages; widely available
(If you're interested, Alison's review in the Asian Review of Books here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&s...)

Henk wrote: "I’d like to nominate Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai"

I think this is overlooked?

I nominate Rio Shimamoto's First Love, winner of the 2018 Naoki Prize.

Henk wrote: "Henk wrote: "I’d like to nominate Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai"

I think this is overlooked?"

Thanks! This is a large part of the exercise!

Updated nominations list:

First Love by Rio Shimamoto (trans. Louise Heal Kawai)
264 pages; for sale in the UK+ only, but widely available online—ships to the US for free (allow for shipping time)
CW: childhood sexual abuse

Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (trans. Polly Barton)
192 pages; widely available

Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas by Akira Sakuraba (trans. Jocelyn Allen)
464 pages; available on eReader and used

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami (trans. Ted Goossen)
96 pages; widely available

Swan Knight by Fumio Takano (trans. Sharni Wilson)
124 pages; widely available
(If you're interested, Alison's review in the Asian Review of Books here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&s...)

Poll is up. Please vote by Jan. 17.

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

Looks like we’ll be reading First Love and Swan Knight!

I’m making an educated guess it might be slightly easier/faster for non-UK+ folks to get their hands on Swan Knight, so we’ll read that one first (in February) and First Love in March.

I noticed that someone posted about an external reading group doing First Love in mid-February. I’ll get threads open for both books ASAP for anyone planning to participate who’d like to get thoughts down early.