August Wrap-Up and TBR

As suspected, now that my dissertation is done (no, I won't stop talking about it), I've picked up my pace quite a bit with regards to reading. It may not be a lot, but I'm slowly getting back into the habit of reading in my spare time, rather than saving a majority of it for public transport. Anyway, this month we had some really interesting reads. In honour of August being Women in Translation Month, I decided to scour my shelves for the translated literature that I desperately wanted to read, but just haven't gotten around to. Now that I can read for myself, I find it a lot less limiting, and I'm happy I was able to branch away from horror this month (mostly). Without further ado:

Vibrator by Mari Akasaka (trans. by Michael Emmerich)(★★★★★)

Vibrator is a novella that follows Rei Hayakawa, a young journalist who meets a man in a convenience store and together they embark on a road trip across Japan. I loved this book so much. I don't usually read 'erotic' books, although I'm not entirely sure this book is meant to be erotic. It was dirty and realistic and heartfelt all at once. I picked this book up from a charity shop, and I must admit I was drawn by the name, but I'm so glad I picked it up. It's definitely one I recommend, but please check the trigger warnings before reading it.

Lizard by Banana Yoshimoto (trans. by Ann Sherif)(★★★★★)

Lizard is a collection of short stories that I stumbled upon when I volunteered at a bookshop. I was pleasantly surprised with this collection. I've heard great things about Banana Yoshimoto, and she really lived up to those expectations. The stories were compelling and the characters were realistic. I don't really have much to say, but I highly recommend you give this a read. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami (trans. by Allison Markin Powell)(★★★.75)

Strange Weather in Tokyo follows Tsukiko, a woman approaching her 40's who reconnects with her former teacher at a bar. We follow their friendship as it develops, and I felt like I could really bond with the characters. Some of their actions are questionable, and I was frustrated at moments which is why I gave it a lower rating. Some parts felt a bit out of the blue. Either way, I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. I think the prose was excellent, and I definitely want to read more by this author. I love her writing style and how she creates a sense of place.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez (trans. by Megan McDowell)(★★★★.25)

This book was a comforting read. I don't say that in a contextual sense: a lot of the stories center dark and disturbing themes that are extremely unlikely to comfort anyone. Enríquez's writing style was particularly reminiscent of the style of Junji Ito, and the stories themselves felt somewhat in sync with his work. I don't want to compare the two, because they are completely different writers with different styles, but both writers bring somewhat of a comforting feel to their writing despite the subject matter. Perhaps its better to compare Enríquez's writing to the feeling of watching a horror movie on Halloween, with candles in the background and trick-or-treaters outside. Still unsettling, but comforting nonetheless. I know she has a new collection coming out soon, and it will be purchased

Overall, I really enjoyed my reading for this month. It was a nice change of pace and genre, and it's allowed my mind to relax a bit before my next project. I'm going to try and continue with this streak for next month, and I've chosen a few books that I've wanted to read for a while but haven't been able to. The first one on my list is Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. I've wanted to read this book for about a year but I just haven't had the time. A couple more books that follow this pattern are Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again by Katherine Angel, The Poet by Louisa Reid, Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi and Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers. Four books may be ambitious, especially with a new project on the horizon, but I've really been enjoying having my reading time and it's slowly becoming part of my regular routine.

Happy reading!

All the best,

Talia