Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1981)
1061.
JapanDescription:
Inspired largely by the poets experiences as a young man working in the Saskatchewan oilfields, Mathew Hendersons "The Lease" explores masculinity and the roles morality, violence, and hard labor play in it. Equal parts character study, cultural documentary, and coming-of-age narrative, Hendersons poems make it clear that however we may try to stay apart from them, the stubborn and often unflattering realities of masculine culture persist, not just in isolated, dangerous environments like this, but in our very idea of what work is. "No mark survives this place: you too will yield to unmemory. ... continue
1062.
The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa EN
Description:
The instant Sunday Times bestseller The must-have sequel to the bestselling The Cat Who Saved Books – an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat and the power of books to make a difference in the world. Nanami Kosaki loves reading. The local library has become a home from home. Books are her friends. When Nanami notices that some of her favourite books are disappearing from the library shelves, she becomes suspicious of a man in a grey suit whose furtive behaviour doesn’t feel right. Should she follow him to see what he’s up to? It wouldn’t be dangerous . . . would it? When a smart-talki... continue
1064.
The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu EN
Description:
"Utterly charming . . . I would read a hundred of these stories." —Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures Seven struggling customers are given the unique opportunity to take home a "blanket cat" . . . but only for three days, the time it’ll take to change their lives. A peculiar pet shop in Tokyo has been known to offer customers the unique opportunity to take home one of seven special cats, whose "magic" is never promised, but always received. But there are rules: these cats must be returned after three days. They must eat only the food supplied by t... continue
1066.
Description:
"Wonderfully innovative. . . . Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels."--G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller Murdle "Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror."--Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal The spine-tingling mystery horror bestseller that has taken Japan by storm--an eerie fresh take on horror for fans of Hidden Pictures and Junji Ito, in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved my... continue
1067.
Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Atsuhiro EN
Description:
A symphony of interconnected lives, this collection of short stories is a compelling reflection on life in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy. Set over several nights, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in and around Tokyo, this mind-blowingly constructed book is an elaborate, energetic fresco of human nocturnal existence in all its mystery, an enigmatic literary mix of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Heironymous Bosch. On this journey through the labyrinthine streets and hidden corners of one of the world's most fascinating cities, everybody is se... continue
1068.
Nip The Bud, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburō Ōe EN
Description:
Oe's dark musings on moral failure have come to symbolize an alienated generation in postwar Japan. This novel recounts the exploits of 15 teenage reformatory boys evacuated to a remote mountain village in wartime. When plague breaks out, the villagers flee, leaving the boys blockaded inside the empty village. The boys' brief, doomed attempt to build autonomous lives of self-respect, love, and tribal valor fails in the face of death and the adult nightmare of war.
1069.
Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito EN
Description:
An innocent love becomes a bloody hell in another superb collection by master of horror Junji Ito. Ryusuke returns to the town he once lived in because rumors are swirling about girls killing themselves after encountering a bewitchingly handsome young man. Harboring his own secret from time spent in this town, Ryusuke attempts to capture the beautiful boy and close the case, but… Starting with the strikingly bloody “Lovesickness,” this volume collects ten stories showcasing horror master Junji Ito in peak form, including “The Strange Hikizuri Siblings” and “The Rib Woman.”
1070.
Portrait of a Tongue by Yōko Tawada EN
Description:
Yoko Tawada's Portrait of a Tongue is a meditation on language and equivalence between German, Japanese, and English. Wright's experimental approach to the translation draws attention to the presence of the translator and her role in mediating Tawada's original reflection on language for an English-speaking audience.