If you can get hold of the audiobooks for Scalzi, they're narrated by Will Wheaton, and he does an excellent job. That is, if you like the audio format.
I'm adding a few of these onto my neverending tbr (Idol Burning, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, the Bloodsworn Saga). I enjoyed hearing about your 2023 favorites! 😃
Hi Katja, Fantastic video! I wrote down a few books including the two translated bookshop books. I lived in Japan for three years and went to many bookshops there. You always show me books I never heard of. Aloha friend.
Some nice Japanese titles! I have "Idol, Burning" on my shelves and hope to get to it this year. I wanted to read "Birnam Wood" last year, had some difficulties getting into it and then after 14 days, I had to return it to the library. Hopefully, it will be a bit calmer around this novel later this year so that we can keep it 28 days.
I’m really loving Shogun (expecting it to hit my best of 2024!). Feudal Japan is super interesting, I can see why you got sucked down a rabbit hole. A couple of the books of your list are on my TBR so that bodes well 😊
I still haven't gotten round to rewatching the 1980s TV adaptation, looking forward to it and the reboot. I hope they don't release one episode at a time - I want to binge it 😆
I read Idol burning last year and I liked it, and it was a very quick read as well! This means I should go on to reading convenience store woman from the sound of it. I have heard such good things about george gissing lately and now I am curious. I've been curious about birminam wood, and I also recently hauled in days at the morisaki bookshop to read this year! I need to get around to babel!
Convenience Store Woman is that bit better than idol burning. They both have a subtle but impactful style I enjoy. The Morisaki Bookshop is nice and cosy, and I liked the character growth.
Of the lot, I have only read Silence and Shogun. Silence was, as you say, very intense and I really enjoyed it. Have you seen the movie? I also read Shogun, but that was decades ago after watching the TV series back in the day, so I do not remember much about it. Of the lot, I think Babel grabs my interest the most - I have been watching my wife read it and she is really enjoying it, and I am tempted to grab it when she is not looking! Thank you for the video.
I've not seen the movie. I can only imagine how that would feel. It's a visceral story. Shogun was so good. I finally have a second-hand dvd to rewatch the 80s TV series. The new series will be out in a couple of weeks 😊 Babel does a brilliant job of using language/linguistics in its magic system. Very clever, and of course, the social commentary on colonialism was on point. R F Kuang should have been nominated forva Hugo award for it, but she's among a group of author's had their work disqualified. Unsurprisingly, most believe these writers were targeted as undesirable by the Chinese government. She's in good company with the likes of Neil Gaiman and more authors who've been vocal about human rights abuses in China.
I am going to give Fuzzy Nation a try. The library just purchased it and I’m in the queue!😊
I'm not surprised there's a queue, though it's not a new publication. I really rate Scalzi's standalone novels.
Great faves lovely. I started Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop this morning and I am loving it. Just the perfect comfort read.
Perfect timing. The book fits well with the cold weather we're having.Happy reading, Charlie 😊
John Scalzi and John Gwynne are two authors I need to get around to reading.
If you can get hold of the audiobooks for Scalzi, they're narrated by Will Wheaton, and he does an excellent job. That is, if you like the audio format.
Interesting selection!! Hope you're all better now!
Thank you, starting to feel better slowly.
I'm adding a few of these onto my neverending tbr (Idol Burning, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, the Bloodsworn Saga). I enjoyed hearing about your 2023 favorites! 😃
That's great! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did 😊
Such a range of books! Sunburn sounds good, I'll keep an eye out for it 😊
It's also a comfy length at 288 pages 😊. In between some chunky reads, it felt like a quick read.
New follower! Silence was INTENSE! 😮 I read it years ago and still think about it.
Thanks 😊💛🙏
It really was!
Very memorable.
The Witness for the Dead sounds very interesting! Great book list! Happy New Year, Katja! ✨
Thanks, Jane! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Best wishes for this year 💛😊
Hi Katja, Fantastic video! I wrote down a few books including the two translated bookshop books. I lived in Japan for three years and went to many bookshops there. You always show me books I never heard of. Aloha friend.
Thank you 💛 Ditto, I hadn't heard of Barbara Pym until you mentioned her books. She's on my list to read this year.
Great list, I can always count on you to put something translated in my TBR, idol, Burning sounds brilliant... As too does Cyprian Ekwensi
Thanks, Scott. Hope you enjoy Idol Burning as much as I did. With Ekwensi, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of him sooner!
Some nice Japanese titles! I have "Idol, Burning" on my shelves and hope to get to it this year. I wanted to read "Birnam Wood" last year, had some difficulties getting into it and then after 14 days, I had to return it to the library. Hopefully, it will be a bit calmer around this novel later this year so that we can keep it 28 days.
Hope you enjoy BW, and I think you'll appreciate Idol Burning.
Wow, a fascinating list of books. Added a few to my ever growing tbr🤗
Wonderful! Hope 2024 is a good year for you, filled with lots of satisfying reads.
I’m really loving Shogun (expecting it to hit my best of 2024!). Feudal Japan is super interesting, I can see why you got sucked down a rabbit hole.
A couple of the books of your list are on my TBR so that bodes well 😊
I still haven't gotten round to rewatching the 1980s TV adaptation, looking forward to it and the reboot. I hope they don't release one episode at a time - I want to binge it 😆
I read Idol burning last year and I liked it, and it was a very quick read as well! This means I should go on to reading convenience store woman from the sound of it. I have heard such good things about george gissing lately and now I am curious. I've been curious about birminam wood, and I also recently hauled in days at the morisaki bookshop to read this year! I need to get around to babel!
Convenience Store Woman is that bit better than idol burning. They both have a subtle but impactful style I enjoy.
The Morisaki Bookshop is nice and cosy, and I liked the character growth.
Ooh I'm currently reading Welcome to the Huynam-dom bookshop! Need to finish it! And I also have Babel on my best of 2023! Excellent read!
hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Babel was a worthwhile wait for me, I'm glad it lived up to the 2022 praise I was seeing :)
Of the lot, I have only read Silence and Shogun. Silence was, as you say, very intense and I really enjoyed it. Have you seen the movie? I also read Shogun, but that was decades ago after watching the TV series back in the day, so I do not remember much about it. Of the lot, I think Babel grabs my interest the most - I have been watching my wife read it and she is really enjoying it, and I am tempted to grab it when she is not looking! Thank you for the video.
I've not seen the movie. I can only imagine how that would feel. It's a visceral story.
Shogun was so good. I finally have a second-hand dvd to rewatch the 80s TV series. The new series will be out in a couple of weeks 😊
Babel does a brilliant job of using language/linguistics in its magic system. Very clever, and of course, the social commentary on colonialism was on point. R F Kuang should have been nominated forva Hugo award for it, but she's among a group of author's had their work disqualified. Unsurprisingly, most believe these writers were targeted as undesirable by the Chinese government. She's in good company with the likes of Neil Gaiman and more authors who've been vocal about human rights abuses in China.