Finished Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

Started 1984, by George Orwell

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Incredible read that has left me contemplating many things, my relationships with other people, how I perceive and relate to life and death, as well as the significance of events in my adolescent years and how they have shaped me. Very powerful and incredibly moving.

Finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft.

Not sure what's next, I need something funny but all the books I own are hard sci-fi.

I finished Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier and thought it was exciting, classy, vintage and excellent and I have rated it 5 stars on Goodreads. The book got very exciting towards the end and I read into the early hours on a couple of evenings in order to find out what happened next. The book had a very good climax as well.

I am halfway through Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. The author has been praised on this sub on a few occasions so I thought I would give him a try. After some Googling I saw that Norwegian Wood was regarded as one of his best so I got it from the library. I am not sure I like it. It is quite interesting but I find a lot of the dialogue really unrealistic and a lot of it is like a teenagers wet dream.

I also read a few graphic novels:

• The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman Volumes 1 to 4. I love zombie horrors but for some reason never got into the TV series of The Walking Dead. I thought I would give the comics a go. I am liking them so far and will continue to work through the series.
• Uzumaki, by Junji Ito Volumes 1 to 3. I think a lot of people call this "Spiral". I am a fan of Junji Ito and I am working through all his work. The Spiral tale is split into about 20 horror shorts which are intertwined. I really enjoyed it and found the stories very creepy. I preferred Volumes 1 and 2 as I found the stories in Volume 3 a bit samey although the ending was great.
• Batman: Arkham Asylum – A Serious House on Series Earth, by Grant Morrison. This is a very dark psychological horror and it was a very good read. I read it yesterday and I am now thinking "What the hell did I just read?" so I am going to read it again this week.

I have finished reading Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Roald Dahl.

I'm now starting Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami.

I finished Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. I really didn't like the first half of the book as the dialogue was unrealistic and mainly reflected the thoughts of a randy teenage boy. I thought I would end up hating the book but the second half was much better and I was interested in what happened to the characters by the end of it so I think the book redeemed itself. I will try another Haruki Murakami book some time next year.

I started The Dark Forest, by Cixin Liu which is the second book in the Three-Body Problem trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book and it was exciting to revisit the story. I haven't got very far in this book yet.

My local library had a Graphic Novel month a little while ago so I got a couple out during that month and haven't stopped since. On the graphic novel front this week I read:

• Frankenstein, by Junji Ito I am still working through Junji Ito's collection. This novel covered Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story and had a selection of short stories at the end. The Frankenstein story was identical to Mary Shelley's novel from what I remember of it so didn't really add much. There was one stand out short story called "Pen Pals" which was excellent but I thought the other stories were fairly average. So all in all I didn't rate this collection as highly as Junji Ito's other works.

• The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman - Volumes 5 and 6. I am still enjoying this series. Volume 6 included a torture scene which was pretty shocking.

• Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by Grant Morrison. I read the comic of this last week and it really got into my head. I was going to reread the comic but the copy I had included a script of the comic that Grant Morrison wrote for the illustrator. The script included some footnotes by Grant Morrison and references to mythology which was lost on me when I read the comic. In the script Grant Morrison also talks about some other ideas he had which weren't cleared by DC or whomever so they weren't included in the final story. Rather than rereading the comic I read Grant Morrison's script. I think this story is excellent and very dark.

This week I hope to pick up Akira as I loved the anime adaptation when I was younger.

Finished:

Clash of Kings, by G.R.R Martin -absolutely amazing. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice - I loved this book, and it's so much better than Interview With a Vampire.

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami- I didn't really like it, but it's my first Haruki Murakami. I'm going to read After Dark next, and hopefully it'll help me understand if I'm interested in reading more from him.

Started:

Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon - The third installment in the Outlander series.

Last week I finished:

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I think Murakami and I just don’t get along. Maybe it’s the translator, maybe it’s him. The book was quality, just… not for me.

West by Carys Davies

It was okay. Nice language but nothing really distinguished it from other books like it.

Milk!: A 10,000 Year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky

I really liked this one. I haven’t read Cod or Salt, but plan to after this. I am on kind of a dairy kick now—made some failed paneer on Sunday (will try again with finer cloth this week), found and drank some goat milk I noticed at Trader Joe’s (very similar to cow’s milk, thought it would be tart like chevre but nah), tried (eating) some other cheeses, will probably try making some more later on, too. The actual book was informative and interesting, a great commute listen, and the narrator spoke so slowly that I cranked this thing out at 1.25x and finished pretty quickly. A+.

Short things:

• “Florida Rental” by Annie Proulx (Bad Dirt)
• “Trial by Combat” by Shirley Jackson (The Lottery and Other Stories)
• “93990” by George Saunders (In Persuasion Nation)
• “Famous Actor” by Jess Walters (Best American Short Stories 2017)
• “To the Man on the Trail” by Jack London (To Build a Fire and Other Stories)
• “Interlude 1” by George R. R. Martin (Wild Cards I)
• “Opal” by Maggie Stiefvater
• “The Daughter Cells” by Daniel Mallory Ortberg (The Merry Spinster)
• “Mr. Nobody At All” by Ann Beattie (Best American Short Stories 2006)
• “The Apple Tree” by Trevanian (Best American Short Stories 2001)
• “The House of Asterion” by Jorge Luis Borges (Labyrinths) (OMG)
• “The Other Man” by Denis Johnson (Jesus’ Son)

Working on:

• White Teeth by Zadie Smith
• Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America by Eric Jay Dolin
• Creative Quest by Questlove
• The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs
• Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami Finished and really enjoyed it. Not as good as Kafka, but still a good coming of age story with some interesting outlooks on death. I plan on reading Wind-up next.

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller Finished this and I liked it but not as much as Circe. The narrator is less likable in this.

The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene Finished. The first 100 pages of this were great and then it just fizzled out for me. Too much about some weird religious awakening one of the characters has that just didn't really make a lot of sense.

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean Finished. I enjoyed it for it's history of the library, wish it wasn't just mostly about the LA library though. I would recommend if you work in a library though.

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

This was a re-read for me. Upon second reading, this has cemented itself as one of my favourite books ever, I am in a very different place since first reading this. Nostalgic, emotional and with an almost naive romanticism.

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Sapians by Yuval Noah Harari

Half way through this. Not read a non-fiction book in ages and really enjoying this. I have 21 lessons for the 21st Century lined up after this.

Just finished a few books:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

Really poignant and graceful re-telling of the life, death, and immortality of a woman who contributed to science and medicine, postmortem, as well as the aftermath and injustice her family faced because of it. I found myself righteously angry at the end, despite being a scientist, and it was a brutal reminder of how society's views on race and racism affects our ethics in medicine, science, and truth-seeking.

• Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

Left me thankful and full of a gentle kind of grief. The main theme of the story is the tenuous relationship between life and death, and the suddenness of how death can overcome us. It's globally impactful and felt like a wandering through a haze of doubt.

• Why Smart Kids Worry, and What Parents Can Do to Help, by Allison Edwards, LPC

Something I will keep in my tool box for when I have kids or decide to teach youngsters. Great for educators and parents alike.

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Currently starting to re-read:

• The Alchemist, by Paolo Coehlo
• Men Without Women, by Haruki Murakami

Going to finish Crime and Punishment, by Dostoyevsky today, its taken me a while to finish because I don't really enjoy it, but the last 100 pages or so have been pretty emotional.

Also finishing up The Autobiography of Gucci Mane, by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin. It has been a really easy read, and to be honest not all that interesting, but overall I have enjoyed it.

Also reading the graphic novel Akira, Vol. 1, by Katsuhiro Otomo, and starting Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. I don't usually read graphic novels and this has been a really fun one, and I love Murakami and have been reading as much as possible.

Finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

About to restart on Gaiman's Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances. I started it earlier, but wasn't in the mood.

almost done with Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

Gotta finish quick so I can get through Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami and At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft before book clubs.

Finished: Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. Beautiful and depressing. I might return to it a half a dozen books later. Planned to read Kafka's Letters to Milena, but Murakami has made me want more of the same - depressive stories. So I'm thinking of starting Dreams of My Russian Summers, by Andreï Makine. Next in line is Exit West, by Mohsin Hamid another tragic love story.

Just finished rereading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami I love this book and the second read made me understand a lot more of what themes he was trying to get across.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I'm enjoying it but wishing it had more of his surreal elements.

I'm a little past half way in the audiobook for Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch. I'm not loving it so far. The narration might make it more obvious, but the dialogue is cheesy and the general flow is terrible. The sci-fi element is interesting, but the plot Crouch wrote for the amazing technology has been predictable so far. Jason's big revelation about 1/3 of the way in was obvious within the first chapter. We'll see how it all wraps up, but I don't have high hopes.

Finished:

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

This novel was the embodiment of loneliness, and yet Murakami writes in a way that makes you feel as if you're right there in the room with the narrator.

I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality, by Hal Straus and Jerold Jay Kreisman

Read for professional and personal reasons, to be able to better explain borderline personality disorder to others.

Started:

Mother Night, by Kurt Vonnegut

I always love reading Vonnegut. Have read Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions... What next?!

After seeing it mentioned around these parts a lot, I've decided to start Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. This is my first Murakmai book, and I can already sense that Japanese-brand subtext that I felt in Souseki's Kokoro. Hoping this will make me want to read another Murakami in the future!

Working on Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I think I'm not a Murikami fan, he's too introspective and "deep" and mostly I want to be done with this book.

Next is At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft.

I finished Let the Right One In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Big fan of both movie adaptations of it but the book blew me away with how dark it can be, especially the kids in it.

I'm almost finished Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

I've got one chapter left to read and I've really enjoyed it. Read a couple of Murakamis before but this is probably my favourite. Love the weird nostalgia vibes it's giving me.

I'll be starting ** The Near Witch, by V. E. Schwab**

No idea what to expect but I'm looking forward to it.

Norwegian Woods by Haruki Murakami.

I finished it just yesterday night and I've been thinking of nothing else since then. A really deep and dark look into how death and depression affects people and their relationships with others...it almost scared me how much I could relate with some characters. Also loved the whole setting of late-sixties Japan- I never knew listening to jazz and reading classic French novels was a thing back then lol.

I really wanna dive more into Murakamis catalogue (or at least check out books having the same feel and aesthetic and subject matter) and I'd really appreciate some reccs.

Two months ago I finished Norwegian Wood and Men Without Women, by Haruki Murakami A great read for those who are looking for non-cliche romance.

Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami

1/3 through the book. Somebody here suggested this book on a different thread. It's been years since I last read fiction, so I'm looking forward to read and actually finish a fiction by the end of this month.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I've read 1Q84 and loved it. I've been wanting to get around to another Murakami novel and I finally got my hands on this one. Hopefully it'll be enjoyable as 1Q84!

I'm just under halfway through Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami. I've read Kafka on the Shore by him as well. I know Norwegian Wood is the least surreal of his novels but I keep waiting for something dreamlike to happen. I'm enjoying the characters, setting, and musical themes, but knowing this is Murakami leaves me feeling like something is missing.

I'm also listening to Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Mathew J. Sullivan. I think I had this confused with a different book. I thought the suicide at the beginning would quickly turn out to be a murder, but that's not the case yet (I'm about 3/4 done at this point). Meanwhile the investigation in to "The Hammer Man" is a little disappointing because of how removed from it you feel for the majority of the novel. It's interesting seeing all these "small world" connections being made, but I can't say I'm loving the book. Just mediocre so far.

I just finished South of the sun, West of the border, by Haruki Murakami. I also finished Norwegian wood, by Haruki Murakami three days before it. I really liked both books, but felt like Norwegian wood was superior. It really drove home loneliness and unfulfilled love Lately I've been on an oddysey to read all Murakami's works after reading A wild sheep chase which I absolutely loved. I'm reading them in chronological order. Right now I'm reading The elephant vanishes, by Haruki Murakami, which is a short story collection. Some are good, but others are meh. I think I just prefer to read long form stories though. I recently also finished Iron Kingdom, by Christopher Clark, which is a really good history about Prussia. However I would recommend checking out Sleepwalkers first if you want to read a work by his hand. It's a really good book about the causes of WW 1.