First Lines Friday...

"  I am a cat. As yet, I have no name. There's a famous cat in our country who once made this very statement.

    I have no clue how great that cat was, but at least when it comes to having a name I got there first. Whether I like my name is another matter, since it glaringly doesn't fit my gender, me being male and all. I was given it about five years ago--- around the time I came of age."
                                                                 
                       ... The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa


As I was walking through a bookstore, I came across this book on a table with many others, but I was initially attracted to it because of the cover and its size. It's one of those cute little gift size books, about the size of a 5 x 7 photograph. As I opened the book, I realized that it was indeed a tale as told through the cat's perspective and that it was an international best seller. As I opened that cover and read some of the story, I was enamored. I look forward to reading this soon!

Reading Resolutions & A Happy New Year

2012 was a year of transition for Chick with Books. Ok, maybe  just for the girl behind Chick with Books. I was here, I was there, but I still usually had a book in hand and never lost my love of talking about great books! 

The start of a new year is always exciting to me. Fresh starts, new ideas, and plenty of great reading on the horizon. I always look forward to my favorite authors writing wonderful new books, discovering new authors whose words wrap themselves around my reading soul, and finding books that transport me to places I've never been. Chick with books is coming back Sundays with The Sunday Salon, where I'll be highlighting some great books wrapped around a theme, or covering bookish happenings from around the world. I'll be reviewing some great new books, but also some books that we might have missed when they were first published, a.k.a."oldies but goodies". If you enjoyed my coverage of memoirs, Memoir Mondays will pop up monthly, covering memoirs and maybe some great nonfiction thrown in too. I haven't forgotten about the new way we read either... eReaders! There are some great reading bargains to be had, but also plenty of new ways to get those new ebooks and we'll talk about  what's new in the electronic world of the printed page (and I'm so tempted by a certain HD reader we'll be talking about that too!) Author interviews, bookish news, and some great giveaways are all on the Chick with Books reading horizon! 

Talk is cheap, so what's a reader to do in 2013 besides chatting about books? How about joining a reading challenge?! Join a group of people virtually and challenge yourself to get reading! What kind of books do you like to read? Classics, fantasy, or historical fiction? Dystopian, romance, or YA? How about Banned Books? There's a challenge for you! And not only does a reading challenge encourage you to read books you like, it also can challenge you to read books in a genre you would never normally crack the spine on... here are some of my challenges....

Japanese Literature! One genre I started to read and absolute love is Japanese literature. There are many authors, Haruki Murakami being one of the more popular, but they all share the same beautiful and yet simple writing. Every year, Dolce  Bellezza hosts The Japanese Literature Challenge, with great reading suggestions I enjoy joining in on this one. The 2012 will be wrapping up the end of January, and I'll be looking forward to joining in on the next (7th Year!) challenge. Generally the challenge starts in the summer, but that doesn't mean I can't start reading sooner than that!

Dystopian fiction! In 2009 I joined the Books on The Nightstand Dystopian YA challenge (or DystopYA challenge) I had never really read Dystopian fiction, or "fiction about a world that is attempting to be perfect but contains a fatal flaw. It's the opposite of a utopia. This can take the form of a fascist government, a failing environment, corporate rule - anything. In it, life is miserable and people have to strive to rise above.", but once I did, I was hooked. I still can't recommend The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist enough! (click on the title to read my review) There are plenty of other books in this genre that are captivating, challenging and well worth your time! (The Hunger Games falls in this category too!) More details to follow about where to sign up for this challenge. 



Graphic Novels! This was a reading challenge that was really out of the box for me when I first started participating. Graphic novels are often overlooked by readers who have never read one. Sometimes I hear, "Oh, you mean comic books". No, graphic novels have grown up. Now I admit, I don't like all graphic novels. I look for certain things... beautiful artwork... a good story. Basically what I'd look for in a good literary book with the addition of visuals. I might also mention that a graphic novel actual won a Pulitzer Prize! (Maus by Art Spiegelman in 1992). I'll be challenging myself to find some more great Graphic Novels and joining in on The Graphic Novel Challenge hosted by Nicola of Back to Books hosts . BTW, I just finished a great graphic novel called Sailor Twain by Mark Siegel,  look for my review coming soon, and my official post about this reading challenge!

I'll be reading plenty of other genre's of books through out the year, but these challenges kind of nudge me to make sure I take time to read from books I don't normally find myself reading. I might be nudging my book club to take up a few of these challenges too!

Are you challenging yourself to read outside your comfort zone? Or joining a reading challenge to get some of those books gathering dust on your shelf to be cleaned off? (Off the Shelf reading challenge).  How about just planning some great reading for 2013? Share your reading plans for 2013! Maybe it will inspire someone to open a book!

Happy New Year! and Happy Reading.... Suzanne

Japanese Literature Challenge 4

The Japanese Literature Challenge 4

Another Reading Challenge! I've been looking forward to The Japanese Literature Challenge since last year, when I was introduced to the beautiful prose and slight supernatural elements found in the writing of such Japanese authors as Takuji Ichikawa and Taichi Yamada. Dolce Bellezza is hosting the challenge again welcoming us with open arms into the world of Japanese Literature! There is a review site to post links to the books you've read, and a list of reading suggestions to help us along!

The Challenge is simple... Read one or more works of Japanese Literature between June 1, 2010 and January 30, 2011. Are you up for the Challenge?! I am! Visit Dolce Bellezza to learn more! And in the meantime, I'll be putting the beautiful Challenge Button up on my sidebar and you can click on it to see how I'm doing on the Challenge. I'll post all links to the books I've read for the Challenge here! Want to see how I did last year? You can find out at Japanese Literature Challenge 3. The Challenge didn't nudge me hard enought to read Haruki Murakami, which I wanted to accomplish, but there's always this year!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Favorites by Mary Yukari Water... A Review

Mothers and Daughters...

Secrets and Silence.

Like a soft whisper, Mary Yukari Waters' writing is quietly powerful. Her book, The Favorites, is simply wonderful. She perfectly captures the subtle nuances of a relationship between a mother and her daughter, and the 3 generations of women this story is about...

"Kyoto 1978. Fourteen-year-old Sarah Rexford feels like an outsider when she returns to Japan for the first time in five years, to stay with her mother's family. As Sarah begins to reacquaint herself with her relatives and learn more about the culture she came from, she discovers a secret that stretches across three generations, its presence looming over the family home. She quickly learns that personal boundaries are firmly drawn in traditional Kyoto, and actions are not always what they appear..."

The Favorites by Mary Yukari Waters is narrated through the voice of 14-year-old Sarah as she returns to Kyoto to visit her mother's family. Her innocent observations guide the story, as she learns about the beauty of Japan, the streets & surroundings that her mother walked as a child, and the complexities of the relationships between the women of her family.

The Favorites also touches on the challenges an immigrant experiences in a land foreign to them- Sarah is half Japanese because her mother married an American, so she deals with her feelings of being an outsider,with strangers on the street, but also with her family. We learn of the differences of Sarah's mother living in America as a foreigner and her return to her native home. What's also wonderful is how Sarah views these differences, and her growing appreciation and love as a result

I loved this book! In near perfect prose Mary Yukari Waters relates the honesty in feelings a daughter has for her mother; the unconditional love, the teenage embarrassment, the growing respect & love... and how everyone has a special place in a family. Mary Yukari Waters writes so well about the complex feelings these women have for each other. She uses the eyes of Sarah to tell us and does this with the backdrop of one of my favorite places, Japan. A country filled with wonderful traditions, beauty, and superstitions... All is slowly divulged as the story takes us from the everyday lives of the women of the Kobayashi and Asaki houses one long summer in 1978. Sarah begins to slowly fade a bit as the story seems to tell itself in other parts, and in doing so we learn more details of another important woman in the household, and how the secret that binds the houses has affected her. Their histories and passions create a wonderful story that will stay with you after the last page is turned... Mary Yukari Waters writes the stories of these women with passion, but with the restrained grace of the Japanese women she is writing about.

This novel was so moving. The story still haunts me... If you enjoy stories of mothers & daughters, sisters & family secrets, The Favorites with be a very satisfying read!

A Big Thank you to Book Chick City, a British chick who loves to read and and has a wonderful blog, for sending this novel to me! Check out her blog Book Chick City! And learn more about The Favorites and the author, Mary Yukari Waters, at Simon & Schuster!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

*Hey, I'm sharing this review with Cym Lowell's Book Review Party!

The Sunday Salon... A look back at some of my favorite books, and a look ahead...

It's a brand new year and I'm already anticipating all the wonderful books coming along! There have been many best of 2009 lists out there such as the lists from Books on The Nightstand, Library Journal, and January Magazine. Here are some of the books that I read this year and would include in a best of list...

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell

Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

There were lots of books I enjoyed this year, but the books above stood out for one reason or another. I loved both Hotel on The Corner of Bitter and Sweet and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, both of which I chose for my reading group this year. I also enjoyed Burnt Shadows... I will write reviews for all of these soon, in the meantime I have links for all the other reviews so if you missed any of them this year you can catch up (just click on the book title)... What books were your favorites this year?! Have you read any of the books on my list?

Then there are the books that I didn't get a chance to read yet... Here are 5 books that I am making it a point to read ASAP (my own mini challenge!)... The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (The second book in the series is coming out in March!), Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson, Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk, and The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. Challenges are great because they focus your attention on a goal, and this little nudge is probably all I need to get these off the TBR pile! ... Are there books on your TBR pile that you're looking forward to finally reading? How about any books you've read about that you're looking forward to reading period?!

Speaking of challenges, I've already signed up for one, The Graphic Novels Challenge, and look forward to stepping out of the box and explore that genre a bit more... Another great thing about Challenges is that you can usually join in at any time. I joined The Japanese Literature Challenge a bit late, but found a lot of wonderful Japanese authors to explore! The Challenge was easy with only one book needed to be read to meet the requirements, but I still have a few more weeks until it ends and I'm going to try and slip in another book! Have you signed up for any Challenges?! I would love to hear about what challenges you're going to read for!

So, on to the New Year! Memoir Mondays will still be on mondays, as long as there are memoirs to be read! And I'm playing around with the idea of a cookbook review meme called What's Cooking... I'm going to heat up January with lots of Romance! I have a great giveaway coming up from Hachette Book Group, and I've saved some great romance book reviews starting next week! If you're not into romance ( Ok, guys I know you're out there!) there will be plenty of other book reviews too! Not to mention the start of a regular Book Club selection post with a reading group guide. I am also going to add more Kindle/eReader specific content because I just love my Kindle and there is just so much going on in the digital world... And finally NEXT MONTH is my Blogoversary! Watch out for some great giveaways all month long (in Feb.) as a thank you to EVERYONE who's made Chick with Books blossom into the blog that it is today!

Have a Great Week! Happy reading... Suzanne

Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa... A Review

Be With You

A Haunting Love Story....

"Soon I won't be with you any longer," 29-year-old Mio says to her husband Takumi, "But when the rainy season returns, I will come back to see how the two of you are getting along."

These simple words spoken a week before Mio leaves this world for the world beyond, somehow comforts Takumi, as he struggles to take care of himself and their 5 year old son Yuki... But one year later when the rainy season returns, so does Mio! In a walk thru the woods Takumi & Yuki are stunned to see a confused Mio standing before them. As Takumi calls out to her in disbelief, "Mio?" She asks "Is that my name?" She has no memory.... and Takumi decides then and there that he will lie to her and act as if she's been ill and has lost her memory due to her illness. And of course he's not going to tell her that she is a ghost. Takumi takes Yuki aside in secret and explains to him that they must not let on that she died - so they form a pact to act as normal as possible...

Mio is a bit apprehensive, things just don't seem right somehow... But she wants to know what she's forgotten, so Takumi begins to tell her their story, and in simple prose Takumi weaves a most unusual love story that slowly pulls the reader in and slowly makes Mio fall in love all over again with Takumi. At a steady pace, between the story of the present day, we learn the everyday mundane to the poignant moments that make up this love story. From the time they met at age 15 to the time just before Mio died. But what may appear to be a romantic ghost story is really much more than that. There is a twist to this story ...the present is the future and has a link to the past... On the surface it appears to be a simple story, but looks are deceiving... Just as we are taking the story for granted, we are suddenly found stirred by that surprising twist! And then the story takes on a whole different meaning!

There are also other concepts that Takuji Ichikawa deals with- such as the afterlife. In a beautifully written opening paragraph, our main character Takumi is describing Mio's death to their 5 year old son...

"When Mio died, this was how I thought.

Whoever made our planet must have made

another planet at the same time,

somewhere in the universe.

That would be the planet where people go when they die.

The name of that planet is Archive."

We are never far from the truth of the story because Ichikawa never hides the fact that Mio dies, but with the reappearance of Mio comes renewed hope for a happy ending and the question of what makes us love another person? A simple yet beautiful story....

The Japanese Literature Challenge 3

Our journey begins,

the masters bid you welcome--

attend to their words.

Magical Mystical Teacher

The Japanese Literature Challenge 3 marks the start of another reading adventure! That is what a challenge is meant to do- challenge you to read some of the books you've been meaning to read or challenge you to step out of the box and try something new.

Japanese Literature is usually defined by the beautifully written prose and poetry. And Bellezza of Dolce Bellezza has organized this challenge to begin July 30th, 2009 and end January 30th, 2010! "All you have to do is read one work of Japanese origin. It can be literature of course, but don't feel confined to that. You may choose to read poetry, biographies, short stories or even manga. If you are willing to read one such piece, you've met the challenge." All the readers who are participating in the challenge have a link at Dolce Bellezza to their announcement of their participation and their reviews HERE! There are some wonderful prizes for participating too! For all the details about the challenge and prizes head over to Dolce Bellezza HERE and read all about it. Bellezza also has a list of reading suggestions. (click on "reading suggestions" to be taken to the list!). Anyone can sign-up to participate and last look there were 67 people up for the challenge already!

This challenge gives me the nudge to read Haruki Murakami, famous for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, Kafka on the Shore and a long list of other books. He is well known for mixing the mundane with the bizarre. One of my choices to meet the challenge is to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle ... "Bad things come in threes for Toru Okada. He loses his job, his cat disappears, and then his wife fails to return from work. His search for his wife (and his cat) introduces him to a bizarre collection of characters, including two psychic sisters, a possibly unbalanced teenager, an old soldier who witnessed the massacres on the Chinese mainland at the beginning of the Second World War, and a very shady politician." I'm eager to finally read this author! Thanks Bellezza for giving me the nudge!

One of my other choices is Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa..."When Takumi's wife suddenly returns from the grave, he can't believe his eyes. How could such a thing be possible? Is she here to stay? Has love miraculously triumphed over death? As Takumi starts looking for answers to these questions, he discovers the secret of his wife's appearance is somehow linked to the past...and the future". This love story "captivated millions of Japanese readers", inspired a blockbuster movie, a TV series and a best-selling manga. It also took me into the manga section of Borders to find it. I love a good ghost story and this seems to blend both a love story & ghost story into something very special. The opening paragraph hooked me:

"When Mio died, this was how I thought.

Whoever made our planet must have made

another planet at the same time,

somewhere in the universe.

That would be the planet where people go when they die.

The name of that planet is Archive."

As I finish these books and maybe a few others ( I know I'm being a bit over ambitious here now!) I'll be putting up my reviews. I'll have a link to my reviews here!

Before I end today's post, I just wanted to point out the beautiful photograph that we are all using for our Challenge! It is from Tanabata, writer of In The Spring It Is The Dawn blog. She currently lives in Japan and took the photograph. She writes, "That photo was taken on the island of Miyajima, near Hiroshima. The shrine on the island is called Itsukushima-jinja and is a World Heritage site. The torii gate is considered one of the three great views in Japan." I think it is just an amazing photograph! I wanted to thank her for creating it for Bellezza and for allowing us to all share it for the challenge!

Up for the Challenge? Have you read any Japanese literature? Share some suggestions here!

Reviews for the Japanese Literature Challenge:

(Click on the Title to read the review)

Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa

Strangers by Taichi Yamada

Happy reading....

Suzanne