Japanese Readathon

Japanese Readathon
hosted by @jplitreadathon
reading the group picks
check out their details for more
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FEBRUARY:

Sweet Bean Paste
by Durian Sukegawa
translated by Alison Watts
Contemporary, Japan | Published: 2017 (for 2013) | Goodreads

APRIL:

The Old Capital
by Yasunari Kawabata
translated by J. Martin Holman and Vanja Lantz
Classic, Historical, Japan | Published: 2006 (first 1962) | Goodreads | my rating: 5
being a foundling, interesting concept
JUNE:

The Sound of Waves
by Yukio Mishima
Literary, Classic, Japan | Published: 1956 | Goodreads | my rating: 5

JULY:

Spring Snow
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Michael Gallagher
Literary, Historical, Japan | Goodreads

AUGUST:

Automatic Eve
by Rokurō Inui
translated by Matt Treyvaud
SciFi, Steampunk, Japan | Published: 2019 | Goodreads

OCTOBER:

Revenge
by Yoko Ogawa
translated by Stephen Snyder
Short Stories, Horror, Japan | Published: 2013 (first 1998) | Goodreads
DECEMBER:

The Great Passage
by Shion Miura
translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Literary, Writing, Japan | Published: 2017 (first 2011) | Goodreads

Japanese Readathon July

Japanese Readathon
hosted by @jplitreadathon
July 1st-15th:

Spring Snow
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Michael Gallagher
Literary, Historical, Japan | Goodreads | my rating: tba

July 16th-31st:

Runaway Horses
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Michael Gallagher
Literary, Historical, Japan | Published: 1999 (first 1969) | Goodreads | my rating: tba

August 1st-15th:

The Temple of Dawn
by Yukio Mishima
translated by E. Dale Saunders, Cecilia Segawa Seigle
Literary, Historical, Japan | Published: 2001 (first 1970) | Goodreads | my rating: tba

August 16th-31st:

The Decay of the Angel
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Edward G. Seidensticker
Literary, Historical, Japan | Published: 2001 (first 1970) | Goodreads | my rating: tba

Japanese Readathon June

Japanese Readathon June
hosted by @jplitreadathon
#MiniMangaReadathon
Dates: June 11th-13th, your own timezone

Prompt: FREE CHOICE

What Did You Eat Yesterday?
volume 1
by Fumi Yoshinaga
Manga, LGBTQ, Food | Published: 2014 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
cute couple and includes recipes

#JPLitReadathon
Dates: June 14th-20th, your own timezone

Prompts:

1. free choice

2. Pride Month celebration: book/author with LGBTQIA+ representation (if you're unsure where to look for, here's a Goodreads list that might help you out in picking up a book for this prompt (here) or search "Japanese LGBTQ+ literature (translated to English)" in Goodreads Lists search

June: Real World
by Natsuo Kirino
translated by Philip Gabriel
Mystery, Horror, Japan | Published: 2008 (first 2003) | Goodreads | my rating: tba
a couple LGBTQ characters included 3. group pick:

The Sound of Waves
by Yukio Mishima
Literary, Classic, Japan | Published: 1956 | Goodreads | my rating: 5

Books and Puzzles: Spring Snow

Spring pairing of a Japanese classic and Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival themed puzzle.
book: Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima

puzzle: Cherry Blossom Parade art by Heronim Wysocki
Sure Lox, Puzzle Time (300 pc)

Japanese Literature Challenge 2021

Japanese Literature Challenge
(self-challenge)
April to December 2021

After The Quake
by Haruki Murakami
translated by Jay Rubin
Short Stories, Japan | Goodreads | my rating: 4
one with an interesting frog character

Spring Snow
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Michael Gallagher
Literary, Historical, Japan | Goodreads | my rating: tba

The Summer of the Ubume
by Natsuhiko Kyogoku
translated by Alexander O. Smith, Elye J. Alexander
Horror, Ghosts, Japan | Goodreads | my rating: tba

Where the Wild Ladies Are
by Aoko Matsuda
translated by Polly Barton
Short Stories, Feminism, Japan | Published: 2020 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
non-traditional female routes, sad and dark alternatives

The Woman in the Purple Skirt
by Natsuko Imamura
translated by Lucy North
Literary, Japan | Published: 2021 | Goodreads | my rating: 4
strange, living vicariously, stalker-ish

~*~ * image header source: reading woman
* also reading picks for:
Japanese Literature Challenge Jan-Mar (here)
Japanese Mystery Readalong Book Club (here)
TW Book Club (here)
Japanese Readathon: 2021 | April | June | July | August

The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima

The Sound of Waves
by Yukio Mishima
Published: 1956
Publisher: Berkley Medallion
Paperback: 141
Rating: 5
Goodreads

First sentence(s):
Uta-Jima--song Island--has only about fourteen hundred inhabitants and a coastline of something under three miles.

Set in a remote fishing village in Japan, The Sound of Waves is a timeless story of first love. It tells of Shinji, a young fisherman and Hatsue, the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in the village. Shinji is entranced at the sight of Hatsue in the twilight on the beach and they fall in love. When the villagers' gossip threatens to divide them, Shinji must risk his life to prove his worth.

My two-bits:

Beautiful love story with folktale feels.

Loved the unexpected ways this storytelling went.

~*~
* weekly theme: Japan - small town