My friend, Meredith (@Dolce Bellezza) is hosting her fifteenth Japanese Literature challenge. I have participated in it many times over the years and always enjoyed the books I read and the films I watched for it, so I am happy to join her once again. Here are her instructions:
The term ”challenge” comes from the early days of blogging, when reading challenges were set forth by so many of my blogging friends. But, this is not really a challenge; it is more of an opportunity to read and share works written by Japanese authors.
Here are a few guidelines:
- Read as many books as you like from January through March. (Even if that is ”only” one.)
- Make sure the work was originally written in Japanese.
- Choose from classic to contemporary works, whatever appeals to you.
- Leave a link on her website to your review.
I have a number of books I’d like to read for this challenge already on my bookshelves, but instead of listing them ahead of time, I’ll just keep a growing list of the books I read here on this post. Please check back often to see what I’ve been reading and enjoying for this challenge.
Red = Link to my review
Blue = Read but not reviewed
- A Man and His Cat, (volume 1) by Umi Sakurai
- A Man and His Cat, (volume 2) by Umi Sakurai
- A Man and His Cat, (volume 3) by Umi Sakurai
- A Man and His Cat, (volume 4) by Umi Sakurai
- The Cat Who Saved Books, by Sosuke Natsukawa
- Descending Stories, Volume 1, by Haruko Kumota
A Fondness For Reading 
Do you have a favorite or two from your past challenges?
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Marlo, here’s a list of most of the books I’ve read for this challenge over the years. I enjoyed them all, but I dearly love The Big Wave.
The Big Wave, by Pearl S. Buck
Thousand Cranes, by Yasunari Kawabata
The Bells of Nagasaki, by Takashi Nagai
After the Quake, by Haruki Murakami
Twenty-Four Eyes, by Sakae Tsuboi
Tales of Moonlight and Rain, by Akinari Ueda
Knit Kimono, by Vicki Square
The Revenge of the Forty-Seven Samuari, by Erik Christian Haugaard
Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata
Summer of the Big Bachi, by Naomi Hirahara
Kusamakura, by Natsume Soseki
The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko Agawa
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Thanks, Robin!
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Oh, I loved Tales of Moonlight and Rain, and The Housekeeper and the Professor, too! I’m so glad you’re participating again, Robin, and that you posted about it on your blog. It is so much fun for me to see what it is that people are reading, or have read; most of your list is unread by me except for the two I mentioned above, and Kira-Kira. xo
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Thank you, Meredith. I always enjoy my reading for this “challenge” and find so many interesting books to add to my TBR list!
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