Welcome to Litsy!

Had a busy weekend, so here's another catch-up post!
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"The clock struck 1:00 A.M."

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

From the blurb, this sounds like it has vibes of one of my favourite TV shows, Midnight Diner. It's set in a taxi rather than a café, but the episodic stories of Tokyo's late-night/early-morning denizens resonates. Fingers crossed 🤞

I think I am going to bail on this for now. I have read 30 pages and it isn't pulling me in. I know so many enjoyed it, but it is due back at the library tomorrow and so many people are waiting. There is no way I am going to push through it all today. And obviously I have plenty to read from the library.

At first I didn‘t know what to make of this book. Were it loosely connected stories, all set in a fantasy setting? YA maybe? And then I got it and I got the message. A book that packs a punch in a quite unexpected way(to me) and well deserves its place on the #InternationalBooker shortlist!

Well, I‘ve only read the tagged from the Booker Intl shortlist so far although I‘m on the list at the library for the others except for Small Boat, which isn‘t available.

Dystopian feel, with pared down prose and a lot mystery. Eventually we figure out we're in some future with a much smaller population of humanity. And we're within an unnatural system where no one seems to understand the controls. [The Giver] was always on my mind. This is is a bit of a puzzle to put together.

I liked it. I liked the pared down prose and curiosity build-up.

#booker #IB2025 No. 3

Working ok this one. #booker #IB2025

I really liked this book; it reminded me of science fiction in the style of Ishiguro‘s books. It‘s a clever and powerful statement on human nature and our undying capacity to work against ourselves in the name of self-interest. A line that feels especially poignant right now: “Oh you…dear humans…won‘t you find some way to help one another?” 💔

Happy Saturday! Really enjoying this first read from the Booker International longlist. Lucky for me to have two works of Japanese fiction on the list this year. 😀