Happy 2024!
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami was a sweet Audible exclusive to kick off the new year. Tsukiko is a single professional in her thirties who likes things the way she likes them and is fond of routine. One day, she meets a former teacher at the bar. He is significantly older, and she calls him Sensei partially out of respect and partially because she can't remember her name. What follows is a deepening friendship over sake and old-fashioned love story. I found the description of Japanese/Tokyo culture just as interesting as the budding relationship.
I have a love/hate relationship with Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. A sort of backstory to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Farrell's writing is beautiful and vivid - every inner thought and character nuance explored. It was a bit of a slog, yet worth it in the end - I thought about giving up at least twice but so glad I didn't. Absolutely loved the narration - that's what got me through the rough spots.
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
- The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
- The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
