My Friday Five...

1. Books. I'm reading the new Elizabeth Strout book, Tell Me Everything. It will be released August 13th. And, it is terrific! I am loving it! I'm really enjoying having Bob, Lucy, and Olive in the same story - what a treat! Strout is a master storyteller and I am in just in awe of her work. I'm already looking forward to rereading her books. Make sure to check out Tell Me Everything. 

2.  Tracker. The TV show. My mom got me hooked on it, so now I watch it every week. I was annoyed, because I watch it on Hulu the day after it airs and this past Monday it was not available. Somehow, when they uploaded it, they ended up uploading 60 Minutes instead. Suffice it to say, I was able to watch it the other day and it was such a good episode.  I can't wait for the next one and I heard that the show got approved for a second season. And, thanks to my friend Lark, Lark Writes...on books and life, who also happens to be a fan of Tracker, I found out about the books. How did I not know this? Yep, Jeffrey Deaver has written The Colter Shaw series that Tracker is based on and I MUST now add these books to my TBR list. 

3.  No Spend/No Buy.  I was trying to curb my spending, because needs must. However, I wound up ordering a few bits and bobs recently. And, the guilt is real. Ack! Especially, since it was stationery supplies, which I already have too many of.  Yikes! I don't feel guilty about pre-ordering books, because books are always a Must-Buy. Oh well. I need to just not buy anything now. Wish me luck!

4. TBR book. Banana Yoshimoto has a new book that will be released in November! Woo hoo! I can't wait! It's called, Mittens and Pity: Stories. Yep, it's a collection of six short stories and I just know they are going to be ace. I love her writing, so I am really looking forward to this book. Mittens and Pity will definitely fall under the Must-Buy list. 

5. Music.  James released a new album titled, Yummy. I've been listening to my copy on repeat. I love this band. I heard their music freshman year of college and became a huge fan. I was lucky enough to see them perform in London when I was in grad school. I've been listening to them for nearly thirty years now. They are one of my favorites. 

And now, I'm off to start my weekend. Hope you have a terrific one! Happy reading!

My current read...

Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto

Loved this book to bits! Goodbye Tsugumi is now my FAVORITE story by Yoshimoto. It just really touched my heart and got me thinking about my own family, specifically  my cousins.  Growing up, my aunt from Texas would send her three oldest kids to our house for the summer. And when I say house, it was a duplex that barely fitted us all in it.  Yet, we all managed to squeeze in there and enjoy a summer full of pizza, walks to the park, junk food runs at the local shop, and horror movie binges.  I was a kid, so it was all fun times for me. Looking back, I have so many fond memories of those summers. I think those memories ensured my love for this book - this story just gave me all the feels and I really enjoyed it.

This is the story of Maria and Tsugumi.  Cousins who grew up together.  Maria and her mom lived at the inn that Tsugumi's family owned on the beach.  Her father was married, so Maria and her mom endured year of waiting for him to get divorced.  Eventually, the three of them are able to finally live as a family unit, so they move to Tokyo to be together. Leaving behind the inn is hard for Maria who finds herself missing the beach and looking for smells of the ocean as she traipses around Tokyo.  One day she receives a phone call from Tsugumi telling her that the inn is being sold.  Maria is shocked. She always imagined revisiting the inn again and again.  So, she decides to spend her summer at the inn - one last hurrah before its gone.

As we learn about Maria, we learn about her cousin Tsugumi.  A cousin that she is quite fond of and a bit weary of.  Tsugumi was born sick and the doctors told her parents that she would die young.  Growing up alongside Tsugumi, Maria witnessed firsthand the constant battle with fevers and pains that her cousin endured.  She also witnessed the cruel behavior that Tsugumi became known for.  Being sick and knowing that death could come at any time, Tsugumi was not a nice person.  She was unhappy, therefore she made everyone else unhappy. She would throw out insults, steal your favorite treat, make you cry, and remind you that she was the one dying so you had no reason to complain.  She was the worst. She was also strong, smart, funny, and determined.  Tsugumi lived with her illness daily and yet she would push through it to live her life as best she could.  The two cousins grew close after an incident referred to as the Haunted Mailbox.  From that point on, the two seemed to connect even more so than before.  And now, Maria would be spending another summer at the inn with Tsugumi.

Happy to be back at the place she once called home, Maria quickly settles into life at the inn.  The summer moves along nicely - walks on the beach, seafood galore, and quality time with her family.  The girls meet a boy on the beach - his family is opening a huge hotel on the beach that is driving the locals crazy.  Tsugumi and this boy fall in love.  Life is good.  Maria is happy to see her cousin so content.  Things seem to be moving along swimmingly and then...DRAMA.  Yep, drama comes in the form of a dog-napping, a very deep hole, and a close call with death.  Maria sees Tsugumi in all her colors and gets to know her even more so during that last summer at the inn.  She sees her cousin be ill and endure so much pain.  She sees her cousin battle death.  She sees her cousin's resilience.  And, she finally learns about her cousin's take on life in the form of a letter - Tsugumi thought the end was near so she penned Maria a letter.  Its magical, sad, and just lovely to read all about.  I enjoyed it so much.

Yoshimoto has created a pair of cousins that I couldn't help but fall in love with. Their dynamic was such fun to read about.  She's written a story that not only explores family, but also looks at love, death, and illness. And she writes about it all with such depth and authenticity.  You can taste the sea air and feel the sand between your toes.  You can hear the chatter between cousins as they watch their favorite TV show.  You can feel Tsugumi's hand burning with fever.  You can hear the yapping of the dog as he runs around in circles. And you can see the love between all of these characters as they fight, yell, apologize, and accept one another.  Its truly such a treat to experience.

Goodbye Tsugumi is a quiet and emotional story that will just melt your heart.  It will draw you in and keep you hooked.  I would happily recommend it to everyone. 

Perfect read for JLC5!

She's back! Banana Yoshimoto's latest work, The Lake is out now! In her new book, she creates "a hypnotic, delicate, and suspenseful tale about a young painter named Chihiro and her relationship with a brilliant but troubled young man named Nakajima who has a mysterious trauma in his past."  Talk about a must-read book! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and dive into Yoshimoto's words - I am positive it will be an excellent read!  And of course it will be the perfect book to read for the upcoming JLC5 hosted by Bellezza.  Can't wait to read everyone's thoughts on this one and post some of my own ideas about the book.

Don't you just love it when a book makes you excited about reading? Bliss.

And just so you know, a portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to helping those affected by the devastation in Japan.

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

I finished Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto quite some time ago, but for some reason haven't felt compelled to post about it.  It was my second read for the JLC4 (Japanese Literature Challenge 4 hosted by Bellezza) and one that I am glad I finally read.  However, its not exactly a book that I can truly be effusive about.  Don't get me wrong, its very well written, quite interesting and orginal, but there is just something slightly off kilter about it that makes me feel rather disconnected from it for some reason.  So, I'll be making this rather brief.

Comprised of two short stories (Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow), Kitchen by Yoshimoto is a quirky read that deals with loss, friendship, love, mother-child relationships, and so much more in such a short space that you can't help but be impressed by Yoshimoto's talent of the written word.  The characters are interesting and easily relatable, but at the same time there is something a bit off putting about them, which makes you feel as if you never truly get to know them.  As for the stories themselves, well, their titles are rather revealing as to the nature of each plotline. 

Kitchen:

In Kitchen we have Mikage who has just lost her grandmother and has been sleeping in the kitchen of their apartment.  She befriends a boy  named Yuichi and his mother Eriko and soon finds herself living with them - sleeping on their gigantic sofa facing their kitchen.  The kitchen is the only place where Mikage feels at peace.  They separate for a bit, but after Eriko dies, Yuichi eventually gets ahold of Mikage and reconnects with her and soon their friendship deepens into a partnership that involves, love, insecurities, and hope - basically everything involved in a romantic relationship.  

Moonlight Shadow:

As for the next story, Moonlight Shadow, we have the loss of a brother and lover.  Unable to move forward after the deaths of Hitoshi and Yumiko, Satsuki and Hiiragi must come to grips with their lives and the ways in which they are dealing with their joint and separate losses.  Under the moonlight shadow, both characters are able to have one last encounter with their respective loved ones and are finally able to let go of a past that is both memorable and heartbreaking. 

My thoughts:

As I've already mentioned, I don't really have much to say about either story, except that even now, weeks after reading this book, I am still left with a sense of longing for more.  Ending each story as quickly as she created each character and their tales of loss, Yoshimoto has left me in awe of her ability to touch upon a variety of issues within a few sentences and also her penchant for evoking emotional connections that border on sadness, despair, hope and love within such a short time frame.  She leaves her readers wondering about each character and what, if anything they have gained from these pages of words, words, words.  And let me just say, that though I felt a disconnection with the characters, at times I did feel an emotional pull toward them and as for what I gained from each story, well that is still to be determined.  What I do know, is that Yoshimoto is a powerful writer who has written a great book of short stories that leaves a lasting impression on whoever reads it.