Sunday Salon... with a few Books with Buzz!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....

Another week of reading has gone by! And a wonderful surprise came my way too! Not just in my mailbox on the street either- in my email box! I was nominated for Best New Blog in this years BBAW, or BookBloggers Appreciation Week! I am thrilled to have been nominated!

A BIG thank you to whoever nominated me! There are so many wonderful blogs out there that just being nominated is an honor! And I do feel honored! Thank you so much! A panel of judges will review all the blogs nominated (there are quite a few categories!) and on Sept. 7th the shortlist of nominees will be announced and voting will begin! I'll keep you posted if I make the shortlist... And to everyone that was nominated for an award, I wish you all the best of luck! So now you may be wondering about BBAW...

"Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities." So, Sept. 14 - 18th the big celebration begins with contests, awards, and interviews! So far 150 bloggers have signed up to participate, last year there were over 400! It should be a lot of fun and I'm glad Chick with Books is around this year to enjoy all the festivities! More on BBAW later...

For my reading this week I finished my first Japanese Literature Challenge book! I read Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa and will have the review posted this week! The challenge is to read at least one, but I will be continuing the challenge with a few more selections by Haruki Murakami- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, After Dark, and Kafka on the Shore! Have you read any Japanese fiction lately? Remember to visit The Japanese Literature Challenge page to see what everyone has read and reviewed!

In the mail this week I received David Morrell's newest book, The Shimmer! "When police officer Dan Page’s wife disappears, her trail leads to Rostov, a remote Texas town where unexplained phenomena attract hundreds of spectators each night. Not merely curious, these onlookers are compelled to reach this tiny community and gaze at the mysterious Rostov Lights. But more than the faithful are drawn there. A gunman begins shooting at the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from!” then turns his rifle on the innocent bystanders. As more and more people are drawn to the scene of the massacre, the stage is set for even greater bloodshed. To save his wife, Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights. In the process, he uncovers a deadly government secret dating back to the First World War. The lights are more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, but even more deadly are those who try to exploit forces beyond their control." I just cracked the spine last night and started to read it, and David Morrell's writing is great! This will be my first David Morrell novel. He is the co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization and has been called “the father of the modern action novel.” And thanks to Anna of FSB Associates for sending me the review copy! Look for my review in the next week or so...

And speaking of review & giveaway... I will be hosting a giveaway for The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon this week! " A story of fidelity and abandonment, birthright and expulsion, the saga of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar is the myth of origin for three monotheistic faiths... And Charlotte Gordon gives us a startling new perspective on this legendary love triangle, revealing three biblical characters who behave like real people..." I'll also be posting a review!

Another book this week with a lot of buzz... impossible by Nancy Weblin. "Werlin combines magic, romance, and a family curse in this 21st-century fairy tale based on the ballad Scarborough Fair." It's a YA novel, dealing with serious issues such as date rape and teen pregnancy, but the romance and fantasy of solving a family curse should intrigue all of us girls!

A few books to look forward to in the future... Her Fearful Symmetry, Sept. 29th, by the author of The Time Travelers Wife, Audrey Niffenegger... And An Echo in the Bone, Sept. 22nd, the new novel in the epic love story of Jamie and Claire by Diane Gabaldon. (If you've never heard of Diane Gabaldon and you like historical romance- look her up NOW!)

That's about it for this week's buzz.. What bookish things have you been doing? What books are you reading!? Leave a comment and let us all know what's going on with you this week!

I want to also thank everyone who sent their good wishes BJ's way! BJ (my fuzzy four legged reading companion seen below) is feeling much better! Thanks for your concerns and being such good friends!

BJ says woof too! .......

Thanks for stopping by! And Have a Happy reading week!...... Suzanne

How it Ends by Laura Wiess... Blog Tour

how it ends

true love reveals it all...

Laura Wiess talks about how she came about writing how it ends, and I think it describes perfectly the feelings that haunted me after turning the last page...

"How It Ends grew out of some haunting, unanswered questions and two completely separate, very distu

rbing images I've had tucked away in the back of my mind for years.

The unanswered questions were born as a result of several people who were dear to me passing away and me realizing -- after it was too late, of course -- that there were so many things I'd never asked them, stories only they knew that I should have taken the time to listen to and mostly, odd fragments of info discovered after their deaths that couldn't be resolved and will now always remain mysteries.

I started wondering about life stories, how each one of us has one that isn't apparent at first glance, what we tell the world about ourselves and what we deliberately tuck away and never reveal.

And of how we never really know someone, no matter how much we want to believe that we do.

I also wanted to explore how love begins, and how it ends, and what comes of each experience. I think everything that happens to us both teaches us something about ourselves -- what we accept, what we reject, what we're willing to trade and what we're not -- and shapes us for what comes next. The imprints -- both good and bad -- that we leave on each other -- often without meaning to -- and how we go on to translate them fascinates me no end."

At the beginning of the story we meet a very young Hanna, whose parents asked the next door neighbor Helen to take care of her during those times that Hanna needed refuge from a home that wasn't a place for a little girl to be. Helen became Grandma Helen and a bond was formed when a small sad little girl asked if "she was going away too?" And Grandma Helen answered that she would never leave her and her & Grandpa Lon's house became her safe haven. A place for chocolate chip pancakes, and homemade carrot cake, walks in the woods, and honest talks about anything that came to mind.... it was wonderful to read the first chapter and see how the bond between Hanna and Grandma Helen was formed... but as time passed, and Hanna grew up a bit, she spent less and less time at Grandma Helen's. Hanna was a teenager, dealing with boys and partying, and her growing sexuality- all the things that a teenager thinks is important at the time. She wants Seth, but once she's finally got him, things aren't as perfect as she had thought they would be. He treats her terribly! She turns to the one person she always has had for advice and comfort, but Helen isn't that person anymore. She's terminally ill and unable to speak or interact. Hanna decides she'll fulfill her community service requirement by spending time with Helen (something that would never would have been a chore before, but Helen's illness is so upsetting to Hanna). They start to listen to an audiobook that Helen had out, and Hanna is drawn into the story of real love & passion. Something she had wondered if true love could really exist. The story is is about a love between two people who cling to each other for survival, and then because of a deep and satisfying love. Feelings awaken in Hanna... and then the story becomes "too real...."

Laura Wiess did a wonderful job of writing this story within a story. Each chapter is either Hanna or Helen "speaking" to us, and eventually the audiobook becomes it's own separate chapters. I like these "alternate" voice chapters because it gives us insights into the thoughts of each of the characters pertaining to a particular event. Laura Wiess also knows how to write about teenage angst! You can feel Hanna's pain as she grows up, matures and comes to realize things that only a mature young lady can see.

The book was wonderful and sad at the same time. It will make you reflect about the people in your life that you may pass by every day without a thought....

Laura Wiess is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Such a Pretty Girl, chosen as one of the ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults and 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Leftovers. Originally from Milltown, New Jersey, she traded bumper-to-bumper traffic, excellent pizza, and summer days down the shore for scenic roads, bears, no pizza delivery, and the irresistible allure of an old stone house surrounded by forests in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains Region. Learn more about Laura at from her author page at Simon & Schuster. And a big thank you to Sarah of Pocket Books for sharing the review copy of how it ends with me! Thanks Sarah it was a wonderful book!

P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Check out some of the other blogs hosting Laura Wiess and the how it ends Blog Tour:

My Book Views, Book Soulmates, A Journey of Books,

Just Jennifer Reading,Debbie’s World of Books, All About {n},

Bookin’ with Bingo, Starting Fresh, Booksie’s Blog,

Readaholic, Books and Needlepoint, Bella’s Novella,

Frugal Plus, Eclectic Book Lover, My Own Little Corner of the World,

Chick Loves Lit, Poisoned Rationality,

So Many Books, So Little Time, Beth’s Book Review Blog,

Park Avenue Princess, Half Deserted Streets, Power in the Blog, Metroreader,

Crazy for Books, Angieville, Blog Business World

In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld... A Review

In Hovering Flight by Joyce Hinnefeld

The Beauty of Nature is all around us...

Joyce Hinnefeld describes In Hovering Flight as "the story of the struggles and triumphs of bird artist and activist Addie Sturmer Kavanagh, ornithologist and musician Tom Kavanagh, and their daughter, poet Scarlet Kavanagh. It’s a novel about mothers, daughters, and art; about illness, death, and burial; about fragile eco-systems and tenacious human relationships—all explored through characters who are inspired by the lives, and particularly the songs, of birds."

I found In Hovering Flight to be thought provoking and stirring. I started reading it and couldn't put it down until I finished it. It begins with a daughter coming home to say goodbye to her mother dying of cancer. Addie, the mother, a famous bird artist and environmental activist, is surrounded by her best friends from college, Cora & Lou, and her dear husband, Tom. In saying goodbye, we are whisked off to the beginning of Addie and Toms humble beginnings as student and college professor, lovers who are passionate about the natural world around them. We learn of a complicated life, of the strength of friendship and the agony of betrayal and how the sum of everything draws everyone back to Addie in the end. With the gentle remembrances of the people most important to Addie, Addies daughter Scarlet gains a better understanding of her mother and who she really was. On the surface it is a love story of Addie & Tom and Addie's struggles with being activist, mother and wife. But just below the surface it is a beautifully written story of the nature that surrounds us and the gifts that it can give us if we just stand still for a moment and take it all in.... listen to the song of the birds... feel the crush of the grass underneath our feet... Watch the soar of a hawk... and how life is precious for all of nature and we should try and appreciate it all while we can.

Bird lovers will appreciate the poetic voice Joyce Hinnefeld lends to the descriptions of the patient wait in the woods to see a scarlet tanger, a wood thrush or a beautiful cardinal, and the mysterious deciphering of a bird song heard in the distance. I've actually gone to Cape May birding during fall migration and this story captures the wonder of it all...

It's a beautifully written story. One that you may find yourself reading passages from again just to revisit the beauty of nature....

Would you like to read an excerpt? You'll find excerpts HERE . To learn more about Joyce Hinnefeld, please visit the author's website HERE! You'll also find an interview with Joyce there too!

In Hovering Flight will be in bookstores this Tuesday, August 25th! I want to thank Caitlin of Unbridled Books for sharing this book with me! It was a very special read and I enjoyed it very much!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Happy reading...

Suzanne

Giveaway & Review : Up for Renewal by Cathy Alter

Up for Renewal... Opening yourself up for change in the magazine aisle!

Hi Everyone! And the winner is.... Victoria! Congrats! I'll post all the great magazine advice titles everyone came up with soon with a link here so you can read them all! So you'll have to come back to check them all out- they are all GREAT! And a BIG Thank you to EVERYone who joined in on the fun!

Up For Renewal, What magazines taught me about love, sex, and starting over by Cathy Alter. "By age thirty-seven, Cathy Alter had made a mess of her life. With a failed marriage already under her belt, she was continuing down the path of poor decisions, one paved with a steady stream of junk food, unpaid bills, questionable friends, and highly inappropriate men. So she sat down and asked her-self what she truly wanted. A decent guy. A nicer home. More protein. When she took a closer look at her wants, she noticed something that seemed very familiar—with the addition of exclamation points, her list could easily be transformed into the cover lines on every women’s magazine: Find the love you deserve! Paint to the rescue! Eggs-actly perfect meals! ...So Cathy gave over her life to the glossies for the next twelve months, resolving to follow their advice without question. By the end of her subscriptions, she would get rid of upper-arm jiggle, crawl out of debt, host the perfect dinner party, run a mile without puking, engage in better bathtub booty, ask for a raise, and rehaul her apartment."

Up for Renewal was funny & charming! And I really enjoyed it! With Cathy's life so out of control it didn't seem such a stretch to let all the magazines screaming advice on the rack to take over her life, so that's what she did- for one year she followed the advice from these magazines without question and the result was a funny, unbelievably honest look at how she changed her life with the flip of a page.

Each month was a different 'goal'. She started out slow & easy - eating healthier was her first month. She wasn't overweight, but had a lot of bad habits including junk food. So brown bagging it to work would be healthier and save her some money. Real Simple magazine had an tutorial on sandwich wrapping (an actual tutorial!?) and which was the best wrap to use... then she tackles "keep fear from running your life" , fashion month, sex month, cooking month and in the middle of all this change she finds a "healthy" relationship and begins to apply her new found magazine advice to her relationship with Karl - from moving in together to dealing with his mother. Some of her 'experiments' were a riot! And some were very heartwarming. Her sarcasm and wit make for a great story. She is the real "Bridget Jones Diary"!

Along the way, she questioned whether these women's magazines were really designed to make women feel bad about themselves by always making us feel like we'd never have the perfect "_____" (you fill in the blank), but ultimately her verdict was that these magazines "were just the vehicles (ambulances during some months) she took to the road to self-discovery." She, like each of us, is the person who ultimately makes the positive changes in our own life.

It's funny that since I've read this book I really pay attention to all the magazine covers to see what advice they are offering 'this month'... Do you ever buy a magazine for the advice on the cover? When you don't subscribe to a magazine, isn't that the reason why you buy one off the stand- something in that issue is calling your name. Advice, recipes, paint choice it's all there! If you'd like to learn more about Cathy Alters and her book Up for Renewal, check out her Home Page! Would you like to read the first chapter? Here's the Excerpt!

Now about the giveaway! Courtesy of Minjae O., Cathy Alters PR consultant, I had the privilege of receiving a copy of Up for Renewal for review! PLUS, Minjae generously sent me another copy so I could give it away to one of my readers! Since I'm sending it along to one lucky person, I am opening this giveaway up to my international readers too! So if I can mail a book to you thru the post office you are eligible to enter!

To Enter this Giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*For another entry, follow my blog and leave a comment to let me know you just became a follower. (if you already are a follower you will get an extra entry!)

*For another entry Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

*For a bonus entry write your own magazine advice headline and leave it in a comment! (Such as... "Make your skin glow with mayonnaise and water") Remember we're having fun here, don't be shy!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, plus anywhere I can mail a book thru the post office! (No P.O. Boxes, please) Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on Sept. 5th. I'll randomly pick the winner the next day and email that person. Please check your email... winner must reply to me!

Good luck everyone!

*P.S. Not part of the giveaway, but just wanted to let my Kindle readers know, this book is Kindle Ready!

Sunday Salon... Books with Buzz and A Kindle related gift

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....

One of those very busy weeks, with a few trips to the vet for my reading companion BJ (he doesn't do any of the reading though, he just listens..), but now he seems to be on the road to recovery, with a course of rest and anti-inflammatory drugs. So in between reading doggie 'health books', there have been quite a few "Books with Buzz" to talk about this week... and I'll be making up for my lack of reviews this past week, this coming week! For now though here are a few notable books to put on your TBR list!...

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf. "It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Seven-year-old Calli Clark is sweet, gentle, a dreamer who suffers from selective mutism brought on by tragedy that pulled her deep into silence as a toddler. Calli's mother, Antonia, tried tobe the best mother she could within the confines of marriage to a mostly absent, often angry husband. Now, though she denies that her husband could be involved in the possible abductions, she fears her decision to stay in her marriage has cost her more than her daughter's voice. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli has been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. " So much good talk about this book. A few people I know who have read it were drawn in immediately to the story and couldn't put it down. So, this is on my TBR list and I think it's going to be on quite a few 'must read lists' in the coming months.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman "Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. He's a senior in high school, and a certifiable genius but he's still secretly obsessed with a series of fantasy novels he read as a kid, about the adventures of five children in a magical land called Fillory. Compared to that, anything in his real life just seems gray and colorless. Everything changes when Quentin finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the practice of modern sorcery. He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. But something is still missing. Magic doesn't bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would. Then, after graduation, he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real." This book has been described as 'Harry Potter discovers Narnia is real' and is suppose to be an adult story book. Lot's and lots of positive buzz for this book! A homage to Harry P. For all of us who miss reading about Harry this might fit the bill, but with more of an adult twist here and there.

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt. Thanks to the Man Booker Prize longlist I read about and was intrigued by this book. "Olive Wellwood is a famous writer, interviewed with her children gathered at her knee. For each, she writes a private book, bound in its own colour and placed on a shelf. In their rambling house near Romney Marsh the children play in a storybook world - but their lives, and those of their rich cousins and friends, are already inscribed with mystery. Each family carries its own secrets. Born at the end of the Victorian era and growing up in the golden summers of Edwardian times, a whole generation grew up unaware of the darkness ahead; in their innocence, they were betrayed unintentionally by the adults who loved them." The saga of the families plays out in the changing times of the culture and we are swept away with them... The change of life from the victorian times to the more 'progressive' edwardian times.

Ok, now a little something for your Kindle.... (also meant for books too!)

A Kindle friendly present... Have you ever tried to lean your Kindle against something to read it hands free. To have it stand up while you're lying down? Well, I bought a Peeramid BookRest, a kind of pyramid shape pillow with a ledge to rest your book and a tassel bookmark to keep your page. But I thought my Kindle would fit perfect on that little ledge and it sure did. Use it on the floor, on your lap, etc. It comes in a lot of colors and a few different material choices. It looks like a throw pillow when not it use... Click on the link above to go directly to the Peeramid's website....

I ordered mine from Amazon.com, but if you do a google search for Peeramid Bookrest there are quite a few places that sell them. They retail between $32 and $40 depending on the fabric.

I hoped I peaked your interest a little here! Don't forget there are some great giveaways going on and next week there will be a couple more interesting giveaways. One of which is going to be international! So keep in touch, tell me what books you're reading this week! And if you have a furry pal at home give him or her a big hug!

Happy reading...

Suzanne

Giveaway & Blog Tour! Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart

Secret societies and gorgeous men looking for artifacts?

How can you resist?!?

Hi Everyone! I've emailed the winners! So check your email! And I'll post them as soon as I hear back from everyone! Thanks to EVERYone who joined in on the fun!

About the Book...Fielding Grey is the second son of the Marquess of Eldon and fortune hunter by night. He's on a mission for the Legend Hunters--a group of wealthy, titled, and heart-breakingly gorgeous men, each of whom are after the find of the century--he has his eyes set on obtaining the illustrious Pandora's Box. But before he finds it, he encounters an equally alluring treasure--the woman bold enough to look inside.

Esme Worthington can't resist taking the tiniest peek inside when fate drops the real Pandora's Box in her lap. Thus, she unleashes one of Pandora's irresistible curses: the curse of lust. Now, both Esme and Fielding must deal with this passionate curse--or blessing?--before unknown implications of Pandora's Box overpower them both.

This book was so much fun! The pursuit of the fabled Pandora's box, which bookish Esme has an interesting connection with, is a wonderful adventure. Thru darkened streets in carriages, down dimly lit corridors, thru old libraries searching for a cryptic diary you are taken on an amazing ride. And if that's not enough for you bookish girls, there's the sizzle of romance between Fielding Grey and Esme. Of course Fielding is trying to resist Esme with all his might, trying to be a gentleman, but it hasn't been easy. And since Esme picked up herself a little something called 'the curse of lust' from sneaking a peek inside Pandora's box she can't help but throw herself at Fielding every chance she gets. And it does get hot too!

A great story with a fun plot, well developed characters that almost walk from the pages of the book, and a romance that sizzles upon touch! Seduce Me by Robyn DeHart will seduce you!

About Robyn DeHart...

Robyn DeHart has published four books with Avon: Courting Claudia, A Study in Scandal, Deliciously Wicked, and Tempted At Every Turn. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers' Weekly claims her writing to be "comical and sexy" while the Chicago Tribune dubs her "wonderfully entertaining." Seduce Me is the first in her new series called The Legend Hunters. "The Legend Hunters ...The Men of Solomon's meet in secret, their very existence only a rumor among the best of Victorian society. They are treasure hunters, men of wealth and title, seekers of myths and legends..." Robyn tells us that "The concept behind the Legend Hunters series and the gentleman’s club Solomon’s came from my love of archaeology and treasure hunting as well as great adventure/romance movies like Indiana Jones and The Mummy." You can learn more about Robyn by visiting her website HERE! And while you're there check out the fun book trailer! And if you'd like to find out 5 fun facts about Robyn, check out her Author Page at Hachette Books!

NOW for the Giveaway... I have 5 copies of Seduce Me for a giveaway to my readers courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group ! Thanks Anna for the opportunity to share this fun book!

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*For another entry, follow my blog and leave a comment to let me know you just became a follower. (if you already are a follower you will get an extra entry!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and from the publishers. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Sept. 5th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

The Japanese Literature Challenge 3

Our journey begins,

the masters bid you welcome--

attend to their words.

Magical Mystical Teacher

The Japanese Literature Challenge 3 marks the start of another reading adventure! That is what a challenge is meant to do- challenge you to read some of the books you've been meaning to read or challenge you to step out of the box and try something new.

Japanese Literature is usually defined by the beautifully written prose and poetry. And Bellezza of Dolce Bellezza has organized this challenge to begin July 30th, 2009 and end January 30th, 2010! "All you have to do is read one work of Japanese origin. It can be literature of course, but don't feel confined to that. You may choose to read poetry, biographies, short stories or even manga. If you are willing to read one such piece, you've met the challenge." All the readers who are participating in the challenge have a link at Dolce Bellezza to their announcement of their participation and their reviews HERE! There are some wonderful prizes for participating too! For all the details about the challenge and prizes head over to Dolce Bellezza HERE and read all about it. Bellezza also has a list of reading suggestions. (click on "reading suggestions" to be taken to the list!). Anyone can sign-up to participate and last look there were 67 people up for the challenge already!

This challenge gives me the nudge to read Haruki Murakami, famous for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, Kafka on the Shore and a long list of other books. He is well known for mixing the mundane with the bizarre. One of my choices to meet the challenge is to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle ... "Bad things come in threes for Toru Okada. He loses his job, his cat disappears, and then his wife fails to return from work. His search for his wife (and his cat) introduces him to a bizarre collection of characters, including two psychic sisters, a possibly unbalanced teenager, an old soldier who witnessed the massacres on the Chinese mainland at the beginning of the Second World War, and a very shady politician." I'm eager to finally read this author! Thanks Bellezza for giving me the nudge!

One of my other choices is Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa..."When Takumi's wife suddenly returns from the grave, he can't believe his eyes. How could such a thing be possible? Is she here to stay? Has love miraculously triumphed over death? As Takumi starts looking for answers to these questions, he discovers the secret of his wife's appearance is somehow linked to the past...and the future". This love story "captivated millions of Japanese readers", inspired a blockbuster movie, a TV series and a best-selling manga. It also took me into the manga section of Borders to find it. I love a good ghost story and this seems to blend both a love story & ghost story into something very special. The opening paragraph hooked me:

"When Mio died, this was how I thought.

Whoever made our planet must have made

another planet at the same time,

somewhere in the universe.

That would be the planet where people go when they die.

The name of that planet is Archive."

As I finish these books and maybe a few others ( I know I'm being a bit over ambitious here now!) I'll be putting up my reviews. I'll have a link to my reviews here!

Before I end today's post, I just wanted to point out the beautiful photograph that we are all using for our Challenge! It is from Tanabata, writer of In The Spring It Is The Dawn blog. She currently lives in Japan and took the photograph. She writes, "That photo was taken on the island of Miyajima, near Hiroshima. The shrine on the island is called Itsukushima-jinja and is a World Heritage site. The torii gate is considered one of the three great views in Japan." I think it is just an amazing photograph! I wanted to thank her for creating it for Bellezza and for allowing us to all share it for the challenge!

Up for the Challenge? Have you read any Japanese literature? Share some suggestions here!

Reviews for the Japanese Literature Challenge:

(Click on the Title to read the review)

Be With You by Takuji Ichikawa

Strangers by Taichi Yamada

Happy reading....

Suzanne