this book is a book lover's best friend.

in under 150 pages it manages to make uniquely touching observations on human relationships and our relationship with books.

part one was just so good. seeing and understanding takako and satoru's relationship as it used to be and as it developed into what it became, reflecting takako as she explored her love of reading was just so so well written.

pleaseeee do yourself a favour and read this.

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

veryyyyy intriguing, the deranged, unreliable storytelling makes this a fascinating read for sure! I found the events being told somewhat out of order a little disorienting at times but still a very interesting book that dives into themes like gender, race, class and power dynamics

2 quotes that I think sum up the mc quite well:

If he could only stop being exactly who he is, we could be happy.

The things that's drive me crazy about her are the things that drive me crazy about me.

The White Book by Han Kang

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

this is just a collection of my favourite quotes :D

Each moment is a leap forwards from the brink of an invisible cliff [...] Now in this moment, I feel that vertiginous thrill course through me. As I step recklessly into time I have not yet lived, into this book I have not yet written.

[...] the fact that our lives are no more than brief instants is felt with unequivocal clarity.
Each wave becomes dazzlingly white at the momentof its shattering. Further out, the tranquil body of water flashes like the scales of an innumerable fish. The gilittering of multitudes is there. The shifting, stirring, tossing of multitudes. Nothing is eternal.

Sand
And she frequently forgot,
That her body (all our bodies) is a house of sand.
That it had shattered and is shattering still.
Slipping stubbornly through fingers.

My life means yours is impossible.
Only in the gap between darkness and light, only in that blue-tinged breach, do we manage to make out each other's faces.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

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emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced