Stu’s 2023 journey January

1. Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto
2. Black Box by Shiori Ito
3. History of Violence by Edouard Louis 
4. The Chronicles of Lord Asunaro by Kanji Hanawa 
5. Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
6. We had to remove this post
7. Women running in the mountain by Yūko Tsushima
8. Leaves of Narcissus by Somaya Ramadan
9. So distant from my Life by Monique Ilboudo
10. Touring the land of the dead by Maki Kashimada 
11. Black Foam by Haji Jabir 
12. Colonel Chabert by Honore de Balzac

I had a great start to the year and I have reviewed twelve books this month. We started with a classic Japanese Crime novel that used train times and witnesses. Then a real crime rape in Japan a book about how rape victims are treated. Then we had Male rape in France a stark work of Autofiction. Then a slice of classic Japan with a young man awaiting the top Job. Then we have another stop in January in Japan at a cafe where people travel back and see their own past. Then a dutch novel around social media and being a moderator and the toll that takes on a person. The back to Japan and a single mother journey from nervous mother escaping a violent home life to a mother. Then we have an Egyptian novel that follows a young female student’s trip to Ireland to study. Then the first of two new countries on the blog this month a novcella from Burkina Faso about fail on the imigrant trail but also about what lengths people will go to. Then a collection of two novellas that was my last Japanese read this month. I Then head across Africa to eritrea and one man’s and his various names and identity changes around his jounrey to Israel and then the reality of being there. I finally end with a French classic Colonel Chabert which I hope to get to see one of the films that has been made of this novella .

book of the month

I choose Black Foam as it is a powerful look at one mans constant skin and indentity changing to get into Israel as a Jews from East Africa. It was longlisted for the Arabic booker prize.

Non book things

Well I have been watching old episodes of Hart to Hart on Freevee (free stream service in the uk from Amazon) just some silly crime drama from early 80s. I Non stop a thriller with Liam neeson that had a lot of twists and turns along the way. Also finally watch Bhaji ion the beach on first films around being Asian in Britain follows a ladies tripo to Blackpool as tsecrets and truths are told. Also Amanda and I are just in the early process of buying our first home. Which we are both very excited about.

Next Month

Well it is draw my breath time before the Man booker international which comes out on the 14th of March so next month will be me trying to read some books from Last year if any publishers are reading hapopily accept books or e books of biooks I may have missed along the way. I am off the first week for a number of days. What are your plans ?