Guys, I am feeling rather sad about not being approved for a galley of Murakami’s newest book, Killing Commendatore, due to hit shelves this October. I’ve been waiting so long for the translation and you all know how much I love Murakami. I am dying. I even tried to appeal it, only to be declined again. No reason. Just declined.
What’s funny is that I always buy the book anyway. Sometimes more than one copy. One to read, one to keep untouched. But I seriously wanted to sink my teeth into that 700+ page galley. I am so sad. And yes, I was selected as a Murakami ambassador once but nope… didn’t help me at all.
Look. At. It.
Right Now:
Moving on, because I kind of have to even though I am bitter inside. Today is my last day off from student ministry so we have church this morning and then nothing.
This Week:
School starts for The Girl on Thursday. She has two volleyball games this week and one of them is before school even starts. We also have a cast party for Oliver, which we probably cannot attend due to her game. There is also a choir thing that she won’t be able to attend. In the middle of all of this is an orthodontist appointment. Sounds like a lot but not really since we can’t do most of it.
Reading:
I finished Baby Teeth. What a book. It’s not prize-winning literature but it’s riveting. I just started Bring Me Back and I am seriously almost done with it. I love these quick, suspenseful reads.
Watching:
While the kids saw the musical Waitress in Hollywood yesterday, the Hub and I saw Mission Impossible: Fallout. I enjoyed it. It was a good action movie.
I should know this but I think Fear the Walking Dead starts up again tonight. If so, I plan to watch it.
Making:
This past week I made some Korean Turkey Bowls. I was supposed to use beef but I went with turkey and it was easy and super good. I subbed gluten-free soy sauce but it was easy to adapt and the leftovers were even better. We also had pizza one night, pork chops on another. Tonight I am craving take-out. Maybe Thai?
Grateful for:
The Girl handled registration by herself and I didn’t have to brave the hot weather to do it with her. She even got her schedule straightened out. She is now a 10th grader!
What are you up to today? Doing anything fun? Cooking anything good?
Book Chatter 
How dare they not give you any Murakami that you desire?
Did you go through publishers…sometimes if you find a name for one rep for that book you can email them and ask them how you can get the right rep’s name…does that make sense?
We have hair appointments today at 2:00…yes…on Sunday…our 1 hour 1 min. drive to Skippack! We had family drive through on our scheduled day so we changed and Sunday was the only time!
I did request it through the publisher but the reps are always different.
You’d think they would contact the ambassadors first.
I can’t believe you didn’t get a galley; I feel like you are a super fan! My daughter is in LA visiting friends before they all disperse to college so it’s a quiet weekend for me before the craziness of work starts up on Monday (think distributing 10,000 iPads this week).
Oh no 😦 I know how much you love this author. My request is pending? I’m guessing I’ll get Baby Teeth within a week as I’m next up! I have 3 other books ongoing right now plus a few unread library books.
Have a great week.
My request was pending for a long time. Then changed to declined. When I appealed it was pending for all of five minutes and then declined again.
I saw a FB post that said the galleys are now here so maybe it had something to do with them just not being here but why offer them then? I also asked on the FB post too. No response.
Sending you a hug, I know how disappointed you are. On a happy note, our new grand baby is coming today and we get to baby sit !!!
Oh!! I bet you’re so excited to have the baby come for a visit!!
What a bummer! It’s so disappointing to be so excited for a book, especially a favorite author, and then not get ahold of that galley. It does seem strange that you’d be declined having been an ambassador. I have to tell you, I still have Murakami on my list of authors I want to try…maybe I’ll get on the library hold list for this one!
Murakami has some fantasy elements. Not sure you’d be up for them the first time you read him but his writing is oddly addicting. A first time reader is usually like, “What did Ti ask me to read???” But then they read him again and appreciate him more. My first read of his I seriously thought he was dropping acid.
I’m still curious…yet kind of unsure:)
I saw that it was available and wondered if you had tried for a copy of it or not. I wish I could tell you why some publishers approve you and others do not, often within their own company or even sometimes their own imprint! I was recently declined for a few e-galleys that were high on my list. I am just going to go out and buy them anyway, so it is not as if the company would lose money from me. If ever there is one set of criteria for galley approval, I would be anxious to hear it because it seems to continue to be rather arbitrary.
I only have an issue with this one publisher and only for high profile books. I am approved for other books just not the big ones.
I cannot believe they didn’t approve you… you are a Murakami super fan!! The Korean Beef Bowl looks amazing. Glad to hear it’s good with turkey, too.
I know I sound like an entitled child about my Murakami decline but exactly who received the ARCs then? Maybe just booksellers.
So sorry you weren’t approved. They could have at least given you a reason!
Wow 10th grade & school have already started?! Summer flew. Good grief, if anyone deserves an advance copy of the Murakami book — you do. It doesn’t make any sense. You’re #1 expert/fan of his books, so it would’ve been much better if they’d given you one. Cripes.
I know I should not take these rejections personally but when it takes years for a translation to be released in the US I just get so anxious in those final months.
It’s so nice when the kids are old enough to handle the back to school stuff! Sorry to hear about the Murakami book!
Sounds like you had another busy week. I’m sorry about the new book! I have no idea why they wouldn’t approve you since you rave about his writing all the time!!