Books | Book Chatter

I’m doing fairly well with my review copies. I’ve got a handful to read between now and this summer but overall, I try to be choosy with what I request or accept so my list of immediate “to-reads” is not that long.

These are the books that I am most excited about! I didn’t list Murakami’s Wind/Pinball because I already gushed about that one. I can’t skip an opportunity to mention it here again, though.

Okay, next up on my list:

The Last Bookaneer

The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl, April 28, 2015
(Book pirates!)

The Last Leaves Falling

The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah Benwell, June 2, 2015
(A teen with ALS. A story of friendship and acceptance.)

Finders Keepers

Finders Keepers by Stephen King, June 2, 2015
(Book 2 of the Bill Hodges trilogy!)

The Summer of Good Intentions

The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Francis, July 7, 2015
(Cape Cod in the summer! Need I say more?)

Days of Awe

Days of Awe by Lauren Fox, August 4, 2015
(An exploration of marriage, motherhood and tragedy!)

What books are you anxious to get to?

I am so excited! These two novels (Hear the Wind Sing & Pinball, 1973) have finally been translated in English and will be coming out on August 4th in one volume. As part of the Trilogy of the Rat which includes A Wild Sheep Chase & unofficially Dance, Dance, Dance (both I’ve already read), this volume will complete the collection. Look at that cover!

Why is it a trilogy when there are actually four novels? Dance, Dance, Dance was written as a sequel, but it’s actually not a part of the trilogy.

Blurb courtesy of the Book Depository:

The debut short novels–nearly thirty years out of print– by the internationally acclaimed writer, newly retranslated and in one English-language volume for the first time, with a new introduction by the author. These first major works of fiction by Haruki Murakami center on two young men–an unnamed narrator and his friend and former roommate, the Rat. Powerful, at times surreal, stories of loneliness, obsession, and eroticism, these novellas bear all the hallmarks of Murakami’s later books, giving us a fascinating insight into a great writer’s beginnings, and are remarkable works of fiction in their own right. Here too is an exclusive essay by Murakami in which he explores and explains his decision to become a writer. Prequels to the much-beloved classics “A Wild Sheep Chase “and “Dance Dance Dance, ” these early works are essential reading for Murakami completists and contemporary fiction lovers alike.

He’s so famous now, that they don’t even need to include the full title on the cover! I am so freakin’ excited! Is it August yet?

Chatting with friends about books and life…