Sputnik Sweetheart

I love weekends with no plans. I'm on my way in my journey to read many books this summer. I just finished reading Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami. He's a Japanese writer and his books are translated into many languages. I really enjoyed this book. The plot twist took me by surprise. I love when that happens. The theme of this book is about human longing and relationships and what becomes of relationships when our desires aren't met.

This book is part of my collection of books written by Asian authors that I'm reading to learn more about the various Asian cultures and history. I think that part of the world is truly mysterious to me since my western eduction didn't focus much on it. My preference for learning is to do it through reading fiction. I believe that there is a great deal of truth in fiction. What I learned from reading Sputnik Sweetheart is how similar Japanese culture is to our own. Yes, I've seen Lost in Translation and, yes, the images of Tokyo are a lot like a modern city in the U.S. But the movie isn't about Japanese people or their habits or culture. It's about human longing. Hmmm....

Anyway, you can't know all there is to know just by watching one film or reading one book. That's why this journey will continue for some time. It's way more fun than reading a history book. Another great Asian, Chinese to be more specific, author is Anchee Min. She writes during the time of Mao and the Cultural Revolution. She's an amazing writer and I've learned a lot about the history of the Communist Party in China through her work. Of course, these aren't history books, so don't be turned off. The plots are wonderful and I always feel so satisfied when I finish one of her books. I can't even recommend one over the other, but I'll try. I really loved Wild Ginger and Becoming Madame Mao. But Red Azalea was the first book I read of Min's and it will always have a special place for me.

Anyway, my next book is ... well I'll just write about it later.

Try an iced latte with your summer reading. Yum.