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Giovanni's Room

by James Baldwin

★★★★☆

Set in the contemporary Paris of American expatraites, liasons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. James Baldwin's brilliant narrative delves into the mystery of loving with a sharp, probing imagination, and he creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the heart. READ REVIEW

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Giovanni's Room

by James Baldwin

★★★★☆

An exceptionally sad book. None of the characters were ever truly happy, even when they were with the people who were supposed to make them happy. There were no victors at the end of each relationship. V realistic in that sense.

Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata

★★★★☆

Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life. In the store, unlike anywhere else, she understands the rules of social interaction―many are laid out line by line in the store’s manual―and she does her best to copy the dress, mannerisms, and speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a “normal” person excellently, more or less. Keiko is very happy, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, increasingly pressure her to find a husband, and to start a proper career, prompting her to take desperate action… READ REVIEW

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Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata

★★★★☆

I liked this book! It was a quick read and had me chuckling at a few parts.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room; Keiko is probably autistic. It’s never blatantly stated but the characteristics are there. I found it interesting to see the world from her perspective.

I appreciated Keiko’s practicality even thought it was jarring at times (ie, knife and baby throat.) Her attraction to the convenience store because of its continuity is relatable. I too am a creature of habit. At the convenience store she knows exactly what is going to happen and when. Routine is great.

Keiko’s relationship with Shiraha made me want to barf. Mostly because Shiraha reminds me so much of my brother. I’m glad she came to her senses soon enough.

The scene where she enters another convenience store and fixes their broken systems was *chef kiss.* As a former retail store manager, that has always been a day dream of mine. It was satisfying to read someone else live the dream.

I thought the ending was fantastic. I appreciate happy endings. All loose ends were tied up and I imagine her now, living happily ever after in a convenience store somewhere.

Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoevskya

☆☆☆☆☆

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption. READ REVIEW

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Crime and Punishment

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

☆☆☆☆☆

I didn't read it, lol

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Bookbug

Giovanni's Room

Giovanni's Room

Convenience Store Woman

Convenience Store Woman

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment