Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

This week we will be reading translated works from Asian countries. Translations open up doors into places and cultures that differ from our own and broaden our literary horizons by providing us access to authors who may not share a language with us. The lists I've gathered primarily focus on translations into English, but any language other than the original publication will satisfy the spirit of this prompt.

Lists and links of interest:
Japanese Mystery and Crime Fiction (also has many related links) /list/show/1...
Taiwanese Lit /list/show/9...
Indian Fiction /list/show/1...
Translated from an Asian Language /list/show/1...
Translated Books by Asian Women Writers
Translated Titles from Across Asia

ATY Listopia: /list/show/2...

What are you reading for this prompt and where is it from?

I really don’t like translated fiction and two translated prompts is at least one too many for me. I have several Asian inspired fantasy novels by diasporic authors on my reading plan and I’m going to count one of those as close enough for this prompt.

I love translated fiction since I started participating in two "read the world" challenges: one where the book can be set in the country and the other where the author must have been born in the country. For this prompt, I plan to read Mothersland by Shahzoda Samarqandi. Setting is in and author is from Uzbekistan.

I am reading The Woman in the Purple Skirt and Hospital.

I'm planning on Sputnik Sweetheart (Japan) and My Brilliant Life (South Korea) for this prompt.

Dixie wrote: "I'm planning on...and My Brilliant Life (South Korea) for this prompt."

Thank you for this! I've just added to my list.

I went through my digital owned books and found several Asian translated books that I haven't read yet.

Broken Summer
To the Sky Kingdom
The Easy Life in Kamusari
Life

I enjoy translated books, but tend to favour European mystery novels, so I like that this prompt doesn't give me that easy option. I'm going to read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, because I also love books about books, readers and bookshops. It was originally written in Korean and is translated to English by Shanna Tan.

I might read The Vegetarian just to see why she deserved the Nobel prize.

I plan to read Mater 2-10 by South Korean author Hwang Sok-Yong. It was shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize and sounds like an amazing multi-generational story.

Dixie - I highly recommend My Brilliant Life! It was one of my favorite books a few years ago. So good! It will touch your heart.

Pam wrote: "I plan to read Mater 2-10 by South Korean author Hwang Sok-Yong. It was shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize and sounds like an amazing multi-generational story.

Dixie - I highly r..."

Pam thanks for the reminder! I bought it on audible a couple years ago - probably based on your recommendation - but didn’t get to it yet. So my top choice for this tag is My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran

I have Kafka on the Shore by Kafka on the Shore, but I'm not married to it. This could easily change.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle -Haruki Murakami
Before the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop - Satoshi Yagisawa

I don't know what I'm going to read myself yet but I recommend Malice by Keigo Higashino to all of you. It's a great locked room mystery I read awhile back.

I will read either The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami or The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

I read a lot of translated books from Japan. On my radar this year:
I Am a Cat
We'll Prescribe You a Cat
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

I recommend:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The Kamogawa Food Detectives
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

Im reading The City and its Uncertain Walls for this. So happy there’s new Murakami for this prompt. Loving it so far.

I am starting The Great Passage for this prompt as I am planning a trip to Japan this year.

Will be reading something from Russia. Not sure what yet.

I read Banana Yoshimoto by The Premonition. Honestly, it was my least favorite book that I have read by her. I didn't dislike it - I was just underwhelmed. The other two I have read by her: Kitchen and Moshi Moshi were better.

I read The Nakano Thrift Shop

I read The Devotion of Suspect X for another challenge, and it fits here.

I read More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. Translated from Japanese.

I have just finished “The vegetarian” Han Kang- a great novel!

D.L. wrote: "I don't know what I'm going to read myself yet but I recommend Malice by Keigo Higashino to all of you. It's a great locked room mystery I read awhile back."

Malice sounds great! Thanks for sharing.

I changed my mind completely for this one, having picked up a book to read on a train, that I used for my first round, and having not been able to get into my original second choice, Hospital.

I read Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto orginally published in Japanese and translated by Jesse Kirkwood. I picked it up to read on a train...It is more of a howdunnit than a whodunnit. I enjoyed the book, and the atmosphere, but there is a great deal of emphasis on timetables - an excellent gift for a trainspotter!

For my 2016 round, I read Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, originally published in Korean, and translated by Jamie Chang. A fictionalised look at gender inequality and the pressures of combining (or not) motherhood and working life. The story is back up by footnotes referencing studies and statistics. The author does an excellent job of involving you with a character who is basically used a stereotype. Although there were obvious cultural differences, there were many, many similarities with the problems and attitudes facing women in the west (and probably world-wide).

For this prompt, I read:
We Do Not Part by Han Kang - 4* - My Review
(translated from the original Korean)

I read:
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

REJECT: A book with food as a major theme or plot device

Finished: 04/11/2025
Rating: 3 stars

Well written with good character development, but not in my wheelhouse. I found it boring and repetitive. To each his own.

I read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata for this topic (read May 1st)

I read Dawn by Yoshiki Tanaka for this prompt.

I read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop for round two (though I’m not done with round 1 yet).

I used to think Japanese books were light and happy reading, because they often seem simple, with a message about connecting with other people. But now I’m realizing that there is an also a pervasive sense of sadness and loneliness in so many of them.

NancyJ wrote:I used to think Japanese books were light and happy reading, because they often seem simple, with a message about connecting with other people. But now I’m realizing that there is an also a pervasive sense of sadness and loneliness in so many of them..."

Absolutely agree.

I read The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, this is a lot like the Before the Coffee Gets Cold books. I enjoyed it but might be done with these sorts of books for the time being.

Nancy I think you are right there really is a sense of sadness and loneliness. I felt that a lot in this one.

I still plan to read My Brilliant Life, but I'm reading two books for each prompt, and today I finished The Restaurant of Love Regained. I think it was my first one-star book this year. The beginning was fine, but when it started to go downhill, it never stopped (for me, obviously!). I can't remember why I even picked it up, but for me it was a waste of reading time.

I read The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami, and I absolutely hated it.

Dixie wrote: "I still plan to read My Brilliant Life, but I'm reading two books for each prompt, and today I finished The Restaurant of Love Regained. I think it was my first one-..."

I own My Brilliant Life too. The disability topic might make it different from the other books about loneliness.