Happy 2023 - year of the Rabbit. This is going to be my year.
According to my
records of last year, I've read 32 books in 2022. That's not overwhelming to be honest, looking back just 10 years to 2012, I read 85 books... Oh well, at least it's more than 2 books per month, and maybe this year will be more again? Sadly, I completely missed my goal of recording 4 solos for LV, but: new year, new start! Here's this year's breakdown:
"Real" books or ebooks 
for my own entertainment/edification/or for work:
1.
The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa. Three short stories, pretty on the surface, but with something disturbing right underneath it...
2.
The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Pitching with Confidence by Natasha Khullar-Relph. For work.
3.
A Japanese Reader by Roy Andrew Miller. Graded lessons in Japanese kanji. I managed the basics so far, but I'll have to study more to proceed.
4.
The Spirituality of Kintsugi by Hiroki Kiyokawa. Kintsugi means repairing ceramics with lacquer and gold; Kiyokawa is a master from Kyoto.
5.
The Box Man by Kobo Abe. Surreal diary of a man walking around the city with a box over his head.
6.
Shogun by A. L. Sadler. Biography of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Well written and interestingly gripping at times, despite the hundreds of names you have to remember.
7.
The Heike Story by Eiji Yoshikawa. Modern version of a Japanese classic based on true events in the 12th century. It has its lengths, quite a few of them...
8.
Der Tod des Teemeisters by Yasushi Inoue. Reread from 10 years ago; and I've apparently learned so much about tea ceremony, that the book now makes so much more sense than before.
9.
Rain in the Wind by Saiichi Maruya. Four okay-ish short stories; the last one about wandering priest/poet Santoku still stays with me, though.
10.
Japanese Literature in Review by Donald Richie. Talks about Japanese authors (whose books were translated into English) from the Heian era to modern times.
11.
Nip the Buds Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburo Oe. Tragic story about a group of youth in WWII.
12.
Geisha Gangster Neighbor Nun by Donald Richie. Short portraits of Japanese people, from the famous to the unknown. Brilliantly written.
13.
The Catch and Other War Stories. Anthology of 4 stories, the first one (by Kenzaburo Oe) is noteworthy, the others fell flat for me.
14.
The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin. Set in Heian-era Japan and sadly, absolutely disappointing. Won the "Bad Sex in Fiction Award 2017" - deservedly.
15.
Introduction to Communication for Japanese Students by Kevin Hefferman. Aspects of intercultural communication with focus on Japanese-Western interactions. Very interesting.
16.
M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman. "Stories for younger readers", but I enjoyed them just as much, some themes in the stories are only interesting for adults I'd say.
17.
Death in Midsummer and Other Stories by Yukio Mishima. He's best when describing settings and landscapes, people's emotions - not so much. Still, a fabulous writer.
18.
Five Women Who Loved Love by Ihara Saikaku. Sensual love stories penned in 17th century Japan with mostly tragic endings.
19.
The Life of an Amorous Man by Ihara Saikaku. Bio of a rich man who spends all his money in the pleasure districts of 17th century Japan.
20.
Shunga - Erotic Art in Japan by Regina Buckland. Interesting book with large illustrations that include a "what to look out for" in the pictures.
21.
Thinner by R. Bachmann aka Stephen King. Somebody is losing weight rapidly because of a curse, and is ready to sacrifice everything to get it taken off. Or is he?
22.
The Showa Anthology by various. Short stories from 1925 - 1989 by Japanese authors ranging from the super famous to the never-heard-of. Can recommend.
23.
Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka. Fast paced killer-thriller with too many deaths, but a satisfying comeuppance for the right person at the end.
Audiobooks FROM LibriVox for my own entertainment/edification on commutes and during housework:
1.
The Sheridan Road Mystery by Paul and Mabel Thorne. Gangsters in old Chicago. And a nice twist in the end.
2.
Stories of Inventors by Russell Doubleday. Short biographies, and some chapters also go into details how things work - phones or typesetting machines for example.
3.
The Highest Treason by Randall Garrett. Sci-Fi where the traitor gets what he wants at the end - and saves his planet after all.
4.
Die Entfuehrung von Joseph von Eichendorff. Old-fashioned story with happy ending for the right people set in France of Louis XV.
Audiobooks FOR LibriVox for my own entertainment/edification and possibly that of others:
1.
The Lost Oases by Ahmed Hassanein. Great travelogue of a camel caravan through the Sahara. DPL'ed for Steven Seitel.
2.
The Revolutions of Civilization by Flinders Petrie. Interesting comparison between ancient cultures, mostly based on their art. DPL'ed for Leon Harvey (niobium)
3.
The Principles of Secularism by George Holyoake. Does what it says in the title; from 1871.
