“Move over, Mia Thermopolis! Princess Izumi will completely capture your heart while making you laugh nonstop.” —Gloria Chao, author of AMERICAN PANDA TOKYO EVER AFTER by Emiko Jean9781250766601Available May 18, 2021 from Flatiron BooksAges 12-18E-galley on Edelweiss and NetGalley Izzy Tanaka has never known her father’s identity. Referred to simply as “unknown Japanese male,” her Read More » […]
Tag: japan
Maximum Shelf: TOKYO EVER AFTER
Today’s Shelf Awareness Maximum Shelf pick is Emiko Jean’s modern fairy tale, TOKYO EVER AFTER. Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom Read More » […]
Around The World With Books (5/7/20)
Travel around the world with these books, including four strangers righting their wrongs in Paris, a Scandinavian cultural history, a story about how society remembers catastrophe in Japan, and a globe-spanning novel set solely in hotel rooms. THE PARIS HOURS by Alex George “George’s third novel (after SETTING FREE THE KITES) is set in 1927 Read More » […]
Pearl Harbor 75 Years Later
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the bombing at Pearl Harbor. Here are books to remember that day that still lives in infamy: Rick Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy (AN ARMY AT DAWN, THE DAY OF BATTLE, THE GUNS AT LAST LIGHT) KILLING THE RISING SUN: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O’Reilly & Read More » […]
Thriller Thursday (11/10/16 Edition)
We’re seeing stars for today’s #ThrillerThursday picks! UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN by Keigo Higashino Two starred reviews! From acclaimed international bestseller and LibraryReads author Higashino comes a compelling story of a twenty-year-old murder, two teenagers linked by the crime, and a detective’s obsession to finally uncover the truth. “Edgar-nominated Higashino revisits the dangerous codependence of Read More » […]
Happy #BookBday (9/27/16 Edition)
Happy #BookBday to three whimsical, mythical reads: DON’T I KNOW YOU? by Marni Jackson This debut “whimsical collection of linked stories” (Kirkus Reviews) follows one woman’s life from age 16 to 60, and what happens when certain celebrities—Neil Young, Meryl Streep, John Updike, Taylor Swift, Karl Ove Knausgaard—start turning up in her private life, at Read More » […]
Friday Reads: Food & Culture
TGIF, friends! Our #FridayReads picks are two unique explorations of food and culture: SUPER SUSHI RAMEN EXPRESS: One Family’s Journey Through the Belly of Japan by Michael Booth From the author of THE ALMOST NEARLY PERFECT PEOPLE comes a fascinating and funny culinary journey through Japan. “There’s some of both Bill Bryson and Anthony Bourdain Read More » […]
For Your Consideration: November 2016 LibraryReads Titles
Download, read, and nominate your favorite titles for the November 2016* LibraryReads list! *Nominations are due September 20! Click here for the full list of 2016 deadlines. TO CAPTURE WHAT WE CANNOT KEEP by Beatrice Colin Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young widow and an Read More » […]
Thriller Thursday (7/17/14 Edition)
Today’s #ThrillerThursday roundup has something for every mystery reader, whether you like cozies, police procedurals, or historical mysteries: THE BONE ORCHARD by Paul Doiron In Doiron’s “excellent fifth series installment” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Mike Bowditch retired from his Maine Game Warden position, but is drawn back in when his mentor Sgt. Kathy Frost is Read More » […]
Debut of the Month: Claws of the Cat
Fans of historical and international Mysteries, take note! Susan Spann's CLAWS OF THE CAT is a kick butt debut featuring a ninja detective navigating the political and social perils of sixteenth-century Japan and it's Library Journal's Debut of the Month!
When a samurai is brutally murdered in a Kyoto teahouse, master ninja Hiro has no desire to get involved. But the beautiful entertainer accused of the crime enlists the help of Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest who Hiro is sworn to protect, leaving the master shinobi with just three days to find the killer and save the girl and the priest from the dead man’s vengeful son.
"While Spann demonstrates admirable attention to detail in her ninja detective debut, it’s the contemporary tone of her prose that makes this intriguing 16th-century historical so accessible. Laura Joh Rowland fans will like this book for the time period, but the 'buddy tone' is reminiscent of Ian Morson’s 'Nick Zuliani' series and Gary Corby’s 'Athenian Mysteries' series." —Library Journal (starred review, Debut of the Month)
"Spann's debut provides an absorbing look at Japanese culture along with a sharp mystery." —Kirkus Reviews
"[S]et in a mostly untapped period of Japanese history, the book should do well with fans of [Laura Joh Rowland and I. J. Parker]." —Booklist
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