My latest review takes us to California, where a Korean artist seeks inspiration (along with an unusual host...): Yun Ko-eun's 'Art on Fire' (translated by Lizzie Buehler, courtesy of Scribe Publications):
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/20/a...
It's back to the Rokujō Estate on the blog today, and in Chapter 25, 'Hotaru', we have some illuminating (or illuminated) flirting plus some literary criticism, Genji-style ;)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/17/t...
A bit of J-Lit rereading today, in the form of Natsume Sōseki's 'Spring Miscellany and London Essays' (translated by Sammy I. Tsunematsu), a collection of short stories and essays, many related to the great man's extended stay in London :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2022/06/27/s...
Always fun to try lesser-known works by famous writers, and today sees me taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's 'The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa' (translated by Alisa Freedman), a fun stroll around the bright lights of 1930s Tokyo :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/13/t...
Another enjoyable evening spent perusing Korean Literature Now, with lots to enjoy in the latest edition - essays, interviews and stories, and all available online, too :) klwave.or.kr/klw/magazine...
A new addition to my Han Kang collection is 'Light and Thread' (translated by Maya West, e. yaewon & Paige Aniyah Morris), bringing together a variety of texts, including Han's Nobel Prize Essay :)
Yes, and rather bizarre as well...
Something a little different on the blog today - Clemente A. Lisi's 'The World Cup' (courtesy of Bloomsbury Australia), all about the beautiful game's big event :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/09/t...
You might want to google - The Scofield Kobo Abe. (also @causticcovercritic.bsky.social and @m-lemoine-drake.bsky.social might too.)
Wow - that's a lot! Not something I was aware of, so thanks :)
More J-Lit today, with a reread of Hiromi Kawakami's 'Record of a Night Too Brief' (translated by Lucy North, published by Pushkin Press), a collection of three longish stories/novellas - see my 2017 review: tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/r...
Looking forward to trying it - perhaps the start of a long-overdue Abe project...
After last week's positive review of Kōbō Abe's 'The Traitor' (translated by Mark Gibeau), it's no surprise that when I popped into Paperback Bookshop today, this is what I left with - 'The Ruined Map' (translated by E. Dale Saunders) a book several commentors recommended :)
My latest review looks at Elisa Shua Dusapin's 'The Old Fire' (translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins, courtesy of Scribe Publications), a slow-burning story of a woman returning to her childhood home - to empty it...
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/t...
My latest review looks at Kōbō Abe's 'The Traitor' (translated by Marc Gibeau, courtesy of Columbia University Press), a fascinating historical novel in which the nature of loyalty is examined against the backdrop of war:
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/02/t...
My monthly wrap-up post for March, with links to all my posts :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/04/01/m...
It's a mystery/conspiracy!
'Sisters in Yellow' (translated by Laurel Taylor and Hitomi Yoshio) joins my Mieko Kawakami collection, so if you want to know more about the new kid on the Kawakami block...
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/s...
Well worth a look, a nice, enjoyable read that doesn't always go quite as you'd expect :)
Out today (in Australia!), Mieko Kawakami's 'Sisters in Yellow' (translated by Laurel Taylor & Hitomi Yoshio, review copy courtesy of Picador Australia) - see what I made of it in my review :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/s...
It's Royall Tyler's translation today, as we look at Chapter 24 of 'The Tale of Genji', 'Kochō’ (‘Butterflies’). Sounds nice, no? Well, it is, to start with - find out why it gets rather darker by reading my recap...
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/27/t...
My latest arrival is this intriguing book, Yun Ko-eun's 'Art on Fire' (translated by Lizzie Buehler, review copy courteys of Scribe Publications), in which a Korean artist in California battles inspiration and wildfires!
My latest review looks at Nelio Biedermann's 'Lázár' (translated by Jamie Bulloch, courtesy of MacLehose Press), a family saga set against the backdrop of early-twentieth-century Hungary :)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/23/l...
Interesting - US Amazon has 31/3, but Aus Amazon has 16/3 (and another Aussie book site has 10/3!).
The date I have is 16/3...
To be honest, me neither! I hope it's good :)
My latest review sees me exploring Bora Chung's ' The Midnight Timetable' (translated by Anton Hur, courtesy of Scribe Publications), seen here joining the rest of the gang ;)
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/19/t...
Another recent arrival I need to make time for, this time from Columbia University Press - Kōbō Abe's historical novel 'The Traitor' (translated by Marc Gibeau), which - in Tanizaki-like style - has a mysterious manuscript playing a key role. Anyone out there looking forward to this one?
Another step closer to completing the Dalkey Archive Press/
LTI Korea Library of Korean Literature - here's my review of Kim Junghyuk's collection 'The Library of Musical Instruments' (translated by Kim So-young):
tonysreadinglist.wordpress.com/2026/03/16/t...
I took a sunny Sunday afternoon drive to the uni library to drop off some books - and to choose some more, of course! Which of these appeal?