Read Around Asia Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Asia.
Best books from Asia (1436)
721.
The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura EN
JapanDescription:
'Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle.' In this charming book from 1906, Okakura explores Zen, Taoism, Tea Masters and the significance of the Japanese tea ceremony. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak,... continue
722.
Astral Season, Beastly Season by Tahi Saihate EN
Description:
Astral Season, Beastly Season is the debut novel by Japanese writer Tahi Saihate. The story follows Morishita and Yamashiro, two high-school boys approaching the age in life when they must choose what kind of people they want to be. When their favourite J-pop idol kills and dismembers her boyfriend, Morishita and Yamashiro unite to convince the police that their idol's act was in fact by them. This thrilling novel is a meditation on belonging, the objectification of young popstars, and teenage alienation.
723.
The Great Passage by Shion Miura EN
Description:
An award-winning story of love, friendship, and the power of human connection. Kohei Araki believes that a dictionary is a boat to carry us across the sea of words. But after thirty-seven years of creating dictionaries, it's time for him to retire and find his replacement. He discovers a kindred spirit in Mitsuya Majime--a young, disheveled square peg with a penchant for collecting antiquarian books and a background in linguistics--whom he swipes from his company's sales department. Along with an energetic, if reluctant, new recruit and an elder linguistics scholar, Majime is tasked with a car... continue
724.
Penguin Highway by Tomihiko Morimi EN
Description:
I may only be in fourth grade, but I know more than most adults. I take notes every day and read all kinds of books, so I have a solid grasp on the world around me. But suddenly, there are penguins in my town! I know it has something to do with the lady at the dentist and her weird powers, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it...
725.
The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi EN
Description:
An unfulfilled college student hurtles through four parallel realities to explore the what-might've-been and the what-should-never-be in this Groundhog Day meets The Midnight Library-esque novel from one of Japan's most popular authors. Our protagonist, an unnamed junior at the prestigious Kyoto University, is on the verge of dropping out. After rebelling against the dictatorial jock president of the film club, he and his worst and only friend, the diabolical creep Ozu, are personas non grata on campus. For three years, our protagonist has made all the wrong decisions, and now he's about to ma... continue
726.
The Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi EN
Description:
In the boiling heat of summer, a broken remote control for an air conditioner threatens life as we know it in this reality-bending, time-slipping sequel to The Tatami Galaxy. During a scorching August in Kyoto, our protagonist and his worst friend, Ozu, are locked in a glaring contest in a four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room. Ozu has spilled Coke on the air conditioner's remote control--the only AC in Shimogamo Yusuisuiso, their famously shabby sweatbox of an apartment building. Vengeful and despairing, our protagonist discusses countermeasures with his secret crush, the reliably blunt Akashi, whe... continue
727.
Fox Tales by Tomihiko Morimi EN
Description:
A collection of four spooky tales for the modern era, all tied to a certain Kyoto curio shop. A basket wriggles, a masked man lingers in the dark, and things are offered, lost, and forgotten. What mysteries lie hidden in the city's winding streets? Tomihiko Morimi offers a stylish glimpse into the beguiling and mysterious darkness of the old capital.
728.
Inheritance from Mother by Minae Mizumura EN
Description:
Award-winning novelist Minae Mizumura demystifies the notion of the selfless Japanese mother and the adult daughter honor-bound to care for her. Mitsuki Katsura, a Japanese woman in her mid-fifties, is a French-language instructor at a private university in Tokyo. Her husband, whom she met in Paris, is a professor at another private university. He is having an affair with a much younger woman. In addition to her husband’s infidelity, Mitsuki must deal with her ailing eighty-something mother, a demanding, self-absorbed woman who is far from the image of the patient, self-sacrificing Japanese ma... continue
729.
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura EN
Description:
As an impoverished immigrant with mixed Chinese origins, Taro Azuma has faced prejudice his entire life. Desperately trying to make his fortune, Taro has a secret; he is obsessed with a girl from an aristocratic family. When Taro's ambitious leads him to become one of the wealthiest Japanese men in America, he finally gets close to her. But her relatives are determined to uncover his background. Using the template of Wuthering Heights, A True Novel is an epic love story and an in-depth study of social history after WWII.
730.
An I-Novel by Minae Mizumura EN
Description:
Minae Mizumura's An I-Novel is a semi-autobiographical work that takes place over the course of a single day in the 1980s. This formally daring novel radically broke with Japanese literary tradition and offers a luminous meditation on how a person becomes a writer.