Recent reads

Recent reads I have enjoyed. Clearly slanted to the Japanese cozy fiction sub-genre:

Feb 2025 – The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, by Hisashi Kashiwai - so fun and makes you want to go ask them to cook for you. They are food detectives who help you get lost experiences back in the most delicious ways.

Dec 2024 – Before Your Memory Fades, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - part of the series.

Oct 2024 - I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy - not as harsh as the title might suggest. A very honest account of a child actress and how she was "mothered."

Oct 2024 – Inside Out, by Demi Moore - there's more to her than what we all know. Intense, difficult childhood. 

Oct 2024 - Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata - she's an outlier who finds peace in her work.

Oct 2024 - Strange Weather in Tokyo, by Hiromi Kawakami - a sweet love story.

Sept 2024 - What You Are Looking For is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama - more magic; the main character, Sayuri, is a large, calm, and perceptive woman who creates felted trinkets.

July 2024 - A Quitter's Paradise: A Novel, by Elysha Chang - a professional woman who didn't want what everyone expected her to want.

Nov 2024 - Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner - I hung on every word. So good, and you can almost smell the bubbling soups she describes.

Nov 2024 – Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto - more delicious food descriptions, and a great story.

Nov 2023 – Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - magical, about time travel. It's part of the series. I read them all.

Reading 2026: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, 2003

I listened to this book using the Libby library app. I loved it from the first chapter. 

The narrator was awesome, using different voices for the different characters, of which there were really only three: the housekeeper, her son and the professor.

It's described as enchanting, and that's a great word for it. You get completely absorbed into the relationships and interactions between the three. 
 

That Woman

Just starting “That Woman,” by Anne Seba. Taking a break from Proust. The book is all about the life of Wallis Simpson. She has such amazingly classic style… Quite a while ago, I jumped on the very crowded bandwagon of people who are fascinated with her. Madonna made a movie about her life with the would-be King. It’s called W.E. It’s loaded with fashion, lush interiors, music—the whole 9 yards. Pure fantasy, of course, but one that sure had some great parties! (Trailer for the movie.)

And if you’re really interested, this is a documentary about the movie.

Living in a Nutshell, book signing & crafting

Last night, my belle mere and I went to a book signing at Warwick’s in La Jolla. The book: Living in a Nutshell: Posh and Portable Decorating Ideas for Living in Small Spaces. The author: the smart, fun Janet Lee. But, this was no ordinary book signing. We not only heard the author’s story, but crafted these really cute tassels using a wine cork, velvet ribbon, and pretty paper. And, yes, that is a bottle of champagne and a cupcake. Now, this, my friends, is the way to host a book signing. The cupcakes were delicious; made by the author’s sister. Her parents were there also; an adorable couple. Her dad invented microsurgery.

More pics from the event:
Mary’s hands, putting on the finishing touches.

This yummy champagne is called Courtage. Made in France by a group of Americans with a passion for bubbly. Quite delicious and light. The bottles are tiny. Just enough.

Finished tassels.

Two Books on the Night Table

A little non-fiction about introverts, and an adventure in the style of Jane Austen (purchased while in San Francisco in one of my favorite places: the Ferry Building).

Quiet by Susan Cain was excellent and gave me a little window into myself. Being an introvert doesn't mean you don't like being around people, it just means that to restore yourself you need quiet.

Death Comes to Pemberly was a fun, quick read. Loved it.

What are you reading? Leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear...