Books I bought in January – some brand new, some second-hand:
1. The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach) – I have an idea that this is a book about sports, baseball in particular, so I never really paid much attention to it. However, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so there must be more to it than just being a book about a baseball player. I think I will give it a shot to see what’s so great about it.
2. Red Sorghum (Mo Yan) – Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012. This is what I’m currently reading, and my first Mo Yan novel.
3. The Medicine Cabinet of Curiosities (Nicholas Bakalar) – Saw this at a used books store and it looked interesting.
4. The Mystery Guest (Nicholas Bouillier) – This was my luckiest find in January. I’ve been looking for this book forever, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I finally found it at my favorite used books bookstore.
5. The Guernesey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows ) – I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book, so I’m a bit curious about it.
6. In Ghostly Japan (Lafcadio Hearn) – This is one of the books with the paper cover (in the photo). I bought this book in Junkudo, a huge bookstore in Osaka, Japan, as a sort of souvenir. The cool thing about Junkudo is, at the check-out counter, the cashier will ask you if you want your book(s) covered, and then he/she will proceed to cover it for you, neatly and efficiently.
7. Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Edogawa Rampo) – The other covered book on that pile (in the photo). Also from Junkudo, Osaka, Japan.
8. The Garlic Ballads (Mo Yan) – I don’t know which of Mo Yan’s novels is the most famous or the most lauded, so if I end up liking Red Sorghum, I might try reading all his novels, or at least, the ones available to me.
The Misanthropologist 
Based on my research, Red Sorghum is his masterpiece. I haven’t bought a copy yet because I was gravely disappointed with his strong approval of censorship. I don’t wish to pay that much for such a writer. I’ll wait for a used copy.
lol really? I’ve never heard of it. What was the context of his argument?
I personally haven’t seen any used copies of his books…but yeah, that would be a good idea. His books are a bit pricey 😦
I hope you like The Art of Fielding! It was my favourite book of 2012. I’ve tried recommending it to so many people and every time they ask me if it’s about baseball I get really confused trying to explain and I’m all, “yeah, it’s about baseball, but it’s not really ABOUT baseball” and that helps no one, haha. I’d say it’s about baseball the same way Friday Night Lights is about football – it’s there and it helps drive the story, but it’s not at the centre of the story.
The Guernesey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is on my to-read list! I’ve heard a lot of great things about it too.
Thanks, that actually helps me. I’d really hate for The Art of Fielding to be really about baseball lol. Don’t worry, I will sincerely give it a try 🙂
I’ve read The Guernesey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and enjoyed it. An easy, interesting read that I bought because the title had me stoked! Hadn’t heard of Guernesey then nor Potato Peel Pie 😉
Books 3 & 4 sound interesting…waiting for your reviews!
Happy Reading 🙂
Thanks for the feedback! Everyone I know who has read Guernesey actually really liked it, so that’s good!