February 2010

Death Note: Another Note

Oh, being an anime fan of course I would set my eyes on this one. It's called Death Note: Another Note and it is a prequel to the popular manga storyline. Actually, it is effectively an elaboration of a murder mystery that came up in the manga series. A warning to all, the book probably makes sense only if you are either familiar with the DN series or are a huge fan of the main character. Fine, the story will make sense but you won't be as enthralled by the plot.

The story falls into the mystery genre where folks are trying to uncover the truth behind some horrid murders. And of course the man of the hour is lovable L, the genius detective of the DN series. You also come across Masori Naomi, the brilliant mystery-solver from the series. Read more about Death Note: Another Note

Loving the Machine

Loving The Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots is a must-have for robotics fans. By this I don't mean the evil world domination type robots from the movies. Rather, these are the various types of, usually helpful, robots created by Japanese companies. Penned by Timothy N.Hornyak, this book will appeal to both general tech fans and lovers of Japanese robot culture.

The book covers a lot of the history of Japanese robot development. In this way, it also explores the way of thinking that encouraged such development. Read more about Loving the Machine

Kitchen

Blame it on the generation gap but the concept of this novel seemed outdated in light of modern trends. The novel in question, Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, is about a young Japanese woman who is trying to make sense of her current life whilst also expanding age-old comfort zones established by her elders. Don't get me wrong; the story is delightful to read and it exceptionally touching but … I do like to think that the younger crowds don't feel this type of angst, especially where gender roles are concerned. Or am I being too hopeful here?
Read more about Kitchen

Japanese Book Club

Japanese books, haiku collections, manga, and the best Japanese literature

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Death Note: Another Note

Loving the Machine

Kitchen