Random Reading: Contemporary Japanese Fiction

Hello Folks and happy Monday to you! Hope you had a wonderful and restful weekend. I pretty much spent the entire weekend in the studio with the exception of stepping out for a bite to eat here and there. Although my days were busy, I did have two very relaxed evenings. Both of which were spent curled up in bed with my latest Japanese read, The Cat in the Coffin by Mariko Koike.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to read modern Japanese fiction; in fact, it is the only fiction that I read. This interest started when a college professor of mine required us to read, Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami as part of a “History of Modern Japan” course. That book was the bait. I was the fish. And to say the least, I was hooked…instantly.

Since then, I have read numerous novels written by Japanese authors. Here I’ve included just a sampling of my favorites; coincidently a lot of them are written by Haruki Murakami. The only thing I probably like more than Murakami’s books, are the covers of his books. Most of the covers are designed by the renowned Chip Kidd; the man who inspired me to go into design, and more specifically book design.

All covers are copyright of their respective publishers. 

For a time, Chip Kidd designed some amazing covers for Vertical Inc., an independent publisher located in NYC. If you are at all interested in anything Japanese, this is the publisher for you. Vertical translates the best contemporary Japanese books, and I’m not just saying that…it is the company's philosophy! So, be sure to check out their selection...lots of great things to read and learn about! Enjoy.