{"title":"Japanese Fiction Sugoi","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"convenience-store-woman","title":"Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWe have committed ourselves to bringing you the best in Japanese fiction.  Here is a cult classic, the story of a 36 year old convenience store clerk in Tokyo, Keiko Furukawa. Quirky, thought provoking and an unlikely hero. We loved her plain speaking, matter of fact voice, with a passion for doing doing her best at work from loudly welcoming customers into the store to building displays but she begins to ask questions, why do people care about her marital status when she makes acquaintances with a new deadbeat co-worker.  We are not sure we can call it a friendship?  See what others have to say.  We give it two thumbs up!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“In Sayaka Murata’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConvenience Store Woman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, a small, elegant and deadpan novel, a woman senses that society finds her strange, so she culls herself from the herd before anyone else can do it . . . Casts a fluorescent spell . . . A thrifty and offbeat exploration of what we must each leave behind to participate in the world.”—Dwight Garner, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e“The novel borrows from Gothic romance, in its pairing of the human and the alluringly, dangerously \u003cem\u003enot.\u003c\/em\u003e It is a love story, in other words, about a misfit and a store . . . Keiko’s self-renunciations reveal the book to be a kind of grim post-capitalist reverie: she is an anti-Bartleby, abandoning any shred of identity outside of her work . . . It may make readers anxious, but the book itself is tranquil—dreamy, even—rooting for its employee-store romance from the bottom of its synthetic heart.”—Katy Waldman, \u003cem\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Alienation gets deliciously perverse treatment in \u003cem\u003eConvenience Store Woman\u003c\/em\u003e . . . Murata herself spent years as a convenience store employee. And one pleasure of this book is her detailed portrait of how such a place actually works. Yet the book’s true brilliance lies in Murata’s way of subverting our expectations . . . With bracing good humor . . . Murata celebrate[s] the quiet heroism of women who accept the cost of being themselves.”—John Powers, NPR “Fresh Air”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Keiko, a defiantly oddball 36-year-old woman, has worked in a dead-end job as a convenience store cashier in Tokyo for half her life. She lives alone and has never been in a romantic relationship, or even had sex. And she is perfectly happy with all of it . . . Written in plain-spoken prose, the slim volume focuses on a character who in many ways personifies a demographic panic in Japan.”—Motoko Rich, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003e(profile)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“As intoxicating as a sake mojito, Sayaka Murata’s \u003cem\u003eConvenience Store Woman\u003c\/em\u003e is a rare treat: a literary prize-winner that’s also a page-turner. Its heroine, Keiko, is an 18-year-old Tokyo misfit who yearns to be like everyone else. Then she lands a job at Hiiromachi Station Smile Mart, one of those enchanting Japanese wonderlands that are equal parts 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. As Keiko finds liberation in the self-effacing rituals of being a good convenience store employee, Murata offers a smart, deliciously perverse look at everything from how mini-marts actually work to the rules, many of them invisible, that ultimately define our identity. And because the book is bracingly brief, you can down it in one afternoon gulp.”—John Powers, \u003cem\u003eVogue\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e“It’s the novel’s cumulative, idiosyncratic poetry that lingers, attaining a weird, fluorescent kind of beauty all of its own. The world of the store with its dented cans and rice balls and barcodes and scanners, and Keiko’s shivery, unashamedly sensual response as a ‘convenience store animal’ who can ‘hear the store’s voice telling me what it wanted, how it wanted to be.’ The book’s title is more than perfect, for this, you soon realize, is a love story. Keiko’s love story: the convenience is all hers.”—Julie Myerson, \u003c\/span\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39729988141114,"sku":"","price":13.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2025-02-18at9.07.50PM.png?v=1739934493"},{"product_id":"kitchen-by-banana-yoshimoto","title":"Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBanana Yoshimoto’s novels have created a sensation in Japan and all over the world. With the publication of \u003cem\u003eKitchen\u003c\/em\u003e, the dazzling English-language debut that is still her best-loved book, the literary world realized that Yoshimoto was a young writer of enduring talent and great passion whose work has quickly earned a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBanana Yoshimoto’s \u003cem\u003eKitchen\u003c\/em\u003e is a timeless, enchantingly original and deeply affecting book that juxtaposes two tales about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan. Mikage, the heroine of “Kitchen,” is an orphan raised by her grandmother, who has passed away. Grieving, Mikaga is taken in by her friend Yoichi and his mother (who is really his cross-dressing father) Eriko. As the three of them form an improvised family that soon weathers its own tragic losses, Yoshimoto spins a lovely, evocative tale with the kitchen and the comforts of home at its heart. In a whimsical style that recalls the early Marguerite Duras, “Kitchen” and its companion story, “Moonlight Shadow,” are elegant tales whose seeming simplicity is the ruse of a very special writer whose voice echoes in the mind and the soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat people are saying about Kitchen \u0026amp; Banana Yoshimoto\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ms. Yoshimoto’s writing is lucid, earnest and disarming, as emotionally observant as Jane Smiley’s, as fluently readable as Anne Tyler’s. . . . [It] seizes hold of the reader’s sympathy and refuses to let go.” –Michiko Kakutani, \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e“Banana Yoshimoto is a master storyteller. . . . The sensuality is subtle, masked, and extraordinarily powerful. The language is deceptively simple.” –\u003cem\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e“Yoshimoto shouldn’t be shy about basking in her celebrity. Her achievements are already legend.” –\u003cem\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e“A meditation on the transience of beauty and love… melancholy and lovely.” –\u003cem\u003eThe Washington Post Book World\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39730037948474,"sku":"","price":12.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2024-05-02at3.14.00PM.png?v=1714680898"},{"product_id":"before-the-coffee-gets-cold-by","title":"Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi | Hardover","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf you could go back in time, who would you want to meet?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOver the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn’t so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most important, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"desktop-praise\" data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ūmei","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40286288412730,"sku":null,"price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2025-02-18at9.19.45PM.png?v=1739935395"},{"product_id":"tales-from-the-cafe-by-toshikazu-kawaguchi","title":"Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi | Hardover","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of the international bestseller \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold\u003c\/em\u003e, this book follows four new customers who hope to travel back in time in a little Japanese café.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn a back alley in Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith faces both familiar and new, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eTales from the Cafe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e follows the story of four patrons who visit to take advantage of café Funiculi Funicula's time-traveling offer and revisit moments with family, friends and lovers. Each one must face up to the past to move on with their lives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKawaguchi's wistful and heartwarming new novel once again invites the reader to ask themselves, \"What would you do if you could travel back in time?\"\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"desktop-praise\" data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"desktop-praise\" data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Harper Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40286291132474,"sku":null,"price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2025-02-18at9.14.19PM.png?v=1739934886"},{"product_id":"what-you-are-looking-for-is-in-the-library","title":"What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA \u003cem\u003eTIME \u003c\/em\u003eBEST\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003eBOOK OF THE YEAR\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cem\u003eWASHINGTON POST\u003c\/em\u003e BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF 2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor fans of \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold\u003c\/em\u003e, a charming, internationally bestselling Japanese novel about how the perfect book recommendation can change a readers’ life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat are you looking for?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother tries to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn Komachi’s unique book recommendations they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat You Are Looking For Is in the Library\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection. This inspirational tale shows how, by listening to our hearts, seizing opportunity and reaching out, we too can fulfill our lifelong dreams. Which book will you recommend?\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"desktop-praise\" data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Harper Collins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40286291591226,"sku":null,"price":17.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2025-02-18at9.33.31PM.png?v=1739936086"},{"product_id":"the-memory-police-by-yoko-ogawa","title":"The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003eExcellent, thought provoking, poigniant book that makes you think about all the things and people we take for granted.  What really does matter?  The Memory Police was a finalist for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"display: inline !important;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the acclaimed author of The Housekeeper and the Professor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn an unnamed island, objects are disappearing: first hats, then ribbons, birds, roses. . . . Most of the inhabitants are oblivious to these changes, while those few able to recall the lost objects live in fear of the draconian Memory Police, who are committed to ensuring that what has disappeared remains forgotten. When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger, she concocts a plan to hide him beneath her f loorboards, and together they cling to her writing as the last way of preserving the past. Powerful and provocative, The Memory Police is a stunning novel about the trauma of loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR\u003cbr\u003eTHE NEW YORK TIMES * THE WASHINGTON POST * TIME * CHICAGO TRIBUNE * THE GUARDIAN * ESQUIRE * THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS * FINANCIAL TIMES * LIBRARY JOURNAL * THE A.V. CLUB * KIRKUS REVIEWS * LITERARY HUB\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmerican Book Award winner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout Yoko Ogawa:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"clearfix\"\u003eYoko Ogawa has won every major Japanese literary award. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, A Public Space, and Zoetrope: All-Story. Her works include The Diving Pool, a collection of three novellas; The Housekeeper and the Professor; Hotel Iris; and Revenge. She lives in Hyogo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40395818696762,"sku":null,"price":14.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/96F91E66-3CCA-46AE-87CF-BC5174BBAD30_1_105_c.jpg?v=1714681924"},{"product_id":"copy-wabi-sabi-for-artists-designers-poets-philosophers","title":"The Kamogawa Food Detectives - Hisashi Kashiwai","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew in at Ūmei!  Oh boy we are excited about this one, we heard someone describe this as a cozy mystery.  We are adding this immediately to our reading list, plus we loved the book \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold.  \u003c\/em\u003ePlease let us explain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"seemore-0\" class=\"slot product-about 9780593717714 isbn-related seemoreenable show opened\" target-height=\"538.625\" height-fold=\"377\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"overview\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDown a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is a bestseller in Japan, no surprise,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal. Right on!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere is what people are saying about it:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-body clearfix\" id=\"left-rail-top\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"seemore-3\" class=\"slot product-praise seemoreenable opened\" target-height=\"1589.8\" height-fold=\"280\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"clearfix\"\u003e“[An] ode to the magic of food.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeople\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Off-beat and charming, [with] more complexity of flavor than you might expect.” – NPR – Fresh Air with Terry Gross\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“[A] feel-good escape. . . Kashiwai not only makes you hungry for the numerous Japanese dishes he writes about, but he also evokes a unique sense of longing for past happiness you might wish to relive. Warm and nuanced while bringing you to the beautiful city of Kyoto, you’ll devour this small, gentle read like a hearty bowl of your favorite soup.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Charming. . . This book offers more than beautifully crafted stories of life’s challenges and joys. It is filled with glimpses into Japanese culture. . . The kind of book you pick up and savor every page. A brilliant first installment to a series, it is expertly crafted and leaves you hungry for more.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The enduring strength of love [is] at the heart of this series opener. . . Takes care to illustrate food’s ability to preserve a culture across generations. . . The cozy, literary equivalent of a hearty stew on a cold day.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Kashiwai’s unique blend of seasonings is more than enough to transform each into a five-star-worthy dish. . . [A] warm memory blanket of nostalgia. Readers [will] eagerly devour each morsel of this miso soup for the soul. . . A nourishing collection of bite-sized stories with a hearty dash of savory flavor.”—\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Outstanding. . . A culinary and cultural exploration of Japanese cuisine. . . The novel includes mouthwatering descriptions of food as well as a nuanced description of life in Japan. . . Readers will take delight in Kashiwai’s exquisite meals and the culinary history that accompanies them.” —\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“[This] charming book is definitely not one to read while hungry… Little wonder that this gem of a detective novel is a bestseller in Japan. I’m only glad it’s been made available for the English-speaking public now too.” —\u003cem\u003eCriminal Element\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Affecting. . . With overwhelming emotional resonance [. . .], Nagare satisfies toothsome dreams.”—\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Deliciously fun.” —\u003cem\u003eBookRiot\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an absolute joy; hilarious, emotional, and entirely delicious. Hisashi Kashiwai’s tales of love lost, found, grown older and reborn are both striking and comforting —  truly one of a kind. Delectable and delightful.”—Bryan Washington, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFamily Meal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Readers will delight in these quiet, introspective stories about the healing power of good, nostalgic food.” – PBS Books\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“An early contender for my favorite book of the year. For anyone who loves magnificent food writing and great storytelling, this novel is a moving, beautiful, and impeccably detailed tribute to the power of a great meal.”—J. Ryan Stradal,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eKitchens of the Great Midwest\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“I absolutely devoured this book! The father-daughter power duo of Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa carry this series of vignettes that show nostalgia is often the best spice and a plate of food is never\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ejust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ea plate of food. As warm and nourishing as a good cup of tea or bowl of miso soup, this is a series I can see myself returning to again and again.”–Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eArsenic and Adobo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"more-link-wrap opened\"\u003e\u003cbutton class=\"btn btn-link more\" type=\"button\"\u003eSee Less\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"right-rail\" id=\"right-rail-top\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-also-in-series\" id=\"desktop-also-in-series\"\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"alsoinseries\" name=\"#alsoinseries\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slot series-also-in 9780593717714 isbn-related show\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"in-series\" class=\"product-series-also-in\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"more-link-wrap opened\"\u003e\u003cbutton class=\"btn btn-link more\" type=\"button\"\u003eSee Less\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slot product-listen show\"\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"listenToAClip\" name=\"#listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40596061683770,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ScreenShot2024-08-29at10.02.41PM.png?v=1724987116"},{"product_id":"the-traveling-cat-chronicles","title":"The Traveling Cat Chronicles","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA book that “speak[s] volumes about our need for connection—human, feline or otherwise” (\u003cem\u003eThe San Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e), \u003cem\u003eThe Travelling Cat Chronicles\u003c\/em\u003e is a life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice that shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy—the perfect gift for cat lovers and travellers!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. 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Like the meals Yuzuki describes, this leaves the reader satiated.' — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The novel cleverly intertwines paeans to the pleasures of eating with indictments of Japan’s standards for women.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The lure of \u003cem\u003eButter\u003c\/em\u003e is the lure of butter: rich, salty and unctuous. . . . \u003cem\u003eButter\u003c\/em\u003e is both an exploration of the life of an unusual femme fatale and a subtle polemic against the impossible beauty standards to which women are held.” \u003cbr\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Asako Yuzuki has turned [\u003cem\u003eButter\u003c\/em\u003e] into not just a fascinating psychological puzzle but also a damning indictment of Japanese misogyny and fatphobia.' — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'An unputdownable, breathtakingly original novel about true crime, loneliness and female appetite in all its tricky, transgressive glory. 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Not because it is award winning and best selling in Japan, but because it is stories within stories that involve cats in a wholly surprising way.  This is a charming, celebratory and heart touching book about humans, about cats.  Each story is well written and together weave a story we can't stop thinking about.  If you don't have a cat don't be surprised that you are thinking about getting one.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHere is the synopsis: Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. 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And ever so touching.” —Paul Auster\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Gorgeous, cinematic . . . \u003cem\u003eThe Housekeeper and the Professor\u003c\/em\u003e is a perfectly sustained novel . . . like a note prolonged, a fermata, a pause enabling us to peer intently into the lives of its characters. . . . This novel has all the charm and restraint of any by Ishiguro or Kenzaburo Oe and the whimsy of Murakami. The three lives connect like the vertices of a triangle.” —Susan Salter Reynolds\u003cem\u003e, Los Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Deceptively elegant . . . This is one of those books written in such lucid, unpretentious language that reading it is like looking into a deep pool of clear water. But even in the clearest waters can lurk currents you don't see until you are in them. Dive into Yoko Ogawa's world . . . and you find yourself tugged by forces more felt than seen.” —Dennis Overbye\u003cem\u003e, The New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alive with mysteries both mathematical and personal, \u003cem\u003eThe Housekeeper and the Professor\u003c\/em\u003e has the pared-down elegance of an equation.” —\u003cem\u003eO, The Oprah Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This sweetly melancholy novel adheres to the Japanese aesthetic that finds beauty in what is off-center, imperfect. . . . In treating one another with such warm concern and respect, the characters implicitly tell us something about the unforgiving society on the other side of the professor's cottage door. \u003cem\u003eThe Housekeeper and the Professor\u003c\/em\u003e is a wisp of a book, but an affecting one.” —Amanda Heller,\u003cem\u003e The Boston Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Housekeeper and the Professor\u003c\/em\u003e is strangely charming, flecked with enough wit and mystery to keep us engaged throughout. This is Ogawa's first novel to be translated into English, and Stephen Snyder has done an exceptionally elegant job.” —Ron Charles, \u003cem\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Lovely . . . Ogawa's plot twists, her narrative pacing, her use of numbers to give meaning and mystery to life are as elegant in their way as the math principles the professor cites. . . . Ogawa's short novel is itself an equation concerning the intricate and intimate way we connect with others--and the lace of memory they sometimes leave us.” —Anthony Bukoski,\u003cem\u003e Minneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Exquisite… An extraordinary situation that allows the author to mine the ordinary. It's a wedge driven deep into life, and we look with astonishment at what it is able to expose.” —Stefan Kiesby\u003cem\u003e, Los Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] mysterious, suspenseful, and radiant fable . . . 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[Translator Stephen] Snyder . . . brings a delicate and precise hand to the translation.” —\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ogawa's disarming exploration of an eccentric relationship reads like a fable, one that deftly balances whimsy with heartache.” —\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40858268368954,"sku":null,"price":14.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/6FF84914-65FA-4833-97EE-681292A9BDC1.jpg?v=1751993028"},{"product_id":"if-cats-disappeared-from-the-world","title":"If Cats Disappeared from the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe international phenomenon that has sold more than two million copies, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf Cats Disappeared from the World\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--now a Japanese film--is a heartwarming, funny, and profound meditation on the meaning of life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis timeless tale from Genki Kawamura (producer of the Japanese blockbuster animated movie \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eYour Name\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) is a moving story of loss and reconciliation, and of one man’s journey to discover what really matters most in life. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe young postman’s days are numbered. 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Like a padding cat or the shadow of death, Genki Kawamura's book snuck up on me; the next thing I knew, I was crying.” —\u003cstrong\u003eRobin Sloan, \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of \u003cem\u003eMr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSourdough\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If you're a fan of \u003cem\u003eThe Guest Cat \u003c\/em\u003e(or even just cats generally), you'll love this.\"\u003cstrong\u003e —\u003cem\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/em\u003e(UK)\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A funny and heartwarming meditation on the meaning of life.\" —\u003cstrong\u003eBook Riot\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A warm, quirky novel on life, love, family estrangement and what remains when we are gone with a surprising emotional charge.\" \u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e (UK)\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A poignant, affecting story about facing up to one's mortality, taking responsibility for one's choices and deciding what truly holds value.\" —\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Herald\u003c\/em\u003e (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003c\/strong\u003eThe story will have readers re-evaluating the possessions they have and what they might gain from losing them...and are sure to come away from the story seeing the world and the people around them a little differently.\" —\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInternational Examiner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40858294157370,"sku":null,"price":15.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/ifcatsdisappearedfromtheworldbook.png?v=1751987324"},{"product_id":"copy-the-housekeeper-and-the-professor-by-yoko-ogawa","title":"Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami | Hardcover","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"grid-x grid-padding-x book-description-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"small-10 small-offset-1 medium-12 medium-offset-0 large-12 cell\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom one of Japan’s most brilliant and sensitive contemporary novelists, this speculative fiction masterpiece envisions an Earth where humans are nearing extinction, and rewrites our understanding of reproduction, ecology, evolution, artificial intelligence, communal life, creation, love, and the future of humanity\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction and have settled in small tribes across the planet under the observation and care of “Mothers.” Some children are made in factories, from cells of rabbits and dolphins; some live by getting nutrients from water and light, like plants. 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Less experimental fiction and more fiction on the human experiment—what kinds of new approaches to mating, community and family will allow people to survive? . . . [Kawakami] finds humor and warmth in the puzzles of existence and extinction.\" —Hilary Leichter, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnder the Eye of the Big Bird\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a disquieting work of speculative fiction from celebrated Japanese author Hiromi Kawakami . . . [It] offers a poignant look at a dying civilization looking to rebuild . . . Kawakami poses questions about cloning, reproduction, identity, memory, and evolution, while also offering solutions to combat mankind’s downfall.\" —Shannon Carlin, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"A series of interconnected vignettes that take place in a world in which sexual reproduction, family ties and societal roles have been reimagined . . . an atmospheric vision of a civilization adrift.\" —Thu-Huong Ha, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Japan Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"[Kawakami's] terse, candid prose emphasizes the alienation of a world where death, sex, and clones all feel equally mechanical. 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The power and the pain of the novel lies in its ability to bridge between humanity as an abstract and humanity as a characteristic, to pick out moments from a vast sweep of time and show their insignificance and their simultaneous, ultimate importance. The novel ends with a plea from a speaker who doesn’t know if they will ever be heard: I wanted to reach back into the page and say, you are.\" —Niall Harrison, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eLocus Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Kawakami takes her idiosyncratic and quirkily funny eye to science fiction . . . With signature style, Kawakami writes a distinct and off-kilter epic of Earth on the brink of collapse across 14 distinct geological epochs.\" —Sam Franzini, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eOur Culture Mag\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"It's as if all of the stories Kawakami had accumulated inside her brain suddenly broke through its membrane and burst into the world. 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This will stay with readers.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"[Kawakami] examines the disturbing fate of humanity, intriguingly fused with biblical references and (r)evolutionary theories. Notable translator Yoneda deftly captures Kawakami’s meticulous balance of doom-and-gloom and a surprisingly poignant charm.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Speculative, artful . . . [It] sketches out the end of the world while simultaneously positing nearly unthinkable solutions and grappling with fundamental questions about identity, evolution, memory, and individualism . . . A wild take on humanity’s last stand and our flawed understanding of who we are.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“No other book of hers convinces me more that Kawakami used to be a teacher of chemistry. 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For there \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eis \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003ea very special reason the shop appeared to each of them . . .\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40976063561786,"sku":null,"price":15.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/Screenshot2025-08-15at12.45.17AM.jpg?v=1755236878"},{"product_id":"minas-matchbox-by-yoko-ogawa","title":"Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the award-winning author of \u003cem\u003eThe Memory Police \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eThe Housekeeper and the Professor\u003c\/em\u003e, a hypnotic novel about an affluent Japanese family navigating buried secrets, and their young house guest who uncovers them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A story of first enchantments and last gasps…Effervescent.” —\u003cem\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A transfixing coming of age tale.” —\u003cem\u003eTIME\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“One of the literary events of the year.” —\u003cem\u003eParade\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the spring of 1972, twelve-year-old Tomoko leaves her mother behind in Tokyo and boards a train alone for Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan, to stay with her aunt’s family. Tomoko’s aunt is an enigma and an outlier in her working-class family, and her magnificent home—and handsome foreign husband, the president of a soft drink company—are symbols of that status. The seventeen rooms are filled with German-made furnishings; there are sprawling gardens and even an old zoo where the family’s pygmy hippopotamus resides. The family is just as beguiling as their mansion—Tomoko’s dignified and devoted aunt, her German great-aunt, and her dashing, charming uncle, who confidently sits as the family’s patriarch. At the center of the family is Tomoko’s cousin Mina, a precocious, asthmatic girl of thirteen who draws Tomoko into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this elegant jewel box of a book, Yoko Ogawa invites us to witness a powerful and formative interlude in Tomoko’s life. Behind the family’s sophistication are complications that Tomoko struggles to understand—her uncle’s mysterious absences, her great-aunt’s experience of the Second World War, her aunt’s misery. Rich with the magic and mystery of youthful experience, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMina’s Matchbox\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time—and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40979033129018,"sku":null,"price":13.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/Screenshot2025-08-18at4.16.26PM.jpg?v=1755551822"},{"product_id":"strange-pictures-by-by-uketsuko","title":"Strange Pictures by by Uketsuko","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Uketsu’s strange riddles are chilling and addictive – I couldn’t put it down.\" —R. F. Kuang, #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBabel\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eYellowface\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels.\"\u003c\/b\u003e—\u003cb\u003eG. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMurdle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Wonderfully complex and carefully crafted . . . Uketsu keeps readers guessing until the very end.\" —\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe spine-tingling \"triumphant international debut\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003estarred review) that has taken Japan by storm—an eerie and fiendishly clever Japanese puzzle mystery in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis psychological thriller is an exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . .\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStructured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the interconnected mysteries behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all.\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eStrange Pictures\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eis the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA great read for spooky-season nights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA perfect addition to any Halloween reading list\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Fiction","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41219755507770,"sku":null,"price":14.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/Strangepictures13026.png?v=1769873518"},{"product_id":"vanishing-world-by-sayaka-murata","title":"Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the author of the bestselling literary sensations \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eConvenience Store Woman\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEarthlings\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e comes a surprising and highly imaginative story set in a version of Japan where sex between married couples has vanished and all children are born by artificial insemination.  Highly imaginative indeed!  A thought provoking story and not just about reproduction, but society, relations in general.  An book with adult themes, we would not recommend reading this one to the kids to fall asleep at night.  You will want to be able to talk with someone about this book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSayaka Murata has proven herself to be one of the most exciting chroniclers of the strangeness of society, x-raying our contemporary world to bizarre and troubling effect. Her depictions of a happily unmarried retail worker in \u003cem\u003eConvenience Store Woman\u003c\/em\u003e and a young woman convinced she is an alien in \u003cem\u003eEarthlings\u003c\/em\u003e have endeared her to millions of readers worldwide. \u003cem\u003eVanishing World\u003c\/em\u003e takes Murata’s universe to a bold new level, imagining an alternative Japan where attitudes to sex and procreation are wildly different to our own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaution potential spoilers below... \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a girl, Amane realizes with horror that her parents “copulated” in order to bring her into the world, rather than using artificial insemination, which became the norm in the mid-twentieth century. Amane strives to get away from what she considers an indoctrination in this strange “system” by her mother, but her infatuations with both anime characters and real people have a sexual force that is undeniable. As an adult in an appropriately sexless marriage—sex between married couples is now considered as taboo as incest—Amane and her husband Saku decide to go and live in a mysterious new town called Experiment City or Paradise-Eden, where all children are raised communally, and every person is considered a Mother to all children. Men are beginning to become pregnant using artificial wombs that sit outside of their bodies like balloons, and children are nameless, called only “Kodomo-chan.” Is this the new world that will purify Amane of her strangeness once and for all?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41235132317754,"sku":null,"price":22.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/Vanishingworldbook2.png?v=1770648057"},{"product_id":"the-convenience-store-by-the-sea-by-sonoko-machida","title":"The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe have committed ourselves to bringing you the best in Japanese fiction.  Leave it to the imagination of Japanese fiction writer Sonoko Machida to name a convenience store Tenderness! How could we resist? We'll take some of that, thank you so much!  Here is a few of the details to know about The Convenience Store by the Sea.\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text\" id=\"book-description-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe quirky, charming Japanese sensation with over half a million copies sold worldwide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An unexpected treasure.” —Laurie Gilmore, #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Pumpkin Spice Cafe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA quaint seaside town in Kitakyushu, Mojiko is full of hidden delights. And one unexpected treasure is the 24\/7 convenience store, Tenderness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSure, it’s a bit odd that the incredibly handsome manager has his own fan club. And perhaps the customers are somewhat eccentric, if not entertaining. But there’s a warmth about the store that draws you in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe truth is, Tenderness\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edifferent. Operating only in Kyushu, Tenderness stands firm and proud by its motto “Caring for People, Caring for You”, no matter the cause. And for Mitsuhiko, dishing out delicious food is simply the appetizer to his unsolicited but hearty wisdom on the town’s shenanigans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn international bestseller with over half a million copies sold between Japan and South Korea\u003cem\u003e, The Convenience Store by The Sea\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etells the delightfully quirky and heartfelt stories of the store’s customers and employees, offering us all a unique recipe for a good, fulfilling life.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41257606152250,"sku":null,"price":23.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/486CB6C1-7DFC-405C-AB97-EAEBA6E964D2.png?v=1771824691"},{"product_id":"the-city-and-its-uncertain-walls-by-haruki-murakami","title":"The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text\" id=\"book-description-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA new book for you from a one of Japan's great novelist - it's a love story a quest, an ode to books and the libraries that hold them AND a parable for our peculiar times.  Peculiar indeed.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBESTSELLER\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e•\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eA\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eGLOBE AND MAIL\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBEST BOOK OF THE YEA\u003cem\u003eR •\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eA\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eREAL SIMPLE\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBEST BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e“\u003c\/em\u003eHaruki Murakami invented 21st-century fiction.” —\u003cem\u003eThe New York Times • “\u003c\/em\u003eMore than any author since Kafka, Murakami appreciates the genuine strangeness of our real world.”\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e—San Francisco Chronicle • “\u003c\/em\u003eMurakami is masterful.\u003cem\u003e” —Los Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a young man’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he is heartbroken – and determined to find the imaginary town where he suspects she has taken up residence. Thus begins a lifelong search that takes the man into middle age, to a job in a remote library with mysteries of its own, and on a journey between the real world and this otherworld: a shadowless city where unicorns roam and willow trees grow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together and, as the seasons pass and the man grows more uncertain about the porous boundaries between these two worlds, he must decide what he is willing to lose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe City and Its Uncertain Walls\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a parable for these strange times– and singular and towering achievement by one of modern literature’s most important writers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Truth is not found in fixed stillness, but in ceaseless change\/movement. Isn’t this the quintessential core of what stories are all about?” —Haruki Murakami, from the afterword\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41259500437562,"sku":null,"price":15.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/73BB7281-BD3D-4E06-A809-D187B8C43D5F_1_201_a.jpg?v=1771828215"},{"product_id":"norwegian-wood-by-haruki-murakami","title":"Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text\" id=\"book-description-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bottom_facade\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-container-pdp\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer beenClicked\" id=\"bookdescription\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"drawer-panel first-panel\" id=\"drawer-book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-description-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text\" id=\"book-description-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThis is the book that made people start paying attention to the writing of Haruki Marukami.  Norwegian Wood is a raw coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, “a masterly novel” (\u003cem\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e) blending the music, the mood, and the ethos that were the sixties with a young man’s hopeless and heroic first love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow with a new introduction by the author.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStunning and elegiac,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNorwegian Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efirst propelled Haruki Murakami into the forefront of the literary scene.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-sidebar\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer beenClicked\" id=\"praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"drawer-panel\" id=\"drawer-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"praise-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text\" id=\"praise-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003eWhat people have said about Norwegian Wood\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e“A masterly novel….\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNorwegian Wood\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebears the unmistakable marks of Murakami’s hand.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cem\u003eNorwegian Wood\u003c\/em\u003e…not only points to but manifests the author’s genius.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e“[A] treat…Murakami captures the heartbeat of his generation and draws the reader in so completely you mourn when the story is done.”\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e—\u003cem\u003eThe Baltimore Sun\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Vintage Murakami [and] easily the most erotic of [his] novels.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times Book \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"drawer-medium\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer beenClicked\" id=\"productdetails\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"false\" class=\"drawer-panel\" id=\"drawer-product-details\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-details-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy-text no-bottom-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pdp-outer-content-blocks\" id=\"pdp-content-blocks\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pdp-content-blocks\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"pdp-content-block content-block-border pdp-contrib-spotlight-block\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"content-block-details\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"contributor-spotlight\"\u003eHARUKI MURAKAMI was born in Kyoto in 1949 and now lives near Tokyo. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and one of the most recent of his many international honors is the Cino Del Duca World Prize, whose previous recipients include Jorge Luis Borges, Ismail Kadare, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Joyce Carol Oates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/authors\/21587\/haruki-murakami\/\" class=\"spotlight-button\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"pdp-carousels\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-cart-work-ids=\"\" data-carousel-type=\"rec-carousel-no-feedback\" data-carousel-title=\"PDP Recommendations\" class=\"book-carousel finite-carousel slick-initialized slick-slider\" id=\"recommendationCarousel\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slick-list draggable\" aria-live=\"polite\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slick-track\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slick-index=\"7\" class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work='{\"title\":\"Nice Big American Baby\",\"isbn\":9780375726866,\"workId\":20873,\"usPrice\":13.95,\"division\":\"Knopf\",\"imprint\":\"Vintage\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Short Stories\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Judy Budnitz\",\"authorId\":\"3688\"}' data-workid=\"20873\" class=\"carousel-element overlaid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"pdp-carousels\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-cart-work-ids=\"\" data-carousel-type=\"rec-carousel-no-feedback\" data-carousel-title=\"PDP Recommendations\" class=\"book-carousel finite-carousel slick-initialized slick-slider\" id=\"recommendationCarousel\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slick-list draggable\" aria-live=\"polite\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slick-track\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slick-index=\"6\" class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\"\u003e\n\u003cform enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slick-index=\"7\" class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work='{\"title\":\"Nice Big American Baby\",\"isbn\":9780375726866,\"workId\":20873,\"usPrice\":13.95,\"division\":\"Knopf\",\"imprint\":\"Vintage\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Short Stories\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Judy Budnitz\",\"authorId\":\"3688\"}' data-workid=\"20873\" class=\"carousel-element overlaid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slick-index=\"8\" class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work=\"{\u0026quot;title\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;The Blanket Cats\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;isbn\u0026quot;:9780593852699,\u0026quot;workId\u0026quot;:763702,\u0026quot;usPrice\u0026quot;:28,\u0026quot;division\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Penguin Adult HC\/TR\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;imprint\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;G.P. Putnam's Sons\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;format\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Hardcover\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;category\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Literary Fiction\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;moduletype\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;recommendation-carousel\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;author\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Kiyoshi Shigematsu\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;authorId\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;2305432\u0026quot;}\" data-workid=\"763702\" class=\"carousel-element overlaid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\" data-slick-index=\"9\" class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work='{\"title\":\"The Devil in the White City\",\"isbn\":9780375725609,\"workId\":98115,\"usPrice\":21,\"division\":\"Knopf\",\"imprint\":\"Vintage\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"19th Century U.S. History,True Crime\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Erik Larson\",\"authorId\":\"16767\"}' data-workid=\"98115\" class=\"carousel-element overlaid\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sgnup fi-b118720 deployed\" id=\"survey_dialog\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"shadow-circ author-alert-circ\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner fi_default sgnup author-alert formopen\"\u003e\n\u003ca aria-label=\"expand\/collapse sign up banner\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"ru_form_sect\" class=\"top-right-circ read-more\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"fa fa-angle-up\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ru_first\" id=\"ru_form_sect\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"newsletter-container rise-up\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work-id=\"118720\" data-side-by-side=\"true\" data-rise-up=\"true\" data-page-type=\"pdp\" data-general=\"true\" data-form-subheadline=\"Plus, get personalized recommendations, our top trending books, and more!\" data-form-headline=\"Never miss a new book by Haruki Murakami\" data-background-color=\"#FFE8D8\" data-author-name=\"Haruki Murakami\" data-author-id=\"21587\" data-acq-code=\"PRH_RISEUP-TAKEOVER-PRODUCTPAGE-AUTHOR_STATIC_ONGOING\" class=\"primary-newsletter-form\" id=\"primary-newsletter-pdp-riseup\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-live=\"assertive\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sgnup fi-b118720 deployed\" id=\"survey_dialog\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner fi_default sgnup author-alert formopen\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ru_first\" id=\"ru_form_sect\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"newsletter-container rise-up\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-work-id=\"118720\" data-side-by-side=\"true\" data-rise-up=\"true\" data-page-type=\"pdp\" data-general=\"true\" data-form-subheadline=\"Plus, get personalized recommendations, our top trending books, and more!\" data-form-headline=\"Never miss a new book by Haruki Murakami\" data-background-color=\"#FFE8D8\" data-author-name=\"Haruki Murakami\" data-author-id=\"21587\" data-acq-code=\"PRH_RISEUP-TAKEOVER-PRODUCTPAGE-AUTHOR_STATIC_ONGOING\" class=\"primary-newsletter-form\" id=\"primary-newsletter-pdp-riseup\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41259510267962,"sku":null,"price":13.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/A38B35D3-14E1-4A5C-83BA-19F313FC72AB_1_201_a.jpg?v=1771829201"},{"product_id":"hunchback-by","title":"Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE JOHN LEONARD PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOK\u003cbr\u003eFINALIST FOR THE \u003cem\u003eLOS ANGELES TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e ART SEIDENBAUM AWARD FOR FIRST FICTION\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD, THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION, AND THE PRIX MÉDICIS ÉTRANGER\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA bombshell bestseller in Japan, a defiant, darkly funny debut novel about a young woman in a care home seeking autonomy and the full possibilities of her life—“not only a major achievement in disability literature but great literature period” (Johanna Hedva)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A literary phenomenon in Japan, \u003cem\u003eHunchback\u003c\/em\u003e is an extraordinary and thrilling debut novel about sex, disability, and power.”—International Booker Prize Judges\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Unforgettable . . . a thriller of the body . . . [a] miracle.”\u003cem\u003e—The New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE GREAT BRITAIN SASAKAWA FOUNDATION TRANSLATION PRIZE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e, PEN America, WBUR, \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka spends her days in her room in a care home outside Tokyo, relying on an electric wheelchair to get around and a ventilator to breathe. But if Shaka’s physical life is limited, her quick, mischievous mind has no boundaries: She takes e-learning courses on her iPad, publishes explicit fantasies on websites, and anonymously troll-tweets to see if anyone is paying attention (“In another life, I’d like to work as a high-class prostitute”). One day, she tweets into the void an offer of an enormous sum of money for a sperm donor. To Shaka’s surprise, her new nurse accepts the dare, unleashing a series of events that will forever change Shaka’s sense of herself as a woman in the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eHunchback\u003c\/em\u003e has shaken Japanese literary culture with its skillful depiction of the physical body and its unrepentant humor. Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, it’s a feminist story about the dignity of an individual who insists on her right to make choices for herself, no matter the consequences. Formally creative and refreshingly unsentimental, \u003cem\u003eHunchback\u003c\/em\u003e depicts the joy, anger, and desires of a woman demanding autonomy in a world that doesn’t always grant it to people like her. Full of wit, bite, and heart, this unforgettable novel reminds us all of the full potential of our lives, regardless of the limitations we experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41259899420730,"sku":null,"price":17.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/HunchbackbookSaouIchikawa.png?v=1772556889"},{"product_id":"night-of-baba-yaga-by-akira-otani","title":"Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA fierce mixed-race fighter develops a powerful attachment to the yakuza princess she’s been forced to protect in this explosive queer thriller: \u003cem\u003eKill Bill \u003c\/em\u003emeets \u003cem\u003eThe Handmaiden \u003c\/em\u003emeets \u003cem\u003eThelma and Louise.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTokyo, 1979. Yoriko Shindo, a workhorse of a woman who has been an outcast her whole life, is kidnapped and dragged to the lair of the Naiki-kai, a branch of the yakuza. After she savagely fends off a throng of henchmen in an attempt to escape, Shindo is only permitted to live under one condition: that she will become the bodyguard and driver for Shoko Naiki, the obsessively sheltered daughter of the gang’s boss.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEighteen-year-old Shoko, pretty and silent as a doll, has no friends, wears strangely old-fashioned clothes, and is naive in all matters of life. Originally disdaining her ward, Shindo soon finds herself far more invested in Shoko’s wellbeing than she ever expected. But every man around them is bloodthirsty and trigger-happy. Shindo doubts she and Shoko will survive much longer if nothing changes. Could there ever be a different life for two women like them?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAkira Otani’s English-language debut moves boldly through time and across gender, stretching the definitions and possibilities of each concept. Rendered in a gorgeous translation by International Booker–shortlisted Sam Bett, this lean, mean thriller proves that bonds forged in fire are unbreakable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41259901648954,"sku":null,"price":14.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/NightofBabaYaga.png?v=1772200528"},{"product_id":"the-ex-boyfriend-s-favorite-recipe-funeral-committee-by-saki-kawashiro-hardcover","title":"The Ex–Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee  by Saki Kawashiro | Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"bottom_facade\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-container-pdp\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"bookdescription\" class=\"drawer\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"drawer-book-description\" class=\"drawer-panel first-panel\" aria-hidden=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-description-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"book-description-copy\" class=\"drawer-copy-text\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat ingredients do you need to cure a broken heart? This soul-nourishing comfort read is for anyone who has loved and lost—and wants to love again.  Wed at Ūmei read this book and found it touch and also funny.  A great, easy read that might make you want to make some of these recipes too.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the story of twenty-nine-year-old Momoko has been tragically dumped. She thought her boyfriend was her soulmate. She believed he was going to propose. Instead, he broke things off at a love hotel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMomoko then does what many broken-hearted people do—she gets incredibly drunk. So drunk that she passes out in a nearly empty café. When she awakens, she’s eager to tell her story to anyone who will listen and pours her heart out to a curious manager and the sole other customer in the café, a Buddhist monk in training. As Momoko describes how she doted on her ex and how he loved her cooking, the manager decides to indulge her by allowing her to slip into the kitchen and cook up her former beau’s favorite dish: a warm, delightful butter chicken curry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Momoko finishes telling her story, she realizes that this combination of cooking and sharing has stopped the flow of her constant tears. And the manager has a brilliant idea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if they started doing this regularly, inviting patrons to share stories about heartbreak while cooking dishes that held significance in their relationships? Thus, an unconventional therapy group, the “Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee,” is born.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on the author’s viral heartbreak story, this is a charming novel (with recipes) about a woman who uses the power of a warm meal to bring together the fellow lonely hearts in this small suburb of Tokyo.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"copy-height\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"drawer-copy\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat abou the auther, Saki Kawashiro? \u003c\/strong\u003e Saki Kawashiro was born in Tokyo, Japan. An avid reader, after graduating from college she worked as a bookseller in Fukuoka, in Southern Japan. While manager of the store’s cafe she invented a recipe for the café menu—“My Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Butter Chicken Curry”—which included a vignette about their breakup, which went viral. Author Toshikazu Kawaguchi (\u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold\u003c\/em\u003e) made an appearance at her bookstore and Mr. Kawaguchi’s editor inspired Saki to write a novel about her adventures, and she became Saki’s editor. The result is \u003cem\u003eThe Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee\u003c\/em\u003e, which is Saki’s first novel.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"pdp-carousels\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"recommendationCarousel\" class=\"book-carousel finite-carousel slick-initialized slick-slider\" data-carousel-title=\"PDP Recommendations\" data-carousel-type=\"rec-carousel-no-feedback\" data-cart-work-ids=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-live=\"polite\" class=\"slick-list draggable\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slick-track\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper first-slide slick-slide slick-current slick-active\" data-slick-index=\"0\" aria-hidden=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide slick-active\" data-slick-index=\"1\" aria-hidden=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"666725\" data-work='{\"title\":\"Lightbreakers\",\"isbn\":9780593329702,\"workId\":666725,\"usPrice\":30,\"division\":\"Penguin Adult HC\/TR\",\"imprint\":\"Riverhead Books\",\"format\":\"Hardcover\",\"category\":\"Science Fiction,Literary Fiction\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Aja Gabel\",\"authorId\":\"2144902\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide slick-active\" data-slick-index=\"2\" aria-hidden=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"778945\" data-work='{\"title\":\"Christmas Cheer\",\"isbn\":9780593602843,\"workId\":778945,\"usPrice\":16.99,\"division\":\"Clarkson Potter\/Ten Speed\",\"imprint\":\"Ink \u0026amp; Willow\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Activity \u0026amp; Coloring Books,Meditation \u0026amp; Mindfulness,Religion,Crafts\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Ann-Margret Hovsepian\",\"authorId\":\"2314436\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide slick-active\" data-slick-index=\"3\" aria-hidden=\"false\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"777044\" data-work='{\"title\":\"Wild Watercolor\",\"isbn\":9780593885864,\"workId\":777044,\"usPrice\":19.99,\"division\":\"Zeitgeist\",\"imprint\":\"Zeitgeist\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Crafts,Art\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Karen Elaine\",\"authorId\":\"2312437\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"4\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"750094\" data-work='{\"title\":\"Love At First Fright\",\"isbn\":9780593871812,\"workId\":750094,\"usPrice\":18,\"division\":\"Bantam Dell\",\"imprint\":\"Dell\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Contemporary Fantasy,Romance\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Nadia El-Fassi\",\"authorId\":\"2299010\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"815373\" data-work=\"{\u0026quot;title\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Thirst Trap\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;isbn\u0026quot;:9798217088997,\u0026quot;workId\u0026quot;:815373,\u0026quot;usPrice\u0026quot;:28,\u0026quot;division\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Crown\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;imprint\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Crown\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;format\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Hardcover\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;category\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Literary Fiction\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;moduletype\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;recommendation-carousel\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;author\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Gráinne O'Hare\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;authorId\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;2345380\u0026quot;}\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"6\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"788373\" data-work=\"{\u0026quot;title\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;The Dogs of Venice\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;isbn\u0026quot;:9798217047604,\u0026quot;workId\u0026quot;:788373,\u0026quot;usPrice\u0026quot;:20,\u0026quot;division\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Penguin Adult HC\/TR\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;imprint\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;G.P. Putnam's Sons\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;format\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Hardcover\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;category\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Literary Fiction\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;moduletype\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;recommendation-carousel\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;author\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Steven Rowley\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;authorId\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;2179740\u0026quot;}\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"7\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"761872\" data-work=\"{\u0026quot;title\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Marrow\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;isbn\u0026quot;:9780593851951,\u0026quot;workId\u0026quot;:761872,\u0026quot;usPrice\u0026quot;:29,\u0026quot;division\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Penguin Adult HC\/TR\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;imprint\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;G.P. Putnam's Sons\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;format\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Hardcover\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;category\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Women's Fiction,Literary Fiction\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;moduletype\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;recommendation-carousel\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;author\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Samantha Browning Shea\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;authorId\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;2328327\u0026quot;}\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"8\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"784214\" data-work='{\"title\":\"The Book Tour\",\"isbn\":9780593984758,\"workId\":784214,\"usPrice\":20,\"division\":\"Bantam Dell\",\"imprint\":\"Dell\",\"format\":\"Paperback\",\"category\":\"Contemporary Romance\",\"moduletype\":\"recommendation-carousel\",\"author\":\"Emily Ohanjanians\",\"authorId\":\"2318624\"}'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"element-wrapper slick-slide\" data-slick-index=\"9\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"carousel-element overlaid\" data-workid=\"776051\" data-work=\"{\u0026quot;title\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Discontent\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;isbn\u0026quot;:9798217006762,\u0026quot;workId\u0026quot;:776051,\u0026quot;usPrice\u0026quot;:17,\u0026quot;division\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Knopf\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;imprint\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Vintage\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;format\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Paperback\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;category\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Literary Fiction,Women's Fiction\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;moduletype\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;recommendation-carousel\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;author\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;Beatriz Serrano\u0026quot;,\u0026quot;authorId\u0026quot;:\u0026quot;2312040\u0026quot;}\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"feedback-button\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner-button rec-add book-shelf-add centered-no-margin\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-cover\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/cart.penguinrandomhouse.com\/prhcart\/prhcart.php\" method=\"post\" enctype=\"application\/x-www-form-urlencoded;charset=UTF-8\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-info is-shown\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"survey_dialog\" class=\"sgnup fi-b777153 deployed\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"shadow-circ author-alert-circ\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"inner fi_default sgnup author-alert formopen\"\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"top-right-circ read-more\" aria-controls=\"ru_form_sect\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"expand\/collapse sign up banner\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"fa fa-angle-up\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"ru_form_sect\" class=\"ru_first\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"newsletter-container rise-up\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"primary-newsletter-pdp-riseup\" class=\"primary-newsletter-form\" data-acq-code=\"PRH_RISEUP-TAKEOVER-PRODUCTPAGE-AUTHOR_STATIC_ONGOING\" data-author-id=\"2313130\" data-author-name=\"Saki Kawashiro\" data-background-color=\"#FFE8D8\" data-form-headline=\"Never miss a new book by Saki Kawashiro\" data-form-subheadline=\"Plus, get personalized recommendations, our top trending books, and more!\" data-general=\"true\" data-page-type=\"pdp\" data-rise-up=\"true\" data-side-by-side=\"true\" data-work-id=\"777153\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-live=\"assertive\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ūmei Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41277664100410,"sku":null,"price":21.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/1D003F13-5A54-4F8B-8E05-A46852D912FE_1_201_a.jpg?v=1775475549"},{"product_id":"the-kamogawa-food-detectives-menu-of-happiness-hisashi-kashiwai","title":"The Kamogawa Food Detectives Menu of Happiness - Hisashi Kashiwai","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew in at Ūmei!  Oh boy we are excited about this one, we heard someone describe this as a cozy mystery.  We are adding this immediately to our reading list, plus we loved the book \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold.  \u003c\/em\u003ePlease let us explain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-about-the-book\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"seemore-0\" class=\"slot product-about 9780593717714 isbn-related seemoreenable show opened\" target-height=\"538.625\" height-fold=\"377\"\u003e\n\u003csection class=\"overview\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of \u003cem\u003eBefore the Coffee Gets Cold\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDown a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is a bestseller in Japan, no surprise,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal. Right on!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere is what people are saying about it:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-body clearfix\" id=\"left-rail-top\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-praise\" id=\"desktop-praise\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"seemore-3\" class=\"slot product-praise seemoreenable opened\" target-height=\"1589.8\" height-fold=\"280\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"clearfix\"\u003e“[An] ode to the magic of food.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeople\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Off-beat and charming, [with] more complexity of flavor than you might expect.” – NPR – Fresh Air with Terry Gross\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“[A] feel-good escape. . . Kashiwai not only makes you hungry for the numerous Japanese dishes he writes about, but he also evokes a unique sense of longing for past happiness you might wish to relive. Warm and nuanced while bringing you to the beautiful city of Kyoto, you’ll devour this small, gentle read like a hearty bowl of your favorite soup.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeattle Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Charming. . . This book offers more than beautifully crafted stories of life’s challenges and joys. It is filled with glimpses into Japanese culture. . . The kind of book you pick up and savor every page. A brilliant first installment to a series, it is expertly crafted and leaves you hungry for more.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Journal of Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The enduring strength of love [is] at the heart of this series opener. . . Takes care to illustrate food’s ability to preserve a culture across generations. . . The cozy, literary equivalent of a hearty stew on a cold day.” –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Kashiwai’s unique blend of seasonings is more than enough to transform each into a five-star-worthy dish. . . [A] warm memory blanket of nostalgia. Readers [will] eagerly devour each morsel of this miso soup for the soul. . . A nourishing collection of bite-sized stories with a hearty dash of savory flavor.”—\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Outstanding. . . A culinary and cultural exploration of Japanese cuisine. . . The novel includes mouthwatering descriptions of food as well as a nuanced description of life in Japan. . . Readers will take delight in Kashiwai’s exquisite meals and the culinary history that accompanies them.” —\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“[This] charming book is definitely not one to read while hungry… Little wonder that this gem of a detective novel is a bestseller in Japan. I’m only glad it’s been made available for the English-speaking public now too.” —\u003cem\u003eCriminal Element\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Affecting. . . With overwhelming emotional resonance [. . .], Nagare satisfies toothsome dreams.”—\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Deliciously fun.” —\u003cem\u003eBookRiot\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe Kamogawa Food Detectives\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an absolute joy; hilarious, emotional, and entirely delicious. Hisashi Kashiwai’s tales of love lost, found, grown older and reborn are both striking and comforting —  truly one of a kind. Delectable and delightful.”—Bryan Washington, author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFamily Meal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Readers will delight in these quiet, introspective stories about the healing power of good, nostalgic food.” – PBS Books\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“An early contender for my favorite book of the year. For anyone who loves magnificent food writing and great storytelling, this novel is a moving, beautiful, and impeccably detailed tribute to the power of a great meal.”—J. Ryan Stradal,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ebestselling author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eKitchens of the Great Midwest\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“I absolutely devoured this book! The father-daughter power duo of Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa carry this series of vignettes that show nostalgia is often the best spice and a plate of food is never\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ejust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ea plate of food. As warm and nourishing as a good cup of tea or bowl of miso soup, this is a series I can see myself returning to again and again.”–Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eArsenic and Adobo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"more-link-wrap opened\"\u003e\u003cbutton class=\"btn btn-link more\" type=\"button\"\u003eSee Less\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"right-rail\" id=\"right-rail-top\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-return-id=\"mobile-also-in-series\" id=\"desktop-also-in-series\"\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"alsoinseries\" name=\"#alsoinseries\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slot series-also-in 9780593717714 isbn-related show\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"in-series\" class=\"product-series-also-in\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"more-link-wrap opened\"\u003e\u003cbutton class=\"btn btn-link more\" type=\"button\"\u003eSee Less\u003c\/button\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mobile-listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"slot product-listen show\"\u003e\n\u003ca id=\"listenToAClip\" name=\"#listen-to-a-clip\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ŪMEI","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41277664690234,"sku":null,"price":21.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2427\/4603\/files\/6F3CE20F-CDE5-4B02-AF2D-5DBCDB988EEF.jpg?v=1774739585"}],"url":"https:\/\/shopumei.com\/collections\/japanese-fiction-1.oembed?page=2","provider":"ŪMEI","version":"1.0","type":"link"}