Alamelu Janaki

  While reading More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop , I realised that perhaps we all are in search of Morisaki shop kind of space in all our lives- a place that asks for nothing except our presence. For Takako in the novel, it was a secondhand bookstore tucked inside Jimbocho. For me, it was a reading room in our community, where time softened, responsibilities loosened, and I slowly returned to myself. ikr, there is too much of me in the picture. However, i believe my friend managed to click a good one. 😜       Virginia Woolf in A Room of One’s Own wanted every woman to have a room of her own and some financial support for them to write fiction. The demand for a private space is indeed an ask for autonomy – that marked freedom and economic independence. However, in the current scenario, for contemporary mothers the Woolfian space can be interpreted in a different way-women might want a space away from home – which lets them be by themselves, having no demand...

  Days at the Morisaki Bookshop – Satoshi Yasgisawa A warm, fast paced single sitting type of read, an absolute game for beginners! And Yes, the book gives you a bear hug- familiar and comforting!       Takako, a young girl who is often at odds in explaining herself suffers a heart break and later rediscovers her purpose by staying at her uncle Satoru’s rundown Morisaki bookshop. To stay among thousands of books is indeed a delight, as Takako explores the place and the bookshop her passion for life is rekindled.      The cozy novel is divided into two parts. The first part is about Takako’s self-discovery at the bookshop and the second part deals with her aunt Momoko’s return and how her presence and perspective of life alter Takako’s presumptions. Yet another fascinating thread is that of Wada – a customer at the shop who later becomes the love interest of Takako.        This book was lighter and warmer since my last ...

    The 2024 Butter   written by a Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki, translated into English by Polly Barton, is a crime narrative revealing how the society determines “what women can desire for?”      The Book, l ike the actual Butter, on consumption - slowly melts filling the whole of the self. It is unputdownable and offers an individually distinct experience to its readers.        Based on the real-life Japanese incident concerning “Konkatsu Killer,” the book delves into the psychological triggers and emotional rationale behind the convicted killer of three elderly men and the determined journalist aiming for an exclusive interview from the convict.      The case has spurred lot of curiosity from the  people in Japan, because Kaji, the convict is not beautiful but obese, there is no evident attractive quality about her. This makes people wonder what did the men/victims actually see in her as they mysteriously ...