A hazelnut latte, a stack of magazines and hours at the bookstore is my kind of day and I had one of those this weekend. I spent some time at Barnes & Noble indulging in a bunch of new crafty magazines. I was especially tempted by Cloth Paper Scissors and the latest Somerset Studios publication, Art Journaling.

I walked away without them but I think I may have to go back. I figure these are the types of magazines that I know I can go back to from time to time for tips and advice, right? I probably should have got them but hey, this just means I have to go back to the bookstore.

With me I also had the Dec/Jan edition of Bookforum, this thanks to Stefanie who had a giveaway for this publication recently. I love the in-depth articles in this magazine and reading through this I’m wondering how I could have let my subscription lapse last year.

Anyway, I read about Hitler’s Private Library, which is an eye-opening essay, and okay I’ll also admit that I love this publication for the ads. There are such interesting books mentioned here, books which I rarely see on a bookstore shelf.

For example just check out some of these titles:

• The Big Archive by Sven Spieker. From the ad: “This non-fictional version of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose is indispensable reading for artists and scholars.”
• Black by Michel Pastoureau. Black—favorite color of priests and penitents, artists and ascetics, fashion designers and fascists—has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad. In this beautiful and richly illustrated book, the acclaimed author of Blue now tells the fascinating social history of the color black in Europe.
• Tales for Little Rebels edited by Julia Mickenberg and Philip Nel. This is a collection of forty-four mostly out-of-print stories, poems, comic strips, primers, and other texts for children that embody the radical tradition. These pieces reflect the concerns of twentieth-century leftist movements, such as peace, civil rights, gender equality, environmental responsibility, and the dignity of labor.

So, a very nice time and now I am planning to start a new book tonight, Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson which the Slaves of Golconda will be discussing at the end of the month. Hope you’ll think about joining us.

Good news, I finished my Japanese Literature Challenge 2. Yay! First, a big thank you to Bellezza for hosting this challenge. Although I didn’t stick with any of the original books I planned to read, I don’t regret it one bit because I really enjoyed each novel a lot. The first story I read was Out by Natsuo Kirino and that was one of my favorite reads last year.

Next up is the first book I finished this year, Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto. This short novel seems simple yet is filled with so much empathy and sorrow that you feel for the characters. But despite, the sadness there is a glimmer of hope that manages to shine through. It deals with a young woman who’s all alone in the world and the friends that reach out to her to form a new family.

“No matter what, I want to continue living with the awareness that I will die. Without that, I am not alive. That is what makes the life I have now possible. Inching one’s way along a steep cliff in the dark: on reaching the highway, one breathes a sigh of relief. Just when one can’t take any more, one sees the moonlight. Beauty that seems to infuse itself into the heart: I know about that.”

Isn’t that lovely? The story is very dreamy and very good. You can read more of my review here.

The last novel I read was The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Actually, I’m also counting this one for my 9 for 09 Challenge in the category of “Dusty” as I’ve had this book on my TBR shelf for years. Anyway, while this story is about a chinese young man it does take place in Japan on the eve of World War II.

Stephen is sent by his family to the family’s summer home to recuperate from tuberculosis. He envisions a quiet time spent swimming, painting and getting well but Stephen will befriend some of the local residents and will learn about the power of friendship and love and will be doing a bit of growing up.

“The garden is a world filled with secrets. Slowly, I see more each day. The black pines twist and turn to form graceful shapes, while the moss is a carpet of green that invites you to sit by the pond. Even the stone lanterns, which dimly light the way at night, allow you to see only so much. Matsu’s garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden. There’s a quiet beauty here I only hope I can capture on canvas.”

A nice, comfort read. You can read more of my review here.

I had a great time with this challenge. Will I read more books by these authors? Definitely. Now, I’m off to enjoy the weekend – I hope you guys have a wonderful one too!