“Grandpa, what was it like when you were young?” “Back then, children grew up fast—too fast.” The Last Children of Tokyo is a dystopian novel set in a […]
Japanese literature
The Hole
“The days were long, but the summer was short. And before I knew it, the cicadas had stopped singing.” Chapter 1: The Move Asa, a young woman, moves […]
Japanese literature
Men Without Women
“No matter how far they travel, men without women are incomplete.” Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami is a collection of seven short stories exploring loneliness, love, and […]
French literature
The Little Communist Who Never Smiled
“She was a doll, a puppet, a little soldier. But she was also a child.” Prologue The novel opens with the introduction of Nadia Comăneci, the legendary Romanian […]
French literature
How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are
“Parisian women don’t care what you think. They care what they think.” Introduction: The Parisian Mystique The book opens by demystifying the allure of Parisian women, presenting them […]
French literature
The Red Notebook
“A book is a mirror: if an ape looks into it, an apostle is unlikely to look out.” — Georg Christoph Lichtenberg Chapter 1: The Lost Handbag Laurent […]
French literature
So You Don’t Get Lost in the Neighborhood
“Memory is a strange thing. When I was in the midst of it, it wasn’t there, and now that it’s no longer there, I can see it clearly.” […]
American literature
We Were Liars
“Do not accept an evil you can change.” The novel We Were Liars follows Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a teenage girl from a wealthy and seemingly perfect family who […]
American literature
Ugly Love
“Love isn’t always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it’ll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you’re back to square one, […]
American literature
Big Little Lies
“She didn’t want to die. She just didn’t want to live like this anymore.” Chapter 1: The Aftermath The book opens with a chaotic scene at Pirriwee Public […]