Since we moved to Japan and my mind has been 24/7 consumed with a new language (whether I’m really concentrating on it or not, its there!), reading in ENGLISH has become a whole new world of rest and relaxation for me. I can down books in days, reminiscent of my reading whims in elementary and junior high. (Before sports, boys, and ‘cruising’ down Main Street in Smalltown, Midwest.) Consequently, the range of books that I desire to read has grown immensely — it used to be in college that I felt I only had time for the ‘spiritual living’ kind of books, the ones you read to improve yourself or your life in Christ. Today, this moment, I have a huge need for two categories: good fiction about the lives of women (can include romance, but nothing to hip or primetime-tv-like), and the type of nonfiction that writes poetically about everyday occurrences (memoir-esque). Those are just what I’m craving at the moment. Since the selection of English books at the local library is rather stunted (see last post, #1), I’ve been looking into purchasing via Amazon.co.jp (Japanese Amazon). One book in particular (“The Kitchen Diaries”) was $26 for hard cover in America — in Japan, that same book is about 3900yen. With the recent DROP of the dollar below the yen, I would be paying roughly $42 for the SAME BOOK if I bought it from Japan. Is that NUTS or what?! I know that purchasing imported American things is expensive and is a ‘special treat’ because I don’t live there anymore — but I just was shocked to see the price double on this book.
I think I’ll try to convince my husband that it will be good for his family life if he lets me fill a box with books when we come home in December.
On that note, any good book recommendations??
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jamie! have you read Kabul Beauty School? i read it on the round trip flight to NY and back in september. it’s easy and entertaining and totally opened my eyes to Afghanistan! it’s the true story of a woman who goes over there just after 9/11 and ends up opening a beauty school, hence the name. now i have an urge to read more books based there… have you read the kite runner?
i’m also reading The Shack right now… it’s beautiful! totally recommend it!
those books sound GREAT! did you buy them in nippon? or ship them? i can get some when im back for christmas..
the shack was pretty cheap on amazon japan. i got kabul beauty school in the us and i already gave it away or i’d give it to you 😦
The Worst Hard Time, about the dustbowl in the U.S. midwest. I am working on it and have learned SOO much about the period and my grandparents’ lives!