Interesting Read -- Boom! + In The Miso Soup

Recently, I have made a trip to Kinokuniya to search for good books to read.

I think I definitely made a few good purchases in this trip, which is why I am going to introduce 2 books in 1 post this time.

First up is the book "Boom!" which attracted me due to its neon orange cover and a very simple picture of a rocket in front. It turns out that it's a pretty interesting book for a light, leisurely read. It is written by Mark Haddon in 2009. This was originally adapted from "Gridzbi Spudvetch!", another of his works. However, due to the complexity of the name, it wasn't really very well known when it was published then and rapidly went out of print thereafter ( as Haddon puts it in his foreword, "It was a ridiculous thing to call a book. No one knew how to pronounce it... As a result only twenty-three people bought the book."). In 2007, he received feedback from a teacher on how her students enjoyed it everytime it was read to them and was finally persuaded to give the book a total revamp. And "Boom!" was born.

The story is about a boy called Jim, who was fearful of being sent to "that school in Fenham" because of his poor performance in school. To confirm his fears, he along with best friend Charlie went to tap in on their teachers' conversation, only to find them speaking in a strange language. After some detective work by the two boys, they realized to their horror that their teachers were aliens all along. At the same time, Charlie was also kidnapped by the aliens, so Jim and his 16 year old sister Becky went on a chase to rescue him...

I like the book because while the plot is simple (and perhaps a bit illogical), the writer's humorous and witty style of writing caught my attention. This is definitely a good book for a light read. (Note: just don't think too much while you are reading this. have fun and enjoy the book! :D)

The next book, Ryu Murakami's "In The Miso Soup" takes on a darker and more mature theme, as it explores Japan's pink industry. The story's protagonist, Kenji, is a "nightlife guide" who specializes in sex tours for foreign tourists. A day before New Year, he was hired by an American tourist, Frank to take bim on a guided tour of Tokyo's night spots. At the same time, it was also reported that a high school girl had been murdered and her corpse dumped at a trash collection site afew days before. Frank's odd behaviour causes Kenji to suspect that his latest client may be linked to the murder. As the tour progresses, Kenji finds himself embroiled in greater trouble...and greater peril.

I like this book because of the surprises it gave me throughout the book, but the horror parts left me a bit shocked and a bit hard to digest. But this book gave me an insight of Japan's sex industry and some of its traditional cultures. Infused with horror akin to a slasher film, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

So make your pick, the fun, entertaining "Boom!" or the dark, ambiguous "In The Miso Soup". Whichever you pick, you are bound for an entertaining read! ;)