What authors and books from that part of the world can you recommend?
I read 4 books by Murakami last year and loved each of them (Norwegian Wood, Coloreless, 1Q84 and Kafka on the shore). I am going to read the rest of his books some time soon; his style writing suit me very well. I know some people on this forum don't like him.
I have 2 books by Banana Yoshimoto (Japanese) waiting for me.
I am currently reading Red Sorghum by Mo Yan (Chinese) and really enjoying it.
This year read also 2 books by Ma Jian (Chinese) - The dark road and Red Dust: A Path Through China and have 2 more books by him on my shelf. I enjoyed both of his book and hope that (as he lives in London) one day to see him at some talk as his books made me understand recent Chinese history and society.
I read Pearl. S Bucks The good Earth and liked it.
I couldn't finish Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - it just made me very sad and depressed.
Ruth Ozeki (she is half Japanese and half Canadian but I thought I will mention her here) enchanted me with A Tale for the Time Being.
Have you read anything by Xinran? I read her NF collection of articles she wrote for The Guardian - What The Chinese Don't Eat, but she's also written fiction.
Death of a Red Heroine by Qui Xialong. It's a murder mystery set in Shanghai in 1990 and it has a lot in it about Chinese history, politics, culture and food as well as the crime. I really enjoyed it. Villain by Shuichi Yoshida and The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashiro are two very well-written Japanese thrillers. If you don't like crime The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai by Ruiyan Xu is very good and The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa is my favourite Japanese novel so far. I have Strange Weather in Tokyo on my wish list also. Norwegian Wood is the only Murakami book I've read so far and I was underwhelmed but plan to give him another chance.
A personal matter by Kenzaburo Oe (a nobel prize winner) This moved me tremendously, although I read it before having kids: its about a young father's shock at having a son with brain damage. It's based loosely on Oe's own experience.
Thanks for this thread. Really looking forward to getting stuck into some of these. Can I suggest trying the Malaysian Chinese author Tan Twan Eng, if you haven't tried him yet? The Garden of Evening Mists was shortlisted for the 2012 Booker, beautiful book. His other one is The Gift of Rain.
Quite few books by Lisa See on audible - got myself Snow Flower and the Secret Fan also got Tan Twan Eng - The Garden of Evening Mists, A personal matter by Kenzaburo Oe (about birth of son with brain damage)
as expected - very few non-english speaking authors books are on audible
also found another Japanese Nobel Prize winner - Yasunari Kawabata and will read (in my case means listen ) one of his books, perhaps Snow Country and will report here soon.
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) one of his books, perhaps Snow Country and will report here soon.