On the topic of Murakami, if you read enough of his work you start to notice he's been writing the same book over and over for years now. And it's not a bad book certainly, it's brought him a lot of acclaim and attention, but he essentially mixes and matches different elements to differing degrees of success.
Here's a handy check list to keep score:
If you're going to read him, I'd recommend the classics "A Wild Sheep Chase," "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World," "Kafka on the Shore," and his first collection of short stories "The Elephant Vanishes."
Paul Auster is similar and also does the same thing, but instead of using noir and fantasy elements, he uses coincidence and metaficiction. He has dabbled in noir a bit though, mainly the first book in "The New York Trilogy," which is the only book of the three worth reading. Of his other work, "Leviathan," "Moon Palace," and "The Book of Illusions" are pretty solid.
Both of these guys focus on young male protagonists who are figuring out their place in the world, and as a result often appeal to young men figuring out their place in the world. This is not to say their work isn't worth reading, more so that as you get older and figure your shit out, you may find your appreciation of their stuff declining.
Anyway, since this is a recommendation thread, Jack Black's (not that one) autobiography of life as a freight hopping hobo turned thief and safe cracker in San Francisco during the late 1800s and early 1900s is one of the best books I've ever read. The amount of life this guy experiences, and his ability to write a relatable yet mind blowing book about the hobo underworld and all its various facets makes for an unputdownable book.
Topic: books to read (Read 507349 times)