Your Everyday Girl

“What are your New Year’s resolutions?” was hardly asked this year, and I believe it’s for the best. Whenever I come up with a New Year’s resolution, I always seem to fail to achieve it. So, instead of making a list of things I want to achieve in 2024 (and then not following through), I want to share something exciting that I accomplished in 2023. I read a variety of enlightening novels in 2023 and today I’m sharing a glimpse into each one.

1. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

The Before the Coffee Gets Cold trilogy follows the stories of those who frequent a unique time-travelling cafe in Tokyo. The people you read about in this book, along with the stories in Tales From The Cafe and Before Your Memory Fades, share some gut-wrenching memories and experiences which will make you feel so many emotions at once. The trilogy was a refreshing and bittersweet read.

2. Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

3. Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

4. This Is How I Disappear by Miron Malle

This Is How I Disappear is a graphic novel that follows the life of a young woman living in Montreal struggling with mental health issues and trauma following a sexual assault. It follows her journey from self-harm, isolation, and stress to getting help from her close circle guiding her on the path to self-love.

5. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The tale of Pachinko follows the life of Sunja in the 1900s from Korea to Japan. The difficulties and triumphs are shown through four generations of a Korean family trying to survive life as immigrants in Japan. I know there is an Apple TV show on this, but I highly recommend you read the book. The level of detail in this book should not be missed, I was hooked from the beginning and found it difficult to put down.

6. Verses From Montreal by B.R Houtman

Poetry at its finest, Verses from Montreal is romantically written and follows the life of a young man living in Montreal and shares a look into the soul of the city through its seasons, streets, and lifestyle. I read this book when I lived in Montreal and it made me feel closer to the city. Those who have experienced love or are in love will rejoice when reading this.

7. Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

This novel made me think of how different our world could be if we had caring robots to live with us to support our daily lives. Klara, a very intuitive robot, takes care of a child named Josie who is going through an illness and is in need of support. Klara’s devotion to Josie goes through trials, but remains constant until the end. I was a tad stunned by the ending and for some strange reason I couldn’t stop thinking about this book for some time.

8. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

This was one of the messier books I read, and by messy I mean heartbreaking. A beautifully written book which unfolds the love life of Cleo and Frank, two partners who are polar opposites and yet still have love for each other. By the end of this book, I was a sobbing wreck. I recommend this to anyone looking for growth and perspective.

9. Star by Yukio Mishima

I won’t lie, Star was a very strange read for me and mostly because it follows one very superficial character who is an actor. This book covers topics such as beauty, love, youth, and death. It was interesting enough for me to read and there were moments in the book I truly could not put down. Fun fact, this book was originally published in a literary magazine in 1960.

I just wanted to take a moment to give a big shoutout to one of my friends who inspired me to write this post. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that 2024 will be a year filled with love, joy, and peace for everyone. And don’t forget to treat yourself to some new reads that will allow you to remain open-hearted.

Your everyday girl,

Sara