#Sayaka Murata
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convenience store woman by sayaka murata
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just found this insane interview with sayaka murata. explains everything
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Books read in 2024: CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN by Sayaka Murata
Everyone laughed. “He really would,” I said nodding, thinking that if I ever became a foreign object, I’d no doubt be eliminated in much the same way.
Oh, I thought absently, I’ve become a foreign object.
[...] You’re a foreign object. It’s just nobody bothered to tell you because they find you too freaky. They’ve been saying it behind your back, though. And now they’ll start saying it to your face too.”
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recent purchases + current read
waterstones double stamps my beloved :')
#booklr#books#photo dump#currently reading#mine#studyblr#books and reading#book photography#convenience store woman#sayaka murata#ive wanted to read criers war for so long but couldnt find it when i went in waterstones so finally just ordered it waah
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Thinking of the reviews I've read of Sayaka Murata's books (Convenience Store Woman & Earthlings) and how so many people are like "haha so quirky/crazy/weird" but to me both of them have felt mainly relatable and tragic?? It feels like we're reading different books
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Mathilda-Mary Shelley/Life Ceremony-Sayaka Murata/An Oresteia- Anne Carson
#feyd rautha#feyd rautha harkonnen#the photo of his back and the lashes made me so sad i had to make a lil post#protecting my king from the psychopath allegations one web weaving post at a time!!!#dune#frank herbert#denis villeneuve#austin butler#sayaka murata#anne carson#mary shelley
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I hate when I've read a book that I like enough to buy, but then the cover is terrible. I mean, look at this shit:
It's not the worst I've seen, but it makes the book look like some kind of romcom, it's completely dissonant with the tone, and I hate it.
Meanwhile, look at the Japanese (original) cover for the same novel:
Beautiful, stunning, evocative. Also way more representative of what the actual novel is like to read. The conformity of the tower with odd bits popping and poking out of it, straining against it. This is interesting, I would pick this up off the shelf, whereas with the (North American) cover it has I only read the book because I heard a review that I thought sounded interesting (ironically from someone who didn't even like the book).
I just want to come to the end of the era of minimalist and photograph covers and go back to legit cover art... please
#books#reading#covers#book covers#art#convenience store woman#sayaka murata#literature#Like the book is similar to Camus' The Stranger or Nakamura's The Gun#and they made it look like that#I swear it's because they wanted to capitalize on the idea of '''Quirky Japanese Book!'''(TM)#without giving a care to the book's actual content#probably also has to do with not wanting to make the work of a woman look to philosophical
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It was still early spring, but the steaming hot air that enveloped me was more reminiscent of summer, and memories of childhood vacations suddenly rose up in the back of my mind. It was always the same when I detected the scents of summer. It would be the same for anyone, their sense of smell responding to the summer scent that linked back to the memories of vacations, bringing up vivid, nostalgic scenes.
Sayaka Murata, Eating the City
#Sayaka Murata#Eating the City#Life Ceremony#spring#spring quotes#summer#summer quotes#nostalgia#summer vacation#vacation#short stories#Japanese literature#quotes#quotes blog#literary quotes#literature quotes#literature#book quotes#books#words#text
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convenience store woman by sayaka murata
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Reading "convenience store woman" as an autistic person was groundbreaking, devastating and wonderful actually
#see how i didn't say quirky weird or funny. i have strong feelings about how bad the cover of this book is#convenience store woman#sayaka murata
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Books read in 2024: CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN by Sayaka Murata
When I first started here, there was a detailed manual that taught me how to be a store worker, and I still don’t have a clue how to be a normal person outside that manual.
#typographyedit#typoedit#litedit#bookedit#typography#convenience store woman#sayaka murata#*books24#*books
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People who are considered normal enjoy putting those who aren't on trial, you know.
The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson // Hangsaman, Shirley Jackson // Carrie 1976 // Anne Carson // Earthlings, Sayaka Murata // The Outsider, Marina // Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata // Stoker (2013) // The Road Through The Wall, Shirley Jackson
#shirley jackson#the haunting of hill house#eleanor vance#carrie#carrie 1976#stoker 2013#india stoker#the outsiders#bulling#web weaving#comparatives#parallels#loneliness#on loneliness#anne carson#poetry#literature#literary quotes#sayaka murata#earthlings#convenience store woman#marina#marina diamandis#marina and the diamonds#hangsaman#quote#words#song lyrics#gothic literature#american gothic
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Aren't you tired of forced romances with no chemistry that only take away from the actually interesting plot? Don't you just want media where romance isn't portrayed as being superior and more important than (queer)platonic relationships?
Well, my exhausted aro ass is too, so here are a few tricks and wisdoms I've gathered over my years of being a-spec (which is all of them) on how to avoid romance (in media) in a very allonormative society 💚🤍🩶🖤
(this is a rec list btw. no I am not shitting on the shows that I tagged, quite the opposite)
1. Middle Grade
I get if you aren't really into that, because it is kind of annoying to be pointed to literal children's literature when all you want is a story that isn't constantly being interrupted by describing the main guy's heated eyes for the twentieth time.
However.
It is true that in middle grade, friendship is always more important than romance. Because, let's face it. Making two eleven year old characters kiss is kinda weird. So even if there is a romance, it isn't very prominent and treated more like friendship and/or a puppy crush. Plus some stories get surprisingly dark?!?!
Examples
- Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), technically a romance in the end, but mostly focused on found family, shenanigans, and finding your own value
- House of Many Ways (DWJ). Yes, again. I really like her books okay? They always have something so fantastical and whimsical about them. This is my other favorite book by her and it has literally no romance at all. Plus a hmc cameo that is so fun !!
- Coraline (Neil Gaiman). Maybe this is cheating because I never actually read it. However. a) the movie traumatized me. b) Wybie was added to the movie, he doesn't exist in the book, so if "power of friendship" isn't your thing this will be great. Probably vibes over plot.
Flyte (Angie Sage). Technically this is the second book, but I never read the first one and still understood everything. Once again, no romance at all. A fun read, which can get surprisingly dark at times.
2. Short Story Collections
Once again, I get it if it isn't your thing. Short stories are - as the name reveals - short. Which means: no worldbuilding, very limited narrator, open ending, no time to really get attached to characters, etc.
But.
The cool thing about collections, is that they always have a certain theme. And as long as the theme is not romance, romance will not be the focus. Even if there is a romantic relationship, it will be used to explore this theme since there simply isn't time for anything else.
Examples:
Life Ceremony (Sayaka Murata) This is the book that actually made me figure out: hey! I do actually like short stories !! The main theme is basically about being different and it plays a lot with body horror and the perception of your own body in contrast with how society sees it. There is even a story about two women who platonically live together and raised multiple children!
Canterbury Classics: Classic Tales of Horror (introduction by Ernest Hilbert). As the name suggests, this is a collection of horror short stories, featuring well-known authors such as Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe or Charlotte Perkins Gilman. As these are classic old tales, the language is a bit complicated at times and you can read them for free on Gutenberg. However, the book is very very pretty and the introduction is very interesting (Origins of the genre, specific tropes and monsters, etc.)
3. Podcasts
PODCASTS!!! If you follow me, you are probably already aware of those. However, in case you don't, let me introduce you to the wonderful world of Audiodramas.
The cool thing about Podcasts is that pretty much anyone can do it. All you need is an idea, a mic, a lot of motivation, and you're pretty much set to go. No producers or publishers you need to get approval from. So it is only natural that this medium is filled to the brim with queer creators. Basically every character is somewhat queer. It's awesome.
Examples:
- The Silt Verses. I adore TSV. I listened to the first season like, four times. (the second one is good too but OH MY GOD THE FIRST ONE). And one of the main characters is canonically and explicitly aro!! Sister Carpenter, I love you with my whole being. And the great thing is, it is very clear that the writers love her, too!! There is a lot (like a LOT) of body horror so it isn't for everybody. But if you think you can handle it I really recommend it. (Plus, not any romance plotlines at all !!)
- Wolf 359. This is one of the older ones and it is really good. It's a bunch of restless and very unwell people stuck in a spaceship under the unforgiving rule of capitalism. However bad you imagine it, I can assure you it is worse. But the really cool thing is that there literally isn't any romance at all. Like, there are great m/f friendships but they never even hint towards a romance. Some people are so unused to that that they literally ship the main dude with the fucking robot AI. (don't worry, not an actual romance plot).
- Girl in space. I am sure you will be absolutely shook to know that this one also takes place in space. It is about a girl. In space. Shocking, I know. Except that she has been on her own for well over a year when suddenly a fleet of strange ships arrive and kidnap her. There is also a very asshole-y robot. And questions about what makes us human. And found family!! And a goat. And cheese. Just go listen to it okay. This is also one of the shortest ones of the list, so maybe a good start.
- Malevolent. I have to confess that I personally am not a huge fan of this one? Like the premise is really cool - a detective who wakes up blind and with a demon in his head who can see through the detectives eyes. What the fuck?, you may ask yourself. So does Arthur Lester. Mysteries and other dimensions and a whole lot of pain ensues. Harlan is undeniably an awesome VA and a great writer, but his stories just seem a bit too repetitive to me? Nonetheless I know of lots of people who enjoy it a lot. Trying to define the relationship between Arthur and John (his demon) is perhaps the biggest mystery of them all. (Jk. there are multiple murders and stuff. they've really got other priorities)
- Middle:Below. This is another short one and probably the least famous of this list? It's about this funky lil dude with a ghost roommate and a cat who can talk (.....or can it?). There is a m/f friendship but it never turns into a romance (wow it is possible!!). They all go on adventures on the dimension between life and death. Despite the description, this is literally just a comedy. A bit spooky at best. Reminds me a bit of scarier kids cartoons like gravity falls.
4. "Gay" movies/series in countries with homophobic censorship
Now you may think, "hey that seems like a bit of an asshole move!". And you would be 100% correct in thinking that.
However.
It does also mean that the main relationship of the story can never be explicitly romantic. They can allude to it, they can try to show it. But they can never confirm. So it is very easy to interpret them as having a QPR. (because tbh I don't think I've ever seen one on television.)
Examples:
The Untamed. Look. I am aware that the first episode is so fucking atrocious, all right? And no, the CGI does in fact never get better. And sometimes the translated subtitles are a bit awkward. But I swear that it is so good. Trust me on this one, okay? Just make it through the first ep. It's a wild ride. Lan Zhan I love you. (However the book it is based on (written by a woman) depicts them being in an explicitly romantic relationship, with lots of very inaccurate and badly researched smut, so the fandom pretty much sees them as exclusively romantic.)
- Word of Honor. Very much in the same vein as The Untamed. Except that the first episode is less horrible. And the one dude has a very fruity fan. And they also raise a kid together. And the costumes of the villains are really fun!! I actually never finished this one tbh. I know that the book it is based on has one very extremely terrible ableist plot point, but I don't know if that made it into the show since I never got that far
The Devil Judge. The last two were fantasy, this one is a dystopia. Very tense and interesting. There is a romantic subplot (typical childhood friend vs bad boy love triangle), but he rejects the childhood friend and they can't exactly show him and the "bad boy" (who is actually a judge. and also kinda his sugar daddy) as explicitly romantic for the reason above. They also live in the same house and cook together and take care of a child together. Can totally recommend.
Assassination Classroom. A bunch of students have to kill their teacher who is an alien. that's literally the plot. I cried so hard at the finale. Nagisa and Karma have MASSIVE vibes and you can't convince me otherwise. (There is a romantic subplot that does end in a kiss, but they agree to continue as friends since those were..... extenuating circumstances. The dude very clearly is not into her). Nagisa also very aro-spec coded imo.
5. "Straightbaiting" Anime
Sometimes Anime does this thing (which I personally find very hilarious) where a boy and a girl will have no other romantic involvements or love interests while growing closer and closer, but never get together. A bit like reverse queerbaiting.
Examples:
- Fairy Tail. The ultimate power is friendship anime. That is all you need to know. (I should also perhaps warn you that the end of the last arc (and the sequel series, but we don't talk about that) are huge letdowns. Like the buildup? So good. But....welp. If that doesn't bother you too much and the idea to have a group of people be the main character instead of one person only, this may be the series for you. Just do yourself a favor and skip all the filler arcs
Soul Eater. I really love the vibes of this one. Once again, most of the fandom likes depicting them as explicitly romantic, but they never canonically are. It also reminds me a bit of creepy children cartoons. It is also where the superior fictional school exists, Devon. Frankenstein teaches there (the dude, not the monster). People transform into badass weapons. Nobody can convince me that Make Albarn is not a trans woman. However the ending deviates a bit from the manga, and I personally think the anime one is a bit worse
Noragami. This one will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first anime I really watched. This one also has people who transform into weapons, but the vibes are very different. It goes a bit more into Japanese folklore in case that interests you.
Bonus: Canonically Aro/Heavily Aro-Coded Characters
They were not anywhere above because the stories they are in didn't really fit any of the categories. But they exist!
Wolf (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts). I adore Wolf. There is also barely any romance. Like, it will seem like it at first, but don't worry, it's only straightbaiting. There is a romance subplot but it's very brief and very much in the background. Overall very good aro show 👍
Isaac (Heartstopper) Very queer show, very high likelihood that you already know of it. The series per se is very romance focused, but as far as I've heard the a-spec rep in S2 is really good
Georgia (Loveless). Actually never read it. But, well. Title pretty self-explanatory dare I say. By the same author as Heartstopper (Alice Oseman)
Chance/Chris and Shadow/Ryan (woe.begone) Are explicitly in a QPR together !! they are also probably the healthiest couple in the podcast lol
Henry Clerval (Frankenstein). Henry is the "a couple of besties!!" to Victor's "we look like a couple <3"
Barbie (Barbie 2023) If you've seen it you know what I mean.
Jo Marsh (Little Women). I never read the book, but Jo in the 2019 movie??? very sus.
I would also recommend checking out Japanese books! I personally think they are much better at writing romance than the western people lol. It's more about knowing each other and sharing your views of the world, thus changing each other and leaving a mark forever, even if the relationship ends. (studio ghibli romance vibes). My favorite Japanese book doesn't have an English translation :(
aber an alle Deutsch-Sprecher*innen: Die Katzen von Shinjuku (Durian Sukegawa) -> og title: Shinjuku no Neko
Can't think of anything else right now, but please leave some of your own recommendations! Hope this helps ^^
#aro#aromantic#aroace#aroallo#neil gaiman#diana wynne jones#flyte#sayaka murata#the silt verses#wolf 359#girl in space podcast#malevolent#middle:below#podcasts#fairy tail#soul eater#noragami#assassination classroom#word of honor#the untamed#devil judge#kipo and the age of wonderbeasts#woe.begone#wbg#heartstopper#alice oseman#frankenstein#barbie#greta gerwig
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Thoroughbreds by Cory Finley / Jenny Holzer / Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori / Cry for Judas by The Mountain Goats
#thoroughbreds#cory finley#jenny holzer#convenience store woman#sayaka murata#ginny tapley takemori#the mountain goats#tmg#comparison
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