[Project Participation] What is your book of 2024?

Since I started writing creative works,
every time I finish writing,
I have started to feel depressed.

Because of my lack of ability.



I struggle because I cannot find the right expression,
and even when I manage to give it shape,
because unnaturally embellished words
do not move people,
I worry, add, and subtract.

This is a repetition of that.

Generally, even though I read printed text,
it is mostly newspapers,

※Even that is often
　left unread.

I cannot create expressions
that capture people's hearts.

Newspapers are written concisely
without embellishment, so
if I am pulled in that direction,
I might be able to write easy-to-understand documents
as administrative work, but
it is far from moving.

In that case, before worrying and fretting,
take action.

Thinking that, I don't know since when,
but I started reading novels with intent.

Even if I pick one up
hoping to grasp something,
in reality, I get drawn into the world of the story,
and most of the time,
I cannot analyze or parse it.

This year, I encountered many books
that moved me and that I will never forget.

There were some that were just okay,
and some that were not so great.

You might feel offended,
wondering on what basis a mere amateur
would make such judgments, but

the point is, it is a matter of taste.

Tastes vary widely, but
knowing that, I dare to say,
among the books I read this year,
the ones I particularly liked
are as follows.

There are many books that slip from my memory
as soon as I finish reading them, but
the ones listed above are all books
whose outlines I can still recall immediately,
and they still warm my heart.

It's a tough choice this time, but
to participate in this project,
I've decided to choose
one more book from here.

Hmm.

If I had to narrow it down to three, these are my personal picks.

I think the novels by Akane Chihaya, the author of #1,
are a matter of taste.

I personally
really love the worldview she depicts.

It's very feminine,
like a world inside a dream, and also
full of deep knowledge.

Because the expressions are so detailed,
some people have said it's
"hard to understand and doesn't resonate."

However, among Akane Chihaya's works,
this one, "Scent of the Red Moon,"
slipped right into my heart,
stayed there forever,
and has truly become a part of me.

This is
the sequel to "Scent of the Transparent Night."
I actually prefer "Transparent..."
but this book brings me a strange kind of happiness,
where two conflicting feelings wrestle within me:
the desire to keep such a beautiful world to myself,
and the wish for it to be adapted into a film so more people can discover it.

I just remembered now,
the female protagonist in "Transparent..."
was named Ichika.

I unconsciously
used it in my own creative writing 😅

#2, "Lake of the Line," is also a sequel.
The first part is called "The Lines That Define Me."
It's a book that was made into a movie, and it also captured my heart.

Since the author is a man,
I think it's easy for men to read as well.
It's a story about Japanese painting
written by an active Japanese-style painter.

The scenes unfold right before your eyes,
and it's the kind of book that leaves you dazed
and unable to move for a while after reading.

How wonderful Japan is.
If Akane Chihaya's book in #1 is Western-style,
this one is completely Japanese-style.

From #3, you can hear music.
It's like a lonely spy novel,
or perhaps human love,
the low, calm sound of a cello.

If I were caught between company orders and the bond between teacher and student,
what would I do?

Now, if I had to narrow it down to just one,

I choose
“Rabuka wa Shizuka ni Yumi wo Motsu” (The Rabuka Quietly Holds the Bow)
from option ③.

I wanted to hear the
“Trembling Rabuka” that this spy plays,
so I searched for it online,
and when I found out it didn't actually exist,
I was disappointed.

I was truly happy with the ending
that this spy chose,
and I was moved by his courage.
Could there be any greater love for a mentor?

I recently
wrote a long novel about the koto.
I'm sorry for always talking about this.

When I was writing it,
I wasn't aware that I was influenced by
“Rabuka,”
but now that I think about it,
I must have been drawn to it.

I want to write prose
that makes music sound so vivid.

I might have been influenced
in terms of human love as well.

The companions who appear in
“Rabuka” are all such wonderful people.

The protagonist is great.
The teacher is also great.


It's a book that makes you want to be kinder
to the people around you.
I believe that encountering this book
is a great treasure.

Books move me,
and although the results aren't clearly visible,
I believe they are surely
helping me grow.

Books are wonderful.

This article is an entry
for Zero-san's project.

Zero-san, thank you
for such a wonderful project!
I'm looking forward to the other participants' articles too 😊
Everyone, please join in!

#BookOfTheYear