March Your Way Through Books / Ern's Retro Books (March 2005)

First of all, you must remember I wrote these prologues and reviews five years ago. Three years before starting my own blog. On some of the reviews, I will probably edit out the prologue but this one still seems pretty relevant. So, more reviews from the past.


It’s nearing the end of the month which means it’s time once again for Ernie’s monthly book reviews and recommendations. Although I watch a fair amount of movies, I try not to stay away from that other (and some would say outdated) mode of entertainment, the book! I cannot understand this e-book phenomena. Reading prose on your computer screen is fine but I like the solid feel of a book in my hand. It’s not as if you can take your computer to the neighborhood park for a relaxing couple of hours of reading (well, perhaps if you have those palm pilots or whatever). But still, books won’t crash. The pages won’t freeze. And if it’s not out of print, it would be easier to replace than a computer. They can be addictive as drugs without harming your body. I know net shopping is also very convenient for books but I like to have it in my hand before I make a purchase. Perhaps I’m still technologically challenged. The thought of buying over the internet fills me with fear and trepidation. I try to avoid it at all costs. Maybe I’m being too paranoid. Of course there are cons to being a lover of books. One is that it takes up a lot of space. Another is that books are not light, especially the hard covers which I’m fond of. Oh, how I dream of a house with my own personal library.


TREASURY OF WORLD CULTURE : ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES AND URBAN CENTERS (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE) – This is a beautiful book that most people would probably buy just for the pictures. This is volume 1 of a three part series. I’m fascinated by ancient ruins and lost cities and such. I could spend hours wandering around Pompeii or Ayuthaya and never be bored. Unlike my sister’s boyfriend who’s opinion of Pompiee was “just a bunch of old rocks.” This book doesn’t cover every single site as there are currently over 700 that are protected by UNESCO and that would be one hefty tome to lug around. There’s a local publisher that’s also been releasing a UNESCO World Heritage DVD series which I’ve been buying religiously. I figured if I never get a chance to visit these places, then I’ll settle for the next best thing – armchair traveling. No guides, no dysentery, no fears of being robbed. I know it’s not the same as I’ve actually been to Pompeii and Ayuthaya and even the Acropolis back when I was just a tot. I just started reading the second series. H. here are some of the sites that were picked for this edition – Machu Picchu, Chitzen Itza, Angkor Wat, Muslim Cairo, just to give you an idea.


THE SEA (CUBE BOOK) – This is a small but very thick photography book filled with beautiful pictures of the sea, the ocean, coral reefs, atolls, fishing villages and anything else that’s associated with the sea. It’s like armchair traveling without the dialogue.

THE BRIDE’S KIMONO by Sujata Massey – The continuing adventures of Rei Shimura. Rei is given a chance to be a lecturer in Washington, D.C. for a set of kimonos that’s on loan from a prestigious museum. When one of the kimonos is stolen and is not insured, Rei finds herself in a heap of trouble. To add to her confusion, her Scottish ex-boyfriend appears back on the scene (in DC. No less).

THE EARTH (CUBE BOOK) – Another photography book in the Cube Book series. I just can’t recommend these books enough for their beautiful pictures. It may not cure your wanderlust but it will give you an idea of places you might want to see for yourself.

LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding – Yes, the classic. Probably the only book my older brother has read from start to finish. After watching the Takeshi Kitano movie “Battle Royale”, it so reminded me of the plot of this novel that I knew I would have to read it for myself. I know there is also a movie version of this book which I had seen parts of. I imagine a lot of you have read this for some class or other. It’s much more satisfying to read when it’s not a requirement.

SHINJU by Laura Joh Rowlnd – A mystery set in feudal Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Sano Ichiro is a yoriki (the neighborhood police sergeant). As he was not born into his position, he has no peers that consider him their equal. When he investigates a double suicide that doesn’t turn out what it seems to be, a host of other people try to stop him from finding the truth. The closer he gets to the truth, the dager to his own life becomes quite apparent.

HARD RAIN by Barry Eisler – John Rain just wants to lead a quiet life but when he returns to Japan to do a favor for his police officer friend and then to call it quits afterwards, his officer friend tells him his target was just small potatoes. Rain finds that the CIA are still looking for him, along with some other unsavory characters. It looks like John Rain cannot retire just yet. The second book in the series featuring half-Japanese, half-American hitman, John Rain.

ME & EMMA by Elizabeth Flock – A rather depressing story as expressed through the eyes of an eight year old girl. Carrie is only eight and her sister Emma is six. Emma was a witness to her father’s murder in their North Carolina home. The mother soon remarries to a drunken, violent man who beats the kids and their mother. The sisters plan to run away but get caught and then the story takes a turn that will catch you by surprise.

HER FORK IN THE ROAD : WOMEN CELEBRATE FOOD AND TRAVEL edited by Lisa Bach – Two of my all time favorite subjects – travel and food. What more could you ask for? I always enjoy eating the local offerings whenever I travel abroad. Sadit in Laos. Satays in Thailand and Singapore. Pulgogi in Korea. Pizza and pasta in Italy. Cheese fondue in Switzerland. Couscous in Tunisia. Enjoy reading about eating the best curry ever in India. Enjoy the culinary duel between an American student studying in rural Japan with her adoptive grandmother. A race against time before a bus scheduled to arrive for a Turkish delicacy. I never get bored of reading travel essays, especially when they include culinary delights. I think I can skip the grubs in the Australian Outback or the flying termites of Africa. Then again, one never knows until one tries.


HYENAS LAUGHED AT ME AND NOW I KNOW WHY : THE BEST OF TRAVEL HUMOR AND MISADVENTURE edited by Sean O’Reilly, Larry Habegger and James O’Reilly – Can’t get enough of traveling. Crazy antics from Tanzania to Vietnam. Sometimes you just can’t avoid a mishap on the road. Like the time I thought my flight was at 5:30pm when it turned out to be at 2:30pm and we were still in town at 1:30pm and it takes a little over an hour to reach the airport from town. We had a taxi flying down the freeway so we wouldn’t miss our flight. Or my friend having his Japanese made cell phone stolen from our walk through the Medina in Tunis. Or putting ice cubes in luke warm beer in Laos fearing the “don’t drink the water” syndrome. Reading about other people’s mishaps makes your own seem so trivial.


THERE’S NO TOILET PAPER…ON THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED : THE BEST OF TRAVEL HUMOR AND MISADVENTURE edited by Doug Lansky – Back on my travel kick since I won’t be going to any exotic destinations this year. Speaking of no toilet paper though, it was not me but my friend who had to experience the third world’s lack of amenities at a local’s house in Vientianne, Laos. Yep, he said he had no choice but to use his hand because there really is no toilet paper!! He was not pleased but put it down to experience. We didn’t understand the correct way to use their system at all. No flushing, a water basin, a bucket for the water basin but no directions on how to use it. I guess we’re just too used to modern conveniences.


THE CLASSIC TREASURY OF AESOP’S FABLES by Aesop – Sometimes it’s just nice to get back to the basics and read something really simple. A new version with bright, colorful pictures. I had forgotten some of the stories. This edition has the moral of the story written at the end of each piece. “Be greatful for what you have”, “Small friends can become great friends.”, There’s only fifteen or so stories in this edition. It’s not a complete volume but still fun to read.






THESE UNITED STATES (MINI EDITION) by Jake Rajs – I hadn’t seen the large edition but found the pictures of the mini edition quite beautiful. Sometimes it’s just relaxing to look at pictures and not worry about the context of any stories. A little too small to be a coffee table book but hey, I live in Tokyo, I don’t even have a coffee table so a mini edition is perfect.

Don’t be awed by the number of books this month because three of them are photography books (and small ones at that). The Aesop book was only 54 pages and was read in less than a half-hour. The new John Rain novel is only available in hard cover so I will wait until it’s released in paperback. The same for the Rei Shimura series. I guess I can continue reading the Sano Ichiro series based in feudal Japan. There was a book I read half way through but the writing is so monotonous, I had to take an extended break from it. I don’t even know if I want to continue reading it. Oh well, I’ve already close to 200 pages so I guess I’ll stick it out.



Back to the present. I never did continue reading the Sano Ichiro series. However, I did continue reading the John Rain and Rei Shimura series. And I did manage to finish that monotonous book which will be in the next retro book review.

February Features / Ern's Retro Books (February 2005)

I decided I would skip the prologues that I wrote when I wrote these reviews and just leave you with the reviews themselves. Some may be edited a bit but what the heck:


THE RIBBAJACK & OTHER CURIOUS YARNS by Brian Jacques – From the author of the “Redwall” series comes a collection of six tales of horror and suspense. Actually, they’re really not that scary and if you’ve read his previous collection of ghost stories, you will know what to expect. Not for your hardcore horror fans.

RAKKETY TAM by Brian Jacques – The 17th book in the continuing saga of Redwall. Rakkety Tam, the highlander squirrel, along with his buddy, Doogy Plum, help the Redwallers against an evil wolverine called Gulo the Savage. Your standard good vs. evil with good always triumphing over evil. If you liked “The Wind in the Willows” and “Watership Down”, then you will enjoy this series.

HIMALAYA by Michael Palin – Michael Palin’s fifth journey for the BBC along with the pictures of Basil Pao. I:ve never had a chance to see the BBC travel specials but the books that accompany the program are beautiful. Nice coffee table book, and written in diary form. Some of his earlier books seem to be out of print but you can still enjoy them at Michael Palin’s Travel Site. Michael Palin starts his journey in Pakistan and travels along the Karakoram Highway, and then it’s off to India, Nepal, Yunnan Province in China, Tibet, Nagaland & Assam, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Excellent for the armchair traveler.

PORTUGUESE IRREGULAR VERBS by Alexander McCall Smith – Author of the acclaimed “No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series. Welcome to the world of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld of the Institute of Romance Philology. Yes, I had to look up what philology meant and if you were wondering, the trusty Oxford American dictionary defines as “the study of languages and their development.” Von Igelfeld has written the standard and monumental work on Portuguese Irregular Verbs and only wants the respect he feels he’s due, unfortunately things do not turn out the way he expects.

THE SALARYMAN’S WIFE by Sujata Massey – Rei Shimura is a 27yr old half-American, Half-Japanese California girl living from paycheck to paycheck in Tokyo. Her parents want her to come home to San Francisco and have sent her a one-way ticket that she can use anytime, but that’s something she’d rather not think about. When she finds the dead body of a woman at a ryokan she’s staying at in Shiroyama, her life is no longer as simple as she thought it would be. If you’ve lived in Japan, this book would remind you of the movies that are usually shown in the afternoon where there is always some murder mystery happening at a ryokan or onsen. Also being half-American, half-Japanese myself, I’m sure you can understand my appreciation for the protagonist.

THE FINER POINTS OF SAUSAGE DOGS by Alexander McCall Smith – Back to the continuing adventures of Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria von Igelfeld. The romance philologist is mistaken for a well-known professor of veterinary medicine and is invited to give a lecture in the States. Upon his return to Germany, the American veterinary professor makes a visit and once again things go awry.

ZEN ATTITUDE by Sujata Massey – Rei Shimura no longer works for a kitchenware company. Living with her new Scottish boyfriend in Roppongi Hills, she has become a private antiques buyer. When she procures a tansu (Japanese dresser drawer) for one of her clients, it sets off an entirely new chain of events involving a person who was thought to be dead, a temple priest, a used car salesman and a host of other interesting characters.

DANCING WITH THE WITCHDOCTOR : ONE WOMAN’S STORIES OF MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE IN AFRICA by Kelly James – Kelly James works as an international private investigator. These stories which are all true read better than fiction. She investigates whether a death in Mombasa, Kenya was suicide or murder and of a missing inheritance. She guides a troubled teen through Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas. She tries to help a friend find his mother and sister in Mozambique even though he hasn’t seen either one of them in over ten years because of the civil war in the country, and lastly she barely survives her stint in Turkanaland in Northern Kenya looking for a missing witchdoctor.

THE FLOWER MASTER by Sujata Massey – Back to the Rei Shimura mysteries. This time Rei is involved in seeing the death of her mother’s acquaintance in a well-respected ikebana (flower arranging) school.

Buried in Books (Part 2) / Ern's Retro Books (January 2005)

I've decided to skip most of the prologue I had written back in 2005 before writing these reviews (they were longer than I remembered). So I've decided to just provide you with the reviews.

THE STUPIDEST ANGEL : A HEARTWARMING TALE OF CHRISTMAS TERROR by Christopher Moore – Okay, so I was a month off reading this book. But still, are you tired of reading “A Christmas Carol” or listening to one more verse of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”? Take a journey into Christopher Moore’s demented mind as an incompetent angel tries to work a miracle by granting a child’s wish. Moore’s books are always full of humor and you will once again meet characters from all of his previous novels gathered in this story. A goofy Stephen King and part “Dawn of the Dead” story will keep you entertained enough to survive any holiday.

THE BOOKSELLER OF KABUL by Asne Seierstad – Asne Seierstad spends nearly an entire year with a family that continued to sell books before and after the fall of the Taliban. The story is not only about the bookseller but about his entire family as well. It gives you an inside look of what life must have been like in Afghanistan even through the reign of the Taliban.

READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN by Azar Nafisi – Azar Nafisi was a professor at the Univeristy of Tehran. After the Iranian Revolution, the role of women in Islamic society, makes them second class citizens. Western teachings or anything related to Western influence was seen as evil, a product of the Great Satan (U.S.A.). However, under such circumstances, Professor Nafisi gathers her best students and continues to discuss Nabokov, Jane Eyre, and other classics of literature in the privacy of her home at great risk to herself and her student.

THE HEMINGWAY BOOK CLUB OF KOSOVO by Paula Huntley – Paula Huntley follow her husband to Kosovo after the NATO bombings force the Serbian army out of the area. Her husband is there to help build Kosovo’s legal system while Ms. Huntley begins to teach many of the Kosovars English. For an area that most people have probably already forgotten about – against all odds and extreme poverty, it’s refreshing to read about a difference once person can make in the life of many people who are far less fortunate.

WRONG ABOUT JAPAN : A FATHER’S JOURNEY WITH HIS SON by Peter Carey – Peter Carey takes his 12 year old son on a journey to find the “real” Japan. What is the “real” Japan? Who knows. It could be temples, geishas and yakuza or it could be Gundam and Studio Ghibli. I always enjoy reading other people’s impression of Japan. As it’s my adopted country and the home of my mother, the “real” Japan to me is always changing. I feel comfortable going to a sento (public bathhouse) as I do walking the streets of Kabukicho (Shinjuku’s Red Light District). It’s all a matter of attitude.




YOU GOTTA HAVE WA by Rober Whiting - More about Japan as seen through the Americans who came here to play baseball - Japanese style. This book is great even if you don't enjoy one of Japan's national pastimes. Of course, this was before a lot of the Japanese players started going to the States to play in the Major League. Also gives you a history of Japanese baseball. I really enjoyed this book.

ADVENTURES IN A TV NATION by Michael Moore – Do I need to say anything? Michael Moore and crew make television the way television should be made.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN by Frances Mayes – Ever have the desire to buy an old house to renovate in a foreign country? It sounds like more work than I want to do but it was fun to read about. I’m sure most home owners would find this a great read too. Tuscany just sounds like a beautiful place. I can picture the countryside and this makes me want to go out for Italian food.

Buried in Books (Part 1)

Welcome to an all new blog that I just created. I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while and the start of this year seemed a good time as any. I had kept a written review of books I've read since 2005. I have a separate record of books read since 1992 but that was before I started writing my own reviews. In 2005, I bought a secondhand computer and used it mostly for e-mail. Then I started to write about my adventures and sent them to all my friends who also had an e-mail. This was before blogging became a national, or rather international pasttime. I will continue my regular blog - I just wanted to do this one for my friends who are fans of books. This blog will not be bilingual - English only. Even the title was from when I first wrote these. It wasn't until 2006 when I gave my book reviews the title of "Ern's Monthly Page Turners". The only addition I will add, are the covers of the books. Depending on how well my friends and readers enjoy this, it will be limited-time blog. The prologue is rather long but it will give you an idea of my history with books. The actual reviews will start And now without further ado:



I love books. Books are great. Books are fun. Books don't have commercials. Books make use of your imagination. I even have a small journal that lists all the books I've read during the year starting in 1992. I don't know why I started it. My only lapse was the year 1997. I was pre-occupied with other things, namely someone, who was hazardous my health and welfare. When I look back, 1997 was the year that I read the least amount of books - 7 (maybe 9, I know I forgot to write down a couple of them like Marilyn Manson's biography - "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell" - oops, can't remember a 9th title). The years between 1993 and 1996, I was averaging about 22 books a year (that would be 2 books a month). The year I started this journal, I was amazed that I read 63 books in 1992. Upon closer scrutiny, I realized I read quite a few children's books that were only 10 pages long, namely the "Road to Avonlea" series. Of course those books couldn't even compare to L. M. Montgomery's classic "Anne of Green Gables" series (which I read all of - and enjoyed). I'm sure there are those who would consider them a girl's book or series. They don't know what they're missing. I can just imagine Prince Edward Island in Canada in the 1800s. It's an excellent story. Great film too with Megan Follows (she was so cute!)