Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami

Blurb from Goodreads

From one of Japan’s most brilliant and sensitive contemporary novelists, this speculative fiction masterpiece envisions an Earth where humans are nearing extinction, and rewrites our understanding of reproduction, ecology, evolution, artificial intelligence, communal life, creation, love, and the future of humanity.

In the distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction and have settled in small tribes across the planet under the observation and care of “Mothers.” Some children are made in factories, from cells of rabbits and dolphins; some live by getting nutrients from water and light, like plants. The survival of the race depends on the interbreeding of these and other alien beings–but it is far from certain that connection, love, reproduction, and evolution will persist among the inhabitants of this faltering new world.

Unfolding over fourteen interconnected episodes spanning geological eons, at once technical and pastoral, mournful and utopic, Under the Eye of the Big Bird presents an astonishing vision of the end of our species as we know it.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday everyone! Technically, it is already Tuesday. Nevertheless, I hope everyone had a great start to the week. Monday, while it is the most dreaded day of the week, also provides us new opportunities and fresh starts. It opens different windows of opportunity to learn something new, start a new adventure, or explore new worlds. It is an opportunity to recalibrate, redirect, or perhaps even take a new path. I know most of us are feeling sluggish but it is time to slug it out, whether at school, at the office, or just at life in general. I hope everyone makes it through the week even though most of us still feel sluggish. Whatever Monday means to you, I hope the rest of the week will go in your favor. I hope that the week will flow smoothly. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well, in mind, body, and spirit.

Just like that, the year’s first nine months flew past us. In a matter of months, we will be welcoming a new year. I hope that these months were kind and great to everyone. I hope that the final stretch of the year will shower everyone with blessings, good tidings, good news, and answered prayers. I hope that everyone gets repaid for their hard work. I hope that everyone gets to achieve all their goals this year. Reading-wise, September was a mixed bag. First, it was an extension of my foray into recently published works. It eventually evolved into a reading challenge catch-up which included three of the books in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. It seems that October is headed the same way. I am currently reading a translated novel, Nobel Laureate in Literature Orhan Pamuk’s The Black Book which is also a part of my 2024 Beat the Backlist Challenge.

Back to this weekly book meme. In the past few weeks, I have been featuring books that are about to be or were published this year. Last week, it was Nobel Laureate in Literature Olga Tokarczuk’s latest novel, The Empusium. This week, I am featuring Japanese writer Hiromu Kawakami’s latest translated novel, Under the Eye of the Big Bird, which was originally published in Japanese in 2016. I was not even aware that Kawakami was releasing a new work until I stumbled upon the book during one of my random excursions to the bookstore. It was a no-brainer for me to obtain a copy of the book. Besides, I have long wanted to read more of her works. The last and only time I read a book by Kawakami was in 2019 when I read The Nakano Thriftshop. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the book but I still wanted to read more of her works.

Fast forward to 2024. It seems that Under the Eye of the Big Bird is quite different from The Nakano Thriftshop. While the latter is slice-of-life, the former is a work of dystopian fiction. This is more than enough to pique my interest. It is always interesting to explore dystopia and, by extension, science fiction in general from the unflinching gaze of a Japanese writer. I can’t wait to see what the book has in store. I just might make it part of my ongoing reading journey or reserve it for a customary Japanese literature month. How about you fellow reader? How was your Monday? What books have you added to your reading list? Do drop it in the comment box. For now, happy Monday and, as always, happy reading!