Welcome to Litsy!

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

Soft pick.

Overly long book about beauty standards and the treatment of women in Japan. Gave some interesting perspectives, but I found it a bit dry (possibly because I dislike reading about food - if I can't eat it, what's the point?)

The murder aspects were over-marketed. Really this is a book about food and female friendship.

73 likes

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

"...she had made no decisions herself, but simply reached for whatever was esteemed by the world."

35 likes

Maggie4483

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pan

I missed the #CampLitsy discussion of this one, because I really struggled to get through it. For a book subtitled “A Novel of Food and Murder” (two of my favorite subjects), I was SO bored. It may be partially my fault for expecting more of a murder mystery, suspense aspect, so I was disappointed when that wasn‘t there. And the food descriptions were redundant and felt forced. Overall not a fan. 🤷🏻‍♀️

dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 (I'm still deciding if I should slog through or not! 😂) 5mo

BarbaraBB I hope you‘ll like our next read better! 5mo

BarbaraBB @dabbe I‘d say #hailthebail 😉 5mo

dabbe @BarbaraBB Yes! That, too! 🤩😂🤗 5mo

19 likes1 stack add4 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

I am in the minority for #CampListy24 but I really enjoyed this, I thought it was a fascinating look at culture through the eyes of a fictional journalist with a true crime murderess as the inspiration. I don't normally like food based books but I thought it worked well here, I found myself eating a lot more rice than I normally do!
I liked how Reiko and Rka play off each other & are played by Kajii. Well written and lots to ponder.

Bookwormjillk I enjoyed it too! 5mo

Suet624 I gave this a so-so rating but I have to admit I've been eating a lot more rice with butter and soy sauce. :) I think the book had more of an effect on me than I originally thought. 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I love a subliminal book moment!! 5mo

37 likes3 comments

Texreader

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

June was a good reading month, probably because I only had one chunkster over 500 pages, Independent People. Butter was easily my favorite with Razorblade Tears very closely behind. I read five books about #Iceland for #foodandlit (although Clear felt like it was in Iceland), two for #CampLitsy24, and two for #authoramonth. @Catsandbooks @Soubhiville @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB Great month. Independent People is so good (edited) 5mo

squirrelbrain Razorblade Tears is the Cosby that I haven‘t read, although I do own it on Kindle. 5mo

Megabooks Fantastic month! @BarbaraBB Ann Patchett wanted to name Parnassus Independent People after the book, but her partner wanted Parnassus. Their motto though is “A bookstore for independent people.” She loves that book! 5mo

See All 7 Comments

Soubhiville Great month! 5mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks that is a great story! Love their motto! I guess you should read the book too 😀 5mo

Texreader @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @Soubhiville Thanks! Many good reads!! 5mo

Texreader @squirrelbrain It was so good. It didn‘t sound like one I‘d be interested in, but I read it because of #authoramonth. So glad I did. I really like Cosby 5mo

49 likes7 comments

jlhammar

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pan

This was a real slog for me. Would not recommend. Happy to have finally finished! #CampLitsy24

dabbe I'm still slogging. Is it worth finishing? 🤩 5mo

jlhammar @dabbe Not in my opinion. I definitely should have bailed. 5mo

Prairiegirl_reading @dabbe I thought the second half is slower but it does come to a satisfying conclusion, if that helps. I really liked it though. 5mo

See All 13 Comments

Karisimo @dabbe I thought it ended well! 5mo

Kitta @dabbe, how far along are you? I found the first half tedious and the second half more interesting. Overall I‘d say it was a low pick or so-so for me because I liked reading about the food, but the storyline is 🤷🏻‍♀️. The real case is much more interesting. 5mo

dabbe @Kitta I am literally at 50%. Thanks for the input! 🤩 5mo

dabbe @jlhammar #fanofthepan! And thanks for the input! 🤩 5mo

dabbe @Prairiegirl_reading That makes me want to stop, but for the conclusion. Thanks for the input! 🤩 5mo

dabbe @Karisimo Good to know! Thanks for the input! 🤩 5mo

Megabooks This wasn‘t my favorite book this year either! 5mo

BarbaraBB Kudos for finishing. I am with @Prairiegirl_reading 5mo

squirrelbrain I thought the second half was better too @dabbe @Kitta 5mo

dabbe @squirrelbrain Good to know! Thanks! 🤩 5mo

66 likes2 stack adds13 comments

TheKidUpstairs

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

I went into this #CampLitsy24 selection with low expectations, it really did not seem like a book I'd pick up, but I was pleasantly surprised! I am a fan of slightly messy books about women trying to live outside of other people's expectations, and this fit right into that vein. I also love reading about food, so I enjoyed Rika's journey of discovery through cooking. It was by no means a perfect read, but it was one that will stay with me. cont'd

TheKidUpstairs Especially after the wonderful discussions led by @BarbaraBB - this was definitely one that benefitted from a group read. So many thoughts and insights from fellow campers that added depth and ensured a memorable reading experience! 5mo

BarbaraBB I always think so about our book discussions. They always give new insights thanks to this wonderful group of people. 5mo

Hooked_on_books I didn‘t love this one but did enjoy it. I also don‘t know if I would have picked it up if not for camp and I‘m glad I did. 5mo

youneverarrived I‘m with you! Great review 🤍 5mo

70 likes4 comments

DebinHawaii

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

#ReadAway2024

Read for ##CampLitsy24 this one gets a pick from me. It‘s not without issues like a slow start & less thrills than I was expecting. On the plus side were the food descriptions (I‘m looking at my butter differently now 🧈😉) & the Japan setting. I spent a good amount of time there in the late 90s & knew & could picture many of the Tokyo areas & neighborhoods mentioned. The second half of the book picked up & I found myself caught ⬇️

Megabooks, DieAReader, Andrew65, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, GHABI4ROSES

DebinHawaii … up in the drama until the end. This book was on my radar before #CampLitsy24 but I‘m glad it pushed me to read it. Thanks to @BarbaraBB for the great hosting of this first round & @squirrelbrain & @Megabooks for a great first month of camp. 💛🤗 5mo

BarbaraBB Thank you for being there! Always happy to have you ❤️ 5mo

squirrelbrain You‘re welcome! ☺️ 5mo

Megabooks You‘re welcome! Glad you liked Butter! 5mo

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 5mo

59 likes5 comments

MicheleinPhilly

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

A light pick. Definitely a case of false advertising. There wasn‘t nearly enough murder talk. But I do enjoy food writing and was invested in Rika‘s journey. It just went on a tad too long. #CampLitsy24

BarbaraBB 💯 agree! 5mo

squirrelbrain Perfect review -I agree entirely! 5mo

sarahbarnes Agreed. 5mo

Suet624 Agree, but as I mentioned earlier it did inspire me to eat more rice with butter and soy sauce. 5mo

48 likes4 comments

Roary47

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

so-so

3✨ I really enjoyed the food descriptions that made me crave the amazing food described. I‘m not sure the book needed to be as long as it was it started to drag at the end for me. However, our main character grew a lot through the story. I wasn‘t too excited for the murder aspect, but it added depth. #camplitsy

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @batsy @bennettBookworm @Bkclubcare @Bklover @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk 5mo

25 likes

CogsOfEncouragement

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

The themes of misogyny and the importance of all kinds of friendships resonated with me. 5⭐️
#CampLitsy24

Ruthiella Did you buy butter just for the picture or do you normally have that much butter on hand? 😅 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement @Ruthiella LOL We absolutely usually have this much on hand. I want to be able to bake etc at a moment's notice! lol I don't even think of it as a lot tbh. Soooo our normal. 5mo

BarbaraBB You are a Kajii with that amount of butter 🥰 so glad it‘s a five star read for you. Thanks for adding so much to the discussion 5mo

30 likes3 comments

Pinta

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

so-so

“Women‘s work,” domesticity, FOOD, gourmands, self-care and self-deprivation. Winding set-up, translation feels clunky. Japanese culture. Friendship, community, seeking help. Satiation and soothing. 2024

171 “Refusing to look after yourself because there‘s nobody around to care about you is a form of violence towards somebody.”

179 “A gourmand was ultimately a seeker of the truth.”

187 “Humans just need rice, don‘t they? Basically.”

11 likes

BarbaraBB

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Question 3 of 3

This is it for today and for Butter and for our first month of #CampLitsy24. We hope you‘ve all enjoyed camping so far. Later today I‘ll get back to you about the vote for our June winner!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @BookWrym @cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @CSeydel 5mo

BarbaraBB @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy 5mo

See All 38 Comments

BarbaraBB @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @IndoorDame @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG 5mo

BarbaraBB @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K @kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse 5mo

BarbaraBB @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly @Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper 5mo

BarbaraBB @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks 5mo

BarbaraBB @Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape 5mo

Kitta I guess I felt that the main message was surrounding Rika and her journey of self discovery. She begins to cook and eat food for Manako but discovers her own balance and flair. During this time, she strengthens her relationships with others and her own body, leading to living her life not merely existing. So IMO it‘s about finding your own path and self, while Asako is commenting on Japanese culture and outdated ideals. 5mo

Kitta Those not exhibiting balance, Manako and her men, struggle and are shown in a negative light. Like the men relying on Manako for everything, and Manako herself for being single minded and selfish - claiming to want what‘s best for the men but getting bored and dumping them (killing them?) when she‘s not satisfied anymore. The lack of balance doesn‘t work out for them. Even Reiko is single minded at the beginning and can rely on others later on. 5mo

BarbaraBB @Kitta Your words nailed it in my opinion: “living her life not merely existing”. And also agree on the subtle and sometimes not so subtle comments on Japanese culture. 5mo

Bookwormjillk I think the main message was that you need to define success for yourself. @Kitta said it really well. 5mo

DGRachel I can‘t say it better than @Kitta. This was Rika‘s journey. Kajii and the murders were just the catalyst. 5mo

sarahbarnes Another vote for @kitta‘s response here. Both Rika and Reika were letting themselves be limited in different ways by society‘s expectations of them. It felt like by the end of the book, they were well on their way to figuring out how to live their lives more for themselves. 5mo

sarahbarnes I ended up liking this book much more during the second half. Thanks @BarbaraBB for hosting a great first month of camp!! ⛺️🩵 5mo

Ruthiella Totally agree with @Kitta ! I didn‘t really enjoy this book for style reasons. But I do think that the author had a message to convey that is worthy. 5mo

GatheringBooks Agree with @Kitta re inner journeying & self-discovery. Another noteworthy theme is temperance - finding one‘s “balance” or equilibrium to not go too far to the extreme while at the same time not depriving one‘s self of fine tastes, joy, and the sheer exhilaration of living using your own personal yardstick as a measure of satisfaction and authentic living - not other people‘s standards or societal expectations. 5mo

mcctrish I‘m on team @Kitta too. @sarahbarnes I also felt the the first half didn‘t grab me, everyone had a version of the same name 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️ and it was not unlike Shakespeare with the setting up of the story and then that last chapter in the first half with Reiko and I was like “Wait, What?!” and I was totally caught up. This won‘t appeal to everyone one but it‘s a total long game book and I am really glad I read it. 5mo

Meshell1313 Ooh good question! I think it‘s mainly a comment on gender roles that still permeate Japanese society and how much emphasis is still placed on outward appearances. I‘m hopefully it‘s more about breaking these traditions and living a life that makes you happy no matter what society might think. 5mo

TheKidUpstairs @mcctrish I totally agree with you, that first half was a long set up. I enjoyed it, but was definitely starting to feel like I needed something more to happen. Then the first chapter from Reiko's perspective totally sucked me in. In a way, the structure reminded me of Birnam Wood, which I loved, with the slow moving intro half and then a bit of chaos in the second half). 5mo

Texreader @Meshell1313 I agree. This book is more about culture than individuals and self acceptance in a world demanding much of women. 5mo

mcctrish @TheKidUpstairs absolutely like Birnam Wood with the set up which I loved 5mo

squirrelbrain Oooh, good comparison @TheKidUpstairs 5mo

squirrelbrain @mcctrish - I agree, that last chapter in the first half was 🔥 🔥🔥 5mo

BarbaraJean For me, the theme I took away was that idea of “the right amount.” Rika challenges the messages and expectations society has handed her, redefining what is the “right” body, the right career choices, what she actually wants and doesn‘t want. She starts by thinking about what is “the right amount” with food, but it extends so much farther into other areas of her life, as she figures out a balance that is right for her rather than what society says. 5mo

BarbaraJean Also what @Kitta said! And I managed to just restate @GatheringBooks response as well 🙃 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement I thought the main themes were misogyny and the importance of all types of friendships. I didn't see the misogyny in Japan all that different than here in the US. Have you seen any headline about a female entertainer lately? Often they are commenting on her body and that she is so fat she must be pregnant. Yes, I'm angry. Even in the US when both spouses work, often the majority of the household tasks rest on the woman. # metoo and cases of... 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement not believing women who have been kidnapped and sexually assaulted. They think we want attention. I could go on. We still definitely have a cultural expectation for women to be married with children and by a certain age. None of this has gone away in the US. Movies that are lead by women have negative ratings online before the movie even comes out. Get real. This book gives so much truth for how women are treated the world over. Still. Now. ...
5mo

CogsOfEncouragement On a more encouraging note, for the friendships - Rika begins making food that serves one. She works too much and has little time for meaningful relationships.
She ends up successfully making a turkey and has enough supportive friends to share the feast with. I loved that ending. And seeing Rika ready to do her next article interviewing women. She has made a name for herself and can make a difference because of it. 5mo

Hooked_on_books I think the book is a commentary on how women are seen in Japan. Kajii exemplifies an unruly woman—living unapologetically, including being “fat,” and she‘s thrown in jail. Then Rika starts straying from the expected female roles and is steadily treated differently as a result. I think the author is critiquing these gender roles as bad and applauding her own characters for breaking out of them. 5mo

Hooked_on_books @CogsOfEncouragement You‘re so right about US misogyny. Look at politics—when a woman is running, it‘s all about her hair and clothes. We rarely ever focus on that with the men. As women we are utterly judged (controlled) by the way we look. Also, I was single for a long time (partially circumstance, partially choice) and it made people so uncomfortable. When I finally coupled up, people were so much more comfortable with me. It‘s so gross. 5mo

DebinHawaii Can I just agree with everyone? 🤣 I loved what @Kitta said about finding yourself while being buffeted with societal standards & misogyny which exists everywhere but certainly in Japan. As @CogsOfEncouragement & @Hooked_on_books pointed out, that misogyny & judgement by society is alive here. As a perennial single/never-married person, I get the questions & the judgment frequently it definitely makes many people uncomfortable. Gross indeed! 🤬 5mo

DebinHawaii As others have said, I found the first half of the book slow but the second half was hard to put down. I spent a lot of time in Japan for work about 20 years ago & was drawn in by the author‘s descriptions of place & of course the food descriptions, so I enjoyed it overall & am glad it was chosen for #CampLitsy24 Thank you @BarbaraBB for hosting! 🤗 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement @Hooked_on_books Absolutely. PERFECT example.
My teenage son plays online video games. We have discussed that girls are treated horribly there. They pretty much need to pick a gender neutral online name to enjoy playing. I bring this up to say it is not just older generations, and we are “getting better“. My husband just took our daughter's car in for service because he knows how much I hate how I get treated and wanted to spare her. On and on... 5mo

Roary47 I‘m sure @Kitta said it better, but this was a journey for Rika, her friends, and her goals in her career. I believe the food element is something we all do to connect. There is a show called: “Somebody feed Phil” where Phil goes to various communities/and cultures and learns about their food and how it connects to their people. I really felt this as a love of learning new foods to Rika‘s own self discovery was the main goal by the author. 5mo

Roary47 However, I did also she the roles of men and women a lot too. @CogsOfEncouragement I worry about that with my girls too. Being treated differently. I was a tomboy growing up so I do things for myself. Plus I like bugs more than most boys. 😂 My husband is an automotive mechanic and is slowly teaching my girls how to not be taken advantage of in this regard. It‘s sad that it is still happening. I also worry about my son with toxic masculinity. 5mo

Hooked_on_books @CogsOfEncouragement That‘s awful about online video games. We as a society need to start teaching boys from every angle to respect girls and women as human beings, just as they are. Even the most diligent, feminist parent is hard pressed to fight back against the societal counter programming. It makes me sad and angry. 5mo

BookWrym My biggest takeaway from this was the social commentary about the hypocrisy in the way that men and women are held to different standards. I also loved the idea of food as a way to form and strengthen bonds between people. 5mo

39 likes38 comments

BarbaraBB

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Question 2 of 3

There is so much to discuss about this book that it‘s almost a pity we only have three questions! There are so many characters and themes and storylines in our second #CampLitsy24 book 🧈!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape 5mo

BarbaraBB @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks 5mo

BarbaraBB @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly @Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper 5mo

See All 28 Comments

BarbaraBB @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K @kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse 5mo

BarbaraBB @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7 @Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @IndoorDame @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG 5mo

BarbaraBB @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy 5mo

BarbaraBB @BookWrym @cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @CSeydel 5mo

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @batsy @bennettBookworm @Bkclubcare @Bklover @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk 5mo

Bookwormjillk It‘s hard because her relationship with the people involved in the story probably was unethical. However I don‘t think it was as bad as she was accused of and I wish she had gone on the offensive more when the article about her came out. (I know I‘m looking at this through an American cultural lens.) (edited) 5mo

DGRachel It is hard not to look at this from an American perspective. Did she go overboard? Yes, she was obsessed. Was joining the cooking class under a false name a sh*tty thing to do? Yeah. But, it was what she had to do to get people to open up - it seems normal in the context of investigative journalism - not nice, but not immoral. I was kind of surprised by the backlash, but again, Kajii manipulated public opinion so well. 5mo

BarbaraBB I agree @DGRachel that is all doesn‘t sound that immoral. I think investigative journalism can go way further. But maybe things are different in Japan 5mo

sarahbarnes Agree that from my perspective it wasn‘t immoral and not that shocking for a journalist trying to get a story. I‘d be interested in what the response would‘ve been if she were a man, going back to the points made in the first question about women and power. (Cue Taylor Swift song 😂) (edited) 5mo

Ruthiella I think Rika was obsessed but actually Riako (spelling?) was a “better” journalist in that she was less ethical than Rika. She got the story faster and was willing to go further to get it. 5mo

GatheringBooks I agree with @Ruthiella about Reiko being more ruthless & talented than Rika. I am rooting for Rika in the story as she learns more about herself through the process of investigating the story. I thought it was empathetic & courageous of her to go as far as she did to understand the inner workings of Kajji‘s mind. As @BarbaraBB and @DGRachel noted - it‘s part of investigative journalism and while there are gray areas she may have crossed, she 👇🏼 5mo

GatheringBooks (Cont) has done her best to represent the story in as nuanced a way as she possibly could - and perhaps by doing what she did, there can be no other person to tell Kajji‘s story than her. The antiseptic and hardline objectivity that social sciences demand hardly exists in reality anyway. We do make value judgments in the work that we do and work with the tools we are given. I thought there was an honesty in Rika too that wasn‘t predatory at all. 5mo

BarbaraBB Well said @GatheringBooks about the hardline objectivity. 5mo

mcctrish While I did think Rika was obsessed I never thought she crossed lines - although she wasn‘t necessarily upfront with people about what she was doing so she must have felt that way. Reiko was much more of a risk taker @Ruthiella is right. I think Reiko‘s style shows that Rika was just being an investigative journalist. The cooking school was used by Kajii to up her game and they all have the right to feel used but they weren‘t complicit, the press 5mo

mcctrish Making them feel that way was wrong. I can see why they‘d feel uncomfortable with Rika hiding amongst them but someone going there seems like a no-brainer to me to understand the steps Kajii took. I don‘t think she killed the men with her own hands but I do think she intended that they die. So what level of murder is that ? 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I tried very hard to remind myself to look at this story from a Japanese lense as opposed to an American one, the culture there is much more mysoginistic then what we pretend ours is, which puts so much more pressure on women to be perfect models. So I can see how the Japanese public would find what Rika did as immoral, the lying but I agree with others here, her job as a journalist was to get the true story, & people would not give cont>
5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures her the real truth as they see it if they knew she was writing an article. I felt like she rarely actually lied, she gave a false name at the cooking school, which to me is very minor, and then she just let people talk. Reiko I thought went a bit far, moving in with that man was such a dangerous move! I don't know if I would consider it immoral, but scary and maybe a bit stupid.... Beyond morality these women are struggling w/ purpose. 5mo

squirrelbrain I agree with everyone - I think it seems more immoral in Japan‘s culture than it would in ours (US / UK). I did initially think that she was overstepping the mark at the cooking school, but everyone there was so naive and gullible I thought that they deserved it. (Maybe says more about me than I‘d like! 😬🤣) 5mo

BarbaraJean @ChaoticMissAdventures Yes, Reiko‘s actions were far more problematic than Rika‘s! I think that showed Kajii‘s influence over Reiko. Reiko seemed more vulnerable to Kajii‘s manipulation—I think because she‘s more susceptible to societal messages about women. Rika‘s career goals already challenge societal expectations—and as the story progresses, she grows stronger and intentionally questions those expectations in ways Reiko can‘t. 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraJean it's interesting isn't it, Reiko was more manipulated and went way further but she was often telling Rika that Kajji was manipulating her. I think their personal situations (Reiko being in an unhappy marriage) really came into play here. 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement I didn't think of Rika as being unethical. I was more concerned for her safety as she got caught up in pleasing Kajii. By the end of chapter 8 I was treating Rika as a unreliable narrator. Her willingness to spend the night in Kajii's childhood home was unhinged & I was glad Reiko drug her out of there. Surprisingly only to go headlong into her own situation of being snared by Kajii. Rika's tactics in the cooking school are definitely problematic. 5mo

Hooked_on_books I found her behavior to be in keeping with many journalists, who I have always found to be manipulative and underhanded. (Which doesn‘t stop me from consuming media.) I think often journalists (probably not all, but many) cross lines trying to get scoops. It‘s not a good way to treat other people. 5mo

DebinHawaii While both Rika & Reiko‘s actions were questionable it does seem pretty standard for undercover journalism in many places. They both got caught up in Kajii‘s manipulation and that pushed them to blur ethical lines. I do think that if the sexes were reversed. & they were men in Japan, Rika would not have been vilified by the public for their behavior-or at least not as much. 5mo

Roary47 I agree with many of you that Rika wasn‘t really wrong in her investigative journalism. My thought though on the class is every one of the classmates in the cooking class went to it for their own reasons. Is it wrong to want to be a better cook? Is it wrong to want to socialize with others that have a similar interest? The reason for joining the class falls in line with the goal of the individual. Getting a story is a goal. 🤷‍♀️ 5mo

BookWrym I agree through a UK lens there was nothing immoral in the behaviour and if it was a male journalist I don‘t think anyone would have raised an eyebrow. Also a male journalist would probably have been treated sympathetically as another victim if the evil woman. 5mo

36 likes28 comments

BarbaraBB

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Question 1 of 3

Welcome to our #CampLitsy24 discussion of the second half of Butter. We know the book has received mixed reviews and some bails too among our campers. So a few of us will probably prefer the beach to the book today. Enjoy summer 🏖️ , the rest of us are here for it 🧈!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @batsy @bennettBookworm @Bkclubcare @Bklover @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk 5mo

BarbaraBB @BookWrym @cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM @Catlass007 @CatMS @Cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @CSeydel 5mo

BarbaraBB @Cuilin @Cupcake12 @dabbe @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread
@decalino @DGRachel @elizamarie @ErikasMindfulShelf @Flaneurette @GatheringBooks @Gissy 5mo

See All 57 Comments

BarbaraBB @Graciouswarriorprincess @hes7
@Hooked_on_Books @ImperfectCJ @IndoorDame @JamieArc @jas16 @jenniferw88 @JenReadsAlot @Jess @jhod @jlhammar @JoyBlue @julesG 5mo

BarbaraBB @julieclair @Julsmarshall @KarenUK @karisa @Karisimo @KateReadsYA @Kimberlone @Kitta @Kristy_K
@kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse 5mo

BarbaraBB @Lizpixie @maggie4483 @mcctrish @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @MicheleinPhilly @monalyisha
@Nessavamusic @Oryx @peaKnit @prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper 5mo

BarbaraBB @quietjenn @RaeLovesToRead @Read4life @Readerann @RebelReader @Roary47 @rockpools @Ruthiella @SamAnne @Sapphire @sarahbarnes @sblbooks 5mo

BarbaraBB @Soubhiville @Suet624 @Susanita @TEArificbooks @Texreader @TheAromaofBooks @TheBookHippie @TheKidUpstairs @TrishB @well-readneck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape 5mo

Bookwormjillk I think she‘s guilty. One or two people fine, but weren‘t there four? Also she seemed to have no problem messing with people‘s lives to get her way. 5mo

Kitta Honestly, I think she didn‘t directly kill them but made them rely on her, and her actions may have led to their deaths, but I don‘t think that‘s murder. Why couldn‘t they have just taken care of themselves? 🤷🏻‍♀️ (is that victim blaming?) Maybe I‘m misunderstanding women‘s roles and feminism in Japanese society, but I‘m not sure feeding someone then not doing so is tantamount to murder. I want to read more about the real story it‘s based on. 5mo

youneverarrived I‘ve still not finished (I‘m at 85%) so I might change my answer but I don‘t think she is. Could it be an extension of the point the author seems to be making in regards to women‘s roles in society - the men ‘let themselves go‘ or weren‘t looked after by a woman but it‘s the woman (Kajii) that gets the blame. I feel like she makes this point in a consistent way throughout the book. (edited) 5mo

BarbaraBB I agree with you @youneverarrived. To me too it seemed that she was blamed by men who couldn‘t live up to society‘s expectations. They relied on Rika but she was obviously not taking that responsibility. She loathed weak men. By pushing them away she might have triggered something in them but that‘s no murder I guess. 5mo

DGRachel Kajii strikes me as so manipulative and she gets so angry/vindictive when people question her narrative, that I think she might be guilty. It feels like there‘s more to that story than we got. BUT, I wonder if there‘s a part of me that has internalized misogyny to the point where I want her to be guilty. Hmm…🤔 I‘m going to have to noodle on that. 5mo

BarbaraBB @DGRachel To noodle… sounds appropriate 😉 5mo

sarahbarnes I‘m with you @Kitta @youneverarrived @BarbaraBB - I don‘t think she murdered them. Maybe drove them to their deaths by abandoning them because she didn‘t like their weakness. And agree there‘s a message in there about a woman blamed for that - based on a fear of her having power over men in whatever form she does. 5mo

Kitta So I read some of the real story now and I would stay the deaths of Kijima‘s victims are much more circumspect. They all died by apparent suicide using charcoal bricks, a common method in Japan at the time, with her not far away staying at a hotel or something. Definitely seems more plausible she was involved than the story of Manako, where they died of different things. I wonder if the author hadn‘t changed this fact if I‘d feel the same way. 5mo

Kitta @sarahbarnes I definitely agree, there‘s a message about how society blamed Manako for their deaths and about fear of women. I like that the ending is ambiguous and Manako wants to change the narrative back to her being a sensation again though. She‘s clearly interested in being the center of attention and thought of as powerful. Rika‘s story cast her in a sympathetic light and she didn‘t want to seem weak. 5mo

DGRachel @BarbaraBB can you discuss a novel titled Butter without food-based jokes? 😂 5mo

Ruthiella I definitely think Yuzuki kept it purposefully ambiguous for the novel. 5mo

Prairiegirl_reading I definitely thought she was guilty. She was so manipulative. Had this happened once, maybe not, but she purposely set out to get money from these men and then disposed of them. Also I think there is more to it that she just wasn‘t saying. 5mo

GatheringBooks Agree with @sarahbarnes @kitta @youneverarrived and @BarbaraBB here - she may have been guilty of cunning, manipulation, and deceit - but the fact that she is being blamed for the deaths of grown men ostensibly with their own minds - seems absurd to me from a legal standpoint. Maybe from a moral standpoint, it can be argued (tenuously) that she was to “blame” - but her being unlikeable, narcissistic and a liar does not prove guilt for murder 5mo

BarbaraBB That‘s so interesting @Kitta that you found that out about the real case. In that one murder seems more plausible indeed. Interesting! 5mo

mcctrish @GatheringBooks I feel the same way- at the end when Kajii turns on Rika I wondered what did she do to each of the men? She‘d know their weaknesses beyond just removing her attention - they‘d kill themselves for the shame and heartbreak. The male reporter won‘t last long if Kajii gets out 5mo

Meshell1313 Maybe it‘s just me but I found myself rooting for Kajii! I was hoping she wasn‘t a murderer. I do think she is guilty though. Even if she manipulated the men into thinking there was no other way out. 5mo

GatheringBooks @Meshell1313 there is something about how unapologetic she is that is also noteworthy - and how in tune with her senses and her body. But rika is right - kajji is also unbearably lonely - and for someone who has nothing to lose, she can do absolutely anything. Hence the sense of freedom that is palpable in her actions. 5mo

GatheringBooks @mcctrish agreed about the male reporter. He is definitely next once kajji is done with him. 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I agree with @Ruthiella and @kitta the real story of Kanae Kijima it sounds much more like she did it, but I wonder if that is also the newspapers in Japan also slanted things, like how Yuzuki it felt slanted things to make it feel like she did not do it. The circumstances in our book do make the killings (or accidental deaths) seem less plausable that Kajii did them.
5mo

TheKidUpstairs I've got about 75 pages left, but I don't think she murdered them directly. I'm still undecided as to whether she purposefully manipulated their deaths (like @DGRachel pointed out, she lashes out when her control of the situation is challenged), or left them to their fates out of indifference (? I don't know if that's even the right word. Maybe she was coldly indifferent to their fates, but maybe she just refused to be responsible for them cont'd) 5mo

TheKidUpstairs continuing... There's certainly a parallel between her leaving the men, and Rika's breakup with Makoto. While ultimately he accepts it much better, he initially pushes back. Not out of love for Rika, but out of desire for what she can do and provide for him. It highlights the transactional nature of so many toxic relationships - that need and love not for the other person but for what they can do for the person. 5mo

Texreader I think the coincidence is too much. I think she killed them directly or indirectly 5mo

Prairiegirl_reading @Meshell1313 I think I started out this way and then how manipulative she was reminded me of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling from silence of the lambs. 5mo

Prairiegirl_reading @DGRachel the book I finished right after Butter was Sandwich! It made me giggle. 5mo

Prairiegirl_reading @Texreader I agree. 5mo

squirrelbrain @DGRachel - impatiently awaiting more food-based jokes! 🤣 5mo

squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - I wonder that too, if she manipulated their deaths. Isn‘t it part of Japan‘s culture that people ‘fall on their own sword‘? If that is the case and Kajii initially made them feel special then almost gaslighted them into feeling worthless, does that mean that she is ultimately responsible for their deaths? @sarahbarnes @youneverarrived @Kitta @Prairiegirl_reading @GatheringBooks @mcctrish @Meshell1313 @ChaoticMissAdventures 5mo

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain It does bring up an interesting question of morality vs legality, if she did manipulate them. She certainly knows how to press peoples' vulnerabilities, and if she used that with the knowledge of death as a likely outcome she may be morally and ethically culpable, but not legally guilty. 5mo

mcctrish Kajii absolutely gaslit them @squirrelbrain we see the whole cycle of Kajjii play out with Rika‘s investigation but in Rika‘s case her involvement with Kajii led her to create a community that was there for her whereas all the victims ended up alone and feeling worthless 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5mo

BarbaraJean I don‘t think she‘s guilty of murder directly, but she bears some blame. She‘s clearly skilled at manipulation and she was a factor in the choices the men made. Also, it‘s a pattern: a series of men died after having a relationship with her (from which she financially benefited). It would be hard to prove a murder charge, but it‘s clear she knew what she was doing and at best didn‘t care, or at worst, manipulated the situation intending they die. 5mo

BarbaraJean I agree with @Ruthiella that the author purposely kept it ambiguous. There had to be some ambiguity there for the reader to be intrigued by the mystery. And I think Rika‘s story (both in the book and the one she writes for her magazine) is more compelling because of her sympathy toward Kajii. It would be harder to garner that sympathy if Kajii was more clearly guilty of murder. 5mo

BarbaraJean @mcctrish I love the idea that Rika‘s involvement with Kajii led her to create a community. And food was the catalyst for Rika. Food almost played an opposite role in both women‘s lives. For Rika, she‘s drawn to connect with others through food, to share the tastes and recipes and experiences she‘s discovering. Kajii uses food to manipulate and it destroys connection with others. I loved the way that food created community for Rika at the end! 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @GatheringBooks @sarahbarnes @kitta @youneverarrived and @BarbaraBB TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain I think it is an interesting topic - legally and morally about if you are a murderer if you convince someone to kill themselves. I agree I think genderroles plays a part here, but also I think money. Like Bernie Madoff is he guilty of murder when so many of his victims died as a direct result of him taking their life savings? 1/2 cont 5mo

ChaoticMissAdventures It is pointed out throughout the book that Kajii not only manipulated them with taking care of them and then leaving them, but also took $10s of K (millions of ¥) from them. There is presidence now even in the US for driving people to suicide - Michelle Carter of MA was found guilty recenlty of murder when she convinced her boyfriend to die by suicide. There are just so many factors and we never really get Kajii's side of how things went down. 5mo

CogsOfEncouragement When I saw Rika and then Reiko deep in Kajii's web, it did seem like she did it. Even from prison, and without a romantic relationship she was able to cause so much harm. Only when Rika and Reiko were pulled from harm's way (by each other actually which adds to the theme of friendship) did they come back to their senses. When we meet the Kajii's family, and see the house - it is a sad but convincing villain origin story. 5mo

mcctrish @BarbaraJean so true about the food working in opposite ways - it should work as a community builder ❤️❤️❤️ 5mo

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures oh that‘s a good point, I didn‘t realize there was precedent for that. Interesting! 5mo

Kitta @Ruthiella I guess if you‘re inciting someone to kill themselves i could see there being an argument for you being a murderer, but it‘s so hard to tell if that‘s what Kajii was doing or just using them and they decided of their own volition. I don‘t feel we have enough evidence from what‘s in the book, although Kajii is certainly guilty of something? Her treatment of them is very bad. With Kijima, the real case I do think she‘s a murderer. 5mo

Hooked_on_books I‘m with @BarbaraJean —I don‘t think she killed them directly, but there‘s definite culpability there. She clearly doesn‘t care that they are dead and is so smug. She‘s such a brilliantly written character. 5mo

DebinHawaii I land on the side of how it‘s written makes it difficult to say if it was legally murder but morally she is responsible. I like @mcctrish & @BarbaraJean s‘ points about how Rika found community through food while Kajii used it as a weapon & a tool for her manipulation. 5mo

BarbaraBB @mcctrish I didn‘t think of that but you‘re right about the male reporter! 5mo

BarbaraBB @BarbaraJean Food as a community builder, that‘s a wonderful thought and I am glad it worked out that way for Rika. Food left Kajii utterly lonely though as @gatheringbooks pointed out. Maybe she didn‘t want the men to kill themselves but was she just playing games to see how far she could go - she had little to lose. The gaslighting thought is such an interesting one, @squirrelbrain ! (edited) 5mo

Roary47 I agree with @Kitta and @youneverarrived plus several others I don‘t think she‘s guilty of feeding them and then they being unable to fend for themselves. However, she did seem to have a pleasure in people depending on her, and manipulating others. In a moral level I would say she is guilty of the manipulation. It‘s interesting that this is a real story. I wasn‘t aware of that while reading. 5mo

Daisey @mcctrish @BarbaraJean I agree about the aspect of building community with food. This creation of a place for the friends to gather and Rika‘s character development through that was my favorite part. 5mo

Daisey I tend to agree that she is guilty of manipulation but not directly murder. I think she does deserve some blame because she continued to do this to person after person without remorse. 5mo

BookWrym One for @squirrelbrain the journalist will be Toast when Kaji is finished with him 🤣🤣 5mo

BookWrym In the confines of the book I don‘t believe there is enough evidence to convict Kaji of murder which makes the story intriguing and allows for the social commentary that speculates about why people are so ready to believe Kaji is guilty. 5mo

squirrelbrain Lol! 😜 That‘s a great one, thank you! @Bookwyrm 5mo

BarbaraBB @BookWrym 🙌🏽 5mo

38 likes57 comments

Roary47

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

This book is making me really hungry. Namely, this chapter on Ramen 🍜 🤤 #CampLitsy @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks I‘m trying to catch up for tomorrow‘s discussion. I have a mild summer cold so it‘s not hard to lay around today. 😅

squirrelbrain Ugh - hope you feel better soon! 5mo

Roary47 @squirrelbrain Thank you! The hazards of having littles is catching everything. 😅 5mo

24 likes2 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

See last 3 posts.

I am hoping that this book progresses in a way that makes it obvious that it's all social satire. Still... it's very hard to read these perspectives without wanting to have stern words with the various characters!

BarbaraJean I felt the same way about those passages. Keep going--it takes some interesting turns with it! 5mo

RaeLovesToRead @BarbaraJean If anyone needs me, I'll be in the cupboard with a bowl of buttercream 😄😵 5mo

BarbaraJean 😂 😂 I affirm your decision!! 5mo

49 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

I can't say I concur, book!

Ruthiella I don‘t think the reader is expected to concur with Kajii. It‘s exploring ideas, IMO. 5mo

RaeLovesToRead @Ruthiella Yes... BUT... Kajii is supposed to be this sensual woman who is attractive to men at her (supposedly enormous) size... but, according to her, it's because she CATERS to men in a servile manner? I'm only about 100 pages in, so I will have to see how things pan out... 5mo

RaeLovesToRead ( @Ruthiella in my no-longer-catering-to-men era 🤣🤣) 5mo

38 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

WHAT THE HECK, BOOK?

DaveGreen7777 Yikes! 😳 5mo

RaeLovesToRead @DaveGreen7777 I'm not in agreement with Kajii on this one 🤣🤣 5mo

Branwen Ick. 😩 5mo

36 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Me reading Butter like... 😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐

Jari-chan 😑😑😑 5mo

dabbe Agree 💯. 5mo

RaeLovesToRead @Jari-chan @dabbe This book is critiquing these attitudes, but it's still exhausting to read about 5mo

36 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

When all of the books you're reading are conspiring to bum you out...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8ubn8DCFJd/?igsh=aHhiOTRleDN6aDRq

Ruthiella That‘s what happens sometimes with group reads. At least Clear was SHORT! 😂 I try to also have something lighter on the go to balance it out. Last week Terry Pratchett, this week Elizabeth Peters. 👍 5mo

RaeLovesToRead @Ruthiella A lot of these books I chose myself 😅 Clear was OK but didn't win my heart... I'm stacking cosy fantasy for July!!!! Haha 5mo

54 likes2 comments

Bookwormjillk

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

I‘m still on #TeamLoveIt even if like others mentioned it‘s not about murder as billed. Can‘t wait for #CampLitsy this weekend!

squirrelbrain Glad you liked it! Looking forward to this weekend. 5mo

Megabooks So glad you enjoyed it! 5mo

Ruthiella Nice picture! 👍 5mo

BarbaraBB It was unlike any other book I think. See you tomorrow 🤍 5mo

65 likes4 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

Initially,this book seemed tedious & repetitive to me.Rika was not a likable protagonist.But because it was a #Camplitsy24 pick, I persevered.Rika is a journalist on the hunt for Kajii,a serial killer‘s story. Rika became enmeshed with Kajii who manipulated her into performing tasks on demand.Fortunately her best friend & others helped her leave Kajii‘s skewed reality & separate herself from her, enabling Rika to regain her sense of self. 🧈🧈

sarahbarnes I had a similar experience with the book and ended up liking it in the end, too. 5mo

BookWrym Yay welcome to camp liked it 5mo

squirrelbrain I thought it rather boring at the start too. I don‘t think I‘d have persevered either if not for @camplitsy. 5mo

See All 6 Comments

Kitta I thought the beginning was tedious too (edited) 5mo

youneverarrived I love the development of Rika. Fab review! 5mo

BarbaraBB Great review! I am glad it‘s a pick for you. Like @youneverarrived I enjoyed Rika‘s development. 5mo

63 likes6 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

The end of Rika‘s long journey of self discovery. She is full of hope. #Camplitsy24

squirrelbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 5mo

43 likes1 comment

DGRachel

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pan

I want those hours of my life back. Despite the cover calling this a novel of food and murder, it is not a crime novel. I found the whole thing tedious, unnecessarily angsty, filled with way too many tangents, and I never want to see another stick of butter as long as I live. #camplitsy24

Megabooks Sorry this one didn‘t work for you! Hopefully you‘ll like James better! 5mo

vivastory I'm sorry but this made me lol. I was listening to a BBC podcast today & 1 guest was like “This is a book that I have given to several friends since reading“ & when it came time to the next guest, they were all “No offense, but I want to keep my friends so I will not be giving them this book“ lolol 5mo

DGRachel @vivastory That‘s hysterical. I definitely side with the second guest! 5mo

See All 10 Comments

DGRachel @Megabooks I have high hopes for James! 5mo

Ruthiella Your review jives with how I felt about this one too. I found it rambling and unfocused. 5mo

BarbaraBB Kudos for singing it out! James probably will make up for this experience 🤞🏽😀 5mo

Hooked_on_books I enjoyed the book, but I love this review. Especially about not wanting to see a stick of butter. 😂 And yeah, it‘s definitely not a crime novel. That tagline doesn‘t help reader expectations. 5mo

sarahbarnes I ended up liking this but 😆😆 5mo

dabbe 😂🧈🤩 5mo

squirrelbrain @vivastory, that‘s so funny! 🤣 5mo

57 likes10 comments

Kitta

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

One thing I haven‘t seen anyone touch on yet for this #camplitsy24 read is the LGBTQIA+ themes, and Rika‘s mentions of the girls at school, as well as her comments about fascinating both genders, and being a “prince”.

It made me expect something to happen to clarify whether Rika was bisexual and whether Japanese society was causing her to suppress those desires.

I‘m not sure if I‘m reading too much into this though. 🤔

What did you think?

Ruthiella The book dances around this but never comes to any conclusion on it, IMO. I think also that Reiko is maybe gay or bi, but doesn‘t/can‘t admit it, which is in part why she‘s so unhappy. 5mo

Kitta @Ruthiella I agree but couldn‘t tell if I was reading it that way because I‘m bi 😆 Glad to hear I‘m not the only one who thought this! It was seeming to me the whole time that they were going to get together and then it just didn‘t happen. 5mo

BarbaraJean I'm late to comment, but YES! I was waiting for something to happen with these themes as well. I thought something might happen romantically between Rika & Reiko. There was a LOT going on in the book already, so I could understand not developing that thread further. But I was disappointed that the author didn't follow up on all the hints sprinkled throughout, especially re: Rika's experiences at school and the interactions between her and Reiko. 5mo

Kitta @BarbaraJean I know! I was kinda disappointed too tbh. But your reasoning makes sense. (edited) 5mo

18 likes4 comments

Texreader

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

I loved this book. Not really a murder mystery but rather a deep introspection into a female journalist‘s self image as she learns more about herself while interviewing a serial killer in prison for a magazine story. The killer insists the journalist try the tastiest foods, with butter of course, in Tokyo and tells her all about them in return for more interviews. Heaven forbid, the journalist gains some weight. She then realizes how society ⬇️

Texreader so poorly treats women who are not stick thin, and the misogynistic world she often finds herself. This book is so important about self acceptance. It touched me deeply as I‘m going through personal changes and trying so hard to accept myself as I am now. A few times the book was just gross, such as describing scabs. Ewww. But the food descriptions were amazing! I ❤️ books about food, which may explain why I co-host #foodandlit! #camplitsy24 5mo

slategreyskies Great review! I‘ve read lots of reviews of this book, but this is the first one I‘ve read where I feel like I now actually know what the book‘s about. Thanks! 🧈 5mo

Texreader @mcctrish Do you agree with how I interpreted this book? 5mo

See All 16 Comments

Texreader @slategreyskies Thank you so much. It helped that it touched me deeply. I felt like some readers have missed the point of the book. I think it‘s such an important book for women in Japan and everywhere. And it‘s very well written. 5mo

BarbaraBB The book really resonates with you and that shows. You‘ve shared some wonderful insights and this is a great review. 5mo

squirrelbrain I‘m so glad you loved the book, and that it meant a lot to you. Thank you for your contributions to the discussions. 5mo

The_Book_Ninja Agreed. Great review🙌🏼 5mo

youneverarrived Excellent review. That‘s one thing I‘m really liking about it - the introspection. 5mo

mcctrish YES!!!! The only thing I kind of knew going into it was that it wasn‘t what people thought it was - I was purposely avoiding reviews once I saw that and I‘m glad I did. This book is so much than a murder mystery ( the scabs were gross ) 5mo

Daisey Great review! I agree many reviews, including my own, don‘t really describe it well, but you did a wonderful job of getting to the heart of it. 5mo

Kitta You did a great job describing it, I left mine intentionally vague because of the upcoming #camplitsy24 discussions but maybe that was a mistake! I didn‘t connect as well with this book as you did, but enjoyed it overall. I thought it was a bit too long and would have cut sections or changed the writing to not seem like it was ending so often! I was reading on my kindle and kept checking to see if I was done 😆 5mo

Megabooks I love your review! You really got to the heart of the book! 5mo

kspenmoll Great review! 💙 5mo

kspenmoll @mcctrish But aren‘t scabs tasty?! 🤢🤮 5mo

Texreader @kspenmoll Yea that part about scabs just really turned me off. But kids do do that! So yea, it‘s real. 🤢 5mo

Texreader @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @The_Book_Ninja @youneverarrived @mcctrish @Daisey @Kitta @Megabooks @kspenmoll Thank you all for your very kind messages! Much appreciated 5mo

55 likes2 stack adds16 comments

mcctrish

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

pick

I want to thank #camplitsy for choosing this. I learned a lot about Japanese culture, the food in this was FANTASTIC, I loved seeing how the main character, Rika, evolved. The murderess was quite the narcissist and her ‘evilness‘ was the perfect foil for all the people Rika kept at arms length in her life until the end when she made more room for them. Sometimes it was a bit blah, blah, blah but most of the time I was just lost in the story

Texreader Finally someone who loved it like I did! 5mo

mcctrish @Texreader it really is a book you have to finish, around the middle when Reiko is acting nuts and Rika‘s relationship with her boyfriend just seems bizarre and Kajii just seems malicious and manipulative you really wonder if it‘s worth it. I would really love to see this made into a series 5mo

BarbaraBB I am glad you loved it. Thanks for your review! I think it‘s a book you should read without too many expectations since it is definitely not a murder mystery in the regular sense of the word 5mo

54 likes4 stack adds3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Such a delightful conversation!! 👩🏻‍🍳 🥦🥕🍤🧈🍚

Depending on my mood, I do listen to music, an audiobook or NPR radio when I cook.

mcctrish I like to cook ( I‘m making a lemon blueberry loaf and my own whip up of a Greek/middle eastern bowl for dinner ) I love having an audio book or BBC radio music show on 5mo

youneverarrived Love this! 5mo

47 likes1 stack add2 comments

Bookwormjillk

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

I feel like Kajii would not approve of this vegan hot dog made out of a carrot, but it made for a good #LunchAndBook treat on a hot day. I‘m still on team #LoveIt and am looking forward to the discussion next week for #CampLitsy

AnnCrystal Oh, that's clever 🥕🌭👏👍. 5mo

Ruthiella She definitely would not approve! 😂 5mo

BarbaraBB So glad you‘re loving it! 5mo

61 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

#realization
Rika has asked several friends/workmates to help Reiko heal by taking turns staying with her in Shinoi‘s house of many rooms. That they all made connections with each other was beyond Rika‘s expectations & understanding. 💡🫚🪴🌿🍃
Just love this image.💚

squirrelbrain I liked this part too. 5mo

44 likes1 comment

youneverarrived

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Best thing about summer days - the kids are happy in the garden most of the day so I get to sit and read 😁☀️ just starting the second half #camplitsy

mcctrish Summer reading is the best 5mo

squirrelbrain Perfect! ☀️ 5mo

BarbaraBB So cute! Enjoy! 5mo

49 likes3 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Fun or responsibility this cool morning? It‘s only 70 degrees!!! What a gift after a week+ of mid-high 90s! #porchlife #birdsong #coolbreezes

Tamra My vote is always for fun! 😁 5mo

mcctrish My vote is fun too, although I‘ve spent this break from the heat going grocery shopping, washing my sheets and hanging them on the line and weeding in the backyard. 5mo

kspenmoll @mcctrish I read for fun, took a long walk in the cool breezy air ( finally) talked with some neighbors, then organized mountains of bottles/cans to take to a local recovery center, now it‘s time to make dinner. Being outside after being stuck inside for a week was a huge source of joy for me! 5mo

mcctrish I‘ve tried to spend the whole day outside ❤️❤️ 5mo

69 likes1 stack add4 comments

Butter: Roman | Asako Yuzuki

Found this butter from Normandy at Whole Foods. “Beurre de baratte is traditionally made in France using a churn or barrel shaped churn called a ‘“ baratte.‘” This method churnsthe cream until it separates into butter and buttermilk.* see website below.
It was delicious but not unlike Cabot‘s extra creamy premium butter. Maybe my butter palette is not discerning enough!
https://www.mypanier.com/collections/beurre-de-baratte
#Camplitsy24