I have to say that while I like Ryu Murakami's books, I don't like them as well as Haruki Murakami's. That said, 69 was an enjoyable, if sometimes painful, view of the life of a 17-year-old in 1969. I say painful not because of any flaw in the writing, merely because the main character has a tendency to do the kind of dumb things most people do at 17 and hope to forget about later.

Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon was sometimes bleak but well worth the read. I figured I really ought to read it after seeing him speak a few weeks ago. Amusingly, I'd mentioned the title to my dad figuring he might like it as well and he also read it this week. (And also liked it). Near-future, semi-thriller, has a hotel based on Jimi Hendrix as a character. I'll have to read the sequel, Broken Angels, soon.
posted by kristin at 10:19 AM