Friday 56 & #BookBeginnings: The Ghosts of Nagasaki

The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen

Amazon.com: Kindle Edition

For Book Beginnings:
On a quiet evening in my upscale apartment in Tokyo, I start typing these words. I pour myself a cup of green tea, take off my suit, and without even understanding why, I sit down and begin to type something. Not sure what these words are at first, I suddenly realize that they are memories of my arrival in Nagasaki four years ago.

- p. 1

For Friday 56:

"Yes," he says with a smile. "I like sleep."

- p. 56

Synopsis: One night a foreign business analyst in Tokyo sits down in his spacious high rise apartment and begins typing something. The words pour out and exhaust him. He soon realizes that the words appearing on his laptop are memories of his first days in Nagasaki four years ago. Nagasaki was a place full of spirits, a garrulous Welsh roommate, and a lingering mystery. Somehow he must finish the story of four years ago--a story that involves a young Japanese girl, the ghost of a dead Japanese writer, and a mysterious island. He must solve this mystery while maneuvering the hazards of middle management, a cruel Japanese samurai, and his own knowledge that if he doesn't solve this mystery soon his heart will transform into a ball of steel, crushing his soul forever. Though he wants to give up his writing, though he wants to let the past rest, within his compulsive writing lies the key to his salvation.

Green tea ice cream, sushi, wasabi, nori, kawaii, Haruki Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto -- yep, I heart Japan. So naturally, with this story set in Japan, the author having lived in Japan (just like the main character) and a Murakami fan to boot ... well, yeah, sure I'll review it! I'll also be having Daniel over for a guest post and he is having a giveaway for The Ghosts of Nagasaki starting on April Fool's Day, so be sure to come over!

P.S. Don't forget to join in my Easter giveaway for Full Wattage!