Reader's cafe

  Alright, gather 'round for the ultimate murder mystery, brought to you by the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie. In And Then There Were None , ten strangers get invited to a fancy island getaway, only to find themselves in a real-life game of Clue, but with way more murder and a lot fewer safety precautions. Let’s dive in! The story kicks off with ten people who’ve never met, getting mysterious invites to Soldier Island. They all think they’re in for a fun vacation or a new job, but surprise! It’s a one-way ticket to Murderville. Our cast of characters includes the dignified Judge Wargrave, the shady Mr. Blore, and a bunch of other folks who seem normal at first but definitely aren’t. As soon as they arrive, they’re greeted by the housekeepers, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, who seem just as confused as the guests. After a fancy dinner, a spooky gramophone recording accuses each person of a specific murder they committed in the past. Talk about a party foul! The vibe quickly shifts f...

Alright, hop aboard the world’s most famous train for a murder mystery that’s as thrilling as it is mind-bending. Welcome to Murder on the Orient Express , where Hercule Poirot’s mustache is as sharp as his detective skills, and everyone’s got a secret. The story kicks off with Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective with an ego bigger than his mustache, wrapping up a case in Istanbul. He’s looking forward to a nice, quiet ride back to London aboard the luxurious Orient Express. But, as fate (and Agatha Christie) would have it, there’s no rest for the wicked – or the world’s greatest detective. The train is packed, and among the passengers is a motley crew of characters straight out of central casting: there’s a rich American named Samuel Ratchett who looks like he stepped off the set of a gangster movie; his secretary, Hector MacQueen, who’s as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs; and a parade of aristocrats, governesses, missionaries, and other assorted eccent...

  Alright, strap in for A Wild Sheep Chase , where the bizarre meets the mundane and a simple sheep leads to a surreal adventure. It’s like The Big Lebowski but with more sheep and fewer White Russians. Meet our unnamed protagonist – let’s call him Mr. Everyman. He’s a typical 30-something living in Tokyo, working in advertising, and trudging through a rather bland life. His marriage is kaput, his job is meh, and his best friend is a chain-smoking alcoholic. Things take a turn for the weird when he uses an unusual sheep photo in an ad campaign, attracting some very unwanted attention. Enter The Boss, a powerful and shady figure, along with his ominous right-hand man, The Secretary. The Secretary looks like he stepped out of a noir film and delivers a menacing ultimatum: find the one-of-a-kind sheep in the photo, or face dire consequences. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill sheep; it has a star-shaped birthmark and some serious mystical mojo. With his life on the line, Mr. Everyman, a...

  Welcome to the world of Sputnik Sweetheart , where unrequited love, mysterious disappearances, and existential musings blend into a cocktail of Murakami magic. Let’s dive in with a wink and a smile. Our story revolves around three main characters: K, Sumire, and Miu. K is a mild-mannered elementary school teacher, the kind of guy who’s perpetually single and has a fondness for jazz and books. He’s head-over-heels in love with his best friend, Sumire, but there’s a catch – Sumire is an aspiring writer who’s more interested in her typewriter and philosophical ramblings than in K’s puppy-dog eyes. Sumire, who’s like a human Sputnik (orbiting around her own weird axis), meets Miu, an elegant and successful businesswoman. Miu’s the kind of woman who turns heads and stops traffic. Sumire is instantly smitten, and for the first time, she’s experiencing romantic feelings. But plot twist: Sumire falls for Miu, and K’s stuck in the friend zone with a front-row seat to this awkward love tri...

  Alright, folks, buckle up because 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami is a rollercoaster of parallel worlds, creepy cults, and mysterious moonlighting. It’s like 1984 met Alice in Wonderland and decided to have a bizarre, metaphysical baby. Our tale kicks off with Aomame, a fitness instructor who also moonlights as an assassin. She’s stuck in Tokyo traffic, realizes she’ll be late for an assassination, and decides, “Hey, why not climb down this emergency escape ladder?” Little does she know, this ladder is the expressway to a parallel universe. Welcome to 1Q84, where the “Q” stands for “Question,” because reality just got a whole lot weirder. In 1Q84, Aomame notices subtle differences: the police wear different uniforms, and there’s an extra moon in the sky. Just another day in the life of a hitwoman, right? She continues her mission, targeting men who abuse women under the orders of a mysterious benefactor known as the Dowager. Meanwhile, meet Tengo, a math teacher and aspiring writer. H...

  Our story starts with Toru Watanabe, who hears the song "Norwegian Wood" on a plane and gets all nostalgic about his youth in 1960s Tokyo. This isn’t your typical “good old days” trip, though – it’s filled with angst, heartbreak, and more existential crises than a philosophy major at 3 AM. Flashback to Toru’s college days. He’s a bit of a loner, drifting through life like a piece of flotsam. His best friend Kizuki tragically offs himself, leaving behind a beautiful, emotionally fragile girlfriend, Naoko. Toru and Naoko, bonded by their shared grief, start hanging out and walking around Tokyo. Think of it as the world’s saddest date – lots of strolling, lots of silence, and a backdrop of picturesque depression. Naoko’s got issues, to say the least. After a particularly emotional birthday walk, she checks herself into a sanatorium to deal with her mental health. It’s like a spa, but with fewer mud masks and more deep emotional trauma. Toru, ever the loyal puppy, writes to her...

Imagine if a teenage runaway, a talking cat, and a magical stone walked into a bar – that’s pretty much the vibe of Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore . It’s a mind-bending trip where reality takes a backseat and the surreal is the new normal. First up, meet Kafka Tamura. He’s fifteen, but not in a “let’s play video games and eat junk food” way. He’s more “I’m running away from my creepy dad who’s cursed me with an Oedipal prophecy” kind of way. So, Kafka packs his bags, grabs his favorite books, and hops on a bus to Takamatsu. His mission: find his long-lost sister and mother and dodge any awkward Greek tragedies. Kafka lands in Takamatsu and ends up in a private library that’s straight out of a hipster’s dream. It’s run by Miss Saeki, who has more secrets than the Pentagon, and her assistant Oshima, the cool older brother you never had. The library isn’t just a place to read – it’s got this mystical, Narnia-meets-The Twilight Zone aura that makes you wonder if you’ll stumble into a...