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Recommendations based on Rashomon and Other Storiesby Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans
The Woman in the Dunes
by Kōbō Abe
A man finds himself stuck in a remote village, struggling to escape a mysterious sand pit.
In 1955, , Jumpei Niki, , a schoolteacher from Tokyo, visits a fishing village to collect insects. After missing the last bus, he is led by the villagers, in an act of apparent hospitality, to a ... (Wikipedia)
Pinball, 1973
by Haruki Murakami
A young man's obsession with pinball leads him on a surreal journey through his memories and dreams.
The plot centers on the narrator's brief but intense obsession with pinball, his life as a freelance translator, and his later efforts to reunite with the old pinball machine that he used to play. He ... (Wikipedia)
The Setting Sun
by Osamu Dazai
A family of aristocrats in post-WWII Japan struggles to adapt to a changing society and their own decline.
After World War II, a small aristocratic family in Japan has lost all of their money. The family consists of three people: Kazuko, her brother Naoji, and their mother. Naoji is a soldier in the South ... (Wikipedia)
Norwegian Wood
by Haruki Murakami
A young man's journey of love and loss set against the backdrop of the 1960s.
Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of ... (Goodreads)
Three Act Tragedy
by Agatha Christie
A puzzling murder mystery involving a mysterious killer and a prominent politician.
Renowned stage actor Sir Charles Cartwright hosts a dinner party at his home in Cornwall . His guests include: Hercule Poirot; Dr Bartholomew Strange; Lady Mary Lytton Gore, and her daughter Hermione ... (Wikipedia)
The Strange Library
by Haruki Murakami
A young boy's surreal journey inside a mysterious library, discovering its secrets.
From internationally acclaimed author Haruki Murakami—a fantastical illustrated short novel about a boy imprisoned in a nightmarish library. Opening the flaps on this unique little book, readers will ... (Goodreads)
Nancy's Mysterious Letter
by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew receives a letter from a stranger asking for help, leading her on a dangerous adventure to uncover the truth.
Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune. This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew. ... (Goodreads)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Ray Bradbury
A dark fantasy tale of two boys confronting a mysterious and sinister carnival.
One of Ray Bradbury’s best-known and most popular novels, Something Wicked This Way Comes , now featuring a new introduction and material about its longstanding influence on culture and genre. For ... (Barnes & Noble)
Curtain
by Agatha Christie
An amateur detective investigates a murder at a country estate, uncovering a mysterious plot.
A specific person is unsuspected of involvement in five murders by both the police and family of the victims. In all cases, there was a clear suspect. Four of these suspects have since died (one of ... (Wikipedia)
Destination Unknown
by Agatha Christie
A woman wakes up with no memory of her past and embarks on a journey to uncover her identity, leading to a shocking revelation.
Hilary Craven, a deserted wife and bereaved mother, is planning suicide in a Moroccan hotel, when she is asked by British secret agent Jessop to undertake a dangerous mission as an alternative to ... (Wikipedia)
Women
by Charles Bukowski
A collection of stories exploring the lives of various women and their relationships with men.
Women focuses on the many dissatisfactions Chinaski faced with each new woman he encountered. One of the women featured in the book is a character named Lydia Vance; she is based on Bukowski's ... (Wikipedia)
As I Lay Dying
by William Faulkner
A family's struggle to fulfill the dying wish of their mother, amidst personal and societal challenges.
The book is narrated by 15 different characters over 59 chapters. It is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her poor, rural family's quest and motivations—noble or selfish—to honor her wish ... (Wikipedia)
Journey Under the Midnight Sun
by Keigo Higashino
A decades-long murder mystery unravels in Tokyo, revealing the interconnected lives of two families.
When a man is found murdered in an abandoned building in Osaka in 1973, unflappable detective Sasagaki is assigned to the case. He begins to piece together the connection of two young people who are ... (Goodreads)
Chess Story
by Stefan Zweig
A chess master's attempt to regain his lost skill, and the psychological battle he faces.
The narrator opens the story on a passenger liner traveling from New York to Buenos Aires. Driven to mental anguish as the result of total isolation by the Nazis , Dr B, a securities expert hiding ... (Wikipedia)
The Three-Body Problem
by Liu Cixin
A science fiction novel exploring the consequences of first contact with an alien civilization.
The story takes place in flash-forwards, flashbacks, and the present time. Below is a chronological plotline. During the Cultural Revolution , Ye Wenjie, an astrophysics graduate from Tsinghua ... (Wikipedia)
Grotesque
by Natsuo Kirino
Two women's lives intertwine after a murder at an elite school in Tokyo. A dark exploration of societal pressures and the human psyche.
The book is written in the first person for all parts and follows a woman whose sister and old school friend have been murdered. The narrator of Grotesque is unnamed and forever lives under the ... (Wikipedia)
R.U.R.
by Karel Čapek
A play about a factory that produces robots, which eventually leads to the downfall of humanity.
Helena, the daughter of the president of a major industrial power, arrives at the island factory of Rossum's Universal Robots. She meets Domin, the General Manager of R.U.R., who tells her the ... (Wikipedia)
Attack on Titan, Vol. 6
by Hajime Isayama
The Survey Corps battles against the Titans to protect humanity's last stronghold. Secrets are revealed and sacrifices are made.
TITAN ON THE HUNT On the way to Eren’s home, deep in Titan territory, the Survey Corps ranks are broken by a charge led by a female Titan! But this Abnormal is different – she kills not to eat but to ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Pleasure of My Company
by Steve Martin
An eccentric, socially anxious man embarks on a journey of self-acceptance.
Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38, or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside ... (Goodreads)
Diamonds Are Forever
by Ian Fleming
James Bond is on a mission to infiltrate a diamond smuggling ring and uncovers a plot to build a devastating weapon.
The British Secret Service agent James Bond is sent on an assignment by his superior, M . Acting on information received from Special Branch , M tasks Bond with infiltrating a smuggling ring ... (Wikipedia)
The Spy Who Loved Me
by Ian Fleming
A young woman's life is turned upside down when she becomes entangled in a dangerous world of espionage and must rely on James Bond for protection.
Fleming structured the novel in three sections—"Me", "Them" and "Him" to describe the phases of the story. Vivienne "Viv" Michel, a young Canadian woman narrates her own story, detailing her past ... (Wikipedia)
Second Foundation
by Isaac Asimov
A quest to find the mysterious force controlling the fate of the galaxy.
Part I is about The Mule 's search for the elusive Second Foundation, with the intent of destroying it. The executive council of the Second Foundation is aware of The Mule's intent and, in the words ... (Wikipedia)
The Wounded Land
by Stephen R. Donaldson
An epic fantasy adventure in a world of war and magic, in pursuit of peace and justice.
Ten years have passed since the end of the first Chronicles. After his experiences in the Land, Thomas Covenant has resumed his career as a writer. He is still isolated from society, but he has come ... (Wikipedia)
Attack on Titan, Vol. 3
by Hajime Isayama
A battle between humans and giant man-eating Titans ensues, testing humanity's will to survive.
TRAITOR The last thing Eren remembers before blacking out, a Titan had bitten off his arm and leg and was getting ready to eat him alive. Much to his surprise he wakes up without a scratch on him, ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran
Collection of poetic musings about life, spirituality, and love.
Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. Published in 1923, it has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone ... (Goodreads)
Thunderball
by Ian Fleming
A global battle of wits between a British secret agent and an international criminal syndicate.
During a meeting with his superior, M , Bond learns that his latest physical assessment is poor because of excessive drinking and smoking. M sends Bond to a health clinic for a two-week treatment to ... (Wikipedia)
You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense
by Charles Bukowski
A collection of poems exploring the depths of human emotion and the beauty of life.
Charles Bukowski examines cats and his childhood in You Get So Alone at Times , a book of poetry that reveals his tender side. He delves into his youth to analyze its repercussions. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Antigone
by Jean Anouilh
Tragic story of a woman's courage to defy the law in pursuit of justice.
Antigone was originally produced in Paris in 1942, when France was an occupied nation and part of Hitler's Europe. The play depicts an authoritarian regime and the play's central character, the young ... (Goodreads)
Antigone; Oedipus the King; Electra
by Sophocles
Tragedy of family strife and the consequences of prideful actions.
This volume contains three masterpieces by the Greek playwright Sophocles, widely regarded since antiquity as the greatest of all the tragic poets. The vivid translations, which combine elegance and ... (Goodreads)
Heretics of Dune
by Frank Herbert
The fifth book in the Dune series, following the struggle for power and control over the desert planet Arrakis.
Much has changed in the millennium and a half since the death of the God Emperor. Sandworms have reappeared on Arrakis (now called Rakis), each containing a fragment of the God Emperor's ... (Wikipedia)
