Three
14 July, 2012
chasing bawa is THREE today!
I’m flabbergasted that three years of blogging has passed by in a blink of an eye, which shows how much fun I’m still having writing and discussing my reading with YOU! I have to admit my pace is a little slower this year but I figured that as my reading habit depends on my mood, I’ll just see where this takes me as I want to continue doing this as long as I can. Of course, feel free to give me a gentle kick up the backside if you think I tarry too long.
And as a big THANK YOU to you all for visiting chasing bawa, I’m giving away these:
A secondhand copy of Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki which I picked up in my local charity shop. I read this a few years ago and loved it. It’s still in print but do you know how rare it is to find second hand? I just had to grab it for one of you!
And
I went to see Siri Hustvedt give a talk at the Southbank Centre this week and had to grab these two books which I got SIGNED.
I haven’t read them yet but I will soon. I know there’s a lot of love for her amongst her readers and listening to her speak, I can understand why. Her lecture was pretty intense, very intellectual (her interests lie not only in literature but psychology and phenomenology) and also touched upon issues such as the disparity between gender in what is supposed to be the level playing field of literature, something which always crops up in the media when it comes to prize time. Interesting indeed. She’s also a lovely, approachable person and I even had a brief conversation with her (a first for me!)
This giveaway is open internationally, so let me know which book you’d like (or all three) and I’ll pick a name out of a hat in a fortnight’s time.
In exchange, why don’t you tell me your favourite book so far this year? Go on, I’m curious.
chasing bawa 
14 July, 2012 at 10:07 am
Hello, congratulations on three years of blogging! My favourite book this year so far has been The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky. I would love to be entered to win the Junichiro Tanizaki book. Thanks.
14 July, 2012 at 10:15 am
Congratulations on three years of blogging ๐
My fave this year is tricky, but I’ll throw one name out there at random – Kazuo ishiguro’s ‘The Unconsoled’.
As for which of the books I’d like, well, I think you know the answer to that ๐
14 July, 2012 at 10:54 am
Hi Sakura, congrats on three years!
My favourite book of the year, not that they’re new, is a toss-up between Bulgakov’s Master & Margarita and Jonathan Safran Foer’s ‘Everything is Illuminated’.
I’d love to win any of the three books! ๐
14 July, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Congratulations! Three years, gosh ๐ And hopefully many more to go? My favourite book of the year (so far) is The Song of Achilles. I’m really glad that it won the Orange Prize ๐
It is always nice to meet authors, isn’t it? I haven’t met that many, but will always remember Terry Pratchett… he’s so funny!
The three books above are unfortunately unknown to me, so I’d love to have a chance at winning any of them.
14 July, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Congratulation for a fantastic 3 years! Naomi would be great but any one book will do so too. My favourite this year would be The remains of the day and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Into the Wild by Jon Kraukeur is great and so are some of the Orange shortlist 2012 read. As you can see I can’t make up my mind!
14 July, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Congrats on three years! I think my favorite book this year would have to be When I Was a Child I Read Books by Marilynne Robinson, but If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino and In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming would be near the top as well. Oh, and A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin and 11/22/63 by Stephen King.
I’d like to be entered for Naomi, since my library doesn’t have it.
14 July, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Happy blogiversary! Yay for you ๐ I am not sure what my favorite book of this year has been – I have read some really great books! The easiest to find, though, and SO FUN was Bab: A Sub-Deb by Mary Roberts Rineheart. Also just finished and really loved Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King.
I’d love to win Naomi if you loved it so much ๐
15 July, 2012 at 11:14 am
Congratulations, three years, thats awesome. My favourite reads so far this year are Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child and Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone. I haven’t read any of the books, so a random choice is fine.
Bonne Continuation!
15 July, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Happy blogiversary, and here’s to many more years! Getting to know you over the past few years has been a pleasure. Please throw my name in the hat for The Summer Without Men (I already own What I Loved and really need to read it). My favourites of the year so far are The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan, Railsea by China Miรฉville, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
16 July, 2012 at 8:11 am
I’ve read Sarah Dunant In the Day of a Courtesan which I enjoyed very much. The mix of Renaissance history along with a personal life story was intense and very descriptive.
Congratulations on your blogiversary. I’d like to be in the running and will take any of the books offered.
16 July, 2012 at 10:58 am
many many congratulations on CB’s thrid birthday Sakura, Wish you many happy returns.
My favorite book this year has been Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary mantel which I just finished!
Please include me in the Giveaway. I would love to read any of those three books. thank you!
16 July, 2012 at 3:23 pm
omedetooโโ i like your current pace that allows me to catch up when pop in.
“Sen no Rikyu” by Genpei Akasegawa is on my mind which i reread after watching the film recently. hav you watched the film๏ผ
18 July, 2012 at 11:51 am
No, but it must be interesting! There’s something so alluring about the tea ceremony – it’s veiled in mystery for me! And thank you for saying you approve of my pace;) It’s much easier to manage when there’s lots going on in real life!
21 July, 2012 at 1:03 am
in the film, the small tea room as well as the outdoor tea ceremonies are used politically. and, you also see that artistic sense is envied even by the most powerful. the book made me want to visit korea, the architectural root of the tea house.
16 July, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Happy bloggiversary sakura! I have wanted to read Naomi for the longest time so please put my name in. I haven’t read that much this year, but my favorite book so far is Winnie the Pooh ๐
16 July, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Congrats on three years!
I’m not sure what my favorite book so far this year has been. They’re have been several good ones, but none that was just over and all outstanding.
17 July, 2012 at 1:11 pm
well done on so long ,my favourite book well traveller of the century or the islands ,all the best stu
18 July, 2012 at 11:50 am
Thank you all for commenting and the recommendations! Keep ’em coming:)
18 July, 2012 at 2:51 pm
Congratulations on your third blogoversary! I’d love to read Naomi as I can’t find second-hand copies anywhere! My favourite book of the year so far is HHhH – I don’t think I’ll find a better book in the next 6 months ๐
21 July, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Well done Sakura! My favourite read so far this year was back in February, and was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. I’d love either of the Hustvedts if lucky enough to win. Thank you.