Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles by Kate Hewitt

Nothing makes for a good read quite like a romance novel. The guaranteed happy-ever-after is bound to uplift any woman's mood after reading it.

I came across Kate Hewitt's anthology of short romantic stories "Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles" while browsing the shelves for something good to read. Here's what the blurb says about it:

A lucky marble... a red clown nose... a fish shop... a trip to A&E. Sometimes love is found in the most unlikely ways and places! Enjoy this collection of ten short stories celebrating the funny side of falling in love. All stories have been previously published in various magazines around the world, and are written by USA Today bestselling author Kate Hewitt.

Each story can't be more than a thousand words, and after finishing the first one, I couldn't help but be reminded of George Asakura's "A Perfect Day for Love Letters". While a manga, it also evokes the lighthearted feel of finding love and falling for that special someone.

The stories in Kate Hewitt's anthology are quick-paced and light, perfect for a pick-me-up at the end of a grueling day. Most romance novels run for longer, presenting the reader with everything from the meeting, a conflict, some other scenes and the eventual ending up together.

"Love, Laughter and Lucky Marbles" focuses mostly on the discovery of love and dispenses with most of the other elements in a typical romance novel. It may not be as exciting as lengthier novels, but it still is fun to read. There are ten stories in all, and I'm hard-pressed to point out which one is my favorite. I had fun reading all of them, and wouldn't think twice of re-reading them on another day.

My thoughts: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Though a popular writer, this is the first time I have read Murakami's work. When it comes to Japanese literature, my education is limited to manga adaptations. I am often of the impression that many such writing is lost in translation, especially given the nuances of each language.

Reading "After Dark" was, for me, similar to reading a manga that's a bit dark and melodramatic (a story from George Asakura's "A Perfect Day for Love Letters" comes to mind), or watching an anime like "Perfect Blue."

The story occurs at times between night and dawn, from sometime before midnight to just before 5 am. In between those times, so many things happen, intertwining the lives of the various characters of the story. Due to the "real time" treatment of the story (think of something like 24), where the events happen in a specific time, the reader becomes a part of the story, even if just as an observer.

Though I am far from impressed, I am intrigued. "After Dark" may not be a favorite of mine, but it's enough for me to want to pick up Murakami's other works.