Book description
The long-awaited first short story-collection by the author of the cult sensation Convenience Store Woman, tales of weird love, heartfelt friendships, and the unsettling nature of human existenceWith Life Ceremony, the incomparable Sayaka Murata is back with her first collection of short stories ever to be translated into English. In Japan, Murata is particularly admired for her short stories, which are sometimes sweet, sometimes shocking, and always imbued with an otherworldly imagination and uncanniness.In these twelve stories, Murata mixes an unusual cocktail of humor and horror to portray both the loners and outcasts as well as turning the norms and traditions of society on their head to better question them. Whether the stories take place in modern-day Japan, the future, or an alternate reality is left to the reader's interpretation, as the characters often seem strange in their normality in a frighteningly abnormal world. In "A First-Rate Material," Nana and Naoki are happily engaged, but Naoki can't stand the conventional use of deceased people's bodies for clothing, accessories, and furniture, and a disagreement around this threatens to derail their perfect wedding day. "Lovers on the Breeze" is told from the perspective of a curtain in a child's bedroom that jealously watches the young girl Naoko as she has her first kiss with a boy from her class and does its best to stop her. "Eating the City" explores the strange norms around food and foraging, while "Hatchling" closes the collection with an extraordinary depiction of the fractured personality of someone who tries too hard to fit in.In these strange and wonderful stories of family and friendship, sex and intimacy, belonging and individuality, Murata asks above all what it means to be a human in our world and offers answers that surprise and linger.
Domino
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Kamikaze Grandma
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Santa's Little Helper
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CoB@lt
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WanderWord
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Rook
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EchoExplorer
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Trip
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Black Hole Necromancer
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Low Voltage
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Turnip King
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VenusXX
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Fadey
The app's design is sleek and modern β it's a pleasure to navigate. The narrators have a way of bringing characters to life β it's a unique experience. Sharing audiobooks with friends through AirDrop is a delightful feature. Sharing is caring! ListenBook has all the features I need. My go-to audiobook app!
Fire Fish
π Elevating my reading routine β this app's functionality is the key to unlocking new worlds of storytelling. ππ ListenBook's integration with CarPlay and Apple Watch adds a new level of convenience to my audiobook journey. Supports artwork and metadata perfectly. My library looks great! Listening stats keep me motivated to read more. Great addition! It was fine. The narrator did an adequate job but nothing about the performance particularly stood out to me. Got me through my commute though.
57 Pixels
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ThreadTraveler
Organization made simple β this app's efficient management of my audiobook collection ensures that every story is just a tap away. Convenience at its finest. ππ± Download options are versatile, making it easy to get audiobooks from various sources. Iβm so impressed with ListenBook. The app is reliable, fast, and packed with features like customizable themes and playback speed. The sleep timer is a lifesaver for bedtime listening. Highly recommend this app!
All Natural
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Mr. Fabulous
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Sky Bully
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Scooby Did
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience