DAYS AT THE TORUNKA CAFE by Satoshi Yagisawa — a heartwarming Japanese contemporary, this novel is told in three different parts. It follows three different characters; Chinatsu Yukimura, a regular at the cafe who is convinced that she knew one of its employees in a past life, Hiroyuki Yumata, a customer who has recently returned to the area after attempting to pick up the shambles of his life, and Shizuku, the cafe owner’s daughter, who is navigating identity and falling in love again after her sister’s death. I love Japanese literature like this because of the revolving themes of self-identity, family, grief, and home. The characters were flawed and beautiful and all deeply emotional. I anticipated that this would be quite cozy, but it touched on serious themes like suicide, addiction, grief, broken families, and rejection. But you know me– those aspects made it so much more digestible for me. The plot was immersive and, not slow, but rather, it took its time. If you want to try a Japanese novel, this is a great one to start with. Although this is now published, I downloaded it months ago as an ALC before it was released, so I want to shoutout Libro.FM again for the ALC!

Genre: Literary Fiction

HEATED RIVALRY by Rachel Reid — Listen, I don’t really know what you want me to say. This story has completely taken over my life. I’m buying shirts on Etsy and drowning in TikTok edits. The writing style isn’t phenomenal by any means, it’s actually quite surface level. But the story itself is what has fully captivated every nook of my brain. This queer romance novel follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two star hockey players from teams with decades-long rivalries. The media pits them as sworn enemies, but as they take turns being the number one hockey player in the world, behind closed doors, this is an intense love story. This book takes place over the span of eight years. This is more than just a smutty love story, HEATED RIVALRY proves that love doesn’t have to be toxic or self-sacrificing. It’s just so beautiful. The stakes are HIGH, the chemistry is undeniable, the character depth is there, the ~yearning~ is captivating. I’m not a big re-reader, but I’m already planning on going back to this– and calm down, TRUST ME, we will address the TV show later.

Genre: Romance

Favorite book of the month: HEATED RIVALRY. The effect it’s had on me is unreal, paralleled only to that of GLEE, and if you know me, you know I don’t take that lightly.

STRANGER THINGS — The iconic fifth and last season follows Will Byers and his friends in 1980s Indiana as they search for answers in the face of supernatural forces and government exploits. It’s the biggest show in the world, you know what it’s about. I loved watching the last season, but similarly to the rest of the world, felt that I didn’t quite get the closure I needed. There’s no perfect way to end a show of this scale that’s been airing for so long, but they tried. I’m glad I watched it! It was hard to say goodbye at first, but we have officially left Hawkins, Indiana. Watch on Netflix.

HEATED RIVALRY — Buckle up, folks, because boy do I have some stuff to SAY. When the whole world is telling me to watch something, I usually listen. What started as a Crave original (a Canadian streaming service) has snowballed at such a rapid pace into a global phenomenon. This is inspired by the book mentioned above, so it follows the same plot. At only six episodes, this show is extremely digestible. These no-name actors who, nine months ago, had 3,000 Instagram followers, have taken over the world and skyrocketed to overnight fame. And it’s deserved. Their performances in Heated Rivalry are unparalleled and fully embraces the softness of true love. The story is so focused, and a lot of theories online mention a corrective emotional experience, and I think that resonates with me. Shane and Ilya transform from defense to vulnerability. The reason I loved this show goes so much deeper than the beautifully illustrated sex scenes, all six episodes are a display of intimacy in the sense of repair and chosen family. As I mentioned in my book review, it really examples how love does not have to be self-sacrificing, destructive, toxic, and it doesn’t have to mean humiliation, abandonment, or self-erasure. In this show, there is SO much desire, or ~yearning~ as I call it, but it’s paired with safety. There’s so much conflict, but it’s paired with return instead of rupture– this is what I mean by corrective emotional experiences. As much as I joke about it, I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing this show in a serious matter to try and find out why it scratches my brain so perfectly. Additionally, as an avid reader and general consumer of media, what is presented to women in media, specifically in romances, isn’t always digestible. I was explaining to Hayden how it’s always a lot of female yearning, female chasing, female pursuing, oftentimes for a male that that has toxic tendencies or ‘red flags’ anyways. Heated Rivalry is such a phenomenal depiction of male vulnerability and emotional intelligence. As a female consuming this show, it’s refreshing. Director Jacob Tierney says, “there’s a safety in seeing a woman being removed from the conversation,” and I whole-heartedly agree. The book, HEATED RIVALRY was incredibly honored in the TV adaptation, but so was the entire romance genre in general. Yes, there’s sex in it, but sex on a real human scale in this show is a way to enhance Shane and Ilya’s emotional vulnerability, whereas, commonly in romances, it’s used by male characters as a control tendency. Just so marvelously well-done, I will 100% be re-watching this when I need a pick-me-up, and I’m so glad it’s been renewed for another season. Expect to see the sequel, THE LONG GAME, in my recap for next month, and let this be your sign if you haven’t seen it yet– you NEED to watch Heated Rivalry. Watch on Crave / HBO Max.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO by Hayao Miyazaki — I’m a big fan forever and always of anything Miyazaki makes. This is not a new film for me, I’ve seen this many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever given it proper kudos on my blog. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO follows sisters Satsuki and Mei as they move to a new house in the country and encounter magic forest spirits who help distract them while their mother recovers from illness. Just an overall beautiful story with the gorgeous artistic aesthetics of a Studio Ghibli film. Highly recommend.