Going to Japan: Selected Books

With only three weeks to go before moving to Japan I had to make a decision about the few precious books I would bring. While I love my kindle I still prefer a physical book that I can touch. This decision wasn't as hard as I thought as it would be after I reflected on stories that are precious to me.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle and I have had a love affair since I was eight-years-old. This novel was my introduction into the fantasy genre. Admittedly, I saw the movie first and didn't read the book until I was thirteen. I've returned to this novel repeatedly over the years and even wrote a paper for my Literature Theory class on the novel's themes. It is hard to express the emotional ties I have to this book. I just know it has to come with me.

The second novel I chose was the ever enduring horse classic Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. The spirit of the horse fills the pages and has overflown into the hearts of readers for over 100 years. The voice of Black Beauty is so beautiful the reader can hear the unspoken knowledge of horses .

With my love for Elizabethethan England I could not be without something from this time period. So the Barnes and Noble edition of The Complete Works of Shakespeare will be crossing the Pacific Ocean with me. This book weighs 8lbs and I had to do quite a bit of shifting around with the suitcase weight limit.  I am so happy it is coming with me!

The last book I am bringing is  Horses in Japan by Vivienne Kenrick. Why? This book is where I will start preliminary research. Not only that, there are some stories in there I wish to pursue myself. Also, this is the only book in English I have found about horses and their cultural impact in Japan. 

I can hardly wait to read these books in Japan!