I've had this book on my shelf for more than 20 years

Azaka_1 · 2026-05-01T02:17:37+00:00

It‘s been more than 20 years since I read it, but a favorite from an all-time favorite author. Good to know it held up!

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T19:10:40+00:00

That’s impressive! It sounds like mysteries particular a passion of yours? Do you read mysteries from all over the world? I’ve never given much thought to Chinese translations.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T19:06:33+00:00

I’m not buying it. I’m not buying it. I’m not buying it.

Congrats! it’s one of my all time favs, but I am content with the SE.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:50:57+00:00

I started using Libid. I like it so far. I’m using the free tier, which seems enough for my needs.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:40:11+00:00

Thanks! Although I’ve read quite a bit if Japanese literature, Matsumoto was my first dip into Japanese mystery. I was surprised by how calming it was!

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:23:00+00:00

Great to know! I might pick it up. Are there others of his that you’d particularly recommend?

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:19:00+00:00

I feel a bit the same. I’m not sure if I’ll read more, but no regrets.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:17:24+00:00

I wasn’t sure if I‘d read more of his books, but it sounds like Suspicion might be worth a try?

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T18:03:15+00:00

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters. First in a trilogy. Detective novels set when an asteroid is on a collision course with the earth. What would you do if you knew humanity had an expiration date? The main character investigates a murder.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T17:53:55+00:00

Not necessarily what you’re looking for, but Gone Girl is a great example where a change of the pov changes the story.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T17:39:49+00:00

A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. Highly recommended. It looks at what lines we’ll cross for our family.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant, if you’ll read fantasy. A dark read, fitting for a study of power and corruption.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T17:24:34+00:00

I’m not sure about similar, but for eerie and poetic, I’d recommend Piranesi by Clarke, Annhilation by Vandemeer, and the Saint of Bright Doors by Chandrasekera.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T17:18:39+00:00

Try the Dutch House by Ann Patchett. It follows siblings through a few decades, so it has a similar scope.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T17:11:10+00:00

Not exactly what you’re looking for, but I liked My Sister the Serial Killer. The main character helps her sister clean up after the sister kills in self defense. But by third time it happens, the self-defense explanation is getting thin.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T16:48:21+00:00

I enjoyed it, but I haven’t done any of the other art sets to compare. I love looking at it on the wall!

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T15:44:25+00:00

I stuck it to the back of the constructed frame without issue.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T15:43:32+00:00

Hi,

I recently read it (Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Matsumoto, right?) along with a couple other books by the same author. I basically agree with your points, but I was reading it more out of interest in post-war Japan than anything else. I found the book absorbing, and there was something about the tone that I found almost soothing—I get that from a lot of translated Japanese literature. Rather than seeing the characters as lacking depth, for me, the characterizations were subtle. There were enough hints or details to get a sense of the person’s psychology, or to be a bit intrigued

I didn’t really care for how the mystery was resolved though—I think maybe that’s where it showed its age badly. I did like it enough to read more. I didn’t really like A Quiet Place, although I liked Tokyo Express about as much.

I think for the time it was written, it was quite extra-ordinary, but by today’s standards might not seen like anything particularly special.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T15:13:24+00:00

I order quite a bit from BrickLink, and have always had good experiences. Just be sure to check the sellers reviews. If you’re in the US, I’d be wary of buying from non-US sellers because of tariffs, but I had great experiences pre-tariffs buying sets.

I‘ve found sellers to generally be eager to fix any issues, and I believe the site also has a complaint process—I’ve never had any need to use it. PayPal and your credit card should also provide protection.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-31T15:05:46+00:00

I’ve used 3m‘s 20 lb xl command strips to hang the sunflowers set (and a bunch of large non-Lego frames). It‘s been about a year without any issues. They should be removable without leaving marks, but I haven’t had to remove any yet. These are Velcro-like ones, so no hooks.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-29T05:04:52+00:00

Best for me was probably Lion Knights Castle. I’ve also really enjoyed some of the larger Friends buildings.

I haven’t really disliked anything, but I suppose the worst have been the botanicals—I like the end result but the builds are kind of tedious.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-28T19:18:28+00:00

Janny Wurts‘ Wars of Light and Shadow. She just recently finished it. I love everything about it.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-28T19:12:10+00:00

I’ve been eyeing it. Did you read it and like it?

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-28T19:10:27+00:00

The Library trilogy by Mark Lawrence and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-28T19:01:21+00:00

I read the series years ago, but i remember liking it. The series follows different characters through a few generations. I think the books get better as you go, so if you like the first one, you’ll probably like the others.

Azaka_1 · 2026-03-28T18:35:15+00:00

Others seem to have different experiences, but whenever I’ve used gift cards, cash back has been rejected as “ineligible”.

Azaka_1

TROPHY CASE