Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman - Haruki Murakami

I managed to snag this book for about half price at Borders, and I was very happy, as it was one of the few books I haven't read by him. I have complained in the past that I'm not a big fan of short stories, and I'm not, but for some reason I really like Murakami's stories. They seem more self-contained than stories by other writers, more complete, and I don't find myself wanting more too often - I feel like the story is just the right length. This collection seemed to have less overtly fantastical elements, and many of the stories seemed more realistic than the stories in The Elephant Vanishes, but maybe it was just more subtle. It will be interesting to see which stories stay in my mind over time. Right now my favorites are "Chance Traveler," "Hanalei Bay," "The Kidney Shaped Stone," and "A Shinagawa Monkey," but who knows which ones will end up being my favorites the next time I read this. Highly recommended.