Murakami Haruki

It's been a while since I've read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, but the fond memories etched in the turning of each page from the front cover through to the back have remained fairly fresh in my mind.

Admittedly I'm not the avid bookworm I used to be, and those of you who know me will know that I no longer primarily use books as a device with which to pass the time.
Maybe this is why it's been over 5 years before another author has taken Pullman's throne in regards to my favourite author.

Not being a particularly well travelled reader, I'm still adamant about my preferences when it comes to books.
Stephen King is good. But I don't think he always lives up to the praise given to him, and his over-description can get long winded at times.
J. K. Rowling is good. But I'm sometimes put off by her simple and straightforward style of storytelling, even when the story itself is compelling.
Stepping away from the bigger names; Lian Hearn is a very talented writer, but his books, as great as they are, didn't leave much of a lasting impression for one reason or another.
Juliet Marillier has a great way of writing, but her stories seems to lack any major impact and depth as whole.

Now I could go on forever with this list, but with my young age at the time partially to blame, there's always been a sort of adulation and fondness in recalling the epic journey of Will, Lyra and Pantalaimon.
(Robin Jarvis' The Wyrd Museum trilogy has it's place too, but that's a story for another entry)

The above authors are all without a doubt highly talented writers, and so are the countless others which have earned my respect (Tolkien, H.G. Wells, James Clavell, Kim Edwards, John Grisham etc. etc.), but with books being the subjective little bungles of paper that they are, it's rare for me to find one that I really genuinely like.

Now in spouting all the above nonsense I've run out of wind and effort with which to finish this post in the same almost-well-written manner.
A shame I suppose, since I haven't really gotten to the point.

The end statement: Murakami Haruki rocks.

Recommended reads for fiction lovers:
-The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
-After Dark



...more to come as I drown myself in more of his works.