Unsettling. I can wrap up the review for Sayaka Murata’s “The Convenience Store Woman” in that one word. But first, a big thank you to NetGalley and publisher Grove Atlantic for this ARC. The convenience store woman of the title is Keiko Furukura, a slightly eccentric woman in her mid-30s, who has been working at...

Sometime back I remember reading about netsukes. Drawn by their intricate carvings and plethora of depictions, I remember thinking how I would love to have one of them. The word ‘netsuke’ itself is derived from the Japanese characters “ne” and “tsuke” meaning root and attach respectively. This is what Chibi, the titular cat in Takashi...