The 7 stories told across Murakami’s Men Without Women, tell the tales of men, who each in their own way, have found themselves alone. And although there is definitely something to take from each story on it’s own, I have to admit this wasn’t my favorite. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy this read, but I’m not sure that Murakami’s quirky style is my cup of tea.

I’m not going to lie, I chose this book so that I would feel less guilty about the amount of TV I’ve been watching during quarantine, and I find something rewarding about being able to experience one piece of writing in two different mediums. And let me just cut to the chase, the book was definitely better than the series.

I’m not even going to lie when I first heard the gist of this book I immediately knew it was something that deserved to be on this list. To say I was stoked to read it is an understatement. Without giving too much away, ITTOTB is a fictional story about the real-life Maribal sisters. When I did a little digging about them I was onboard, I was about it and I couldn’t wait to know more.

This book is an exploration of what it means to come of age in urban Chicago while grappling with the duality of identity. It touches on themes, of mental health, poverty, race, and even death in the most subtle and authentic ways.