Odachi provides personal insight on the last days of empire, and his stories of crime in Tokyo give this memoir life. This book deserves a spot next to Yasuo Kawahara’s classic autobiography Kamikaze.
Matsuyama offers gardeners plenty of bang for their buck, including strong visuals and the basics of growing and propagating popular succulents and cacti. Novice horticulturists, however, might gravitate toward Ken Shelf and Rachel Weill’s Essential Succulents, which covers fewer plants but offers a bit more hand-holding when it comes to getting started..
Readers interested in Japanese culture, especially kawaii, will delight in Arrazola’s fresh look at everyday life in Tokyo. Young adults, fans of graphic novels, and armchair travelers of all types and ages will enjoy this colorful and amusing cultural worldview.