I was reading this little zine of a book the other day. It’s called Chandelier, written by Mieko Kawakami (and translated by David Boyd) and I got it for free at my local bookstore on Indie Bookstore Day back in April. It’s a just a quick little 35-page story, bound in a pocket-sized cover, but I found it delicious. I finished it one sitting.
Anyway, since it’s translated, the dollar amounts are listed in yen and at one point I wanted to get a sense of how much money the narrator was talking about. I didn’t have my phone nearby, so I asked Alexa “how much is 36,250,000 yen in dollars?” She obligingly informed me that it’s about 268,554 and then asked me if I would like her to recommend a book.
Makes sense right? I mean, that’s a perfectly normal question to ask after I ask her about the yen/dollar conversion, right? She is totally not spying on me. (Gah! How does she know I just finished the novel I’d been reading and absolutely was trying to figure out what to read next?!?! That shit is creepy.)
Anyway, I was intrigued, so I said yes. Mostly I just wanted to see what she’d say. Top of her list? Where the Crawdads Sing. I’ve read it. I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Then she asked if I’d like another recommendation. Sure. Next up was The Four Winds, which I actually loved. I asked for more. She recommended two Rick Riordan books (I’m guessing because we have, as a family, downloaded a fair number of those for the kids). Then Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Then American Dirt. Then The Midnight Library. Then I got tired of the game and told her to stop.
I have to give Alexa credit for her taste/algorithmic accuracy. With the exception of her first title, I actually really liked everything she recommended. The thing that struck me was that she didn’t know I had already read all of her picks (though, truth be told, I never read Fantastic Beasts – I just saw the movie).
I can only assume it’s because I try not to buy books through Amazon if I can at all help it.
Bookshop.org, people. Buy your books from Bookshop.org and support your local bookstores. Okay, that’s my PSA for the day. I’m done.
Now, go ask Alexa what books she would recommend for you and share below. I’m super curious how your list compares to mine.
Hello! Was wondering if you sold your copy of Chandelier. If not, I would love to purchase it from you!
Have you asked Alexa her favorite book? (She told me it’s Frankenstein.)
If you don’t plan to keep your copy of Chandelier, I would love to buy it from you. I can’t find it anywhere online. I keep hoping it’s going to pop up on Ebay, but still nothing.
I’d be happy to send it to you. Shoot me an email (april@aprildavila.com) with your snail mail address and I’ll get it out to you. Cheers!