I also liked the author's world view (which he gives to Tokue) that you can see a point in all human life if you consider that we change or influence things simply by observing them from our own perspective. I liked the theme of the redemptive power of someone else believing in and taking notice of you. They're not allowed to continue that way for long, though, and through the intervention of a teenage customer, Wakana, we find out more about Tokue's past. Both of them have pasts they'd rather not talk about and Sentaro is initially reluctant, but eventually he hires Tokue and their friendship builds. Sentaro runs a shop selling pancakes filled with the sweet bean paste of the title Tokue is a mysterious old woman who comes into the shop looking for a job. I wonder if that's down to the translators/translations. I've not read many Japanese novels, but the ones I have read (a few murder mysteries, Convenience Store Woman and this) have all been very different in terms of their plot and setting, but somehow feel similar stylistically. My commitment to the Gregory series has slowed my reading right down so I can't see myself hitting 50 this year, especially as DC3 is coming in 7 weeks so will likely be reading even less due to lack of sleepĥ6 Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Segawa, trans. The Boleyn Inheritance Philippa Gregory.The Other Boleyn Girl Philippa Gregory.Three Sisters, Three Queens Philippa Gregory.The Constant Princess Philippa Gregory.The Kingmaker's Daughter Philippa Gregory.The Lady of the Rivers Philippa Gregory.This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor Adam Kay.The Corpse Played Dead Georgina Clarke.The Covent Garden Ladies: Pimp General Jack and the Extraordinary Story of Harris's List Hallie Rubenhold.The Lost Tudor Princess: A Life of Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox Alison Weir.The Killings at Badger's Drift Caroline Graham.The world they know is dying and Lydian may have been the only person with the key to saving it.Such a shame about HM, she's younger than my parents so seems a shockingly young age to go to me When Janneke discovers the truth of Lydian and his madness, she’s forced to see her tormentor in a different light for the first time.

Janneke’s powers as the new Stag has brought along haunting visions of a world thrown into chaos and the ghost of Lydian taunts her with the riddles he spoke of when he was alive. Janneke now holds the mantle, while Soren, now her equal in every way, has become the new Erlking. Lydian might be dead, but he took the Stag with him. Against all odds, Janneke has survived the Hunt for the Stag–but all good things come with a cost.

The night burns bright ross barkan