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SHOCKING: Asako yuzuki - What They Never Told You

The books everyone will be reading this summer

SUMMER READING: From sun-soaked page-turners to perfect al fresco lunch companions, these are 21 of the hottest reads right now

The Independent UK

SNL UK is a welcome comedy of errors – what to watch, listen to and read this week

When it was announced that Saturday Night Live would launch a UK version there were a lot of naysayers, including me. I’m not a total hater, there have been sketches I’ve found genuinely funny in recent years – like this one poking fun at the incomprehenisbility of the metric system.…

The Conversation

Hooked by Asako Yuzuki: a biting tale of female loneliness and obsession

After the sensational reception of her novel Butter (2017, translated into English in 2024), Asako Yuzuki is back with Hooked (translated by Polly Barton) – a novel about loneliness and the sometimes twisted and complicated relationships between women.

The Conversation

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Hooked by Asako Yuzuki review – follow-up to global hit Butter

A Tokyo high-flyer tries to befriend her favourite blogger in a novel that wears its aura of black comedy lightly, and its political statements more heavily

The Guardian - UK

Hooked review: The new Butter? Sadly it just doesn’t fly...

It simmers with discomfort. I spent much of it waiting for the seminal moment which never came

Evening Standard

Butter author Asako Yuzuki: ‘I’m very far from the ideal Japanese woman’

Butter, her novel about a female serial killer, was a global hit. As Asako Yuzuki’s second book is published in English, she talks about criticism at home – and why she’ll be writing darker stories in the future

The Guardian - UK

The 13 Books I Cannot Wait To Read This Year, From Buzzy Debuts to New Stories From Firm Favourites

Bookmark this for your 2026 reading list

Marie Claire

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Books to look out for in 2026 – fiction

Maggie O’Farrell, Yann Martel and Julian Barnes are among the authors publishing new novels this year

The Guardian - UK

'Butter': The Foodie Feminist Bestseller Skewering Sexism In Japan

Japanese writer Asako Yuzuki did not expect her novel "Butter" to capture a cult following abroad, hailed as a biting feminist critique of sexism and body-shaming.

International Business Times

How the real murders behind the hit novel Butter exposed Japanese media misogyny

Japan, 2009. It is a morning in August and, in a parking lot in Saitama – a regional centre about 30kms north of Tokyo – a rental car is spotted with a man lying in the back seat. His name is Yoshiyuki Oide. But it turns out that he’s not…

The Conversation

The ten best novels of 2024 – according to literary experts

With Something Good, the arts and culture newsletter from The Conversation UK, we aim to cut through the noise and recommend the very best in new releases every fortnight. In 2024, we’ve been spoiled for choice when it comes to recommending fiction. From Samantha Harvey’s spellbinding Booker winner Orbital to…

The Conversation

Novels about serial killers and loyal dogs voted Waterstones books of 2024

Booksellers chose true-crime inspired Butter by Asako Yuzuki as book of the year, while Ross Montgomery’s fun adventure I Am Rebel took the children’s prize

The Guardian - UK

Foodie mystery novel Butter named Waterstones Book Of The Year

The novel focuses is about a Tokyo female journalist who tries to interview a female gourmet cook and serial killer in prison.

The Independent UK

Surrealism, cafes and lots (and lots) of cats: why Japanese fiction is booming

From tales of alienation to comforting novels set in bookshops, Japanese authors have written nearly half of this year’s bestselling translated novels in the UK. What’s their secret?

The Guardian - UK

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The Conversation

Enjoyed Butter by Asako Yuzuki? Here are four more Japanese writers that explore misogyny through food

Asako Yuzuki’s novel Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder is the latest literary sensation by a female Japanese writer to be served to, and savoured by, an international audience.

The Conversation

Five of this summer’s best fiction reads

Looking for a great read to take on holiday with you? We had our experts review some of the hottest books of 2024. From love stories to tales of murders and food, there’s something for every fiction lover.

The Guardian - UK

Butter by Asako Yuzuki review – a tasty exposé of fatphobia and trauma

In this Japanese bestseller based on a real-life case, food unites a journalist and a cook turned murderer in a frequently thrilling tale of fatphobia

The Guardian - UK

The best recent crime and thrillers – review roundup

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim; The Trials of Lila Dalton by LJ Shepherd; The Winter Visitor by James Henry; Butter by Asako Yuzuki; Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin

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