In this page-turning saga, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan, exiled from a home they never knew.

I still remember one of my elementary school teachers reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes aloud to us. It brought so many things to light: the aftermath of the atomic bombs in Japan, children battling fatal illnesses, a peek at life and culture in Japan. This short novel based on a true story brings history, empathy, and culture into one moving story that you (or your kids) will always remember.

Memoirs of a Geisha is a fascinating fictional look at the life of one geisha. Chiyo is sold to a geisha house at a young age, enduring difficult training and brutal treatment with the aim of becoming a geisha. The role involves artistry, entertainment, companionship, and is--at the time--essentially prostitution cloaked in an elegant veneer. The paradox of a geisha's life is her role of servitude coupled with her power over men. Chiyo--now Sayuri--spends her life devoted to beguiling men and becomes one of the most celebrated geishas in Japan. As World War II changes Japan, the role of the geisha will also be forever changed.

Set in Tokyo, Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is one of the strangest and most compelling books I've ever read. Between the two moons that suddenly appear in the sky, the small people that creep into rooms at night, and the tangled web of connections leading to--among other things--a cult and a philanthropic dowager--it doesn't seem like this story should work. But somehow it does. At the heart of it are Aomame and Tengo, who are brought together through a series of strange circumstances that lead them to believe they are living in a parallel existence. Strange and difficult to summarize, this book will keep your mind working--in part just trying to figure out what's going on.