Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

The Asian Saga The books in narrative order are:

Shogun

by James Clavell

An explorer in seventeenth-century Japan, ambitious Englishman Blackthorne encounters the powerful and power-hungry Lord Toranaga and Catholic convert Lady Mariko. Reissue.

The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai--without really knowing what it meant--he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands of the... (more)

Tales of the Otori: Book 1

Across the Nightingale Floor

by Lian Hearn

This is the first book in a new epic trilogy that has already become a bestselling sensation in England and Australia, earning comparisons to The Lord of the Rings . It begins with the legend of a nightingale floor in a black-walled fortress-a floor that sings in alarm at the step of an assassin. It will take true courage and all the skills of an ancient Tribe for one orphaned youth named Takeo to discover the... (more)

A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

by Musashi Miyamoto

The Book of Five Rings is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. The Book of Five Rings was composed... (more)

Tales of the Otori: Book 2

Grass for His Pillow

by Lian Hearn

Praised for its epic scope and descriptive detail, Across the Nightingale Floor , the first book of the Tales of the Otori, was an international bestseller and critical success, named by the London Times as "the most compelling novel to have been published this year." With Grass for His Pillow, Book Two of the Tales of the Otori , we return to the medieval Japan of Hearn's creation-a land of harsh beauty and... (more)

Tales of the Otori: Book 3

Brilliance of the Moon

by Lian Hearn

A beautiful, haunting evocation of the medieval Japan of Lian Hearn's imagination, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth. Filled with adventure and surprising twists of plot and fortune, this final volume travels beyond the Three Countries, to the outside influences that threaten to intrude... (more)

Cloud of Sparrows

by Takashi Matsuoka

Once in a great while a new novelist comes along who dazzles us with rare eloquence and humanity, with flawless storytelling and a unique understanding of another place and time. Takashi Matsuoka is just such a writer. His magnificent new novel, set amid the violence and beauty of nineteenth-century Japan, takes us beyond the epic tradition of James Clavell’s Shogun and into a majestic realm of samurai and... (more)

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

by Tsunetomo Yamamoto

Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves"') is a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction--in the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido--the Way of the Warrior. It is not a book of philosophy as most would understand the word: it is a collection of thoughts and sayings recorded over a period of... (more)

Tai-Pan

by James Clavell

Dirk Straun, a pirate, smuggler, and ruthless individual, finds glory beyond his dreams as the Tai-Pan, or supreme leader, of Hong Kong. Reissue.

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn

by Thomas Hoobler, Dorothy Hoobler

Fourteen-year-old Seikei dreams of being one of the legendary warriors, a samurai. But samurai are born, not made, and Seikei is a tea merchant’s son. Then a priceless ruby intended for the shogun—the military governor of Japan—is stolen by a ghost, and Seikei finds himself having to display all the courage of a samurai. He is the only person to have seen the thief, and now the famous samurai magistrate,... (more)

Tales of the Otori: Book 4

The Harsh Cry of the Heron

The Last Tale of the Otori

by Lian Hearn

T he Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori is a truly epic novel. It is the rich and satisfying conclusion to the Tales of the Otori series that both completes the characters' lives-prophesied and otherwise-and brilliantly illuminates unexpected aspects of the entire Otori saga. The Harsh Cry of the Heron is the only fitting end to such a stirring series: a book that takes the storytelling achievement... (more)

Samurai Shortstop (Junior Library Guild Selection (Dial))

Samurai Shortstop (Junior Library Guild Selection (Dial))

by Alan Gratz

Tokyo, 1890. Toyo is caught up in the competitive world of boarding school, and must prove himself to make the team in a new sport called besuboru . But he grieves for his uncle, a samurai who sacrificed himself for his beliefs, at a time when most of Japan is eager to shed ancient traditions. It’s only when his father decides to teach him the way of the samurai that Toyo grows to better understand his uncle and... (more)

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior

by Chris Bradford

Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan, his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by a legendary master swordsman and brought under his wing, Jack begins the grueling physical and psychological training needed to become a samurai. Life at Samurai school is fraught with difficulty for Jack who is bullied and treated as an outcast. With his friend the remarkable,... (more)

Sisters of the Sword

by Maya Snow

Kimi dreams of being a great samurai warrior, but she and her sister, Hana, are young ladies of feudal Japan, daughters of the Jito of the province. Her future seems clear: Girls do not become samurai. Then, betrayal shatters the sisters' world. Their power-hungry uncle murders their father, and their mother and little brother mysteriously disappear. Determined to seek revenge and restore their honor, they... (more)

Samurai Deeper Kyo, Book 1

by Yuki N. Johnson, Akimine Kamijo?, Takako Maeda, Dan Danko

1604 A.D. Four years after a devastating civil war, Yuya Shiina earns a living by hunting outlaws. When she captures Mibu Kyoshiro for a small bounty, she has no idea about the dark secret he carries within. Kyoshiro shares his body with the spirit of Onime-no-Kyo, a legendary assassin who has killed a thousand men.

Samurai Deeper Kyo, Book 2

by Akimine Kamijyo

*Anime Available on DVD *A consistent Bookscan top seller *Over 20,000 internet fansites are dedicated to Samurai Deeper Kyo Yuya discovers that the man before her is no longer Kyoshiro, but Onime-no-Kyo. Kyo defeats the Bantouji brothers easily and viciously and turns to face the last person alive: Yuya. Kyo spares her, promising to watch as she hunts for her brother's killer and to kill her if she... (more)

The Book of Five Rings

by Thomas Cleary, Miyamoto Musashi, Bradford J. Brown, Victor Harris, Musashi Miyamoto, William Scott Wilson, Munenori Yagyu

Setting down his thoughts on swordplay, on winning, and on spirituality, legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi intended this modest work as a guide for his immediate disciples and future generations of samurai. He had little idea he was penning a masterpiece that would be eagerly devoured by people in all walks of life centuries after his death. Along with The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings has... (more)

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 (Rurouni Kenshin)

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 3 (Rurouni Kenshin)

by Nobuhiro Watsuki

After a night of gambling, Kenshin and Sanosuke return with an unexpected prize - a woman. Beautiful and mysterious, Takani Megumi, the daughter of a famous family of physicians, has unwittingly been participating in the production of a super-powerful, super-profitable form of opium. Hot on her trail is shady industrialist Kanryu, and Sanosuke may not be her best protector after the death of one of his friends... (more)

Samurai Deeper Kyo, Book 3

by Akimine Kamijyo

*Anime Available on DVD *A consistent Bookscan top seller *Over 20,000 internet fansites are dedicated to Samurai Deeper Kyo Okuni Izumono discovers a rebel group's secret hideout and must depend on Kyooshiroo for protection. However, after he runs afoul of the local police, he and his companions are forced to leave town and set up camp in the woods. While Kyooshiroo and Okuni sleep, Yuya sneaks off to... (more)

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 7 (Rurouni Kenshin)

Rurouni Kenshin, Vol. 7 (Rurouni Kenshin)

by Nobuhiro Watsuki

He won an honourable mention prize in the Shonen Jump. "New Manga Hop Step Award" with the work Podomakku. Later, while he worked as an assistant, he presented works such as Sengoku No Mikazuki (Crescent Moon in the Warring States) and Rurouni-Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Meiji Swordsman Romance Story). The serialization of Rurouni Kenshin started in 1994 and concluded in 1999. His hobbies are to draw, read, play video... (more)

Shelfari Book Activity

Tags: samurai

by James Clavell

by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry

by Lian Hearn

by Musashi Miyamoto

by Lian Hearn

by Lian Hearn

by Takashi Matsuoka

by Tsunetomo Yamamoto

by James Clavell

by Thomas Hoobler, Dorothy Hoobler

The Last Tale of the Otori

by Lian Hearn

by Alan Gratz

by Chris Bradford

by Maya Snow

by Yuki N. Johnson, Akimine Kamijo?, Takako Maeda, Dan Danko

by Akimine Kamijyo

by Thomas Cleary, Miyamoto Musashi, Bradford J. Brown, Victor Harris, Musashi Miyamoto, William Scott Wilson, Munenori Yagyu

by Nobuhiro Watsuki

by Akimine Kamijyo

by Nobuhiro Watsuki