Read More: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

As I read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, I thought about who would find it interesting. It seems like it might have kind of a narrow niche: Haruki Murakami fans who also enjoy running. I mean how many of us are there? Is this a book with broader appeal? I'm not sure. But I thought it was pretty interesting.

It's written in his usual simple, direct style. We accompany him as he prepares for the New York City Marathon, training in Hawaii and then Boston, and we read his reflections on the big role that running has played in his life. For him, it seems that disciplining his body in order to run these long distances has paralleled the discipline he has needed to remain such a prolific writer over the years. Is this an exciting book? No. He is pretty frank about the fact that much of the content would probably be left on the cutting room floor if his life were a movie. But it is fun to read his musings and to realize that a famous author, someone who can create such fantastic imaginary worlds, does something that you do, feels just like you do while doing it, etc. It's nice to feel a connection with someone you respect so much.

He also points out that we have all kind of come to take for granted that great writers must lead unhealthy, morally dissolute lives--that self-destruction is part of the creative process. It does seem like great author 101. If you want to write a work of art, you'd better get tuberculosis, become addicted to absinthe, court tragedy, that kind of thing. I guess a lot of that is just pure romance, though. Writing a novel does take incredible discipline. It would be interesting to see how many great writers lead boring, healthy lives.

-Kristin