After the gut-wrenching of There There, I needed something light.  Mieko Kawakami's Ms. Ice Sandwich, at a quick 92 pages, is a pleasant and insightful look at the passage from childhood into something closer to adolescence.  Told as a quiet awakening of self-awareness, as gentle as a clock ticking or the magical turning of seasons.  I bought it for the title alone and was much surprised.  (Translated by Louise Heal Kawai).