Bookshelf: Pleasure Seekers and Secret Keepers

Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries by Tim Anderson
Now in paperback and Kindle editions, this hilariously true story follows what happened when a tall white gay Southerner (“a feckless pothead approaching the ripe old age of 30”) who didn’t speak a lick of Japanese decided on a whim to leave three part-time jobs and one boyfriend (“the reverse of which being preferable”) to go teach English in Tokyo. Tim Anderson’s delightful memoir is a must for anyone who dreams of a more exotic life outside their city — or cubicle — walls. Best of all, Anderson’s irreverent and fascinating tales go way beyond the usual fish-out-of-water tropes, whether it’s him playing drums in an otherwise all-Japanese noise band or trying to fully grasp Harajuku fashion. (AmazonEncore, $7) — Diane Anderson-Minshall