As someone who's only ever eaten one kind of butter her entire life, I was very intrigued by the various brands of butter and their differences in taste as noted in the book. Never thought there were butter fanatics around. Now I want to try Echiré butter.

Even though it has inklings of a thriller, Butter by Asako Yuzuki is very much written as a character study at the end of the day. Inspired by a real serial killer in Japan, the book follows a journalist as she desperately tries her everything to secure an interview with the elusive killer Kaiji who honey trapped and 'killed' three men (rumoured to have killed more), even going as far as to copy everything Kaiji has done or recommended to do. She finally lands her chance to talk to the killer because of their (now) shared fascination of food and most importantly, butter.

Kaiji is a source of interest for many, not because of her victims, but because she does not adhere to the Japanese beauty standards for women, and that makes people wonder just how she was able to seduce men and make them do her bidding.

Through their meetings and conversations, the journalist undergoes a journey of her own introspection and discovery - now looking at the world with the new light and thinking about the oppressive restrictions and expectations placed on women that don't allow them to express themselves freely and put their own interests first, always making them cater to other people instead. If you like the way you look and live even if it doesn't align with the society's standards, you automatically become an anomaly that other people are repulsed by.

Interspersed with heavenly food descriptions, Butter serves you with a dash of feminism and a side dish of mindfulness - Women should live for themselves, first and foremost.