Welcome to Litsy!

A gentle, easy read about a librarian who helps people find their purpose in life by recommending unlikely books. Each character is distinct so it reads like a collection of short stories. A nice sense of place in suburban Tokyo & a reminder of the importance of community (& libraries). Satisfying to see the characters transform their lives. I didn‘t love it, perhaps because it felt a little contrived. A sweet, soothing read.

This book is a gentle reminder that sometimes the most profound answers lie in unexpected places. Each story in this collection centers around visitors to a humble library, each searching for something—purpose, direction, fresh start. The beauty is how librarian Ms.Sayuri gently guides them, knowing exactly the right book to unlock new chapters in their lives.
If you‘ve ever longed for a sign, THIS book is IT. It definitely was for me! 🥰

A book about a library, with a black cat on the cover, of course I had to get it, and I am enjoying the different character per chapter all connected by the same librarian.

“You may say that it was the book, but it‘s how you read a book that is most valuable, rather than any power it might have itself.”

Five wonderful cozy heart warming stories to cuddle up with at night in front of a fireplace. Just sayin.

For the rest of my review, visit my Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/FGvSbTdEDMA

Enjoy!

Just a sweet, life affirming book about five different people who find their way to a community library and find new ways to see themselves and others. It shows importance of making connections and approaching life with an open heart.

People from different walk of life struggle with disillusionment until they find the library and the special magic it contains. Each person‘s struggle follows the same story arc. A cozy, comfort read. It would have been 5 stars except I didn‘t appreciate the descriptions of the librarian.

#SchoolSpirit @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#Library

Cute little book that have 5 stories of people who are at a crossroads in their lives but don‘t know what they are looking for in their lives. Set in Japan and written by a talented Japanese author. A perfect book to cozy up to with a hot beverage this fall. 🍁☕️🍂 📖

Day 25 #SetInLibrary #AboutABook #BookStack

I adored this book! Set in Japan, there are 5 separate stories about 5 people of various ages who are searching for something, but they don‘t know what. They all eventually find themselves in the Community House library and encounter Ms. Kamacho, the formidable librarian who helps them with their book requests, with an extra seemingly unrelated book recommended to each of them, along with a little gift. Each of them finds a new path to take ⬇️

While in a Waterstone‘s (❤️❤️❤️) in England, knowing I had limited suitcase space to bring back books, I took photos of all the books I found interesting in hopes of finding them back home! This is just a small sample of the photos I took. Anyone else do that?

Now I have to add them to my tbr list.

Yesterday's #flatlayfriday
This is a Bookstagram staple that I'm loving.
Get your books out. Lie them down. Look at everyone else's.

Any absolutely charming and heartfelt book.

This book was so quietly relatable with so many life lessons brought to the fore... never give up on your dreams, you're never too old to learn/try something new, we are all linked together in some way even though that's not always apparent, etc. 5 people are highlighted, each with their own unique life & challenges. All are linked through the librarian, Ms. Komachi, who helps each find their way. Loved this! 5/5⭐️
(April 7, 2024)

I enjoyed this one.

5 people in the same community end up at the local library getting recommendations from the librarian. While they know they are dissatisfied with their lives, these book recommendations and accompanying bonus gifts help them to realise what they want and that they are already turning their lives around. Overall a good slow paced read.

#BookSpin

Such a charming booking, with a lovely peaceful cover! Of course all the answers are found at the library. 😄

#MarvellousMarch @Andrew65
#gottacatchemall @PuddleJumper (prompt 43, Sinistea: Tea cup on cover)

I'm usually on board for any book championing the value of libraries and community centres, which often offer free or reduced price services/classes, and can help people find enriching hobbies or a change in employment in myriad ways, in addition to offering books as resources. 1/?

Ugghhh....Shuji there's a feminist comic called The Mental Load that you really, REALLY need to read.

MOOD. 😌

Yeeeaaaahh... there's a high probability that the first thing I'm going to do at work tomorrow when my fingers hit the keys is mutter "Shoo-tatatatata" sote voce. ?

I am in absolute love with this book. It is filled with everything and nothing. There is not a lot of action and these are ordinary people discovering their own ordinary extraordinariness. The librarian is not oracular, she just has a heightened sense of intuition. All are remade, but by their own effort and will. This book will lift your heart, fill your heart, heal your heart. If you read only one book this year, make this book the one.5⭐️

Gentle, slice of life, short story collection with characters that are all connected not just through the library but by also just by living and working in the same community. I really liked getting a second glimpse of most of the characters, as we meet them after they did indeed find what (they didn‘t know) they were looking for at the library.

I loved this short story collection! Each story (there are 5) is interconnected by a librarian who matches books with what she thinks will inspire the person…this book taught me about the craft of felting. I had never heard of felting before!
It‘s just so much fun and there‘s a list of the books mentioned in the back. Translated by Alison Watts. #Japan

Five main characters, who have reached a crossroad in their lives, or kind of lost their way in life, met a mysterious librarian who has a capability of recommending the right book which helps them. I liked that all the characters are connected to the library, though unknown to each of them. This is a heartwarming book which matches the cute cover. It‘s uplifting, and celebrates the power of books/literature & human connection.

„You may say that it was the book, but it was how you read a book that is most valuable, rather than any power it might have itself.“

this book 😍

This was an easy book to start and finish on the plane today. It doesn‘t ask much of the reader just provides sweet little tales of discontented people who meet a librarian who recommends seemingly random books that end up altering their lives. I did wonder often how it made the #tob24 list as it is such a simple read. A light pick.

Ultimately, I was disappointed by the lack of cats in this book. There are cats only in the second chapter, which features a bookshop that sells coffee, books about cats, and has resident cats, which sounds absolutely delightful. But alas, no cats actually live at the library, and neither was the librarian a talking cat (hey this is Japanese lit, anything can happen - see, THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS). Still, a warm and cozy read.

Kind of twee story about five somewhat lost people who meet with a mysterious librarian who offers book suggestions that unexpectedly point their lives in new directions. I can see why many people found this gentle and heartwarming but for me it fell flat and has ultimately been forgettable. Not quite a pan as I‘m too attached to the idea of finding meaning and direction in books :)

Such a sweet read!

#12booksof2023

Happy New Year! 🌟🎉🤩🥂
Dogs are OUT. All current books completed! Ready for 2024

#tob2024 This book hit my heart in all the tender places, gently, respectfully, with urgent prodding to do more, be better, but yet in the right way; with myself in mind.

There were things I liked about this book — nice, quiet, loosely connected stories and that people went to the library for help. There were also some things I didn‘t care for — the librarian is portrayed as very unapproachable (which is NOT what you want in a reference librarian) and a couple of the stories were a little boring. Overall, though, I liked it. Continued with DCI Barnaby on my #audiowalk

Low pick, a little sentimental for my taste but I‘m not mad I read it. Like others have mentioned it doesn‘t seem like a #tob24 pick

On a road trip, posting this to get it on my Litsy banner of current reads, but I will now go read hardcover of Ward‘s Let Us Descend, which is due tomorrow, which means that it will be returned late to the library, and so I offer an apology to the next person in line and yes, I should be ashamed of myself.

#tob2024

Featured in #MMDBookClub 2023 Fall Book Preview

• fiction • literary • emotional • hopeful • lighthearted • japan • magical realism • translated works • books about books/libraries • 4 Stars

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library tells the stories of five different library patrons who are looking for something in their lives, such as purpose, meaning, or connection. ⬇️

This was sweet. Five short stories in of characters ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s, and each feeling they were not ‘enough‘ in their respective lives until each found themselves challenged by a knowing librarian. It really does have the feel of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series.

Sweet and contemplative with really beautiful writing to make you stop and think.

I realized I forgot to post a pic here of our new faux built-ins! My husband installed these over the course of a few months. Hopefully you can see the Christmas decorations we‘ve added for the season. ☺️

I love books with a touch of magical realism and a bit of circling. Shhh don‘t wake Heidi.

Good idea: Suspending all my holds before leaving for vacation 😎
Bad idea: Setting the resume date for one day before we get back and having a flood come in all at once. Three more came in the day after I picked these four up 😮

I really liked the idea of this (a librarian pairing the perfect book with each reader? Awesome!), but I found it too twee. I felt overly spoon-fed by the moral of section of the story. I am, however curious to see the commentary on this one in the #tob24.

This has been a different read for me compared to all the others. From the beginning there was a different tone and pace – something more tranquil, a bit on the quieter side but just as important and it's these types of works that make me pause and rethink a few things and I enjoy that.

I'm curious by this author and I can't wait for what else they write!

This novel felt like being wrapped in a cozy blanket. The chapters are loosely related, each centering around a different library patron who seeks book recommendations from the mysterious and intuitive librarian at the local branch. As someone who loves books, I loved how this novel emphasized the life changing power of the right book at the right time 🥰🥰

Sweet, feel-good read about finding fulfillment, purpose and joy. About the magic of the right book at the right time. I enjoyed it, but agree with others, I‘ll be a little surprised if this makes the tournament. #ToB24

This is a charming read that explores the meaning of life from various points of view. I really enjoyed getting wrapped up in each character's life.

Although I liked this one, I am surprised it made it on the #tob24 long list.

@BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @Suet624 @BkClubCare @Jas16 @cariashley @MicheleinPhilly @Larkken @merelybookish @batsy @Readerann @Hooked_on_books

“Michiko Aoyama‘s “What You are Looking For Is in the Library” centers on a local library where five Tokyoites are gently guided through personal issues by a kindly librarian”.

This book sounds like a celebration of libraries, the power of books..light hearted and heartwarming, just the kind of book I need now. But it‘s ‘several months‘ waiting time! 😂🤣

You may know I mostly love Japanese fiction and I had heard good things about this one AND it‘s on the #ToB24 longlist… and yet I didn‘t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. This book, about a librarian helping people taking a next step in their lives, was just a bit too sweet for me. It reminded me of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, which also didn‘t do much for me 🤷🏻‍♀️

I generally don‘t associate cute, lighthearted books with the #tob, but that‘s what this is. It‘s what I‘ve come to expect from this type of interlinked Japanese story collection: a shaman-like character who leads people to find greater truths and satisfaction in their lives. These characters‘ lives intersect in interesting ways, and the book is satisfying in the sense you feel better for having read it. 👍🏻👍🏻 #Tob24

#WeeklyForecast 47/23

I am reading the new Cunningham and it‘s good and quite original. Next will be the tagged one, longlisted for the #ToB24. I want to read a book from that list each week until the shortlist is announced.
My third one is a #blameitonlitsy book that‘s been sitting on my shelves for years but happens to fit one of the remaining prompts of my 2023 reading challenges.

Such great illustration in the American version of this #toblonglist choice! I already had it out from the library, so it‘s on tap today. 👍🏻📚