What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyami - 4 stars

[Joy D]

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - 4* - My Review

Collection of five stories set in Tokyo, linked together by visits to Mrs. Komachi, a librarian, who recommends books to the protagonists. The main characters find themselves in unhappy situations. Each would like life to go in a different direction but are unsure of how to make a change. Themes include the need for interpersonal connections, friendship, community, and personal growth. It emphasizes the power of books to inspire a positive change. I loved the sense of optimism that pervades these stories, without becoming overly saccharine. If you are looking for an uplifting read between heavier topics, this is a good one.

[Sue]

Great review - I've got this one on my TBR and glad to see you liked it.

[Joy D]

Thanks, Sue! It's really a good one to get energized to make a change or just to read something more optimistic.

[NancyJ]

This sounds perfect for the New Year! I love books about optimism that aren't empty or saccharine! (Think Seligman, not Peale.) Ever since we started talking about reading something about habits, I've been thinking of courses I took in positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry. (This was long before AI made me think of Autoimmune or artificial intelligence.) A project in David Cooperrider's class was especially impactful. I'm starting to think about what I might do with my next act of life. (Of course it's an exercise in imagination and optimism, to think I will actually have a next act different from my present.) Lately my goal has been to remember a different version of myself, and think like her. I like it. Moving like her is the next step.

Added
It’s now in my audible library.

[Joy D]

Hope you enjoy it, Nancy! I have noticed an uptick in more positive and optimistic books recently, just in reading different descriptions. Perhaps it is a sign of the times, needing to think more positively in the midst of so many disturbing events in our world.