What you are looking for is in the Library

[Melindam]

One of our September 2024 Book of the Month is What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama



For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this charming Japanese novel shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a reader's life.

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

[Melindam]

Thank you to our member, Denise, who checked and confirmed that this book is currently included on KU in the US. 😊

[Denise]

I finished the first character's story and I'm really enjoying it. The book is reminiscent of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold books. I am not a fan a heavy handed magical realism, but I enjoy the slight elements of it in these books (if Cats Disappeared From the World is another).

I've started the second characters story. Looking forward to others' opinions

[Denise]

I finished this book and really liked it. It definitely was thought provoking

[Panda]

This is a great book!

I love how there's a central character that links together all of the short stories, even though the stories themselves are separate. That's a really nice touch.

If anyone isn't sure about picking up the book, it's on the shorter side and is really well written. It isn't a heavy book, and I thought that it was actually uplifting and enjoyable. A nice choice.

For those of you who chose or choose the audiobook, I did have a laugh at the one narrator who was horrible at trying to perform a woman's voice. I thought that the decision of how they did the narration was curious, especially with such a sus performance, but overall the narration was good.

[Melindam]

Thank you Denise & Panda gor sharing your thoughts. :)

[Denise]

Panda wrote: "This is a great book!

I love how there's a central character that links together all of the short stories, even though the stories themselves are separate. That's a really nice touch.

If anyone i..."

Keep reading, the characters in the separate stories will be linked in small ways

[Rachel]

This was just the read I needed. It was cute and heartwarming, and I appreciated how it was a collection of short stories that stayed within the same setting and even stuck with some of the same characters. I loved how each character was dealing with their problems or had questions about how they wanted to move on in life, but a small gesture made a difference. I'm so happy that I read this.

[Melindam]

♡

[Melindam]

Finding a new book you come to love is so rewarding. :)