Description

The NEXT read for lovers of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good story shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life.

DISCOVER THE TWO-MILLION-COPY UPLIFTING WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT
Translated into over 30 languages
A Top Ten Times bestseller
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What are you looking for?

So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi.

But she is no ordinary librarian.

Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.

We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads:

– The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills
– The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave
– The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store
– The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation
– The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose

Can she help them find what they are looking for? Which book will you recommend?
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‘I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ‘ Daily Mail
‘A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone’ Mail on Sunday
‘A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries’ Irish Times
‘An undeniable page-turner’ New York Times

READERS ADORE THIS BOOK:
‘I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book’ 5***** Reader review
‘It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted’ 5***** Reader review
‘Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life’ 5***** Reader review

BOOKSELLERS ADORE THIS BOOK:
‘Perfect for anyone who’s obsessed with Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Definitely a must-read’ *****
‘I can wholeheartedly recommend this!’ *****

Times bestseller, August 2023

Publisher Review

I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel … A joy from start to finish, this book makes you feel anything is possible — Wendy Holden * Daily Mail * There’s a wistful, warm-hearted appeal to Aoyama’s paean to the power of books … [it’s] a quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone * Mail on Sunday * An endearing novel and a tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries * Irish Times * Captivating! * Sunday Post * The novel is an undeniable page-turner, its mechanism energized by a simple question, posed again and again by the uncanny librarian, Mrs. Komachi. The question brings Michiko Aoyama’s characters often to the brink of tears; and not only her characters, but this reader, too. It is the great question of the library, and of the bookstore, and maybe of life: What are you looking for? * New York Times * If what you are searching for is a believable take on contemporary life in Tokyo, seasoned with a dash of whimsy, you’ll find your perfect match in this heartwarming novel * Japan Times * It’s been a rotten year, so spark joy with this! * DAILY MAIL * There’s a special kind of magic in recommending books to other people and Michiko Aoyama captures that perfectly here. Full of charm; a genuine comfort read * CULTURE FLY *