What You Are Looking for is in the Library
The uplifting Japanese fiction bestseller
Published on 20. June 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-80499-413-9 (ISBN)
Description
THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER
The Top Ten Times bestseller
A Time Magazine Book of the Year
'An undeniable page-turner' New York Times
Shortlisted for the Japan Booksellers' Award
'I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ' Daily Mail
'It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted' 5***** Reader review
'A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries' Irish Times
An inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book.
_________________
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?
_________________
For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life.
'I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book' 5***** Reader review
'A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone' Mail on Sunday
'Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life' 5***** Reader review
Times bestseller, August 2023
_________________
NOW GET YOUR COPY OF AOYAMA'S LATEST NOVEL TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH: HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY
The Top Ten Times bestseller
A Time Magazine Book of the Year
'An undeniable page-turner' New York Times
Shortlisted for the Japan Booksellers' Award
'I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ' Daily Mail
'It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted' 5***** Reader review
'A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries' Irish Times
An inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book.
_________________
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?
_________________
For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life.
'I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book' 5***** Reader review
'A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone' Mail on Sunday
'Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life' 5***** Reader review
Times bestseller, August 2023
_________________
NOW GET YOUR COPY OF AOYAMA'S LATEST NOVEL TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH: HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY
Reviews / Votes
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 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
200 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80499-413-9 (9781804994139)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 09/2026
Doubleday
€21.50
Not yet published
Michiko Aoyama
What You Are Looking for is in the Library
The uplifting, Japanese fiction multi-million copy bestseller
E-Book
08/2023
Transworld Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
Michiko Aoyama is the author of the multi-million-copy bestselling What You Are Looking For is in the Library, translated by Alison Watts, which was a Time Book of the Year, a Times bestseller and a New York Times Book of the Month. Matcha on Monday is a companion read to the author's debut, Hot Chocolate on Thursday. Both are set in and around the fictitious Marble Cafe, a tiny community cafe in Tokyo.
Another book available in English by Aoyama and translated by Takami Nieda is the international bestseller The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park.
Aoyama lives in Yokohama, Japan.
Another book available in English by Aoyama and translated by Takami Nieda is the international bestseller The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park.
Aoyama lives in Yokohama, Japan.