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What You Are Looking for is in the Library

The uplifting, Japanese fiction multi-million copy bestseller

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What You Are Looking for is in the Library

By: Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts - translator
Narrated by: Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson, Winson Ting, Shiro Kawai, Susan Momoko Hingley
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Brought to you by Penguin.

The heartwarming Japanese bestseller for fans of Matt Haig, Fredrik Backman and THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS

'Library. What a nice-sounding word. So comforting. I feel like I'm a student again. Library ... Am I allowed to borrow books?'

'What are you looking for?' asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. She is no ordinary librarian. Naturally, she has read every book on her shelf, but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of anyone who walks through her door. Sensing exactly what they're looking for in life, she provides just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Every borrower in her library is at a different crossroads, from the restless retail assistant - can she ever get out of a dead-end job? - to the juggling new mother who dreams of becoming a magazine editor, and the meticulous accountant who yearns to own an antique store. The surprise book Komachi lends to each will have transformative consequences.

Magical and uplifting, What You Are Looking for is in the Library is about the wondrousness of libraries and the power of books for change. Highlighting all the tiny comforts of being alive, it is a story that no reader will ever forget.

©2023 Michiko Aoyama (P)2023 Penguin Audio

 Anthologies & Short Stories Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magic Magical Realism Short Stories World Literature Feel-Good Heartfelt Inspiring Cats
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Critic reviews

I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ... A joy from start to finish, this book makes you feel anything is possible (Wendy Holden)
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
An endearing novel and a tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries
Captivating!
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?
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
It's been a rotten year, so spark joy with this!
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
All stars
Most relevant
This is a great story but the actors’ accents got progressively worse until almost every word was mispronounced - eventually I couldn’t listen anymore. I might get the book because the translation is well written but the actors really don’t speak English

Great concept but the accents were so broken I gave up

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I went for this one as Hanako Footman was listed as one of the narrators. As it turned out, this was not necessarily the best choice. Footman does narrate the first story, but not all of the stories. That’s not particularly a problem. The main issue was that having just listened to “Mongrel”, I was now associating Footman’s voice with the characters in that book (for some reason, I didn’t have the same issue when listening to “Mongrel” after “Four Seasons in Japan”). By the time my brain had made the adjustment, the book was onto another part and another narrator. This book is essentially a collection of five separate stories – albeit with links between them. Each story has its own moral or life lesson. For example, the second story is about the importance of trust. I really loved the third story with its views on books and life. The fourth one took a while to get used to – the narration style is a bit like an AI reader at times with short, choppy sentences, but I realised that this was deliberate to make it like manga, and it ends up being effective and endearing once you get used to it. This is one of those collection of stories that I could imagine those not used to Japanese literature not clicking with, but I really enjoyed it, but I think next time I will read the paperback/eBook or perhaps the Japanese original.

Enjoyable collection of stories

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A collection of intertwining stories involving a local library. I guess if you're bored or down on your luck or looking for inspiration. Your library is the place to go!

Gentle read

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The story was very good and positive. I loved it. The narration at the
beginning was excellent but the last couple of narrators were very 'unusual'. Over all though I would reccomend this book for its uplifting stories.

Very pleasant story

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The world seems so horrible these days. This book teaches you to find joy even so.

Needed nowadays

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