What You Are Looking For Is in the Library: A Novel

by Michiko Aoyama

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A love letter to libraries and librarians, What You Are Looking for Is in the Library follows five individuals who find themselves motivated to make necessary changes in their life by the literary recommendations of an enigmatic librarian. Warm and thoughtful, this is comfort fiction at its finest.

A TIME BESTBOOK OF THE YEAR

A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF 2023

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a charming, internationally bestselling Japanese novel about how the perfect book recommendation can change a readers’ life.

What are you looking for? So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it.

A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills, a mother tries to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, a conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store, a recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose.

In Komachi’s unique book recommendations they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection. This inspirational tale shows how, by listening to our hearts, seizing opportunity and reaching out, we too can fulfill our lifelong dreams. Which book will you recommend?

“An undeniable page-turner.” —New York Times Book Review

"A charming novel about the magic of reading." —Washington Post

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335147158
Publisher:	Hanover Square Press
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Edition description:	First Time Trade
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Michiko Aoyama was born in 1970 in Aichi prefecture. After graduating from university, she worked for two years as a reporter for a Japanese newspaper in Sydney, then as a magazine editor at a publishing house before turning to full time writing. Her work has won the 1st Miyazakimoto Prize, the 13th Tenryu Literary Prize, and has been a runner up of the 2021 Japan Booksellers Awards. This is her English-language debut. She currently lives in Yokohama.

Editorial Reviews

There’s more to Aoyama’s novel than kindness. There is a subtle, provocative thread about misremembering; a pageant of interesting jobs; and a suite of mature, cooperative relationship. [T]he novel is an undeniable page-turner, its mechanism energized by a simple question, posed again and again by the uncanny librarian, Mrs. Komachi.”—Robin Sloan, New York Times Book Review

"A charming novel about the magic of reading." —The Washington Post

"It’s a tranquil and introspective book and one that’ll stick with you for a long time."—BookRiot

"A refreshing and hopeful look at the power of books and the durability of dreams." —Time

“A delightful, gentle unfolding of stories that offer hope and joy to those who find themselves in a pivotal moment in life.”—Kirkus

“A comforting read filled with serendipity and simple wisdom, this is a celebration of community, connection, and the transformative power of libraries.”—Booklist

From the Publisher

This poignant audiobook features five deceptively simple parables about how libraries inspire the pursuit of one's passions. Each of the interconnected stories is narrated by a single narrator who portrays a member of Japanese society whose current existence is unfulfilling and unsuccessful. The international narrators bring a blend of accents that highlight the vast differences between the characters portrayed, including socioeconomic aspects not limited to Japanese culture. These include the plight of 65-year-old retiree Masago, thoughtfully narrated by Shiro Kawai, and 40-year-old former magazine editor Natsumi's dilemmas as a working mother. Each narrator brings a fresh viewpoint and portrayal of Sayuri Komachi, the larger-than-life librarian who appears in every story. She gives each protagonist the perfect book to encourage them to follow their aspirations. M.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2023 - AudioFile

2023-07-13
A series of interlocking vignettes follow Tokyo residents who find themselves at the local library.

The Hatori Community House is located adjacent to an elementary school. It houses meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a library. Small but well stocked and boasting a full-time reference librarian, it is this room—and the librarian, Sayuri Komachi—around which each of the stories rotates. All of the library’s patrons are floundering, and a few words and a book recommendation from Ms. Komachi, as well as a little “bonus gift,” set them on the path to seeing more clearly what it is that they hold valuable. (Think a fictional Marie Kondo who doesn't recommend paring down a life cluttered with fears but rather helps a person discover their own way forward.) There is Tomoka, 21, who left her small country town for junior college in Tokyo and now works in the womenswear department of a local general store, feeling unfulfilled and adrift. Ryo, 35, works in the accounts department of a furniture manufacturer but has long dreamed of opening an antiques shop while being terrified of the uncertainty of such a venture. Hiroya, 30, unemployed and living with her mother, trained as an illustrator but has too much anxiety to find and keep a permanent job. Natsumi, 40, a former magazine editor, feels sidelined after returning early from maternity leave after having found herself unexpectedly pregnant at 37. And Masao, 65 and newly retired, finds himself adrift after 42 years of focusing solely on his work to the detriment of hobbies, social connections, and his relationships with his wife and child. Each character is wrought with care, as are their blossoming realizations about how their futures can develop despite their worries.

A delightful, gentle unfolding of stories that offer hope and joy to those who find themselves in a pivotal moment in life.

Kirkus Reviews