What You Are Looking for is in the Library

The uplifting, Japanese fiction multi-million copy bestseller

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About this listen

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

Michiko AoyamaAlison Watts - translatorHanako FootmanKenichiro ThomsonWinson TingShiro KawaiSusan Momoko HingleyTransworld Digital

Anthologies & Short Stories

Fiction

Genre Fiction

Literary Fiction

Magic

Magical Realism

Short Stories

World Literature

Fantasy

Feel-Good

Heartfelt

Inspiring

Cats

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

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

Most relevant

Absolutely delightful set of stories. I was left smiling at the end of each one thinking the next couldn't possibly be as good but I was proven worng every time. I fell in love with all characters. There was something to resonate with me in every story.