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?
“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
“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 Sloane, New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Born in 1970 in Aichi Prefecture and currently living in Yokohama, Michiko Aoyama worked for two years as a reporter for a Japanese newspaper in Sydney after graduating from university. After her return to Tokyo, she started to work as a magazine editor at a publishing house before turning to full-time writing. Her work has won the first Miyazaki Book Award, the thirteenth Tenryu Literary Prize, and has been a runner-up for the 2021 Japan Booksellers' Award. Her other works include Kamakura Uzumaki lnformation Centre, Old God at the Bus Stop, Matcha Cafe on Monday, and Red, Blue, and Esquisse.
Susan Momoko Hingley has a Japanese mother and British father. Born in Tokyo and raised in Munich, she is trilingual and speaks native-level English, Japanese, and German. After graduating from a law degree at the University of Warwick, she trained at East 15 Acting School in London and École Philipe Gaulier in Paris. She has worked with companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe, New National Theatre Tokyo, the BBC, and HBO.
