What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama || Book Review

Although I have been out of social media for almost a year, What You Are Looking For is in the Library hasn't escaped my notice. Its popularity started growing right before I uninstalled the apps and seems to have only grown since then. It has been prominently displayed in the bookstore I frequent for the last few months when most books get that chance only for a few weeks.

I am sceptical about hyped books like What You Are Looking For is in the Library because I have been disappointed by many of them. But one can ignore a book for only so long when it catches the eye on every bookstore trip.

about What You Are Looking For is in the Library

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

my review

What You Are Looking For is in the Library (translated to English by Alison Watts) is a book that I had been skirting around for a long time. I knew that it was widely loved and highly recommended by many but I still did not buy it. One reason was that, as I said earlier, hyped books have often disappointed me. Another reason was the book's price.

Yes, I know—capitalism, inflation, etc. etc. but it's astonishing how the average price of books has increased so much. This book is 250 pages and costs ₹560! The current average price of books that I buy is ₹350. I would pick this book up, see the price, and put it back down. I am not rich enough to easily spend that much money on a small book just yet, no matter how promising it looks.

In June, my friend unhauled a bunch of books which gave her a ton of bookstore credit. As she was trying to reduce the number of books she owned, she asked me if I wanted anything. I asked for either Days at the Morisaki Bookshop or What You Are Looking For is in the Library and she got me both <3 If it wasn't for her, who knows when I would have read this book?

That got me thinking: what do people think about me based on my job? What does it say about my personality or qualities?

Right from the first page, this book made me think beyond the story. I had so much to annotate about the second paragraph alone. I tabbed it and moved on but it happened again and again. Within just a few pages, the book made me want to pen down so many thoughts that I brought out my journal.

I easily filled 3 pages with my thoughts on only the first 5 tabbed parts. I knew then that this book would move me like no other. Never before had I "annotated" in my journal and never had I written so much after reading only 22 pages of a book.

The next day, before continuing with the story, I transferred my thoughts onto big sticky notes and put them in the book. After that, I wrote all my thoughts on sticky notes till the end. Which happened often. There are at least 50 sticky notes in my copy. That's an average of 1 note for every 5 pages.

That's how much the book moved me. I couldn't help but take my time with the story and write down streams of thoughts.

Life is one revelation after another. Things don't always go to plan, no matter what your circumstances. But the flip side is all the unexpected, wonderful things that you could never have imagined happening.

The novel is split into 5 short stories. Usually, I hate short stories because they usually only touch on topics instead of delving into them. That wasn't the case here.

Each story follows a person who is not happy with their life due to some reason. Maybe it is because they're lost, not motivated, disappointed by the world (or in themselves), or something else. Their feelings are easy to relate to because we all feel like that sometimes.

We see a variety of main characters as well. Each of them is in a different stage of life—a new graduate working in a job they don't like, a new mom, just retired, etc. I really liked the variety because anyone who reads the book will find at least one character close to their stage in life. The stories also represent how each stage brings different struggles with it.

Each character slowly takes action to make their lives better with the help of a good book recommendation. They all visit the library at the local community centre and go to the librarian Ms. Komachi. She has the uncanny ability to understand what they're seeking and gives an unusual book recommendation that turns out to be the exact thing that they need.

You managed to find employment, you go to work every day, and you can feed yourself. That's a fine achievement.

Nowadays, we're surrounded by messages that we should make the most of every minute and become the "best version" of ourselves. Social media takes it to another level by making us constantly feel that we're not doing enough or we're not worthy enough.

There are tons of videos and articles advising us on how to find our passion, make it our career, and find another passion to turn into a side hustle. There's no dearth of tips on managing time so that we can do several things every day which will "change our lives." Although I enjoy some things like Show Your Work!, I don't enjoy such messages being shoved in my face all the time.

This book is a soothing balm in today's fast-paced and over-productive world. It says comforting things that make us feel content with how we are and what we have. By making the characters in the stories—who are sad, disappointed, lost, or stressed—feel better, it makes us feel better too.

The book also gives us advice that we can easily follow to make our lives better. We chase after big changes so much that we forget that even minor changes can lead to big changes. These stories remind us of it. It shows the effectiveness of small and easy changes.

I absolutely loved the messages that were conveyed through the characters' lives. It's all about living an intentional life. It's about taking care of ourselves, taking action even if it doesn't look great instead of doing nothing, and appreciating our loved ones.

Just get on with the task in front of you and people will see what you can do.

The setting of the book is so good. We're in Tokyo, a big city, but it feels like we're in a small town because we follow characters who live in the same district. They all have the same local Community House and their paths cross at times.

I really liked how the importance of a Community House is shown in this book. The House is a place for everyone. There are regular classes on things like computer skills and playing Go, there is a play area for kids, job postings are put up on a board, and there is a comforting library. Through the place, people meet and are able to help each other. It fosters a true sense of community in the district.

By the last short story, I started wishing for such a place in my area so badly. The value that such a place brings to a community is invaluable and it's sad that not all places have it.

Characters sometimes appear in short cameos in each other's stories which was so nice. I loved getting a glimpse of how well a previous main character is doing now through another character's eyes. We're not given a full conclusion on any of them so these cameos sometimes serve as epilogues.

The writing is perfect. It's fast-paced enough for us to stay with each character for a few weeks but slow enough to delve into their emotions at times. Reading the book is like listening to an elder sister—someone wise and compassionate.

The messages are shown and told in each story. I liked that as well. Sometimes, I took away different messages while looking at the character's life so reading the exact message that the author wanted to convey at the end was good. It gave me multiple things to take away from the book.

As Sulagna said in their review, this book is better than actual self-help books.

overall

I absolutely loved the book and will be keeping it on my shelf for at least a while. I don't want to part with it just yet. It will be a great comfort read in stressful times. I already feel like rereading one of the stories because it was so nice.

I highly recommend What You Are Looking For is in the Library to everyone. It's not a beach read or something that you will finish quickly. You will want to take your time with it and savour the reading experience as well as the messages. It's perfect to read after a long day because it will make you feel good.

chat with me!

Have you read What You Are Looking for is in the Library? What did you think of it? If you haven't read it, have I convinced you to give it a chance?

What's a book that was super comforting to read and had good insights to share? Tell me in the comments!