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

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

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

Lo profundo y sencillo de las historias

Me encantó cada capítulo inmensamente. Con todo me identifique disfrute. Un entretejido emocional entre historias

Ein Buch voller Lebensweisheiten und Wärme

“Was du suchst, ist in der Bibliothek” ist ein stilles, poetisches Buch voller Lebensweisheit und Wärme. Michiko Aoyama erzählt in kurzen, miteinander verwobenen Episoden von Menschen, die auf der Suche nach Orientierung, Trost oder Veränderung sind – und diese überraschenderweise in einer Bibliothek finden. Besonders berührend ist die Figur der Bibliothekarin, die mit scheinbar einfachen Buchempfehlungen tiefgreifende Entwicklungen anstößt.

Das Buch erinnert daran, dass manchmal ein einziges Buch oder ein ehrlicher Satz unser Denken verändern kann. Die Geschichten wirken lange nach – ruhig, aber eindringlich – und laden dazu ein, auch im eigenen Leben innezuhalten und neu hinzuschauen.

Ein wunderbares, herzerwärmendes Leseerlebnis für alle, die an die stille Kraft von Büchern glauben.

Enjoyable characters

Some of the voices were a bit weird and over the top 🤣 but the book was excellent. A lot of tied together short stories with great characters. The writing brought sparkle to the mundane aspects of life.

Beautiful zen story

Beautiful short stories with a lot of meaning. Read very well. Different characters and narrators and voices.

The first story was my favourite

The last rwo narrators were kund of annoying 🫠 The last one kind of almost made me not want to finish