“You may say that it was the book, but it’s how you read a book that is most valuable, rather than any power it might have itself.”

What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts!) was a truly lovely book that comforted me and felt like a hug. It shares glimpses into the lives of five different characters, each with their own chapter, as they reach points in their lives where they would like to make a change. Not quite road blocks, but maybe forks. As each character struggles to decide what the next step is, they end up in the same library, asking for help from the same wonderful librarian, and responding to the same question, “What are you looking for?” The characters feel compelled to be honest about the question outside of their general bookish searches, and as they divulge personal details, the librarian prints them each a list of related and seemingly unrelated titles, and sends them off with a handmade felt “bonus gift.” 

It was so beautiful to get to see these characters that are so different from each other and at such different places in their lives and careers all struggle with the same problems and find a way to overcome them. The small details sprinkled throughout that showed connections between the characters also made my heart SWELL! If only we always knew what acquaintances and passersby were going through so we could all help each other go through it together. Also, of course, I would give anything to get some potentially inadvertent advice from librarian Sayuri Komachi!!! I need a felted bonus gift and a book I think I don’t want but I do *need*!!