Scan barcode
littlelizzieborden's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
This would have been a 4 but there is fatphobia in each chapter and with the exception of the last character the narrator choices were terrible. The first 3 had british accents so it doesn't feel like the book takes place in Japan. The 4th narrator was just obnoxious, but the last was perfect!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
mercurial's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
readyuhbook's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
arturo_luzen's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Toxic friendship
mylittlehappynook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
anjalisb's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The fatphobia in the book really ruined the stories for me. Fatphobia is just unnecessary and unpleasant. The fatphobia also gets more graphic and nasty with each characters story. I also found this book to be really repetitive - it is the same storyline a number of times over with characters "finding" a positive spin on their lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
hyperashley's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Misogyny
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was just fine. It didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it. Because of the title, I was expecting to spend much more time in the library than we actually did (I was expecting this to be a more optimistic/less bittersweet version of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, one of my favorite books of all time). As the book went on, I found the writing style increasingly more endearing. Each of the short stories focuses on a different main character (I was happy that they were somewhat interconnected) facing a relatable existential problem, each of which I connected to on a personal level, even if their situations were not identical to mine. The overall message seems to be that you don't have to wait for some distant, vague goal to be achieved in order to be happy, you find happiness in the present. I really liked the exploration of this message. Although I liked each of the short stories and found them relatable, I wasn't too invested in any them, thus this hit more towards the middle of the road for me. Another big downside to this book is the amount of fatphobia directed towards the librarian; it was frankly something I found quite irritating as it appeared in every single story (I am aware that Asian beauty standards aren't the most inclusive, but that is not an excuse). I also didn't like in the first story that all of a sudden the main character realized the reason she wanted to improve her cooking was to make a MAN happy. I really liked that she was doing it for herself, but then that line had to be thrown in there to ruin it for me. Overall, I liked the message about seeking present happiness, but disliked my lack of investment and certain details of the stories. I rated it 3.25 instead of 3 stars because I found each character's situation so relatable and I like how they were explored and (for the most part) addressed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
joymargot's review
5.0
Japanese-book-with-a-cat-on-the-cover is pretty much my favourite genre so this was always going to be a win from me!
It’s a cosy, wholesome and comforting tale about work, belonging and personal growth. It features five loosely-intertwined short stories, centred around a librarian in a small community centre library.
It’s a cosy, wholesome and comforting tale about work, belonging and personal growth. It features five loosely-intertwined short stories, centred around a librarian in a small community centre library.
My only issue was the incessant and unnecessary fatphobic descriptions of the librarian.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia