Reviews with content warning for Sexism - What You Are Looking For is in the Library

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

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

21 reviews

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.

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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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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.

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geekmom's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

This was sweet and charming and a gift to avid readers or users of libraries. I also appreciated how very Japanese this book was while at the same time speaking to universal experiences and offering or overt social commentary about things like the nature of work and the perceived value of people who have different roles in society.

I would have given a higher rating if the descriptions of the librarian weren’t so fatphobic - they made her sound grotesque and I didn’t really get it.

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fkshg8465's review against another edition

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emotional informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book is another wonderful example of Japanese culture and its people. I am unable to describe it myself, even after having lived there for several years, but this book shows a delightful piece of their general outlook and what makes them special. Makes me miss Japan.

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jayisreading's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

2.75

For fans of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold and its sequels, you’re going to find great joy in reading What You Are Looking for Is in the Library. As opposed to a café, though, Aoyama transports the reader into the lives of five characters at different life stages who are loosely connected to one another. These protagonists all encounter a mysterious librarian who recommends offbeat books that end up being profoundly impactful in their respective lives. Ultimately, these stories are filled with compassion and optimism, especially to encourage these characters to pursue their passions and find inspiration in unexpected places.

I found the novel to be a bit twee and reductive at times, but more than that, I thought it was incredibly repetitive. I was rather bored by the novel by the time it reached the fourth story. I felt that something was missing from this novel to make it more engaging (though I couldn’t tell you what that might be). A bit of a disappointing read, overall, but I didn’t hate it either.

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ms_read's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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noelia28's review

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inspiring lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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strrygo's review

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hopeful 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

3.75

sweetheart book, just so kind

another addition to the lovely parallel lines(but they meet) story collection

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rawsfaze's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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craftysnailtail's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

A light and reflective read that I found quite enjoyable. It leaves you with a sense of hope about everyday life. I especially appreciate how each story wasn't wrapped up absolutely perfectly at the end. There was enough there to suggest each character was on a new and more fulfilling path, but it wasn't like the author wanted everything to end exactly as predicted with no loose ends. The point is that there is space for growth at the end of each story, and I found this refreshing. Each character was unique and I felt connected to them all in different ways. Overall, a relatively quick and relaxing read. The perfect book for a time when it's tricky to follow a longer novel and you're in a headspace that can't handle anything other than lighthearted.

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