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hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you love Japanese authors such as Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Before The Coffee Gets Cold), Michiko Aoyama (What You Are Looking For Is In The Library), or Hisashi Kashiwai (The Kamogawa Food Detectives) then Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will be for you. As with all of the above this is a gentle story, and while if you have experienced recent heartbreak, this may hit a nerve for you, I consider it a very gentle story with an overall uplifting theme, but it does touch on topics of love lost, abandonment (romantic), pregnancy loss which may be triggering for some people.
Takako's life falls apart when her boyfriend and co-worker of more than a year suddenly announces that he will be marrying his actual girlfriend (the one he has been dating for more than two years) in a few months. He is shocked that Takako is both surprised and upset by this announcement, after all, it's not like he is breaking up with her! Overwhelmed and ashamed for being the 'other woman', even though she had no idea she was, Takako quits her job so she doesn't have to face him every day.
When her uncle, Satoru, calls out of the blue a few weeks later Takako knows her mother has been meddling but faced with dwindling savings Takako takes him up on his offer to work in his second-hand bookshop in exchange for room and board. The Morisaki bookshop is located in Jimbocho, Tokyo. Jimbocho is a booklover's paradise, filled with second-hand stores each specialising in a particular genre or theme. As Takako gets used to the quirky regulars and reconnects to the uncle she has not seen in too many years, she also rediscovers her love of reading and finds herself in the process.
Takako's emotional journey, the development of her relationship with her uncle as he reveals his own experience with heartbreak, and the pervading love of literature is going to attract book loves of all varieties. Takako sometimes seems younger than her 25 years, but she grows through the book and eventually it is Takako helping Satoru with his own complicated love life. Surprisingly for Japanese fiction there is not a single mention of cat through the entire story.
Takako's life falls apart when her boyfriend and co-worker of more than a year suddenly announces that he will be marrying his actual girlfriend (the one he has been dating for more than two years) in a few months. He is shocked that Takako is both surprised and upset by this announcement, after all, it's not like he is breaking up with her! Overwhelmed and ashamed for being the 'other woman', even though she had no idea she was, Takako quits her job so she doesn't have to face him every day.
When her uncle, Satoru, calls out of the blue a few weeks later Takako knows her mother has been meddling but faced with dwindling savings Takako takes him up on his offer to work in his second-hand bookshop in exchange for room and board. The Morisaki bookshop is located in Jimbocho, Tokyo. Jimbocho is a booklover's paradise, filled with second-hand stores each specialising in a particular genre or theme. As Takako gets used to the quirky regulars and reconnects to the uncle she has not seen in too many years, she also rediscovers her love of reading and finds herself in the process.
Takako's emotional journey, the development of her relationship with her uncle as he reveals his own experience with heartbreak, and the pervading love of literature is going to attract book loves of all varieties. Takako sometimes seems younger than her 25 years, but she grows through the book and eventually it is Takako helping Satoru with his own complicated love life. Surprisingly for Japanese fiction there is not a single mention of cat through the entire story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
I adore how the author uses other books and Japanese literature to elude to the changes that are happening within the characters.
This book is definitely going on the reread list, it’s just so comforting and inspiring.
If you want any book to inspire you to read more books, this is it.
This book is definitely going on the reread list, it’s just so comforting and inspiring.
If you want any book to inspire you to read more books, this is it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Terminal illness, Abortion
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage
Minor: Toxic relationship
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“It’s only in secondhand books that you can savour encounters like this, connections that transcend time. And that’s how I learned to love the secondhand bookstore that handled these books, our Morisaki Bookshop. I realized how precious a chance I’d been given, to be a part of that little place, where you can feel the quiet flow of time.”
- Satoshi Yagisawa
This book made me smile so many times. I am an avid reader and I love supporting our local indie new and used bookstore. Wandering the aisles and perusing the shelves for treasures brings me great joy. This book made me feel like I was transported right into the Morisaki Bookshop.
I loved how Takako’s view of her uncle changed as she got to know him better, and I really enjoyed how Takako and her aunt bonded over cooking and eating.
I will definitely be reading the second book.
- Satoshi Yagisawa
This book made me smile so many times. I am an avid reader and I love supporting our local indie new and used bookstore. Wandering the aisles and perusing the shelves for treasures brings me great joy. This book made me feel like I was transported right into the Morisaki Bookshop.
I loved how Takako’s view of her uncle changed as she got to know him better, and I really enjoyed how Takako and her aunt bonded over cooking and eating.
I will definitely be reading the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Abortion, Pregnancy
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I found this challenging to read because the translation didn’t really flow easily. It reads like a Miyazaki film, with short sentence after short sentence and people flying among emotional responses. The characters weren’t particularly endearing, and there wasn’t much in the way of plot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Infertility
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is very sweet - bordering on saccharine, though it manages to never quite cross that line. It's a very quick, enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Grief
Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A cozy read about a girl who probably subconsciously thought that her life was over after getting broken up by her boyfriend and leaving her job as she decides to accept her uncle's offer of letting her stay in his humble secondhand bookshop in Jimbocho.
I love the portrayal of the relationships between the characters, where Takako, the main character used to be nonchalant and apathetic and slowly realizes what it means to care for and care about people as she helps her uncle, Satoru, working as a part-timer in his bookshop of secondhand books, the Morisaki Bookshop.
It reflects a lot of the internal conflicts in humans caused by their hesitations and avoidance of confrontations, but I wish there was more exposition about the surrounding characters which made Takako's life in Jimbocho a lot more vibrant.
I love the portrayal of the relationships between the characters, where Takako, the main character used to be nonchalant and apathetic and slowly realizes what it means to care for and care about people as she helps her uncle, Satoru, working as a part-timer in his bookshop of secondhand books, the Morisaki Bookshop.
It reflects a lot of the internal conflicts in humans caused by their hesitations and avoidance of confrontations, but I wish there was more exposition about the surrounding characters which made Takako's life in Jimbocho a lot more vibrant.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I listened to this in a day because I loved it so much. The characters are so well fleshed out. The plot in the first half was stronger than the second half for me but both still were incredible.
The depiction of depression and loneliness hit in such a real way that I cried multiple times throughout this book. The way the characters treat each other with such care and understanding felt healing. It’s just like a giant hug.
My favorite part was by far the depiction of falling in love with reading. That part also made me cry. There is nothing quite like picking up a book and falling into it wholeheartedly. This book perfectly encapsulated that feeling. Plus you get to see so many different people’s relationship with books. Almost all the characters get a moment to share why they love reading which I adored.
The depiction of depression and loneliness hit in such a real way that I cried multiple times throughout this book. The way the characters treat each other with such care and understanding felt healing. It’s just like a giant hug.
My favorite part was by far the depiction of falling in love with reading. That part also made me cry. There is nothing quite like picking up a book and falling into it wholeheartedly. This book perfectly encapsulated that feeling. Plus you get to see so many different people’s relationship with books. Almost all the characters get a moment to share why they love reading which I adored.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship
Minor: Infertility, Suicidal thoughts