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

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I found this book really inspirational, and feel-good. It’s a small book with five short stories, all the stories somehow are wound up to the titular library and it has a prominent role to play.
Sometimes people are unsatisfied with their jobs, sometimes with their careers, sometimes with the options that are forced upon them or sometimes they are irritated with their indecisiveness or lack of confidence. 
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could actually guide us throughout our lives, or direct us onto the right path? As children, we have our parents to lead us but as we grow up we tend to get lost often getting frustrated with life. This book deals with five such people from various walks of life who end up at the library and meet the librarian Sayuri Komachi, who invariably comes up with a book recommendation that impacts their thought processes and changes how they perceive their lives. I really wish there was such a librarian in every library, who would recommend books as per our liking or suggest a book that changes our outlook or view of life. 
The situations in the book are relatable, if not all, some sure are, depending on which stage of life you are in, if not you would see your grandma/ grandpa/ daughter/son in such a situation. Each story has no complexity but the simplicity and the effortlessness with which the situations are dealt with is what makes the stories fun to read. 
Each story begins like any normal day of any person but it builds up into a very motivational story. It is like going through the feelings and thoughts of people when they are feeling low because of various reasons. A few of the characters in one story might crop up in another story and, hence get linked, which in turn depicts the connectedness of a society. 
Although I loved all the stories, the story I enjoyed the most was about a new mother who is struggling to strike a balance between her career and homefront. How she misses out on opportunities because of her child. 
A simple, short book but very uplifting. I enjoyed the read thoroughly and I recommend it to one and all!