This is my third book translated from Japanese into English this year, and my favorite by far. I am (finally) realizing how succinct Japanese literature can be, and it reminds me of what I see as a very matter-of-fact, no frills (and very orderly/purposeful) culture. I loved the setting; while the details were sparsely shared, it did create a lovely image in my head -- and Jimbocho is now on my bucket list! The characters quite likeable: the relationship between Takako and her uncle was sweet; Satoru was endearing; Momoko (and her secrets) relatable in a quirky way. This is a story about the magic of books, family, and seeking a meaningful life. Thanks to Harper Perennial and @NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts.

4.25. A feel good book with a bookshop setting, in Japan.. What's not to love! After a breakup, Takako moves into her uncle's bookshop and meets quirky, interesting people from the neighborhood.. At less than 200 pages, this can be read in a day or two.

It’s a quick and easy read, and there is a message hidden in there - happiness is there in unexpected ways. However, the writing is not the best (this may be the translation and not the author) and the story is mediocre at best.

I will read almost anything that has been translated from Japanese into English, so I was very receptive to this book... and the title doesn't hurt either. What reader doesn't appreciate a book set in a book store? I thought this was one of those typically charming stories that are popular now. The main character has a problem and there is a happy ending. The fun is in how she gets there. For me, the setting was also one of the highlights of this short novel and the name-dropping of various Japanese authors also was a fun aspect. Pretty much the only thing it lacked was a cat!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's a sweet read.

This short translated novel was originally published in 2010 in Japan and is now translated and being released in the US. It is the story of a young woman who after she loses both her boyfriend and her job, moves into a room above her uncles bookshop. I loved the description of the bookshop and the area it is located which is made up of tons of used bookstores specializing in different things. Our main character discovers the love of reading while recovering from her loss, and she and her uncle, and then her long lost aunt develop a loving relationship and support each other.

This is a very character driven novel, and I enjoyed the characters and reading a novel from a country that is not familiar to me, however I found myself hoping that there would be a little more plot to keep my interest.

Thank you to Harper Collins and net galley for providing me with this e galley for an impartial review.

This short novella failed to capture my interest, and I found myself slogging through its 127 pages. The characters are flat, and it is hard to know if the prose is a amateur debut writer's attempt, or a marginal translation. The plot line is thin at best, but it lacks the depth of a character study novel. I didn't care about the protagonist, and her supposed shyness comes across as a lack of good writing rather than as likely intended. I thought the storyline was coming together until 'part 2' which changed the focus completely. There was no real motivation for the main character and her recently returned aunt to take a trip together, The uncle is described as a man who traveled the world as a young man, but you don't get a sense of who he is now. The underlying conflict, which I won't spoil, between her uncle and his wife never gets to the heart of the pain nor overcoming it. The prose became plodding, as they plod up a mountain for no good reason, and don't find much when they get there. Imagery is lacking in the whole novella, beyond a brief description of a musty and packed bookstore. Overall, not a book I could recommend,. I'll do the publisher the favor of not posting this online, as it seems others liked it.

I picked this one up on a whim and while I liked parts of it, I was honestly hoping for a bit more of a romance for the female MC. I also didn't love how unresolved the ending was for her uncle and his wife. If you like books about books and bookstores and Japanese translations in the vein of the Before the coffee gets cold series, definitely give this one a chance. It's quirky and niche bur didn't have the magical realism element or romance focus I was hoping for. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

What could be better than a Japanese story in translation, set in the town of books? This tale of family, lost loves, and, of course, reading warmed my heart. You won't regret picking this one up.

I love the simplicity and smoothness in the writing that works so well in this translation. It is also a quick read, coming in under 200 pages. I do wish it had some more depth to the themes it portrays such as family dynamics, love, and loss. However it was still an enjoyable read. The only downside that I saw was an ending that was a bit frustrating, which I do not want to spoil and maybe you won't feel the same way.

United States Publication: July 4, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Takako has lost her boyfriend and left her job. Adrift in her life, she moves into her Uncle's second-hand bookshop in Jinbocho to find her moorings and help Satoru run the shop. She's not a reader and doesn't understand the draw of books until she reluctantly tries one in her efforts to figure out her life. As the days, weeks, and months pass and Takako regains her footing in life, books become an integral part of her life and help to form her future.

Published in Japan in 2010, this story of a second-hand bookseller in Tokyo's famed book district, Jinbocho, has finally been translated into English. I could not warm to this story. And while I am sure that translating books from their native language into different languages is difficult, I feel like one reason I couldn't warm to this story was the translation. It felt, or read, very clunky. For example, the very first line of the book was an abrupt start to the story. It read, to me, as if I had missed at minimum an intro paragraph. And the feeling that part of the story was missing continued, for me, throughout the story. I can only think that is due to "lost in translation" issues. In addition to the issues I believe were due to the translation, the story itself just didn't appeal to me.

3.5 Stars

I was drawn to this book by virtue of its being translated from the Japanese. I love Asian influenced books for their spare, simple, frank writing styles. The book began with the plight of a young woman living by herself, having moved away from her parents in Tokyo. Her life blows up when the guy she's dating at work turns out to be engaged to another employee. Her existence at the job becomes untenable in light of this relationship disaster, so she resigns. An eccentric uncle who she hasn't seen in a decade suddenly calls to offer her a lifeline, which she accepts: to join him at his secondhand book shop where she can live and work, and just figure out life.

This part of the book was my favorite. She came to know the little bustling streets which housed many secondhand bookshops and their clientele, a unique, enticing neighborhood coffee shop, and a new, awe-inspiring love of reading she never had before. While the story moved forward in a quiet way that I normally love, the final quarter of the book began to lose me rather than win me over.

Thank you to the publisher Harper Perennial for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

25 year-old Takako's life falls into despair when her boyfriend announces he is getting married - to someone else.... And happens to be one of their co-workers.
Unable to get out of bed for days on end, Takako receives a call from her quirky uncle Sator who runs a second-hand bookshop in Jimbocho. he invites her to come stay with him while she recovers from her breakup.
Takako finds peace and connection through her discovery of Japanese literature and a new appreciation and love for her family.
I found Takako to be an unlikeable character, which also made her more human and realistic. she has disdain for nearly everyone around her and anyone who is different from herself. I think it's relatable when we're going through hard times personally to separate ourselves from others emotionally by
"othering" them.
This book was an enjoyable, quick read. It is translated which can take a bit of adjusting to.
this would be a nice, easy little read if you're looking to dip your toes into some Japanese literature

This was such a delightful read. This book instantly captured my attention when it said in the summery that our main character moved into her uncles bookstore. I could not put this book down. I truly enjoyed the journey as well as the relationships of the different people in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I hate to rate anything I didn't finish, but unfortunately, I had to throw in the towel with this one. I was drawn to the title by the synopsis. It sounded like a cute "slice-of-life" story about a young woman rediscovering the joy in her life after a bad breakup—which I am all here for. . . But sadly, the book lacks a certain charm. It reads very flat, and is slow to start. After coming back to it several times, I still could not get beyond the first few chapters.

ARC was provided by Harper Perennial via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love books that have just about anything to do with bookshops, books, authors, and libraries. This short novel is like a love letter to books and the people who love them. Books that talk about other books are great ways to get recommendations. I found myself highlighting titles and authors as I came across them in the story and adding them to my Goodreads. I hope to read some of them in the not so distant future, and it even mentioned a few authors that I had already read, which always makes me feel a little closer to the book. Almost like an insider. I can nod along sagely and be like, “Yes, yes, you have good taste.”

It also has that cozy/slice-of-life quality that a lot of Japanese novels have. I struggle to describe the feelings or vibes that Japanese novels have. Particularly the sort of literary ones that I have a tendacy to pick up. They talk about little aspects of life as the novel goes along and they’re usually fairly low stakes, but they also have an almost dream-like quality to them. Sort of like fantasizing everyday life?

Takako and her uncle have such a lovely relationship. They way it develops over the course of the novel made me a little jealous, but generally happy for them. He’s a bit quirky, but very supportive of Takako and trying to make her life better. However, I will say, when his ex-wife came back in the second half of the novel, it took a turn that I didn’t expect. This isn’t to say that it is a bad thing, but it leaned more into the idea of second chances than I thought it would, and based on the cover I thought it would have a stronger romantic element.

Overall, this is a quick read that I think book lovers are bound to enjoy. I also think that it will connect with people who have ever gone through a rough time and needed to take a break to sort of reinvent themself. Books and human connections shine in this quick read. The beautiful writing and the touching relationships will have a lot of readers feeling warm and fuzzy after it.

Actual Rating: 3.2

“Heartbroken city person escapes to a small village to run a little bookstore” is probably one of my favorite tropes ever; you just know that the environment is going to be so cozy and gentle, the people the main character meets are all going to be so mellow and kind-hearted, and best of all, you’re going to get some really life-changing book quotes.

This was no different. The story follows Takako, who finds out she was "the other woman" and her boyfriend is getting married. Heartbroken, she moves into her uncle's used bookstore and is slowly drawn into the stories around her as she gets to know every one of the unusual customers who drop by the store.

I really did enjoy the first half a lot, but it felt like time was flying by too fast, like we were reading a short story that needed to cover a lot of ground in little time where the characters were archetypes for broader moral lessons. Still, I really liked learning about the bookstore's history, and it's always really beautiful to read about a character recovering from emotional scars.

However, the book lost me when the first part ended. The second half of the novel turns instead to the sudden return of Satoru's long-lost wife Momoko and Satoru's relationship with her. This transition was really jarring to me and I struggled to connect to the characters (even though they were the same). The story itself just isn’t as interesting or unpredictable or comforting, and I felt like it could have taken place the same time as the first part in the background as a subplot, instead of as a second part where it completely takes over.

Overall, I still think this was pretty cute and it would’ve been even better if it was consistent and one story, instead of two.

e-ARC Review
4.75/5 on Instragram and StoryGraph
5/5 on NetGalley

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

This precious book is all about second chances, learning that first judgments aren't already correct, and most of all, books. This cozy read made me want to visit second-hand bookshops and cafes in Japan.

While I would have enjoyed this book to be a little longer, as to further develop some character relationships, I still felt this was such a wonderful read. Thanks to @netgalley and @harperperennial for the e-ARC!

Be sure to read this book, out July 4th, 2023!

#DaysattheMorisakiBookshop #NetGalley #harperperennial

Book lovers are delighted when the plot of the story includes books or bookstores or an author’s life. This book was indeed that and much more. Sensitive topics like dealing with heartbreak, boredom, loneliness were handled so well and again it was not that it was being preachy. I liked the characters and the description of Jimbocho area where second hand books were sold in so many bookshops was reader’s delight. The support that Takako got from her uncle and her journey of healing by diving into books and through her aunt’s lifestyle was heart warming. I really enjoyed reading this translated work and glad that I picked up.

I loved this! It truly felt like a love letter to book lovers and readers everywhere! Days at the Morisaki Bookshop follows Takako as she navigates a major life change and is forced to reckon with the turmoil of events that come with it. She gets invited by her distant uncle to help run a secondhand bookshop in exchange for rent-free room and board. Though the move is temporary, Takako finds herself settling into this new life of reading Japanese literature, visiting local shops, and making new friends.

This novel is full of characters who are adorned with their own charm and many of them were funny! I loved the small town cozy feel the setting gives off and it made me want to visit Japan badly. I loved that books are centered in this story because I really resonated with so much of Takako’s journey to becoming a lover of literature. The devouring of books one after another, the wanting to read til dawn because it’s a page turner, the simple aesthetic of being in a bookshop — it was beautifully crafted.

I enjoy Japanese writers and I definitely would like to check out more of Satoshi Yagisawa’s works!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of an ARC of this book!

Takako’s life is turned upside down when the guy she thought was her boyfriend, announces he’s getting married, to someone else. Not Takako. She quits her job and life feels a bit in shambles. Her uncle is the best. He offers to let her live in the room above his bookstore as a way to help her through this rough spot. Takako reminds me of the period in life when we think we have it all figured out but life takes us in some unexpected places.

Takako learns to see her uncle for who he really is, family and friend who has her back. So much so that if you need to face the person who’s hurt you, come on, I’ll go,over there with you so you can get it off your chest. He opens his life, heart and bookshop to her. Within the walls of the bookstore, the pages of many books, she discovers there is something very special about books and what they can mean to you. Her uncle was one of my favorite characters. He encouraged her to not let something or someone who hurt you stop you from loving and living.

The second half of the book, the uncles wife shows up after she’s been gone for many years. While this wasn’t what I expected, I sort of wished that there would have been more with Takako and the uncle.

A quick and cozy read, nothing over the moon. Just a good story.

Thank you @netgalley for digital arc