Hi, everyone, welcome back to another book review. I know it’s a little late to be writing the first review blog of the year but it is only because I was so busy reading. We are three months into the year and by early April, I am already on my 42nd book. Yes, I have been on a roll. Faster updates about my current reads and brief reviews are on Threads where you can connect with me for anything and everything bookish. I started a podcast because the urge to yap about the books I have finished is undeniable!

I fully intend to keep the blog updated because if there’s anything I like more than reading books and talking about books, it is writing about them. So let’s dive in!

I have been on a little bit of a Japanese literature in-translation binge for the last 6-ish months. I have read my fair share of Murakami early in life but this binge has been special because I have been exploring more authors. Even though I have favoured the books with a particular calmness and cozy vibes in them, I have found the storytelling of each of them to be very distinct and the expression of the profoundness in them to be unique each time — that is to say, I haven’t been bored, on the contrary, I have been devouring these books at a pretty steady pace.

So today I am going back to the book that set it all off, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

We all remember that god-awful breakup we went through at least once in our lives, this one is about rediscovering yourself after one such incident. Add in a second-hand bookstore, a loving, if a little eccentric, uncle and a doting aunt with a secret and you have the makings of this book.

Takako is lost in life after her sudden breakup with her boyfriend who was cheating on her and decided to marry the other girl. The audacity in him in the scene where they breakup is pretty real for such people (speaking from experience) and Takako is dumbfounded. Since they were co-workers, she finds herself unable to work at the same office as the guy and quits. Now she is rotting in bed.

Asian mother to the rescue!

Takako’s uncle, Satoru, owns a second-generation second-hand bookshop in the second-hand bookshop district of Jimbocho. She used to be really fond of him and reminisces about the good time spent with him during her visits to her grandfather’s house. But somewhere along the line, as she grew up, she became distant from him and his wife and they haven’t seen each other in a while. Takako’s mother intervenes to have Satoru offer her stay and work at the bookshop.

This changes her life.

New place, new people and salvaging a relationship with her uncle, Takako is not looking forward to any of this when she first appears in Jimbocho. But that changes gradually. The space surrounded by dusty books and readers, both regulars and people wandering in, creates a patch of colour in Takako’s life. A nearby cafe provides the opportunity to socialise on her terms over a good cup of coffee and Takako finds her people.

Takako eventually rediscovers herself.

You already know she will when you open the book. The journey is the story here, not the destination. On her way, she learns more about her uncle, gets to know the person under easy smiles and annoying comments. She makes new friends and she finds her estranged aunt and her secret.

The story feels like a warm hug. I say this a lot about all the books I have read in this binge but I mean them everytime too. Acceptance is a hard thing to come by in this world that is critical of everything everyone does and these books create that safe space. The message not being the books will save you, but that you’ll find solace in them and the people you find along the way will guide you, give you confidence and cheer you on.

I think we all need a little bit of that always.

It’s a very short read, about 150 pages and you can easily read it within 2-3 days. I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for something light but heart-warming to read and you’re looking to read Japanese literature.

This is a popular book and I did love reading it. But what was more important was that this made me interested in reading more in the same genre and literature. I will keep the reviews coming but do drop your suggestions. Have you read this one? If so, what did you like best about it? What did you read after or before this that made a lasting impact similar to this book?

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Feel free to reach out to me across socials at Thecalcuttanbibliophile or write to me at thecalcuttanbibliophile@gmail.com. I am always happy to talk books and would love to know what you think about Japanese literature in translation.

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