Japanese-fiction-in-translation-reading-list__Penguin

Reading lists

The best Japanese fiction in translation

What You Are Looking for is in the Library

I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ... A joy from start to finish, this book makes you feel anything is possible

There's a wistful, warm-hearted appeal to Aoyama's paean to the power of books ... [it's] a quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone

An endearing novel and a tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries

The novel is an undeniable page-turner, its mechanism energized by a simple question, posed again and again by the uncanny librarian, Mrs. Komachi. The question brings Michiko Aoyama&rsquo;s characters often to the brink of tears; and not only her characters, but this reader, too. It is the great question of the library, and of the bookstore, and maybe of life: What are you looking for?

If what you are searching for is a believable take on contemporary life in Tokyo, seasoned with a dash of whimsy, you&rsquo;ll find your perfect match in this heartwarming novel

It's been a rotten year, so spark joy with this!

There&rsquo;s a special kind of magic in recommending books to other people and Michiko Aoyama captures that perfectly here.  Full of charm; a genuine comfort read

THE TWO-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING INTERNATIONAL NOVEL 
 
The Top Ten Times bestseller 
A Time Magazine Book of the Year 
'An undeniable page-turner' New York Times 
 
'I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ' Daily Mail 
'It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted' 5***** Reader review 
'A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries' Irish Times 
 
An inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book. 
_________________ 
What are you looking for? 
 
So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. 
 
But she is no ordinary librarian. 
 
Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it. 
 
We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads: 
 
- The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills 
- The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave 
- The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store 
- The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation 
- The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose 
 
Can she help them find what they are looking for? 
 
Which book will you recommend? 
_________________ 
 
'An undeniable page-turner' New York Times 
 
For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life. 
 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS' AWARD 
 
'I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book' 5***** Reader review 
'A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone' Mail on Sunday 
'Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life' 5***** Reader review 
 
Times bestseller, August 2023

Hot Chocolate on Thursday

Much-loved early novel by the bestselling author of WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY for fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD 
 
Readers love HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY: 
‘Slipped into my heart and warmed me, just like a cup of cocoa’ ***** 
‘I definitely recommend this book!’ ***** 
‘Thursday is the beginning of the second half of the week. I felt restored reading this’ ***** 
‘Reminds you that everyone is living their own daily joy and pain. Heartwarming’ ***** 
‘This made me realise how we magically influence each other’s lives without realising it’ ***** 
___________ 
 
Across a bridge, in view of cherry blossom lies the Marble Cafe where a woman writes in a notebook and a young waiter prepares her favourite hot drink. Both wonder about each other and about the other lives of the clientele who frequent this charming little cafe behind the trees .... 
 
Without even realizing it, we may touch and change someone else's life. 
 
Taking a walk along the river, cooking the best tamagoyaki, ordering hot chocolate, forgetting to remove our nail polish... The small, everyday acts that we do can offer unexpected encounters and ultimately change a life. HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY connects twelve slice-of-life moments that open and close with a woman ordering her regular hot chocolate at the mysterious Marble Cafe. 
 
What happens in between will touch and swell your heart, as we connect with a community of untold unfolding lives.

Much-loved early novel by the bestselling author of WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY for fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD 
 
Readers love HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY: 
‘Slipped into my heart and warmed me, just like a cup of cocoa’ ***** 
‘I definitely recommend this book!’ ***** 
‘Thursday is the beginning of the second half of the week. I felt restored reading this’ ***** 
‘Reminds you that everyone is living their own daily joy and pain. Heartwarming’ ***** 
‘This made me realise how we magically influence each other’s lives without realising it’ ***** 
___________ 
 
'I learned first-hand how people, flora, and fauna interact. All that breathes on this Earth is interconnected' 
 
Across a bridge, in view of cherry blossom lies the Marble Cafe where a woman writes in a notebook and a young waiter prepares her favourite hot drink. Both wonder about each other and about the other lives of the clientele who frequent this charming little cafe behind the trees .... 
 
Taking a walk along the river, cooking the best tamagoyaki, ordering hot chocolate, forgetting to remove our nail polish... The small, everyday acts that we do can offer unexpected encounters and ultimately change a life. HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY connects twelve slice-of-life moments that open and close with a woman ordering her regular hot chocolate at the mysterious Marble Cafe. 
 
What happens in between will touch and swell your heart, as we connect with a community of untold unfolding lives.

Abridged Edition

Penguin Readers Level 4: What You Are Looking for is in the Library (ELT Graded Reader)

This ELT Graded Reader is made for people learning English as an additional language. The short, simple text is also perfect for anyone looking for an easier read. 
 
In this story, Sayuri Komachi is a librarian who recommends books and gives gifts to people. She helps them find what they are really looking for in life. The books and gifts are special for each person. They show them that life might not always be easy, but it can still be wonderful. 
 
Our Penguin Readers books include: 
<ul><li>Simple text (CEFR-levelled)</li><li>Pictures to help you understand the story</li><li>Fun exercises to help you learn and practise English</li></ul> 
With the print book, you can get even more help online: 
<ul><li>Read the book online</li><li>Listen to the book being read out loud</li><li>Get lesson plans for teachers</li><li>Find answers to check your understanding</li></ul>Note: online resources not available with the eBook.

With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. 
 
What You Are Looking For is in the Library, a Level 4 Reader, is A2+ in the CEFR framework. The text is made up of sentences with up to three clauses, introducing more complex uses of present perfect simple, passives, phrasal verbs and simple relative clauses. It is well supported by illustrations, which appear regularly. 
 
Sayuri Komachi is a librarian who recommends books and gives gifts to people. She helps them find what they are really looking for in life. The books and gifts are special for each person. They show them that life might not always be easy, but it can still be wonderful.

Michiko Aoyama

Takami Nieda

If you're after a feel-good tale, this story about a community who find comfort in a stubby hippo statue in a children's playground is for you.

DISCOVER THE BRAND NEW NOVEL BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY** 
 
Readers adore Healing Hippo: 
'I wanted to discover the magical hippo in myself as I read this book' ***** 
'How does Aoyama depict human emotion so vividly? I imagined myself in this book' ***** 
'I almost wept on my train home from work' ***** 
'It gripped my heart. I wish there was a magical hippo near my home' ***** 
'Whenever I feel hurt, I want to re-read this wonderful book' ***** 
______________ 
 
Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community. 
 
Meet the neighbours who will reach out to kabahiko hippo: 
-Kanato presses his head to the hippo's cheek, hoping to recover the stellar marks he once scored; 
- Sawa, a lonely new mother, strokes its mouth, hopes to connect as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant; 
- Chiharu, a wedding-planner, hopes to be able to listen for the happiness of others; 
- Yuya avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain. 
- despite Kazuhiko's fading eyes from too much editorial work, he will learn to see life's everyday wonders. 
 
A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart.

Michiko Aoyama

Praise for The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park

If you're after a feel-good tale, this story about a community who find comfort in a stubby hippo statue in a children's playground is for you.

Books by Michiko Aoyama

Articles featuring Michiko Aoyama

The best Japanese fiction in translation

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