Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this heartfelt, charming Japanese collection of stories focuses on a curious library and its even curiouser librarian, who, as well as having read every book on the shelves, has the ability to read the soul of every person who walks through the door. Through her opening question, ‘What are you looking for?’, we dive into the themes of family, love, taking risks, discovering one’s purpose, and the magic of books.

A young sales assistant discovers a hidden passion for cooking after revisiting a long-forgotten children’s book. An accountant yearns to follow his dream of opening an antique shop after reading a horticultural book on worms. A woman’s struggle to come to terms with the changes of becoming a mother is given a new perspective after learning about astronomy. A manga artist, after reading a book on evolution, is inspired to climb out of the dark hole he’s been stuck in for a long time that’s kept him out of employment or education. And a retiree, who after dedicating his whole life to work has now lost his sense of purpose, is reminded of the importance of every day of life – whether young or old, employed or retired – through a poem about the ocean.

Although we become intimate with each character’s thoughts, fears, and desires, we know almost nothing about the librarian, Ms Komachi. However, the enigma of the library echoes that of the act of reading itself. This is a love letter to books – these strange, inanimate objects that are bountiful with life, inspiration, knowledge, and love; these bindings of paper that bring us mystery and delight as to what might be written on the next page; to the books that stay with us, speak to us, and change us.