This is a short book about a book shop, the owner, His niece and his estranged wife who comes back.

I enjoyed it and thought the topics which could be quite heavy like Long term illness, heartbreak, divorce etc have been handled really well in this book.

Not as magical as I thought it would be and quite quirky. I was expecting something like Before the coffee gets cold so that's on meA very easy, entertaining and short read. Great for Japanese literature lovers.

A calming feel good read and a glimpse into life in contemporary Japan. I had to google Jimbocho when I started reading the book and found it was a real place exactly as described. Having seen the pictures of the real life "Book City" the tale felt a lot less twee and a lot more realistic. It's more Convenience Woman than Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but fans of satisfying quirky Japanese tales will not be disappointed.

A charming story in the vein of There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job, The Nankano Thrift Shop and Convenience Store Woman.

When Takako's boyfriend announces that he's getting married, but not to her, she takes refuge in her uncle's secondhand bookshop. Not a reader to begin with, she gradually comes to love both the books and the neighbourhood, and her heart slowly heals under their influence as well as her uncle's care.

I really love this type of contemporary Japanese literature, with its focus on small things and ordinary people. The author paints a lovely detailed miniature of everyday life and its joys, struggles, pains and triumphs. I've never visited Japan but I felt like I was there with Takako, meeting the people she meets and journeying with her. I also came away with many recommendations for classic Japanese novels!

I recommend this book if you enjoy Japanese literature and have liked any of the novels I mentioned at the beginning. I'll keep an eye out for this author in the future. 4.5 stars.

I'd like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

The Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is one of those books that is hard to pigeon hole into a category- yes, it is contemporary fiction but like many Japanese stories there is a quirky calm, curious melancholy and something movingly profound. After being ceremoniously betrayed by her supposed boyfriend, Takako is offered refuge by her uncle Satoru at his secondhand bookshop. Takako is initially not enamoured by books but as the book progresses Takako’s life begins to reawaken as she discovers a love for the neighbourhood and in particular the local coffee shop.Uncle Satoru also hides a story behind his amiable nature- his wife left him five years previously and when she reappears Takako begins to piece together the story of what happened. This is a book about love , life relationships and finding out where we can find we belong in the most unexpected places - and of course the power of books add an additional dimension to the tale. This is a one sit read to charmed by and as a reader recognise the magic that books can feed us with.

Read this in one sitting! Really enjoyed it. Really like the thematic work that was discussed. It was such an easy read too.