This is translated fiction set in Tokyo where Takako is sent to live with her uncle Satoru who owns the Morisaki bookshop. Her boyfriend tells her he is marrying someone else that he has been seeing all along so she goes to the bookshop hoping to feel less depressed and have a sense of purpose.

This was a short novel, full of warmth and humour, cute and silly but full of pithy comments about life and books. As always I love a relationship that spans generations and the focus wasn't on her love life. It is mentioned a few times though Takako is quite a silly character and we, the reader, know she is worrying about nothing. The writing is a little simplistic but I wonder if that is a translation issue or perhaps is there to highlight the naivety and innocence of Takako.

This is a beautiful book - the writing/translation from Japanese into English is wonderful and the narrative reads easily like one long recollection. It's hard to put down because everything flows seamlessly from one thing to another.

This is also one of the best explorations of what it means to live with and slowly come out of depressive periods. The book showcases how important it is to get back to some semblance of balance in your life, how meaningful it is to step away from the 9-5 hustle culture and let yourself be for a moment or two.

I didn't like the second half quite as much as the first half, but it did inspire me to get out and about a bit more again for which I am very grateful!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when heading into this book - a quiet self assured book with some touching moments? And yes I think it fit that!
It’s a sweet easy read which touches on family, friendship, and new beginnings in life!
- not related to the book but the ARC itself was formatted in a way which made it very difficult to read.

Such a sweet little book about love and loss. A lovely, easy read that was a great pallette cleanser.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy but I have been waiting for it to come into the library, I'm an old fashioned girl who likes to have it in my hands as I read...

I'm sorry but this wasn't my cup of tea

The novel evolves around Takako, who moves into her uncle's second-hand bookshop in Tokyo, after a painful breakup. As she spends her days surrounded by the second-hand books, she gradually rediscovers the joy of reading and what books bring into our lives. As this happens, she also develops a close relationship with her uncle, who she is only starting to get to know truly. Together, they learn to cope with their losses and find hope for the future.

It is a mixture of cozy and nostalgic, whilst dealing with difficult topics such as grief and human connection. I will definitely read the sequel!

So I have read a fair few Japanese books recently and as with many this was a very short book. It maintained its pace throughout however I must admit I was a little disappointed by the ending.
A good book but certainly not a favourite of the genre.

3.5 stars (rounded up)

This book was...nice. I can't really think of a better way to describe it. Just sort of nondescriptly nice. Everything is generally fine. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't really feel strongly about it at all. None of its plot points particularly stand out, it all seemed to proceed at a pretty even pace with the exception of a few abrupt, brief shifts in tone. The kind of book to read if you want to spend an afternoon reading something with low stakes while curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a hot drink.

A slight but charming tale about the power of books, friendship and community. Written in the first person, Takako is able to come to terms with her broken heart through the love of her uncle and his second hand book shop.
As in other Japanese books I have read there are enticing descriptions of food and the countryside. While I quite enjoyed reading this over the course of one day, I did find myself expecting a little more substance, I'm not sure if this is partly due to the translation.
Several 'real' books and authors are mentioned throughout the story that act as a catalysts for Takako and it sounds that some might be worth seeking out.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this e-arc.

Takako and her boyfriend have been going out for a year when he suddenly announces that he is to marry someone else. She is totally shaken and gives up her job, she doesn't leave her apartment for a month. But one night she receives a voicemail from her Uncle in Tokyo who runs a second-hand book shop asking her to come stay with him. He offers her a room in exchange for looking after the shop, there she finds her love of reading and makes new friends among his customers.
This book is a voyage of discovery for all the characters.

Aw, this is just a nice feel good read - perfect for people who want something a bit different but to leave a bit of fuzz in their heart - enjoyed this!

This is a sweet and thoughtful story about a girl who goes to work at her uncle’s bookshop, following a devastating break up with her boyfriend whom, she learns, prefers another woman to her. Depressed and alone at the outset, through spending time at the bookshop she meets new people and begins to heal and rebuild her life. It also tells the story of her uncle and his wife - their unusual history, which is quite interesting.

The book is short and easy to read, although I felt the translation made it feel a little simplistic and disjointed. 3.5 stars.

A delightful narrative reminiscent of works such as "There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job," "The Nankano Thrift Shop," and "Convenience Store Woman."

When Takako learns that her boyfriend is getting married, but not to her, she seeks solace in her uncle's used bookstore. Initially not an avid reader, she gradually develops an appreciation for both the books and the neighborhood. Her heart undergoes a slow healing process, influenced by the books and her uncle's care.

I have a deep affinity for contemporary Japanese literature that explores the nuances of everyday life and ordinary people. The author beautifully captures the intricate details of daily existence, encompassing its joys, struggles, pains, and triumphs. Despite never having visited Japan, I felt immersed in Takako's journey, connecting with the people she encounters. Additionally, the novel provided me with a list of recommended classic Japanese novels.

For enthusiasts of Japanese literature who enjoyed the novels mentioned earlier, I highly recommend this book. I look forward to exploring more works by this author in the future. A rating of 4.5 stars.

Special thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for generously providing me with an advance copy. All expressed opinions are my own.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Though I did find this book a little bit boring in places, I thought it was a heartfelt read. I thought the emphasis placed on the power of reading was brilliant. The narrative being rooted in reality added to the power of the emotional impact and more than anything, it made me want to go to a quaint secondhand bookshop!

I'm really sad that this book wasn't longer. It could have been a 4 star at least but the characters were flat, it felt rushed and underdeveloped.

This had so much potential, I'm sad that I didn't get sucked in because there was so many possibilities.

I actually read this all in one sitting!

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a heartwarming story about Takako, a young woman who moves into the tiny room above her eccentric uncle's bookshop after her boyfriend breaks up with her. As Takako gets lost in the stacks of books, she discovers new worlds and learns about life, love, and the healing power of books.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a delightful, exquisitely crafted, and deeply touching novel that will captivate fans of the Before The Coffee Gets Cold series, and those who have experienced the mending of a broken heart.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a snapshot into the life of Takako, a 25-year old Japanese woman; having found herself out of a one-sided relationship, she falls into a bit of a depression and ends up living with her Uncle, Satoru, at his bookshop in the Jimbocho district of Tokyo (also known as the ‘book’ district). Through working in the shop, she reconnects with her Uncle - who’s been abandoned by his estranged wife - and also makes friends in the local community, helping her to rebuild her confidence and ability to make connections with others.

This was a really nice book - very lighthearted and easy to read. Because it’s just a small part of the character’s lives, it’s a little like catching an episode of a TV show you don’t get to see the beginning or the end of, but it certainly ended in a way that satisfied my curiosity*.

It can be a little slow in places; however, it had quite an undulating quality to the pace, which seemed to keep my interest piqued. I loved the little snippets of the supporting characters in the district’s local scene. While Takako’s character wasn’t massively stand out, you could definitely relate to what she’d been going through, and the whole story felt quite well rounded. It made me want to visit that area, if/when I get to travel to Tokyo!

A great read for fans of The Kamogawa Food Detectives (another delightful book), and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

*I’ve since seen that this is book#1, so I’m hopeful that there may be more to come in the near future!

4 out of 5 stars

I was provided an advanced copy of this book on Netgalley

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a sweet, gentle tale about the power of books to bring solace to troubled souls and offer them hope for the future.

The title takes us inside a bookshop housed in an old wooden building on a quiet corner of a Tokyo district that has come to be known as “Book Town.” This paradise for book lovers does actually exist — apparently there are more than 100 bookshops in Jimbocho, many of them selling second hand and antique books.

The Morisaki bookshop becomes a temporary home and a refuge for 25-year-old Takoko when she’s unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend. Her uncle Satoru who owns the store, offers her a room rent free in exchange for some help running the business.

She doesn’t relish the prospect because her uncle is “a weirdo … “the exact opposite of anyone’s idea of a dignified man.” but the alternative is even less palatable — return to her hometown to live with her parents and very likely get pushed into an arranged marriage. So she moves into a miniscule room above the shop, so full of books that “If I got even the slightest bit careless, my Towers of Babel would collapse.”

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop has a simple structure. In the first part we follow Takako’s experience of living and working at the bookstore and see how she develops a deep and abiding love of literature. The second part gives us the beginnings of a romance and the start of a new life for a woman who has grown in self respect and confidence.

None of this would have been possible but for the supportive presence of Uncle Saturo. He not only gives practical support, urging her to view the shop as a harbour, but passes on lessons he learned from travelling the world as a young man. it took him years to decide what he wanted from life, he tells Takako, now it’s time for her to start figuring that out for herself.

“Your life is yours. It doesn’t belong to anyone else,” he tells her.

Taken in isolation Saturo’s words of wisdom about life and love can come across as trite; a bit too much like those awful slogans found on motivational posters; but they do play an important role in the novel. It’s through those conversations that Takoko learns how to trust people again, so she can make friends and build relationships.

The most important relationship she develops is the one with books.

Takako hasn’t been much of a reader before, beyond the occasional visit to a chain store to look at their Manga shelves. All it takes to turn her around is one book, one that she picks out at random from the thousands of modern classic Japanese novels piled floor to ceiling in the shop. She’s stunned by the revelations a book can hold:

It was as if without realising it, I had opened a door I had never know existed. That’s exactly what it felt like. From that moment on, I read relentlessly, one book after another. It was as if a love of reading had been sleeping somewhere deep inside me all this time, and then it suddenly sprang to life.

In the course of the novel we learn of the joy of discovering a new author, the delight of walking into a bookshop and that feeling you just have to finish your book despite the late hour.

Inevitably when I read any book about books, I end up with a list of authors I’ve not heard of previously and now want to read: Jun’ichirõ Tanizaki, Osamu Dazai, Kafū Nagai, Haruo Satõ. I’ll have to temper my enthusiasm however because at the end of the book there is a warning from translator Eric Ozawa, that not all these authors are available in English. In fact the book that spark’s Takako’s reading passion — Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai — has yet to be translated.

I suspect Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to bookworms around the world. What’s not to love about a tale set in a bookshop?? It’s a gentle story told with a light touch; doesn’t have the quirkiness of some more recent Japanese fiction (like Before the Coffee Goes Cold) but it’s a wonderful reminder of the way books can open doors to new experiences and emotions

‘When twenty-five-year-old Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop. Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover's paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru's pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.’

Takako takes a step out of her comfort zone following her unusual circumstances and takes time away from her day-to-day life to live with her Uncle Satoru. Together they coexist, living their own lives and are stuck in their ways. However, they soon find they have more in common than they may have first thought, and their lives begin to change for the better.

This one hones in on just how significantly books can change your life for the better.

I found it very relatable and I have to say I read it very quickly and may have to re-read it very soon…

Thanks so much to @netgalley for giving me access to it following its translation into English.