Ahh! I'm so sorry but the book just couldn't hold my attention. I tried, I really did but nothing was happening. Like, i DNF the book around 70 percent of it. I was waiting for something to happen but nothing was happening. I don't know how to put this. It's just that this book was not for me and it felt like a burger without salt.

A lovely cosy listen. Enjoyable characters and story. Highly recommend! A story you can listen to over and over again and enjoy it every time.

Sweet and cosy read. Loved the concept of the book and who doesn’t want to read about bookshops? I preferred the first half of the book to the second. Audiobook is so cosy to listen to though!

This was a sweet simple story. I hoped it would be slightly more focussed on the bookshop, and books themselves, but regardless it was still a nice read. I liked how our main character grew a lot during the book. I think the first and second half felt a little disparate from eachother though.

In this wonderful story of love, lost and trust in yourself, and those around you, we find descriptions of complex, Japanese novels, family, who support each other, and who grow together in love.
It is set in a bookshop in an area of a city, which is populated by bookshops of all different specialities.
I am very interested in Japanese culture, and this book was a delight. I had already bought the book of the Morisaki bookshop, but as I haven’t read it yet, I was delighted to have the opportunity to listen to the audible, and truly experience the story, and the Japanese pronunciations of books, city, names, and authors, names. It really is a wonderful story, gentle and deep, and full of hope.
Thanks to #NetGalley ForTheOpportunityTo listen to this book in exchange for an honest review. I give it a solid five stars.

Listen to the audiobook version of the book and I loved it.
The story is quite short, as many other Japanese books, packs a punch with fewer pages, really well narrated and written.

The books follows a girl who is in a bit of a life crisis, and her uncle lends her a hand in his bookstore, where most of the action happen. The story is about family and love, love for books, and understanding that not all flowers bloom at the same time.
HIGHLY recommend this read to all book lovers.

When this book was introduced in a literary podcast I follow, I thought it was right up my alley, so I applied for it on netgalley. Luckily for me, I was admitted, and I listened to the book in one go.
It is a great story of love and betrayal, family, and books.
I don't know any Japanese, but am fascinated by the idea of a whole area with second-hand bookstores!
Then again, nowadays, I listen to books a lot more than I actually read them, and this was no exception.
The narrator, Susan Momoko Hingley , did a wonderful job at making the characters come to life!

If you have a few hours to spare, go and grab a copy of this book, I'm sure you won't regret it!
My thanks go to Bonnier UK Audio and netgalley for my review copy.

A warm cozy comforting tale about family, love, relationships, and most importantly the comfort found within books. I loved listening to it and it warmed my heart with all the characters. It felt so wholesome and cozy and is a perfect fall read.

Short novel set in Jimbocho, Tokyo

I listened to this as an audiobook and was amazed to be introduced to Jimbocho. an area of secondhand bookshops in Tokyo and it is here that the novel is set. It’s just perfect for readers who love a short (c 160 pages) novel with books at its heart.

25 year old Takako has broken up with her boyfriend (he was double dating) she has lost her job and slumps into depression. Her uncle, Satoru, who owns the Morisaki Bookshop in Jimbocho, offers her a bit of respite from her woes, suggesting she works amongst the books. She is not a natural bibliophile but discovers the charm of books and introduces the reader to a slew of Japanese authors as she comes across them in her daily work. Some of the authors I had heard of, some not.

She struggles to get out of bed, having been given a tiny room which needed a complete overhaul. She gradually finds herself perking up and making friends in the vicinity and once her period of book therapy has waned, she takes off for pastures new. She takes with her new knowledge about life and about herself and is a convert to the power of books

In the interim she takes a short journey up into the hills above Tokyo for some hiking, with someone from her past.

This is a very American translation, which may not appeal to everyone and occasionally it does feel a little grating to the English ear. It is a sweet novel that will appeal to admirers of Toshikazu Kawaguchi (the author of Before The Coffee Gets Cold). Overall, there is a lovely sense of place but generally I felt that the novel struggled with any feeling of depth. The word ‘nice’ perhaps sums up my experience.

A short but healing story. It’s an easy read, with much inspirations inside.

Morisaki Bookshop was a second-hand bookshop. Takako took a break from her work and she decided to work at her uncle Satoru’s bookshop. It was a great story that it’s telling us we live our lives trying to find our way.

The story showed us the daily routine and what happened in the bookshop, Takako was the center character. All the characters were extraordinarily likable. Auntie Momoko was so real and like a mother. I especially liked the scene Momoko and Takako spending time together to talk. This scene was touching.

The narrator Susan Momoko Hingley is now my most favourite narrator. She’s British-Japanese. Therefore it’s effortless for her to pronounce all the Japanese names. Wonderful. Enjoyable. Her intonation and her way to present the story and characters are brilliant. Hingley is a good storyteller.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop Is an easy win to those love to read and spend enormous time in the bookshop. Highly recommend. Easy to finish in one seat.

Thank you NetGalley for providing access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As a massive fan of the Japanese culture and a lot of Japanese classics, the whole book felt like a warm cultural embrace. The characters, the settings, they all provided such a timeless and cosy atmosphere - and I must admit that the narrator chosen has been absolute perfection.

As a short read that mainly focused on two different stories that showed wonderfully how both Satoru and Takako helped each other through the power of books, patience and care for each other, it's been a lovely companion over those few hours I spent listening to their development. The hard themes that have been discussed never felt overwhelming or shallowly observed, instead having been given a respectable time in the spotlight.

This book is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 I absolutely loved. Part 2 was a little meh.

The story is about heartbreak and healing, about family and figuring out who you are; all in the backdrop of a bookshop and everyone's love for books. It's a short, cute and touching story which I 100% recommend.

3.5 stars overall. Oh and the audiobook was fantastic, it definitely added to the atmosphere and helped the narrative.

The book itself was a lovely wholesome read, but I felt the choice of narrator could have represented the Japanese community more.

A short and gentle read on the healing power of books… It was great to have the opportunity to review a Japanese translated work and the story is simple and moving - an easy win for any book lover who feels the same way about reading (it’s as good as therapy!). I usually read very fast paced thrillers and adventure books, so if you’re looking for complex plotting and roller coaster excitement, this won’t be the book for you. However if you’re happy to be soothed by a short and gentle audiobook, with an eloquent narrator who’s easy on the ears, I’d recommend this for you. Huge thanks to the author, Satoshi Yagisawa, and publisher, Bonnier, for this advance review copy. Views my own. 4*

Thank you so much for the AudioArc!

This story is perfect for those who just want a nice, easy, nonemotional book to listen to whilst pottering about.

For me the story could have progressed more or given some more insight into what happens next but it seems to be a 'whatever you make of it' kind of book.

The narrator was very easy to listen to and the pace was good too.

I received an Audiobook ALC of this work from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

TBH, I didn't really enjoy reading this (as a story) as I felt like the beauty of this book was marred by its translation but I think the audiobook serves its purpose well and is pretty entertaining in itself.

The narration of the book kept me interested all the way through. I did want things to work out for the characters and explanations for what had happened but the book does not progress in a manner to which I am used to. I do like this though, there is a different feel to the Japanese books which are arriving here in Britain and I do enjoy them. Someone suggested that they have a slower rhythm and I think this might be it. It is an enjoyable listen.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is the translated work of the 2010 best-selling debut novel of Satoshi Yagisawa, who I am proud to say is from Chiba.
Takako is an adequate young woman with an adequate education and an adequately good job. Until one day, she becomes both boyfriend-less and jobless. When her uncle Satoru calls and invites her to work at the family bookshop in exchange for room and board above the bookshop, she packs her belongings and moves to the Jimbocho neighbourhood and into the Morisaki Bookshop.

The book follows Takako’s days at the bookshop, learning more about her uncle, the regular customers and the Jimbocho neighbourhood itself.

Yagisawa captured the feeling of falling in love with reading sublimely and that irrepressible excitement of a reader witnessing someone else fall in love with books. I have not read the book in the original language, but I hope the humour and love in the translation are a core essence of the original.
You can tell that Yagisawa really loved Jimbocho neighbourhood. As Tokyo is an extremely large city, each neighbourhood can feel different from each other and you get a sense of the scale of the city.
I enjoyed Takako’s changing relationship with her uncle Satoru, where her childhood perception of him changed now that she is an adult. I hope that we can all have a relative who protects us as much as Satoru does for his niece.

Overall, this book is one of the most comforting short reads I’ve read in a while, and please excuse me while I search for a one-way ticket to Jimbocho.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a short and charming story. I liked the audiobook version and enjoyed having this on in the background as I was doing other things.

This book is nice, and I think sometimes “nice” books struggle because there isn’t a big emotional investment. The story is in two parts, the first being Takako’s arrival at the bookshop and her growth until she decides to leave again. The second part focuses more on Takako’s aunt and uncle.

I wouldn’t say I was emotional invested in the story, but I still enjoyed it. Sometimes nice is exactly what you need.
3.5 Stars

This book was a peek into a dreamworld.

I found that the themes of friendship and families were explored beautifully and the world in which Yagisawa created is just mesmerising. It portrayed experiences that you are able to relate to in your own life.

The narrative was paced well, and I found myself listening carefully and attentively out of choice rather than because I had to. I felt like I was experiencing the world myself and it was divine.

I liked the prospect of two narratives and, in this context, it worked well.