A bittersweet follow up to Days in the Morisaki Bookshop. A couple of years have passed but Takako still enjoys spending time at the bookshop on her days off. Whilst the first one was about the healing power of books and reading, this one was more about searching for books, finding one that will speak to you as a reader. Bamako gets to learn more about herself, and grow as a person, as do one or two of her friends.

I personally preferred this one to the first one, though there is more sadness in this instalment.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

I absolutely adored the first Morisaki Bookshop book and was overjoyed to hear there was a sequel and I was itching to get my hands on it.

I don't like overly long books or overly short books. 300-400 pages is my sweet spot. Not that I don't read longer or shorter books, but that's where I am happiest. But this book made me conflicted. I loved the first one soooo much that going into this, I wished it was longer so I could spend more time in it. But it didn't reach the heights of the first one (explanation coming below), and so I feel it might have been a bit too stretched thin if it was longer.

What I love about this book (and the first one) is the unashamed love for books and reading, and how books and bookshops can change us, whether we know we need it or not.

It's not the most intense of books. There's not really much of a plot. There's also not a huge amount of character development either. But I don't think that's a really big problem here. It's more about the feeling it gives you rather than what you're actually reading.

I'd have liked a bit more of the bookshop if I'm honest. I am happy to plod along and just take it for what it is, but it felt a bit flat for a while sadly. For a book that's called "...at the Morisaki Bookshop", I expected more of the bookshop, but perhaps that's been left in the first book.

It isn't as good as the first one. No. That's not right. It's not worse than the first one. It's just too similar. It doesn't add much to it annoyingly, as I do believe I would have been happy to read more and more, and I'm about to contradict myself here given what I said at the start of this review, but it might have benefited from being longer. But it would need something extra. As it is, it's the right length because otherwise it would be too flat and stretched out. But if it had been longer, then we might have had a chance to have more plot and more development, making it on the same level as the first one.

It does get going, things do happen (I won't say what), but not till quite near the end. I know you needed this build up, but I think that if "the thing" had started a little earlier, it would have given us more time to get invested in it. As it is, "the thing" starts, happens, and it's done, and you're a bit bamboozled.

I felt the first book was a must read. This one is a pleasant read but I don't think you're missing too much if you just stick with the first.

I did enjoy it, it was pleasant, easy to read, quick to read, cosy, heartwarming, and very bookish, but overall it did feel somewhat flat, and a bit anticlimactic after the joy of the first one.

A delightful visit back to the Morisaki Bookshop and the second hand book district of Tokyo finds us catching up with Takako and her uncle a few years on from when we left them. Whilst now in a relationship with Wado, Takako’s character is still as it was before at the beginning of this story, however I felt like she grows significantly throughout this book. Through her search for a book she explores relationships, family, friendships, love and grief. A gentle meander through the seasons, reminding us of the important of books in people’s lives. Another charming little book full of wisdom.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bonnier Books for inviting me to read this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the ARC

Finally! I've been waiting for this sequel since I saw it announced. I loved been back in the Morisaki bookshop and once again visit Takako, her uncle and aunt. This one picks up directly after the first novel and we get to follow their lives and so many good stories. If you loved the first book, there's no doubt you will enjoy this just as much

I enjoyed this book much more than the first one! The adventure of our protagonist at the Morisaki Bookstore continues, blending the cozy atmosphere we loved in the first novel with more melancholic moments.
While the theme of grief is touched upon lightly, it remains a constant thread throughout the book, paired with the theme of rebirth, which was hinted at in the previous volume.
Some parts of the book moved me deeply, while others made me smile. Overall, I would describe this novel as "bittersweet."
While some might see this as just a simple read with a straightforward story, I found it to be quite enriching. This book taught me a lot about self-discovery, envisioning one's future, handling grief and sadness, and embracing people in our lives with all their imperfections.

4.25*

This was another heart warming read from Satoshi Yagisawa and followed on well from the original story. Whilst not quite as instantly charming as DATMB it still hit the cosy contemporary vibe I was after and the final third of the story was what raised it up for me, it truly was a beautifully touching piece of writing and a wonderful piece of translation work by Eric Ozawa.

The story is much more a series of linked vignettes this time, rather than being a clear part one and part two like in the first book. I particularly liked the Tomu and Takano piece and of course the final third. In the vein of cosy fiction nothing truly happens in the story, until that final section and even then it's about the beauty of family, love, loss and time passing. The book as a whole is a love letter to books and reading, and this time much more about finding books and finding comfort in stories.

Overall, despite being generally melancholic in tone, this is a gentle and enjoyable sequel. It's a short and quick read, with a setting and characters beautifully brought to life. I feel like Takako and Satoru's stories have been told and finished and it's a fitting ending to our visits to the Morisaki Bookshop.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for inviting me to read an eArc of "More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Another extremely hearwarming read! Yagisawa really does have a way with words and I enjoyed learning about these characters' individual struggles.

I so enjoyed reading this second story about the Morisaki Bookshop. This follows on nicely from the original story and is a short easy read. It is a fairly uneventful story and doesn’t add a lot to the characters from the first book. It has a quite sadness to it, much more than the first book and a certain vulnerability.
I find Japanese fiction quite beautiful on the whole and though this one doesn’t quite tick all the boxes it is an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I enjoyed the first book Days at the Morisaki bookshop and this short book is a sequel. It is a gentle, enjoyable sequel with a bit at the end of what happens later to the various characters and it is good to catch up with the characters again.

Having said that, it is a short book which could surely have been part of the original book so that readers would only have to buy one book and not two. Some major things do happen, especially to Momoko but generally it is uneventful.

Good read though but possibly not worth paying for 2 books.

I was so pleased to be invited to read the next instalment of this story and was not disappointed. This one picks up soon after the last one and we get to meet new characters and get totally immersed in their lives. This really is a great read which I could not put down.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The story picks up a few weeks after the previous book finishes. Takako is happier and continues building her new life, including her relationship with Wada. The minutiae of daily life are the focus of this sequel, culminating in, for lack of a better term, a quotidian tragedy. We follow our protagonists as they seek for reasons to keep living and be happy, and the importance that books play in their lives.

While I really liked the first book, I struggled with this one. My main issue is that I'm not sure I understand why it was written in the first instance. It provided no further insight into the protagonists' characters or psyche. It didn't deal with any big issues that helped our characters truly evolve. It didn't even have anything truly interesting happen. More than anything, it felt like a moneygrab - monetising the success of the prior book.

All in all, it's a huge skip. The main redeeming attribute is the brevity. Otherwise, I learned nothing that I didn't already read about or experience in the first book. Nothing truly bad in this book - it just really failed to meet expectations, and, rather than showing an extra layer of emotional complexity, defaulted, in my view, to something shallower.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier books for the advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

When I got an email inviting me to read the sequel to Days at the Morisaki's bookshop I was incredibly excited. I really enjoyed the first one, and had similar expectations for this one.

Again, I got mad at the emotional blockage the characters suffer from, though I am aware of the strong cultural implications for this. The fear of vulnerabilty and judgement for speaking about our deepest feelings is inherently human, and we have all been there. However, it is such a hinderance to meaningful and strong connections that I always find it cathartic to read about overcoming this fear of rejection and being able to enjoy that sense of "safe vulnerability" with the people we care for the most. In line with the previous, this novel explores intimacy and human conection as well as grief, so be prepared to potentially cry.

Although a bit slower and more melancholic than the first book, I enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it to others (In fact, I already have) I will also keep an eye on any future publications by the author!

Follow on from the first book but can be read as stand alone.
I enjoyed catching up with all the characters and immersing myself in their lives.
Different relationships are explored and developed during the story.

I absolutely love books about books, and bookstores, and this slice-of-life Japanese fiction does it brilliantly. I am so glad book #2 also got an English translation as it was originally published over a decade ago in 2011.
As I mentioned in my review for book #1, I was hoping for a stronger, more consistent plot and whilst I don’t think it delivered this, it was a wholesome and cosy reading experience. but I don’t think this delivered. The plot was very meandering for the majority of the book, but I love the overall messages it portrays. In this instalment, it definitely had a significant focus on grief, terminal illness, and the importance of family. It was a difficult read at some points but it definitely came at the right time in my personal life.
I don’t usually use half stars in ratings however this book sits at a 3.5 stars for me, but I’ll generously round up to 4. I did prefer book #1 but I’m glad to have spent more time at the Morisaki Bookshop.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and Satoshi Yagisawa for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and publication information to be shared to Instagram on release day.

I couldn’t move fast enough when I saw there was a follow up book to the Morisaki Bookshop. The characters, the setting it all just gives me those cozy vibes. Loved it!

A fantastic, gentle read. I have read the previous book and really enjoyed it so was delighted that there is a follow-up. The main character's life continues to gently progress as we follow her relationship with her uncle, aunt and boyfriend. If you like books, Japanese culture and familial relationships, this is the book for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the arc.

Like the first volume, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, this a sweet book describing the lives and loves of a cast of ordinary people who inhabit or frequent the Jimbocho book store area of Tokyo. This is a pleasant story but feels a lot more disjointed than the first volume. Storylines come and go without reaching conclusions and some of the main characters seem less sympathetically portrayed than in the previous story - to the extent that I nearly did not finish the book as I was getting frustrated with the dead-ends and didn’t care very much about what happened to anyone. The story is saved by the last 10% of the book. No spoilers, but it is definitely worth persevering through the unsatisfying middle section to reach the heart-rending end.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop takes you back to the Morisaki Bookshop in Tokyo to catch up with Takako, Satoru and Momoko.

I loved this charming sequel as much as I loved the first book, it’s a calm, reflective read that puts a smile on your face - it sounds cheesy but it does!!

"More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" is the perfect read if you enjoyed the "Before The Coffee Gets Cold" series and "The Cat Who Saved Books” or just enjoyed the 'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' and are wanting to read the sequel.

It was enjoyable to revisit the Morisaki bookshop although at times it seems not much is happening. However you get the feeling that you have been invited into someone's life - more than if you were reading their diary as you feel more connected to the characters.
This was a pleasant read and if you like books about books I think you will enjoy the calmness of this one. That being said we do deal with some heavy topics (loss and grief) and there are some hidden deeper meanings floating around the story.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for this ARC.

I have read and enjoyed the previous book so I was super excited to dive into this and it did not disappoint! Just as captivating, cosy, and feel-good as the first book! I loved it!