Loved this title. Was such a wonderful book that warmed my heart. A brilliant pick up and go read that left me immersed in the pages.

This was such a lovely read! I loved the bookshop setting. the picture that was painted of life in a rural Japanese town, the characters and their gentle growth over the course of the book. Cosy and heartfelt and lovely!

'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' is a love note to books and reading. It describes everything I love about my favourite hobby - the thrill as you discover each new author and the sheer, indulgent pleasure of spending hours absorbed in a book.

However, it also reveals the redemptive power of books - their ability to change a person's outlook on life and the power to bring comfort and hope in times of trial. It even touches on the subject of books guiding people through difficult periods of their lives and the profound effect one book can have on someone.

Takako's story is a fairly common one, in that the perfect life she imagines for herself is far removed from reality and it isn't until she discovers books that she truly comes to terms with the truth of her existence. It is her uncle's story, however, that I found more engaging. His relationship with his estranged wife is a complicated one, but I found myself rooting for him and Momoko, far more than I did for Takako. Whilst she has some personal growth throughout the book, I found her quite self-centred even after she had supposedly had her big personal revelation, whereas both Momoko and Satoru accept each other for what they are. Takako constantly seems to be wanting people to be more than they can be and this isn't necessarily a positive quality.

Nevertheless, my ambivalence towards the main character in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book because the story was incredibly rich and the other characters extremely interesting.

This was a different genre of book than what I normally read but I enjoyed it and would recommend it if you are looking for something different than your usual read!

I found this a little slow, but I always do with translations if Japanese fiction.
I don't think it was the book or the author, but more me, as a reader.

The plot itself was lovely.
Centering around a quiet, but important (to its few clientele) bookshop.

The characters were well rounded and the issues weren't tied into a neat bow at the end, which I really liked.

I enjoyed this book, typically I read high pace high stakes stories so this was a real change for me. It feels like you are wrapped up in a book all cosy whilst reading and I really enjoyed it. The characters are lovable and I liked the whole street of book shops, if you are looking for a cosy read this book is for you.

This is such a heartwarming and beautifully written book. The world building was incredible and I felt as though I had been transported to the bookshop myself. I think I’d sell my right arm to spend a day in the little street full of bookshops! I cannot wait for the next book in the series to be released later this year.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
3⭐️

Synopsis: The wise and charming international bestseller and hit Japanese movie—about a young woman who loses everything but finds herself—a tale of new beginnings, romantic and family relationships, and the comfort that can be found in books.  

📚

I'm enjoying exploring Japanese fiction at the moment and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a lovely, cosy read. I flew through this and for the right reader at the right time this could be a great comfort read.

Personally, it felt a little bit underwhelming and I didn't warm to the main character which didn't help. This book is split into two parts and I found that Part I was much better than Part II.

This book is well written, but I didn't love any of the characters and dont feel like it will be super memorable. Pick it up if you feel like a nice easy read which is mainly set in a Bookshop 📚

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

For the right reader in the right mood, I can see how Days at the Morisaki Bookshop could be a great comfort read. It ambles along slowly with its messages of finding your feet and going at your own pace being matched by the novel's gentle pace and meandering plot. And, of course, it helps that Yagisawa's descriptions of Morisaki and its neighbourhood of bookshops made me want to pack my bags and get on the next flight to Tokyo.

Unfortunately, I personally found it a little underwhelming. There isn't really a strong plot and the story's episodic bursts didn't hold my attention. It's more character-driven, which didn't quite work for me because I didn't particularly warm to Takako. She comes across as a little shallow and judgemental towards her uncle in the beginning though, to her credit, she does learn to appreciate him for his eccentricity and they get some sweet bonding moments as the novel progesses. For me, it was hard to relate to her inital lack of curiosity about the neighbourhood and her ambivalence about moving into the bookshop (she's living the dream!). She also came across as a bit of a doormat in her reaction to her ex-boyfriend's cheating, though I suppose her underreaction could be attributed to cultural differences? On the other hand, I liked the friendships she built with the bookshop's patrons and locals and especially the bond she develops with Satoru, though I was less impressed with her underdeveloped potential romance with another booklover. Or the romantic subplot between two secondary characters Takako is tasked with matchmaking; we just didn't get to know them enough to be invested in their romance. The mystery of Satoru's M.I.A. wife is more interesting, which is the focus of Part Two; I do love a second chance romance and intergenerational friendships between women in fiction! And *spoiler alert* there is a happy ending, of course.

Overall, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is well written, the characters are a bit bland but generally pleasant, and I always appreciate a book about loving books filled with recommendations for other books. It just didn't grip me or stick in my mind. I'm sure other readers will find a lot to enjoy in it but for me it was underwhelming. That said, I might try re-reading DatMB one day when I'm in the mood for something slow-paced to see if it lands better on the re-read.

A sweet story, though I felt it lost a little something in translation

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

A nice enough tale of bookshop ownership, friendships and young love, but this one didn't work for me. I am sure it is likely to do with the translation but the prose was clunky and the story jumped along in places where I really was hoping for more character development. It seems like the book was just too short.

An easy read to fill a slump as I did enjoy the characters, but not one for fans of literary fiction.

This is a sweet well written book that I enjoyed imensley.

Takako is having a bad time and goes to stay in her Uncles bookshop, shes not really a reader but starts to read and enjoy it and find herself from the charaters we meet.

A little different and an easy read

A beautiful, poignant story of books, bonds and bravery, of making changes and embarking on new adventures. A love letter to the power of books and bookstores.

Ohh I really enjoyed this. First thing I did when I finished was google Jimbocho, and wow it's amazing!!
Go and google it, google map it, look at pictures, you will want to move there lol. What a wonderful little book village, filled with second hand book stores, sounds ideal.
How lucky is Takako, living rent free above her uncles Bookshop?! Meeting so many people everyday, l'd love to do that. I loved reading about her, and finding her way around a new place, meeting new people, and potential new love. The trip she takes later in the book was really interesting too, making a trip like that would be really cool.
A lovely book.

Short and sweet. A cute story filled with love, loss and, of course, books. Interested to see what happens next in this series.

Really not the normal type of book I would read, but I do love books and the title caught my eye. It is different, not violent or shocking, maybe cosy is the best word I can use to describe it. Engaging and relatable and enjoyable.

When I read this I thought there could not be such a place in real life on earth. A book village and a bookshop like this one? Surely only in my imagination. Well no this is areal place and oh how I want to go there! Books, bookshops and the meaning of books. Why books can heal and change a person reveals what wonders a bookshop really is. Booklovers anywhere - read this book!

I love stories about the power of the written word, and had read a couple of other Japanese novels which I’ve enjoyed. This was a nice story about a young, quite naive woman rebuilding her life after the end of a relationship. She is invited to work-and live in her uncle’s bookshop.
It was however spoiled a bit for me by the ‘flatness’ of some of the writing. Perhaps the translation did not do it justice, and obviously there would be cultural misunderstandings but I often felt confused as to what the characters actually meant, and often their reactions to events and conversations left me a little perplexed.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves to take a deep breath whenever they step into a used book store.-- they really ought sell that smell as a scented candle. This drops you into a barely profitable but over-stuffed used book store in Japan, and introduces you to the people who work and shop there. Loved it.

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.