I love translated books, particularly Japanese and Korean fiction, but I hadn't read a translated non-fiction, so was looking forward to seeing how it stood up to fiction.

In the book, Nanako discusses a site called PerfectStrangers, where you meet people to chat. So it's like a dating site in the sense that you scroll through profiles, but it's like "interested in talking to someone about books", and I think that's a fabulous idea. I don't know if it's an international thing, but it should be. It sounds great, to meet people, to learn, and to stave off loneliness.

She is very honest, which is what I want from a memoir piece of writing. You never know if an author is being fully truthful about their own lives, but this came across as very honest and very free, which made it a pleasure to read.

It also has some very good author and book recommendations, and I'm all for books that lead you to more books! She clearly has a passion for books and reading; that comes across very clearly and it's wonderful.

She's got the right length; any longer and I think it might have got a bit repetitive and drawn out, but this keeps it neat.

I would say the first part is more about the books and her meeting people, whereas the second half is more personal about her, her past, her marriage etc. which gives you two nice and distinct sections.

My main initial issue was that it felt like reading a list - at least to begin with. Sort of, "the first person I met was Mr X and we talked about this. Mr Y was next. Then I saw Mr Z. We discussed this. He introduced me to Mr A" etc. It's not a criticism as such, as I have no idea what it is like to write a memoir, especially in its translated form, but it would have been nicer for it to flow slightly more.

It's not the best non-fiction book, or book about books, that I've read, but it is interesting, well written, and thought provoking, and offers some interesting reading ideas. But it didn't linger in the memory. Once I'd finished it, I sort of forgot about it.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I‘m sad to say this book wasn‘t for me.. It felt a little like it never quite got out of the rough draft stage. The characters felt a bit flat, and the whole thing just didn't pull me in like I hoped.

I'm left wishing it had been more polished. It's sad because there was potential there, but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

Do you love Japanese books?
Do you love books written by booksellers?

Then I highly recommend this book!

It’s a non-fiiction chronicle that follows a period where a Japanese woman goes through a divorce and tries to find her new direction by recommending books for people she meets online. We read about her encounters with strangers from online (some weird, some good) and her bookseller career. I found it peculiar at times but very interesting.

I wasn’t sure in the beginning as I couldn’t really understand her decision on going online, but this book grew on me. I could see her passion for books and recommending books, and that resonated with me. Loved seeing all the Japanese authors’ names. If you love Japanese fiction, you might reconigze some names! Not just books, but I also enjoyed the second half where she comes terms with divorce and have a closure with her husband, moving on.

The author owns a cool bookshop in Tokyo. This book made me want to visit it when I go to Tokyo in the future!

3.5 🌟

This was a relatively quick and insightful read. In a sharp and self-reflective voice the author tells us a moving story of a middle aged woman who is facing the end of her marriage. She is a bookseller and her gradual self-discovery is essentially an ode to the comforts of reading. I loved how the book gave a glimpse into bookselling in Tokyo and how it speaks of the diversity of the city‘s people.
I did find that it began to drag a little about halfway through though and I ended up skimming the last chapters.