What You are Looking for... is a collection of stories about people living in Japan who are all seeking something. Tomoka is looking for a more fulfilling job. Ryo is trying to find a way to make his childhood dream come true. Natsumi is searching for a better way to balance motherhood and her career. Hiroya feels like his life has no purpose or goal. Masao needs to figure out who he is now that he has retired. One by one, they end up at a neighborhood library, where a memorable librarian gives them unusual book recommendations that help them find their way to what they're seeking. And she also gives them each a little felted talisman, because the librarian likes felting.
Each story unfolds at a leisurely pace, but there's nothing wasted here. Like a haiku, details can be sparse, but that means what we do see is carefully chosen for maximum meaning. The stories build on each other a little bit, with a side character from one showing up in another, and so on. They are interconnected marginally, not closely.
Reading this book was a slow and gentle pleasure, like sipping hot tea or savoring very dark chocolate. If you love character studies, the movie Love Actually (2003), or learning about other cultures, you might enjoy this too.
Particularly Good Bits:
There are so many things to do, but I won't make the excuse that I have no time anymore. Instead, I will think about what I can do with the time I have. One day is going to become tomorrow (p. 117).
It's weird how ideas keep springing into my head now, as if a stopper has been removed. Yet when I had all the time in the world, I never had a single idea. I didn't even feel like drawing (p. 235).
If This was a Movie, I Would Rate It: PG-13 for some occasional bad language. No smut or violence.
I loved your review and really appreciated the shoutout. You perfectly captured this book with comparing it to haikus and dark chocolate.
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