Hooked on Books discussion

Welcome to the August "Kindle Unlimited/Low Cost" Buddy Read!
starts 1-August-2025, ends 30-August-2025

As we enter August, let’s slow down and turn inward with Obon. This month, we reflect on the threads of memory and the weight of loss, how stories connect us across time, honoring those we’ve loved and the echoes they leave behind. Whether whispered in quiet grief or shared in celebration, these narratives remind us that remembrance is its own kind of legacy.

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this charming Japanese novel shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a reader's life.

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it.

Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

With heartwarming charm and wisdom, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is a paean to the magic of libraries, friendship and community, perfect for anyone who has ever found themselves at an impasse in their life and in need of a little inspiration.

When using this Buddy Read to get Bonus Points for a Challenge, please check with the mod running the Challenge for any posting requirements not listed below!

🚀 2025 (Impossible) Solar System Challenge: While there's no specific post count requirement, your participation should go beyond simple statements like "I liked the book." Quality of contribution matters more than quantity, so focus on crafting well-considered responses that add value to the discussion.

Just a note this one is for August but you left July in the title so I had to double check.

Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Just a note this one is for August but you left July in the title so I had to double check."

TY, too much copy paste action!

Understood :)

I read this back in May and quite enjoyed it. It's lovely, sweet, and completely charming. The stories are slightly interconnected and contain great reminders that can apply to most of us about how our lives can change by reframing our thinking.

This was 4⭐ for me! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

I’ll be starting this book tomorrow

Beth wrote: "I read this back in May and quite enjoyed it. It's lovely, sweet, and completely charming. The stories are slightly interconnected and contain great reminders that can apply to most of us about how..."

What a positive recommendation, sounds good!

I read the first three chapters today, and so far I love it! It is such a cute and comforting read, and I think it will get 5 stars. I wish I could take a trip to the HC library and get a recommendation from Ms Kowachi 🥰 Can’t wait to read the rest tomorrow

Starting NOW!

📚 Buddy Read Check-In: Chapter 1, Tomoka
Chapter Vibe: 🫖 Cozy as a warm scone

Okay, this is cute so far. Not in a sugary, over-the-top way, more like a gentle nudge from the universe in the form of a softly spoken librarian and a well-placed book rec. I really like that it’s about small changes, not dramatic overhauls. Tomoka’s not in a downward spiral; she’s just... floating, and Ms. Komachi kind of holds the string and gives a tug.

I’m listening on audio, and it's a great choice. Multiple narrators, mellow tone, total “I’m cleaning out my closet while reflecting on my life” energy.

No big standouts yet, but I can feel the “interconnected characters finding meaning through literature” thing brewing. Just simmering gently like a pot of tea. Waiting to see how the lives start overlapping, or at least rhyming.

📚 Buddy Read Check-In: Chapter 2, Ryo
Chapter Vibe: 🌤️ Sunbeam to the face

Another soft one, not a ton to dig into yet, but that “One day just became tomorrow" line hit in that quiet, motivational way.

This book continues to feel like a gentle push toward doing something, even if it’s small. Still curious to see how it all connects.

Also: the Librarian is very... interesting. 👀 Not sure if she’s magic or just operating on a higher plane of emotional intelligence, but I’m watching her closely.

📚 Buddy Read Check-In: Chapter 3, Natsumi
Chapter Vibe: 💔 Nostalgic ache

This one is my favorite so far. Natsumi’s 40, a mom, and juggling so much ... and her story resonated. She’s not falling apart, just stretched thin and trying to remember who she used to be before all the roles piled on.

And honestly? Same. I’m in the thick of reclaiming that space for myself (call it perimenopause, call it a midlife shift, call it whatever), but “What about you?” is a question I’ve finally started treating like a priority.

Quiet, reflective, and way too real.

📚 Buddy Read Check-In: Chapter 4 – Hiroya
Chapter Vibe: 😐 I was there. That’s all.

This one was fine, but definitely the least interesting for me so far. I didn’t dislike it, I just struggled to connect with Hiroya’s dilemma. It felt a little too… I hate to say childish (because that sounds snobby), but compared to the more emotionally grounded chapters before, the stakes here felt pretty low.

Still curious how his piece might fit into the whole, but on its own... meh.

Will start reading this book tomorrow...after I finish Austerlitz.

I'm craving castella cakes now! What a charming, introspective book of short stories of various MCs/library patrons that interconnect and interact with the mysterious large librarian, Sayuri Komachi, who gifts patrons with her felted creations. 4-stars for me!

📚 Buddy Read Check-In: Chapter 5 – Masao
Chapter Vibe: 😌 Melancholy in a chic way

I really enjoyed this one. It's a gentle, thoughtful close to the book that brought everything full circle in a way that felt quietly satisfying. Masao’s story had a calm depth to it, and I appreciated how his reflections gave a little extra resonance to the earlier chapters.

A soft ending, but a good one.

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was such a cozy, thoughtful read! It's perfect for when you want something introspective, but not heavy - and considering the amount of books I'm ignoring right now, that was what I needed.

Each chapter focuses on a different person, plus the mysterious, wise-witchy librarian who somehow just knows. Some characters resonated more than others... Natsumi especially hit me right in the gut.

Overall, it's lovely, quietly hopeful, and a breath of fresh air. It's not high stakes. It's not twisty. It's a gentle reset. It's a story that says, "You don't need to change everything... just start here."



View all my reviews

I should be starting this one today. Last miinute for the win apparently.

Ugh sorry guys, I'm going to have to abandon this one in at 30%, it's just not for me.