Book Review: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

 

   Sometimes you need a simple book with a cozy setup that makes you smile, cry and feel the warmth. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa checks all those boxes.

You know who reads a lot of fiction? this girl! I read mostly romance or fantasy based fiction and after cramming my spring and summer with tons of rom-com or fantasy fiction, I got bored and started to lose that feeling that the books ignited in me. Romance is a beautiful genre without a doubt but after a while I needed a break from it to enjoy it the same way as before. So when I was searching for books that had simple storyline with cozy feeling I stumbled across this masterpiece.

     When I picked up this book I was immediately pleased with how charming and quaint it was! This book tells the most simplest story in a unique setting and makes it brand new again. While reading the book I felt as though I travelled through dimensions and somehow got transported to the lovely town of Jimbocho which was full of bookshops. I highly recommend it to everyone who is seeking a short and sweet read on a breezy autumn evening.

My honest review of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Sathoshi Yagisawa

Synopsis:

What could happen when the perfectly 'adequate' life of 25 year old Takako comes crashing down one day and next thing she knows she's moving into the family owned secondhand bookshop- from the international bestselling author Satoshi Yagisawa.

Takako lived an adequate life. She was born in an adequately wealthy family, graduated from adequately good college with an adequately good degree. Then she moved to Tokyo and found herself an adequate job and an adequately handsome boyfriend. She had all the things to lead an adequate life. But one fine day her life turns upside down when her long term boyfriend announces to her that he was getting married. 

No he doesn't say let's marry or ask her to marry him, instead he up and about announces that he was getting married, to his longterm fiancé, who's

existence Takako just discovered. Turns out the fiancé is none other than the girl who joined the company at the same time as Takako but the difference was that the girl was pretty and Takako not. Takako was speechless, unable to come up with right words she just says goodbye to her boyfriend, now ex and rushes to her home.

  "In a melodrama this would’ve been my moment to get up and throw my wine in his face. But I’d never been good at expressing my feelings like that. It’s only once I’m alone, mulling things over, that I can figure out what on earth I’m really feeling."

  Takako tries to continue her life like before but all in vain as she is constantly reminded of how much she loved her boyfriend. Unable to bear the sight of him or his fiancé everyday she quits her work and resigns herself to home ignoring the outside world.

"Someone help me, I thought to myself. I was serious. But I couldn’t raise my voice. I couldn’t do anything but cry."

        Takako starts to sleep whole day, she does it to escape the reality and numb her pain, she does it for about a month and one day gets a voicemail from a man named Satoru from a bookshop. As she hears the cheerful greeting over the voicemail she starts to wonder who this Satoru was. Suddenly she remembers that this Satoru is none other than her maternal uncle, the eccentric man who had taken over the family bookshop, the uncle whom she had not seen since her first year of high school. It must have been 10 years since she last saw him and wonders what he wants to talk with her now. She calls him but doesn't know that the phone call was about to change her life.  

      Satoru offers Takako a deal, where she'll have to move-in to the bookshop which had an empty room at the second floor and intern for helping him out with the shop he would provide her with free food and boarding. Takako refuses at first as she was not  fond of her uncle who was known to be whimsical and did as he pleased. But then she remembered that if she doesnt accept his offer shed have to move back home and her parents might marry her off. So that's how few days later Takako finds herself in the musty bookshop in the town of Jimbocho. What would happen to her now? What made her uncle call her? What kind of a man was he ? Will the town filled with thousands of books give her a second chance at life? to know the answers check out the book days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

   My rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content warning: Cheating, grief, loss of partner, loss of child

      I have always loved reading books from Japanese authors as they are always unique yet simple. This book is yet another Japanese masterpiece which tells a simple story with depth of emotions woven into it.  It was truly the most pleasant read.This book started out in a realistic manner, a breakup, something which we all seem to go through in life at least once. But what was unique was the things that came after. Takako's attempt at escape led her to a place that became something so special to her. It lead to her making new bonds, learning to view life from a new perspective, and best of it was her new found love for books. I loved how every character had their unique charm and their bond with Takako. Each bond taught her something different and valuable about life. 

I also loved how the author gave a subtle yet strong shoutout to many other authors by mentioning  Japanese bestsellers as different character's favourite books. The author did a phenomenal job painting a very detailed image of what Takako was encountering. This includes the image of rundown secondhand bookshop and quaint booktown. This book made me feel all the emotions- happy, angry, sad. Some parts of the story were so sad that I ended up crying. So keep some tissues with you if you get emotional easily like me.

I would absolutely read this book again. I picked it up at a time in my life where I was feeling quite sad and static. This book was just the mood boost I needed. I can see myself being drawn to it in the future when I'm craving for an extra dose of warmth. Its very cozy, comforting and tranquil

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

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        Will you be reading Days at the Morisaki Bookshop?