Book Review: 'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' by Satoshi Yagisawa

✰✰✰✰ Twenty-five year old Takako is an office worker in Tokyo, who has secretly been dating a colleague. Having assumed they would get married, she is shocked to learn of his upcoming marriage to someone else in the office. Crushed and embarrassed, Takako quits her job and hides in bed all day. Soon she is unable to pay her rent and must make an agonizing decision: return home to Kyushu or move into the small, spare room above the Morisaki Bookshop run by her eccentric uncle. It's a decision that will change her life. Her gentle uncle gives her space in return for her watching the store once in a while. As the days, then months, go by, Takako surprises everyone, but especially herself. She becomes a voracious reader, starts to meet like-minded people in the Jimbocho book district, and may even be able to help her uncle, who has a dilemma of his own to solve.

The Bottom Line: This slim novel brought back fond memories of my trips to Japan many years ago. With an emphasis on family, compassion, and literature, this novel was a gentle read and made me nostalgic for simpler times. Highly recommended for fans of books about Japan and Japanese literature. This is a very quick and enjoyable read.

Details: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa & translated by Eric Ozawa. Paperback published by Harper Perennia in 2023. 160 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-327867-7 

Book Review: 'The Kamogawa Food Detectives' by Hisashi Kashiwai

✰✰✰✰ There's a little diner in Kyoto that's well-known, but a little hard to find. Through word of mouth, customers come to the diner in search of a rare treat. Run by a father-daughter duo, the Kamogawa Diner features delicious food. Yet, sometimes a customer is longing for something not on the menu. That's where Koishi Kamogawa and her father come in. If you are feeling nostalgic for a taste of the past, these detectives are in the business of tracking down the ingredients and (hopefully) recreating the dish. Sounds easy enough. Or is it? Sometimes the search for lost recipes is trickier than it sounds.

The Bottom Line: This book is divided up into the search for six lost recipes. From Nabeyaki-Udon to Tonkatsu to Nikujaga, my mouth was watering. Each search is like a short mystery strung together in the overall story of a father and daughter and their daily lives. This is an easy, relaxing read. Although I do wish recipes had been included, this book is enthusiastically recommended for mystery buffs and foodies. This is the first in a series, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading the second installment.

Details: The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai & translated by Jesse Kirkwood. Hardcover published by  G. P. Putnam's Sons in 2023. 208 p. ISBN: 978-0-593-71771-4  

Book Review: 'The Cat Who Saved Books' by Sosuke Natsukawa

✰✰✰✰✰ Nerdy Rintaro Natsuki is a high school hikikomori (a person who has decided to shut themselves away from society). All Rintaro wants is to be left alone, so he can read books. However, when is grandfather dies shortly before Christmas, Rintaro suddenly finds himself more alone than he ever thought possible. Soon he'll be expected to pack up his home and his grandfather's bookshop to go live with a distant aunt he barely knows. As Rintaro finds solace in stepping into his grandfather's shoes and managing Natsuki Books, he is startled by an ordinary looking tabby with an extraordinary skill. The cat can talk, and it needs Rintaro's help. Rintaro is intrigued, and because he has nothing to lose, he agrees to help. He follows the cat into a labyrinth and is confronted by a challenge in a seemingly different dimension. Although Rintaro is plagued by self-doubt, the cat is there to bolster his confidence. 

As Rintaro completes each labyrinth, he learns to believe in himself more and more. And although not everyone can hear the cat talk, it turns out there is someone else who can, his classmate, Sayo. As they pair up with the cat to solve more challenges and rescue more books, Rintaro comes out of his shell. Just when he thinks the adventure is over, it turns out the most challenging labyrinth awaits, and the stakes are higher this time. Rintaro must solve the challenge alone if he wants to save his new friend. With time running out, Rintaro must use every bit of knowledge, courage, and feeling he has or risk losing it all. 

The Bottom Line: I don't often read fantasy fiction; however, this book reignited my interest in the genre. This quick read whisks one away to a completely differently world filled with riddles, young love, angst, self-doubt, and learning to find your calling. The main character is an unwitting hero as he helps save books from an awful end. Along the way he learns to trust his gut and also learns to trust others. This book was enjoyable and the translation kept some Japanese words, which I appreciated. This story is a bit reminiscent of Greek mythology with the use of the labyrinths as well. Highly recommended reading for those who enjoy Fantasy, Japanese literature, and mysteries. I would love to see this made into a movie. 

[Note: Added notes from both the translator, Louise Heal Kawai, and the illustrator, Yuko Shimizu, were interesting, and I wish more books included this kind of additional information.] 

Details: The Cat Who Saved Books: A Novel by Sosuke Natsukawa. Translated by Louise Heal Kawai. Hardcover English translation edition published by HarperVia in 2021. [Original published as Hon wo mamorou to suru neko no hanashi by Shogakukan in 2017.] 208 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-309572-4 

Book Review: 'The Miracles of the Namiya General Store' by Keigo Higashino

✰✰✰✰½  When three petty thieves take refuge in an old abandoned general store, they think they are in for a quiet night. However, when a letter falls through the door’s mail slot, the trio is concerned and intrigued. The letter asks for advice from the former shopkeeper who offered thoughtful guidance to those seeking help. In his absence, the trio steps into his role. As the night slowly moves on, the correspondence they provide through their unique perspective of modern time proves life changing for everyone involved. By morning, the trio emerge to a different world than what they knew before.

The Bottom Line: With shifting time, this book is magical. The interwoven layers of plot in this novel submerses you into a rich world full of unexpected twists and turns. It makes you realize that people may be connected somehow even if they don’t realize it. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of Japanese literature with a bit of magic sprinkled in.

Details: The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino. Paperback published by Yen On in 2019. 320 p. ISBN: 978-1-9753-3386-7

Book Review: 'Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic' by Chronicle Books

✰✰✰✰ Chronicle Books presents 15 tales of horror from classic Japanese literature. The stories are divided into three sections (Journeys, Ghosts & Monsters, and Justice), with each story beginning with an original illustration by Kotaro Chiba. The stunning artwork is reminiscent of woodblock prints and demand the reader’s attention. In sum, this is a nice collection of folktales with twists of horror and enchantment, but the real attraction is the illustrations.

The Bottom Line: This is a gorgeous book; however, I unfortunately found the translated text to be quite stilted. Rather than racing through this book, I read the stories over time. Overall, I have given this a rating of 4 stars (5 for the illustrations and 3 for the text). It is important to note that the texts are readily available in the public domain with about half of the tales from Yei Theodora Ozaki’s Japanese Fairy Tales and another half from Lafcadio Hearn’s Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. This book will appeal to those interested in Japanese folktales, literature, and culture.

Details: Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic by Chronicle Books, illustrated by Kotaro Chiba. Hardcover published by Chronicle Books in 2019. 168 p. ISBN: 978-1-4521-7446-4 [NOTE: I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible via the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.]