Asian fiction that heals on a slow simmer
Japanese and Korean novels that don't want to change your life — just keep you company while the tea goes cold.
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The 8 books on this stack
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La Papelería Tsubak ES
Ito Ogawa · 2024
Hatoko Amemiya acaba de regresar a Kamakura, el pueblo costero donde creció al cuidado de su abuela, para reanudar el negocio familiar de una papelería. La suya es una estirpe de escribientes, un antiguo oficio que Hatoko está decidida a honrar y hacer pervivir en el tiempo a través de los pequeños encargos que los clientes le encomiendan: cómo despedirse de alguien, saludar a un recién llegado o recordar la dulzura de un primer amor, todo tiene cabida dentro de los márgenes de una carta, las cuales Hatoko se ocupa de confeccionar con delicadeza, escogiendo el sello adecuado, las palabras, la tinta y el gramaje exactos para cada una de ellas. -- Ito Ogawa teje a un relato conmovedor sobre los detalles que rellenan el día a día de cualquier comunidad, todo ello retenido de fondo con los paisajes, la gastronomía y las festividades japonesas que acompañan y celebran el paso de las estaciones del año, el relieve de afectos y enseñanzas que heredamos como cartas abiertas de generación en generación.
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What You Are Looking for is in the Library
Michiko Aoyama · 2023
THE GLOBAL BESTSELLER The Top Ten Times bestseller A Time Magazine Book of the Year 'An undeniable page-turner' New York Times Shortlisted for the Japan Booksellers' Award 'I ADORED this uplifting, hopeful novel ' Daily Mail 'It made me laugh and cry and feel comforted' 5***** Reader review 'A tribute to the transformative power of books and libraries' Irish Times An inspirational tale of the love, comfort and growth you can find in the pages of a good book. _________________ What are you looking for? So asks Tokyo's most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. But she is no ordinary librarian. Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it. We meet five visitors to the library, each at a different crossroads: - The restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills - The mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave - The conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store - The gifted young manga artist in search of motivation - The recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose Can she help them find what they are looking for? Which book will you recommend? _________________ For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this feel-good Japanese book shows how the perfect book recommendation can change a life. 'I definitely want to visit this library. I feel kinder after this book' 5***** Reader review 'A quirky slice of feel-good fiction that you could recommend to anyone' Mail on Sunday 'Wonderful. It made me look for connection in my life' 5***** Reader review Times bestseller, August 2023 _________________ NOW GET YOUR COPY OF AOYAMA'S LATEST NOVEL TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH: HOT CHOCOLATE ON THURSDAY
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The Cat Who Saved Books
Sosuke Natsukawa · 2022
The Cat Who Saved Books is a heartwarming story about finding courage, caring for others – and the tremendous power of books. 'Enchanting' – Observer __________ Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse. After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . . Sosuke Natsukawa’s international bestseller, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.
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We'll Prescribe You a Cat
Syou Ishida · 2025
Your next read! For fans of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES, discover the award-winning heartwarming sensation. ____________ A cat a day keeps the doctor away ... On the top floor of an old building at the end of a cobbled alley in Kyoto lies the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. Only a select few - those who feel genuine emotional pain - can find it. The mysterious centre offers a unique treatment for its troubled patients: it prescribes cats as medication. Get ready to fall in love: - Bee, an eight-year-old female, mixed breed helps a disheartened businessman as he finds unexpected joy in physical labour; - Margot, muscly like a lightweight boxer, helps a middle-aged callcentre worker stay relevant at work and at home; - Koyuki, an exquisite white cat brings closure to a young mother troubled by the memory of the rescue kitten she was forced to abandon; - Tank and Tangerine bring peace to a hardened handbag designer, as she learns to be kinder to herself; - Mimita, the Scottish Fold kitten helps a broken-hearted Geisha to stop blaming herself for the cat she lost years ago; As the clinic's patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them towards healing, self-discovery and newfound hope. **Contains five exquisite cat line-drawings** _______________________ Readers adore it: ‘The most wonderful book I've ever read’ ***** ‘A terrific idea, a powerful ending, brilliant storytelling’ ***** ‘The story drew me in instantly, and I laughed so much’ ***** ‘I definitely want everyone to read this book’ ***** ‘There are so many wonderful lines to underscore, but if I write them here, there will be spoilers!’ ***** Japanese bestseller, October 2023
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Un gato para los días difíciles. El bestseller japonés que ha enamorado a lectores en todo el mundo ES
Kiyoshi Shigematsu · 2025
¿Puede un gato cambiar tu vida en tres días? El bestseller japonés que ha enamorado a lectores en todo el mundo. Hay quienes dicen que los gatos guardan nuestras penas más profundas; que sus ojos, en silencio, esconden nuestros mayores secretos y que saben leernos como un libro abierto. Para aquellos que no tienen la suerte de vivir con uno, en Tokio existe una pequeña tienda que ofrece el remedio perfecto: permite llevarse a casa a uno de sus siete gatos y pasar tres días con él. Eso sí, las reglas son estrictas: deben devolver a los mininos al cabo de ese tiempo, solo pueden alimentarse de la comida que les proporciona su dueño y siempre viajan acompañados de sus mantas, sobre las que duermen desde que son pequeñitos y en las que se sienten como en casa. Desde Japón nos llegan estas siete historias de segundas oportunidades llenas de sueños, promesas y grandes amores en que los gatos se convierten en preciosos guardianes, capaces de guiar a quienes más lo necesitan en el camino de la felicidad. Un precioso homenaje al poder curativo de los gatos ☆☆☆☆☆ «Un soplo de aire fresco.» ☆☆☆☆☆ «Si sientes que tu futuro es incierto, este es el libro que estabas esperando.» ☆☆☆☆☆ «Estos maravillosos gatitos me inspiran a diario.»
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
川口俊和 · 2021
Una mesa, un café y una decisión. Eso es todo lo que hace falta para ser feliz. Una novela sobre el amor, el tiempo perdido y las oportunidades que están por llegar. Un best seller internacional que ya ha vendido 1.000.000 de copias. Un rumor circula por Tokio... Oculta en uno de sus callejones hay una pequeña cafetería que merece la pena visitar no solo por su excelente café, sino también porque, si eliges bien la silla donde sentarte, puedes regresar al pasado. Pero como incluso lo increíble está sujeto a limitaciones, no podrás salir de la cafetería mientras dure el viaje, volverás cuando el café se enfríe y, hagas lo que hagas, el presente no cambiará. A través de las emocionantes historias de cuatro clientes que se atreven a embarcarse en esta aventura por motivos diferentes, Antes de que se enfríe el café nos ofrece un relato atemporal sobre el amor, las oportunidades perdidas y la esperanza de un futuro que siempre está por llegar. La crítica ha dicho: « Antes de que se enfríe el café está destinada a convertirse en un éxito internacional». Publisher's Weekly «Más de un millón de ejemplares vendidos». The Bookseller «Una lectura memorable y cautivadora». Books and Bao «A través de sus cuatro personajes principales, Kawaguchi demuestra una profunda comprensión de las relaciones y del amor». The Straits Times «Una lectura inspiradora y llena de esperanza que se queda contigo mucho después de que hayas terminado de leer. Hará las delicias de los entusiastas de la cultura japonesa con su evocador y romántico retrato de Tokio». Pop Culture Bandit Los lectores han dicho: «Un tema complejo, pero que se trata de una forma aparentemente simple, hace de esta una inolvidable novela. Las emociones que evoca son eternas y universales». « Antes de que se enfríe el café es una encantadora e inteligente historia acerca de cómo, no importa cuánto lo intentemos, no podemos cambiar el pasado y solo nos queda aprender de nuestros errores y crecer. Disfruté mucho de este emotivo relato». «Me gustaron los personajes tan idiosincráticos y su amable sentido del humor, que se deja entrever de vez en cuando. Si estás buscando una lectura breve y diferente, este es tu libro». «Una novela encantadora que te deja con mucho en lo que pensar». «Hay historias intimistas que te llegan. Y esta es una de ellas. Adoro de vez en cuando leer una buena idea, sencilla y bien desarrollada y eso es lo que nos encontramos aquí».
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Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
Hwang Bo-Reum · 2024
**AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK WOMAN & HOME NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH iPaper TOP FICTION PICK 'An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore' Red 'A balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading' iPaper There was only one thing on her mind. 'I must start a bookshop.' Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop. In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live. A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books. 'Delightful, reflective and heart-warming' Woman's Weekly 'Profound and healing ... a beautiful story at its heart' Woman & Home 'An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it' Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive Reader Reviews: 'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!' 'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.' 'A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them' 'Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical' 'A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call 'home'.'
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Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
Satoshi Yagisawa · 2022
"Twenty-five-year-old Takako takes up residence for a few months in her uncle Satoru's second-hand bookshop in Jimbicho, Tokyo, in the wake of her breakup with her cad of a boyfriend/coworker and her subsequent resignation. Depressed and unemployed, Takako is glad for the room above the Morisaki Bookshop to hide from the rest of the world even though she doesn't quite enjoy reading. Surrounded by towering stacks of second-hand books and people who love reading, Takako eventually finds herself opening up to new experiences, making friends in the community, forging a bond with her uncle, and finding joy, inspiration and hope in reading"--