As someone who prefers to spend my time surrounded by books, it probably won’t come as a surprise that I gravitate towards stories set in libraries. For many people, libraries are more than a place to borrow books, as wonderful as that is. They represent inclusivity, exploration and community. So, a book set in a library is already giving me ideas on what to expect. And if there’s something a bit supernatural about the library, all the better!
The Midnight Library, Matt Haig (Author)
Let’s start with The Midnight Library. The Midnight Library exists between life and death. Nora Seed finds herself there after attempting suicide. She had been drowning in regrets, missed opportunities and broken relationships. But the library gives her a chance to make things right. Or so she thinks.
The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old school librarian, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. Is it the life of a rockstar?
An Olympian? A mother? If she finds a life where she is happy, she can stay, leaving all her regrets with her former life. But what is the best way to live? The intriguing title drew me in and then I was hooked on this concept.
This is a book all about possibilities, which will resonate with so many people. Even when we’re happy with how things turned out, don’t we all wonder what our lives would be like if we’d made different choices? “What if I had” must be four of the most loaded words in the English language and this novel is a thorough exploration of all those “ifs” in Nora’s life.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama (Author), and Alison Watts (Translator)
Now let’s step into another, slightly less mind-boggling library, the Community House Library in Tokyo, to meet its intimidating and enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.
While Sayuri is a fascinating character who maintains a meticulous balance of being reserved yet insightful, I wouldn’t call her the star of the show. No, the real focus of the story is her five customers, all at various crossroads in their lives. These include a retail assistant who fears she hasn’t done enough with her life, an overworked accountant who dreams of opening an antique store, a woman who has been sidelined at work after having a child, a manga artist looking for motivation and a retired man searching for new purpose.
Each chapter can be read as a standalone short story. They are formulaic but I wouldn’t necessarily call this a weakness, knowing each chapter flows in a similar fashion doesn’t take any of the enjoyment away from meeting a cast of well-written characters, each with their own anxieties and hopes. One way or another, each character finds their way to Sayuri and the Community House Library.
When meeting the formidable librarian, she gives them a list of book recommendations – but there is always one that seems out of place with the others. Which might be exactly what each character needs.
This is a book about possibilities and hope, it has a lovely message about the transformative power of books, but also actively making changes. The books that Sayuri suggests may be the catalysts for change, but each character has made the effort of interpreting the stories and find their own meaning.
