While reading this book, I had to remind myself that it was a memoir, not fiction, because it felt like one of those quirky, brief novels which the Japanese seem to do well! Nanako, the manager of a chain bookstore called The Village Vanguard, has come to a crossroads in her life. She’s enjoyed her years working as a bookseller, but the shop has changed. Moreover, she has left her husband, but the two of them haven’t quite decided to separate for good. When she signs up to a site called PerfectStranger, where people can meet up for scheduled chats, her unique point is that she promises to recommend a book to everyone she meets. After a learning curve, she meets some interesting friends and loves the challenge of recommending books. There is some commentary on men who join the site who are only after one thing. In the early days in particular, she met some who seemed nice but their behaviour became cringeworthy. Most of her meet-ups, however, went well and she acquired a huge social network.

I would have liked more background on Nanako as she seemed a bit mysterious. She loved bookshops, she liked alternative culture and going to restaurants in Tokyo, but that was about all I knew. There is a list of the books she recommended, but sadly it’s not much use if you don’t read Japanese, as the majority of them aren’t available in English. The events in the book happened several years ago and the social media references already seem outdated, such is the pace of technology. However, I’d recommend it; books about books are always interesting to book lovers!

First published in 2018. English translation by Cat Anderson published by Brazen (part of Octopus, Hachette), 2024.