What You Are Looking For Is in the Library Michiko Aoyama

“You know, I don’t believe that the power lies within the book itself. It’s you who draws it out. That is its true value.”

“To me, society is every single contact between one person and another. All the past and future events that happen when two paths cross.”

Review: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

I love this book!
But first, let me give you a brief intro on how I got it.

I’m a big believer in Marie Kondo’s philosophy—less is more. I’m a fan of minimalism, and if I haven’t used something for 6 months, I give it away. Everything… except books and board games. Because, let’s be honest, they often never get reprinted. Sick!

I’m also guilty of having the tsundoku (積ん読) habit—buying books and letting them pile up unread. So while chatting with a close friend I suggested: “Hey, let’s exchange books. That way we’re not buying new ones, but still get something fresh and interesting to read.”
And this is how it happened: after finishing this book, I asked my friend if I could keep it. XD I know, I’m the worst.

This book is so warm—it gives you hope and feels like a hug.

It tells the story of a few different people who all visit the same community library. Each of them gets a book that changes their perspective and, in turn, their life.

„Wie pan, mnie się wydaje, że społeczeństwo to każdy kontakt jednego człowieka z drugim. Wszystkie wydarzenia, przeszłe i przyszłe, do jakich dochodzi dzięki skrzyżowaniu się dróg dwóch osób.”
“To me, society is every single contact between one person and another. All the past and future events that happen when two paths cross.”

The librarian always asks them: “What do you need?” And that question sets the tone for every story. Each character has to face what they truly need. If the answer isn’t clear, the librarian chooses a book for them based on intuition:

„Wiesz, ja nie uważam, żeby w samej książce (...) kryła się jakaś siła. To ty z niej to wyczytałaś. To jest jej wartość.”
“You know, I don’t believe that the power lies within the book itself. It’s you who draws it out. That is its true value.”

Each of them finds truths hidden in these books that help them grow. Later, their lives overlap, and thanks to the books they were given, they end up helping each other. Absolutely amazing! It reminded me of Japan, where kindness flows in an endless loop.

One character struggles with the image she created for her friends and family versus how she truly feels about herself. Sounds familiar?

„Ale sama przeszłaś rekrutację, codziennie chodzisz do pracy i sama zarabiasz na chleb, prawda? Świetnie sobie radzisz. Trochę się wzruszyłam. Pierwszy raz ktoś tak po prostu zaakceptował mnie taką, jaka jestem.”
“But you passed the interview yourself, you go to work every day and earn your own bread, right? You’re doing great. I was really moved. For the first time, someone simply accepted me just the way I am.”

Another of my favorites: as someone who loves to deliver and solve problems, I really connected with this quote. So often I meet people who complain about their job, business, weight, whatever. But then I think: It’s your life—what did you actually do to change it?

Just push through! Even if it’s hard—remember the dung beetle that keeps going no matter what ;)

„Dobra, jedziemy jeszcze raz. Trzeba uczyć się na błędach i próbować do skutku.”
“Alright, let’s go again. You have to learn from your mistakes and keep trying until it works.”

„Sama jeszcze dokładnie nie wiem, co potrafię i czego chcę. Ale nie muszę się spieszyć ani robić nic na siłę. Na razie doprowadzam swoje życie do porządku. Robię to, co potrafię. Biorę to, co jest w zasięgu ręki. Zbieram doświadczenie.”
“I still don’t exactly know what I’m capable of or what I want. But I don’t need to rush or force anything. For now, I’m putting my life in order. I do what I can. I take what’s within my reach. I’m gathering experience.”

There will be plenty of people who won’t give you hope or will find your idea stupid. But everything is in your hands—don’t give up, just like one of the characters in the book:

„Ci, którzy dziś się ze mnie śmieją, będą robili to nadal, niezależnie od tego, co uda mi się osiągnąć. Zawsze będą doszukiwali się najdrobniejszej choćby skazy. Ale, wiesz, w ogóle nie interesuje mnie, co sobie będą myśleć ludzie, którzy nie przeczytali nawet linijki z tego, co napisałem. – Nie pragnę nikomu nic udowadniać.”
“Those who laugh at me today will keep laughing, no matter what I manage to achieve. They’ll always look for the tiniest flaw. But you know, I don’t care what people think when they haven’t read a single line of what I’ve written. I don’t want to prove anything to anyone.”

On the other hand—I always support others if their idea makes sense (okay, maybe not totally delusional projects). I know how much one hug or a pat on the back can change someone’s path. My husband always says: “Kto jak nie ty.”
To be fair, in my mind I always reply: “Literally everyone.” ;) But the truth is—I was really doing some serious stuff, and those words kept me going. So please—be kind to others, and if there’s even a small chance of success, be supportive.

„Nikt wokół nie wierzył, że zostanę pisarzem. Byłeś jedyną osobą, która powiedziała, że ci się spodobało i żebym się nie poddawał. Może już nie pamiętasz, ale twoje słowa przez ten cały czas dawały mi motywację, były amuletem, w którego działanie wierzyłem najmocniej.”
“Nobody around me believed I could become a writer. You were the only one who said you liked my work and told me not to give up. Maybe you don’t even remember, but your words motivated me all along—they were like a lucky charm I believed in the most.”

I also really liked this reflection, as someone who doesn’t like following the crowd:

„Karuzele? (…) Singielki zazdroszczą mężatkom, mężatki matkom, a matki singielkom. (…) Pamiętaj, w szczęściu nie ma lepszych czy gorszych, szczęście nie ma ustalonej formy.”
“The carousel? (…) Single women envy married ones, married women envy mothers, and mothers envy singles. (…) Remember, in happiness there is no better or worse, happiness has no fixed form.”

Everyone’s life and happiness is different.

Another favorite quote for anyone in a relationship: it’s funny but so true. Sometimes we expect our partner to read our minds, and when they don’t, we get upset. But clear communication works so much better:

„Ja, widzisz, potrzebuję konkretnej i jasnej informacji: że do zrobienia jest to, to i to. Emocjonalne ‘Mógłbyś więcej pomagać’ nie jest dla mnie czytelnym sygnałem.”
“You see, I need clear and precise information: that I should do this, this, and this. The emotional ‘You could help more’ is not a signal I can read.”

And lastly—as I try to stay open-minded—I even gave felting a try! In the book, the librarian not only recommended books but also gave out small felted gifts. I decided to try it with my friends. It was fun, messy… and a little bloody XD