Too many books and not enough time. Here are reviews of recent reads–novel edition.

What you are looking for is in the library

Written like a love letter to books and the joy of reading, What you are looking for is in the library, written by Michiko Aoyama, is whimsical, cozy, and a rewarding experience.

A collection of short stories interconnected by the librarian Ms. Komachi, the characters in this novel all find themselves seeking information from their local librarian and receive a list of recommended titles with a life-changing outlier, and a small felt figure. What each library patron learns from this symbolic bonus gift is personal and serves as life reminders for readers.

This title is an easy novel to recommend to those wanting to get back into reading as the love of books is on full display. Whether you want to read the full novel or just pick it up when you feel the need to experience a short story is an element that makes Aoyama’s creation so wonderful.

Short but mighty, there is a lot that can be received from this novel for those open to the recommendations by the fictional Ms. Komachi.

**Written by**
**Michiko Aoyama**
**Published by**
**Hanover Square Press**

Get your copy here.

The Namesake

Reading this novel feels like a close friend intimately sharing rich life experiences from the view of an immigrant family.

Written by Thumpa Lahiri, The Namesake follows the Ganguli family from the humble beginnings of Ashkoke and Ashima in India to their son Gogol’s story of growing up in the United States.

Emotional and deeply personal, many moments of being human are captured beautifully in Lahiri’s writing style. Despite being centered on one family, the time in which this novel covers is vast, reminding readers that grandiose journeys are not limited to epic tales, but within the time that always continues in our own little worlds.

**Written by**
**Thumpa Lahiri**
**Published by**
**Mariner Book Classics**

Get your copy here.

Be Water, My Friend

Written by Shannon Lee, daughter of the late Bruce Lee, this book incorporates the philosophies and background of Bruce while including personal moments from Shannon.

While self-help books have lately become a source of discussion on how they influence readers for better or worse, Be Water, My Friend never aims to remind the reader of their greatness, but presents direct truths that must be accepted while reminding one of their ability to face adversities.

There are many quote-worthy lines in this title and the philosophies around willpower and humility from Bruce Lee are equally inspiring and critical in an age of influencers and social media.

Everyone has goals and when life decides to throw a wrench in plans its titles like Be Water My Friend that act as a framework of how we redirect our lives. Even though everyday might feel like it is the same, as Shannon Lee notes, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

In other words, it’s our choices and growth that make everyday exciting.

**Written by**
**Shannon Lee**
**Published by**
**Flatiron Books**

Get your copy here.

Giovanni’s Room

Written by James Baldwin, this title not only was ahead of its time but has also stood the test of time despite some problematic elements.

This story follows David, an American in Paris in the 1950s, as he opens himself to a new world and experiences as he leans into his sexuality. Despite having a girlfriend named Hella, he connects with Giovanni, an Italian bartender, and begins a romance whose ending is assumed to be tragic.

Readers may liken this story to The Sun Also Rises from Ernest Hemingway not just in the prose but also the way in which the narration brings characters in and out of the story as David meanders through Paris, its streets, and of course its bars.

While the complex themes of inner struggles of a gay man act as the forefront of discussion, some readers may view the misogynist and one-dimensional representation of women to hold back what otherwise is an important novel that was incredibly progressive when it was first published, and would still be considered progressive today.