5th January 2026

The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada (translated by Cat Anderson)

It felt appropriate to start off these reviews with the book that inspired the idea. The Bookshop Woman is a short 200-page read that packs a powerful message. It is the non-fiction story of Nanako Hanada herself and it begins with her recently homeless, separated from her husband and becoming increasingly disillusioned in her job, with no close friends or family to lean on. She downloads an app called ‘PerfectStrangers’, the tagline of which is: ‘Spend just half an hour chatting to someone new.’

The rest of the book follows Nanako’s experience of this app. She styles her profile as being able to recommend the perfect book and (accompanied by charming line portraits) she takes us through the most interesting and impactful people she meets – and the books she recommends to them. Over the course of the book, she builds a solid community around herself, takes risks that she never would have before and works through her problems to figure out where she wants her life to be.

I found this book so personally touching. It gave me a strong desire to get more involved with my local community, try new things (like writing book reviews!) and seize hold of joy as I find it. The plain-language writing style is relatable and grounded, Nanako herself coming across as a practical and honest narrator. She doesn’t shy away from some of the tough decisions she makes, nor does she glorify them. It reminds me of some of my dad’s best advice. “Making the decision is the hardest part. Once you’ve done that, the dominoes of what’s next just fall into place.”

A particularly fun aspect of this book is the list of recommendations at the end. Not only is there a compilation of all the books Nanako recommended to her meet-ups throughout, but there is a list of recommendations from the author for those who liked The Bookshop Woman, which I felt was a nice touch, although there are unfortunately quite a few of them with no English translations at the moment, so I can only go so far down the recommendation rabbit hole.

I think of this book as a cosy read, despite being non-fiction, and I would recommend it for anyone who feels stuck in a rut. Nanako’s struggles feel very tangible. Who hasn’t worked a job they stopped loving over time, or been through a breakup, or been unsure what they wanted? Who hasn’t felt a longing for something more? The Bookshop Woman explores this incredibly human feeling and leaves the reader (or at least, left me) inspired to take actionable steps to try and involve themself more in the community around them. For me, this was not only to help Ellipsis grow, but to help myself grow too. Supporting local businesses, joining an in-person book club, taking part in networking events and building strong relationships with my local clients. An ongoing journey, but definitely a worthwhile one.