分类: Healing Fiction - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

They Mostly Come at Night

2/2/2026

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada
Translated by Philip Gabriel

The Night Library is only open at night and has a very specific purpose: displaying and protecting the book collections once owned by deceased authors. The staff all have their own stories about how they came to be at the Night Library and all of them have secrets - but the greatest secret is the identity of the library's mysterious owner.

I think I was about fifty pages in when I realised that I absolutely adored this book. Dinner at the Night Library may not feature any magic or dream-like sequences, but it is still utterly magical and dreamy. Character development may seem non-existent at first, but then it creeps up on you at unexpected moments. The mystery surrounding the owner was handled in a similar way...teased for a while and then suddenly resolved in the most perfect way. I'm so fascinated by the Night Library and dearly wish I could visit it in real life!

Comfort Food

17/1/2026

The Menu of Happiness (The Kamogawa Food Detectives #3)
by Hisashi Kashiwai
Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Don't expect anything different in this book than in the two that precede it. I'm not saying this is entirely a bad thing, since Kashiwai's writing is a lot like comfort food (especially on a rainy day like today)... but it never quite reaches the same heights as other books in the healing fiction genre. I think his stories need a more tangible connection between them and Koishi especially needs more development beyond "could possibly have a thing with that guy but for some reason won't".

Books are Where the Heart is

10/1/2026

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Yakura Asakura
Translated by Yuka Maeno

In a place that isn't quite here, and the right conditions are met, you will find a bookshop staffed by a young woman and a calico cat. Perhaps you will also find the answers you seek, or the ones you need the most.

I always enjoy these types of novels, where a bit of nonsensical magic helps an array of characters come to terms with something in their lives. Healing fiction is a true balm for the soul. The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop is a great example of the genre and Asakura's clear and deep love of literature elevates the reading experience.

Hungry Hungry Happiness

17/9/2025

The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama
Translated by Takami Nieda

I adore healing fiction and I adored What You Are Looking For is in the Library, so of course I had to locate this book at my local library. It was the delightful palate cleanser I needed. Aoyama's characters always feel so real and have struggles that feel so similar to my own. As they heal, so do I. Or it feels like it, anyway... I will say that this one didn't captivate me quite as much, though it's still a great read.

Letters from the Heart

30/5/2025

Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda
Translated by Emily Balistrieri

Healing fiction is probably my favourite genre at the moment. Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop is yet another entry in an increasingly crowded market, but its gentle rhythm and exploration of the most momentous moments in the character's lives will still win you over. By the time you reach the last page, you will not view writing as merely an art - you will realise it's also one of the greatest gifts we can give others.

Convenience & Healing

2/3/2025

The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida
Translated by Bruno Navasky

"Talent is being able to keep going."

The Golden Villa Tenderness branch in Mojiko is a place where people can shop, gather, and meet an array of peculiar people. There's Shiba, the store manager, whose beauty stirs up a frenzy among his fans. There's Tsugi, the Whatever Guy, who fixes any kind of problem. There's Mitsuri, who moonlights as a manga artist. Whoever you are, Tenderness will offer you surprising comfort.

If you love healing fiction, then The Convenience Store by the Sea will completely absorb you into its gentle rhythm, until you feel like you are inhabiting its laidback seaside setting - and you'll have no intention of leaving voluntarily. Not only that, this book touches on themes that are relevant to so many. Occasionally, you will need to pause to take in a profound moment or message. I'll be waiting impatiently for the next translated instalment.

Nostalgia is on the Menu

29/10/2024

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

The Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto offers not only good food, but also the opportunity to relive a dish from your past. Give as many details as you can remember and the food detectives will hunt down the ingredients - which includes just the right amount of nostalgia.

This was a nice change from other books that use a similar approach. It's more grounded, the repetition in each story was not so obvious, and the reader is allowed to make their own observations without the answer being presented to them in an obvious manner. Also I'm now very hungry...for some reason...!

Sweet Bean Heartbreak

20/10/2024

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

Sentaro spends his days making and selling dorayaki, working tirelessly to repay a debt to his deceased employer. His heart is never in it. But then one day Tokue, an old woman, offers to make the sweet bean paste for him, asking for minimal wages. Sentaro might have a past and yet so does she. And Tokue might have more to offer him than incredible sweet bean paste.

What a small, unassuming treasure this book turned out to be. The gentle rhythm of Sentaro going to work and learning to make sweet bean paste was really soothing - and slowly the mystery of Tokue unfolded, which was absolutely heartbreaking and evoked a myriad of emotions in me. Sukegawa seems to have use this book as a vehicle for a topic that's very important to him. I'm glad I learned about people in Tokue's situation.

It's Raining Cats and More Cats

13/10/2024

She and her Cat by Makoto Shinkai & Nakuri Nagakawa
Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

The cats in one particular neighbourhood might have their own territories, but they are friendly with each other due to the wisdom of an old dog - but what they really have in common are the bonds they form with the human women in their lives. Cats may be small and may not be able to eat whatever they want, but they have the power to encourage change.

I absolutely adored this book! As a bonus, I actually had the opportunity to read it all in one sitting without any distractions and I'm so glad I did. The stories are so gentle. The cats are so precious. The growth the women in these pages experience is slow - at times painfully so - but that's what makes their stories so realistic. And now I find myself waiting for a cat to enter my life and bring change with it!

More Books & Much Better

12/10/2024

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop #2)
by Satoshi Yagisawa

Takako's life has changed for the better after her days at the Morisaki Bookshop. She has maintained the friendships she made there and continues to drop by and help her uncle on her days off. Her uncle's shop is a comforting constant in her life. But not everything stays the same and not everything - or everyone - is a constant.

This was exactly what I wanted the first book to be. Yagisawa's writing skills clearly improved between the two instalments and the bookshop finally had some real life breathed into it. As before, the gentle rhythm of the plot was soothing. I quickly remembered the characters and how much I liked them - in fact, I liked them more this time around. Sometimes the sequel really is better!