SANTA MONICA, CA — Santa Monica Public Library, in partnership with the Japan America Society of Southern California, is pleased to announce the 2026 Santa Monica Reads community reading program, featuring the internationally bestselling novel What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by acclaimed Japanese author Michiko Aoyama.
Santa Monica Reads invites those who live, work, study, or visit Santa Monica to come together around a shared book, fostering connection through reading, conversation, and community programming. The 2026 selection, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, is a heartwarming novel that follows five individuals whose lives are quietly transformed through the thoughtful book recommendations of a wise neighborhood librarian, Sayuri Komachi.
As part of the program, Santa Monica Public Library will host a series of free book discussions and special events throughout the city, highlighted by a special in‑person appearance by Michiko Aoyama during her first‑ever American book tour.
Special Author Event
An Afternoon with Michiko Aoyama
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Santa Monica Public Library, Main Library — MLK Jr. Auditorium
Admission: Free; seating available on a first‑come, first‑served basis
During this special event, Michiko Aoyama will discuss What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, the 2026 Santa Monica Reads selection. A book signing will follow. The event is open to all ages.
Widely known for her uplifting and heartwarming “healing fiction,” Michiko Aoyama is a multimillion‑copy bestselling author in Japan. Her writing draws on a background in journalism and magazine editing, and her work has received international recognition.
Additional Santa Monica Reads Programs
Santa Monica Reads will also include moderated book discussions at multiple library branches, as well as a hands‑on needle‑felting workshop inspired by the novel. These programs are free and open to the public, with some events requiring advance arrival due to limited space and supplies.
Needle Felting Program
Saturday, March 14, 1-3 pm
Santa Monica Library Pico Branch, 2201 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
Learn how to needle felt like librarian Sayuri Komachi from Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. Instructor Alexis Kavros will teach and demonstrate the basics of needle felting so participants can make their own small, fuzzy keepsake to take home. No experience needed and materials will be provided. Space and supplies are limited.
Book Discussions
A moderated discussion of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama.
Thursday, February 19, 6-7:30 pm
Montana Branch, 1704 Montana Ave.
Tuesday, March 3, 6:30-7:45 pm
Fairview Branch, 2101 Ocean Park Blvd.
Saturday, March 14, 10:30 am – Noon
Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica Reads 2026 runs from Monday, February 2, through Saturday, March 14. Free copies of Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For Is in the Library are available at all locations of Santa Monica Public Library, while supplies last.
About the Author: Michiko Aoyama
Michiko Aoyama was born in 1970 and raised in Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. She attended Chukyo University and after graduation, traveled to Australia on a cultural exchange visa for youth. Aoyama stayed in Australia for three years and worked in Sydney as a reporter for a Japanese newspaper.
At age 25, she moved back to Japan to work as a magazine editor and writer in Tokyo.
A lover of reading and writing since childhood, Aoyama began releasing her fictional short stories and light novels into the world in the 2000s, and they started placing for Japanese literature awards in 2003. Her 2017 debut novel, Hot Chocolate on Thursday, won a Japanese literary award that the same year and launched her career as a novelist.
After its publishing in 2020, What You Are Looking Fos Is in the Library was a 2023 Time Book of the Year and a New York Times Book of the Month.