My Book-filled adventure to Japan
By Zahara
Bookseller, Birdie Books
Aug 25, 2026
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These past two weeks, I took a step out of my usual routine of selling books, sipping lattes, and combating temperamental Ohio weather – into bustling streets of Tokyo, thousand-year-old temples of Kyoto, and active volcanoes in Hakone! Despite being on the other side of the world, this bookseller could not part from her pages… So, here’s a peek into the little pieces of Birdie that made it all the way to Japan!
First up on this crazy journey was the fourteen-hour plane ride. Some may see these fourteen hours confined in a metal tube in the sky as a medieval torture device of boredom, but I took it as the perfect opportunity to kick off this reading log. What better way to start than How to Survive Camping by Bonnie Quinn. This is the first book in the series, written by a local author, and a phenomenal kickoff to a reading journey, as it will keep you on the edge of your seat from front to back. A quick book, perfect for getting out of a reading slump (which is essential for two weeks’ worth of books sitting in your carry-on). I’m not huge into the horror genre just yet, so this was exactly what I needed to introduce myself into the scare zone.
Fourteen hours later… we made it to Tokyo! I was absolutely blown away by the sheer size of the city. There’s so much to see… and a ton to eat (I am still dreaming about the shrimp and rice noodles I had in the Tokyo Sky-Tree food court). After a couple of days in the city, I quickly realized that there’s no coffee quite like a One Line Coffee (Birdie Books’ coffee bean supplier). Let's just say I was maybe missing our baristas more than anyone at home… and yes, that is definitely my good ol’ American caffeine addiction talking. I began counting down the seconds until I was reunited with my salted caramel vanilla (add extra vanilla and cold foam) latte. But mediocre forms of caffeine did not entail a mediocre read. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson was exactly what I needed during these “tired” times, because this thriller kept me up all night at the edge of my seat!
Away from big city living and onto adventuring through historic temples and befriending stray cats… hello Kyoto! This was my favorite place we visited. The perfect combination of slow life and stopping to smell the roses, but not totally estranged from civilization. Speaking of estrangement, the most astute word to describe Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Still on the thriller high, I recommend this title for anyone who enjoys psychological scares. While not the perfect text for this setting, I could picture reading this one on a dark, stormy day from the Birdie Books cafe (because yes, I am still thinking about coffee).
We venture further and further into seclusion when we reach Hakone. A quiet mountain town amongst thick gusts of misty wind. This is definitely the coldest I’ve felt on this trip, much to the contradiction of the warm fluffy love in Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask. At this point of the trip, I think I’ve exhausted as much psychological warfare as one could endure. The quietness of nighttime in Hakone is definitely nightmare fuel when combined with my previous literary selections. Hence, why I decided to go with this fun and fast romance! I would hand this off to anyone looking for something quick, airy, and transitional for those “between” genre reads.
At the end of our travels, another fourteen-hour flight sits between me and my Birdie Bunch. As much as I have adored this trip, I truly am missing my home away from home and the staff that brings me sunshine every day. So, what perfect way to commemorate this reunion with some romantasy! For this last stretch, I picked up The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. I am not a huge fantasy reader, so this was a great easing into the universe when combined with some incredible world-building and an adorable love story! It had all the cozy and family elements that I was missing from Birdie; therefore, a fitting last read of the trip.
Overall, it was a wonderful adventure accompanied by some awesome reads, but I am happy to be home and hope to see all you dear readers in the store very soon. Make sure to come on in and take a peek at these titles… and of course, stop in and grab a vanilla caramel latte in my honor…I can now surely say there’s none quite like it across the entire globe.
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