Quit Your Job & Open a Bookshop: 3 Reads You'll Love | Reads with Alicia

From What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show by Laura R Yamin

May 18, 2026 · 21 min

About this episode

Alicia shares her love for books about women who quit their jobs to open bookshops, featuring three lesser-known reads.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What if your dream bookshop was hiding inside the pages of a book? This week's guest is making that fantasy feel very real. London-based bookworm and Substack newsletter writer Alicia joins us to share her love of a very specific and very delightful trope: woman quits job to open a bookshop. If you've ever fantasized about leaving it all behind for a life surrounded by shelves and the smell of old paper, Alicia has three gorgeous, lesser-known reads that will feed that daydream beautifully. From translated Japanese fiction to a moving Korean novel, these books explore healing, community, and the quiet courage it takes to build a life you actually want — even when you're not sure you're ready. 📚 Books Mentioned The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Memoir | A quiet, insightful look at the world of bookselling and how small changes create big impact. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa — Buy on Amazon | Japanese Translated Fiction / Contemporary | A healing, character-driven story about a woman who finds herself — slowly — through books…

People in this episode

Host: Laura R Yamin

Guest: Alicia

Topics covered

book recommendations
bookshops
personal transformation
translated fiction
women's stories

Keywords

bookshop
book recommendations
translated fiction
women's stories
personal growth

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Bookshop Woman, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

Places: London, Korea, Japan