How Can My Manager Be So Stupid?: The outrageously entertaining Japanese bestseller about a bookstore clerk clinging onto her love for books against all odds | Kazumasa Hayami, Haydn Trowell

One of BookBub‘s Best Literary Fiction of the Month

“For anyone who’s ever looked at their manager and thought ‘why are you like this?’ this Japanese bestseller about a bookstore worker and her (stupid) manager, is the perfect read.” —Forbes

“A charming slice-of-life novel . . . Hayami balances workplace humor with thoughtful observations about burnout, leadership, and the quiet struggles people carry behind the scenes. Warm, understated, and surprisingly touching, this is an enjoyable read for fans of character driven fiction.” —Booklist

“Hayami deftly portrays both the comical frustrations and the genuine joys of working without proper compensation in a passion career. Anyone who has left work mentally composing a resignation letter will enjoy this quirky slice-of-life story.” —Library Journal

“The novel is dryly humorous with an entertaining ending that may divide readers. A cathartic and witty novel that underscores the power of a good book—and a good bookstore.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Utterly delightful—the perfect mix of wry humor, fascinating characters, and heartfelt thoughts on what it means to understand the world through stories. It was a treat to sink into this witty bookish world, and the main character balances both cynicism and optimism on a knife edge, which is so very relatable in this uncertain world. It’s one of those rare books that, when I finished, I wanted to turn back to the first page and start again, greeting the characters like friends.” —Kristen Perrin, New York Times bestselling author of How to Solve Your Own Murder

“On the cusp of thirty, bookseller Kyoko Tanihara lives paycheck to paycheck, alone in a tiny book-filled apartment, juggling her jaded frustrations with the retail hierarchy and her earnest, ardent love for reading. Winsome, silly, poignant, and utterly relatable, How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? reminds us of the importance of both losing ourselves and finding ourselves in a good book.” —Mara Faye Lethem, author of A Person’s A Person, No Matter How Small and translator of Beatriz Serrano’s Discontent 

“Teeming with small bookish delights and hilarious bookish catastrophes, How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? is a love letter to books and bookstores and a charming, delightful gem.” —Susan Coll, USA Today bestselling author of Bookish People and forthcoming Word Salad

“A wry read perfect for anyone who’s ever worked a customer-facing job and has felt their soul slowly wither away. How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? balances wit, humor, and heart to spin a compelling story filled with book love and big feelings.” —Mackenzie Reed, author of I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell 

Praise from Booksellers in Japan 

“Hayami, are you hiding something? Do you secretly work in a bookstore? It all feels way too real. Ever since I read Innocent Days, I’ve been suffering from sleepless nights. How Can My Manager Be So Stupid?, on the other hand, helped me vent all my pent-up frustration, so that one gave me a great night’s sleep.” 

“I want this book to reach more than just people in the bookselling world—I want all kinds of people to read it. It might even make someone think, ‘Maybe I’ll wait one more day before handing in the resignation letter I’ve got tucked away in my bag.’ I’m rooting for Hayami and the way he takes on his novels without shying away from taboo subjects.”