2026 Hoopla Reading Challenge: Healing Fiction Picks 

The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard 

Following a cat through his nine lives in Edinburgh, the novel begins in 1902, when Grimalkin becomes the Ghost Cat, haunting an old tenement for 120 years. Over time, he observes the city’s transformation and inhabitants and discovers reflections on existence, time, and lasting feline companionship. 

The Second Chance Convenience Store by Ho-Yeon Kim  

Dok-go, living in Seoul Station with no memory of his past, finds a lost wallet that changes his life. The store owner (and former teacher) Mrs. Yeom offers him kindness—and a job—after he saves her store. As he becomes part of the community, someone is determined to dig up his past. 

What You Are Looking for Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama 

In Tokyo, enigmatic librarian Sayuri Komachi asks each visitor what they’re truly seeking, intuitively recommending the perfect book. As people at crossroads in work and dreams visit her library, her unexpected choices spark reflection, guidance, and quietly life-changing transformations. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and read by Arina Ii 

In a hidden Tokyo alley, a century-old café offers more than coffee: a chance to revisit the past. Over one summer, four patrons attempt time travel, discovering strict rules apply—especially that each journey lasts only until their cup of coffee grows cold. 

The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa and read by Kaipo Schwab 

Young Hisataro Fuchigami randomly relives a day nine different times. When his grandfather is murdered, he must use each loop to uncover clues, navigate family motives, and solve the mystery before his time-bending power expires. Witty and playful. 

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee and read by Shannon Tyo 

Hidden within the collective subconscious, a magical dream department store welcomes humans and animals alike. New employee Penny navigates whimsical colleagues and curious customers when a priceless dream is stolen, uncovering the enchanting rules of this surreal world. 

In the Twilight of Our Adolescence by Waka Hayashi 

This slice-of-life manga follows two boys growing from adolescence into adulthood. Popular, accomplished Yusei forms a quiet, secret bond with overlooked classmate Nakagawa as they experience friendship, love, mistakes, and the tender uncertainties of youth and everyday life. 

Seoul Before Sunrise by Samir Dahmani 

Friends Seong-ji and Ji-won drift apart after starting university in Seoul. Balancing studies and night shifts, Seong-ji meets a mysterious woman who paints empty homes, drawing her into a quiet, dreamlike world where creativity, loss, and self-discovery intertwine. 

A Silent Voice Vol. 1 by Yoshitoki Oima 

Shoya, once a school bully, tormented Shoko, a deaf classmate, driving her to leave. Years later, they reunite, forcing Shoya to confront his past and seek redemption—but can he truly make amends for the pain he once caused? 

Stray by Ryu Kamio 

After nine years imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Hachiya Ken is finally free, but his past looms large. Confronted by Hana, the spirited daughter of a ghost from his history, they face betrayal, power, and political corruption, forcing Ken to seek redemption.