Convenience Store Woman was such a delightful read! I did not want to put it down, so I didn't, except for bathroom breaks. Which is actually easy since there are no chapters, it's super short, and Keiko's narrative is completely engrossing. Keiko was an odd child who grew up to be an odd woman. But really she might be the most normal person since she's extremely observant and continues to live a life that is comfortable for her without bowing to society's pressure to get married, get a real job, and have children. She's perfectly fine working in the same convenience store she's been employed at for the past eighteen years.
Convenience Store Woman was almost a five-star read for me, but it lost me a bit toward the middle when Keiko starts interacting with Shiraha. This guy is awful. He's also odd, and rebuff's society's standards. But instead of taking Keiko's approach to just living how she wants, he decides he wants to hide away from it all and "get revenge" on women. Ew. I felt bad for Keiko having to put up with him, but she was trying on the "normal" hat for size to get her peers off her back. It doesn't work though, and Keiko does what she does best. Greets customers, straighten shelves, and rings up groceries. Nothing wrong with that.