Kyoko Tanihara still loves books. Just about.

But life at the Musashino Bookstore is starting to get her down. Instead of promoting her favorite stories, she finds herself distracted, tearing her hair out at the mere sight of her infuriating manager, who can't seem to do anything but get in her way of success.

From his obsession with self-helps books to his "inspirational" speeches at staff meetings, everything about Takeru Yamamoto seems designed to set her teeth on edge. As the store lurches from crisis to crisis, facing criticism from customers and authors alike, only the prospect of changing a life by handing over the perfect book keeps her going.

Until one day she is handed a book that speaks to all her frustrations, and opens her eyes to an alarming possibility. What if there's actually more to Yamamoto's obnoxious antics than meets the eye? What if, just maybe, her manager isn't so stupid after all?

A winning blend of slice-of-life (somewhat romantic, occasionally ludicrous) comedy, satire and drama with a pinch of mystery to spice things up, How Can My Manager Be So Stupid is the perfect read for anyone who has felt that they can't even . . . with the idiots that walk among us.

Translated from the Japanese by Haydn Trowell