A sweet YA book set in Japan about a boy and a cat that go on adventures from his grandfather's bookstore. These quests involve rescuing books and are really discussions about the love of reading and how books still have a place in today's world

I requested The Cat Who Saved Books as it features two of my favourite things, not realising that it was aimed at YA readers. While this does not make it unsuitable for adult readers, it probably explains why I found it a bit unsatisfying. Despite it being a fairly short book, it took me several goes to finish it as I was not sufficiently gripped each time I picked it up. It is well written and expertly translated from the Japanese, but it fell short of what I was expecting. Also, the cat does not feature as strongly as the title suggests. I can see The Cat Who Saved Books would work well as a Studio Ghibli film. The story explores themes of not fitting in, grief, loss and loneliness with great sensitivity, and I totally agree with the idea that reading creates empathy, and it doesn’t matter what you read as long as you do. Thanks to Picador and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

This was a really cute book covering some quite deep topics like death, but very sensitively and written about so beautifully. I love the simplicity of Japanese translated fiction, but the ability to still create such a beautifully imagined world.

This is a fun little story about the love of books and reading.
Tiger the Tabby takes Rintaro, a quiet high school boy who has just lost his grandfather, on various adventures through a labyrinth to help save books from bad owners and there is a lot of deep meaning going on. I loved the characters and the message the book provides for its readers. On the journey, Rintaro finds himself once again and makes friends to create a lovely story about love, loss, friendship and the love of books.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. I love the premise of The Cat Who Saved Books but couldn’t get into the story and ended up not finishing. I just think this one wasn’t for me.

I suppose this book would fit into genres about reading as well as Fantasy or Magical realism. It is by an author I have not read before.

It's main theme is "the power of books". It has a small cast of characters
Rintaro a senior in high school whose grandfather (who he lived with) has just died.
A tabby cat called Tiger - who only appears to some people and
Sayo - a concerned school friend(female).

In the days following his grandfather's death the Tiger recruits Rintaro to stop the damage occurring to books by leading him into 3 labyrinths. Sayo gets herself involved inadvertently.

Do his interventions work? Why is he so interested in saving the book? These questions will be answered in the storyline.

For me the book is all too bland - the labyrinths feel just too easy. It is almost child like in it's unravelling. I was not impressed.

Rintaro's grandfather ran the old book shop where folk can to browse but mostly didn't buy much. Rintaro was a quiet shy boy. He loved the bookshop & his grandfather & when Grandfather dies it looks like he will lose both. In the days before he is due to leave he skips school & wanders through the shelves he meets a rather abrasive talking tabby cat that demands he comes with him in order to save books. Along with his class president who comes to see if he is alright they visit strange places with strange people who have even stranger ideas about books.

This is a lovely gentle tale where it is necessary to leave practicalities aside & enjoy the trip. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is such a delightful read! I mean, I'm a cat lover anyway so Sosuke had me at the title... but I loved the Narnia feel to this, going into the different realms and uncovering something unexpected about life and relationships, and books of course. I so enjoyed how this nudged my brain in a different direction as I was reading and will make sure I chat about this on Times Radio as it deserves a wide readership. Gorgeous writing.

This was an enchanting short novel about my two favourite things… cats and books. I loved the supernatural elements of the plot, exploring different worlds of books. There were so many powerful messages about the importance of books and how they fit into our culture. Whilst the translation may have impacted on the quality of the writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the sentiment behind the book and would recommend to any book lovers.

This book included 2 of my favourite things, cats and books, what’s more to love. This is a charming, small book, that was so easy to read. It includes a talking cat and other supernatural aspects. Very charming and uplifting read.

Cats and books?! What more could you possibly need! Sosuke Natsukawa's book has been translated from Japanese to reach the international audience and so brings this quirky, sweet and charming tale to the English language. The is a short book, at just over 200 pages, and for anyone who has read similar offerings from Japan you will be pleased with The Cat Who Saved Books. There's a bookstore and a talking cat; this is definitely one for booklovers and collectors.

A boy is left alone when his grandfather dies. He becomes lonely and stops going to school, finding comfort in his grandfather’s book shop instead. He is greeted one day by a talking cat. A friend from school rallies round to help him and together they try to solve some riddles linked to books which the cat says must be solved.. Unfortunately this book didn’t really capture my interest. I found it a bit slow and underwhelming. Thank you to Sosuke Natsukawa, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written novel about a Rintaro Natsuke, a timid and well-read student, who lives with his grandfather. When his grandfather dies, Rinato has the grief of loss, both of his grandfather, and his grandfather’s bookshop, which is being sold. When a talking cats appears, asking for Rintaro’s help to save books, despite his reservations, he launches himself onto a new adventure, expanding his mind, his heart and his life.

This is a relatively short read, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of this novel which deals with the topic of loss in a very unusual way!

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this wonderful novel.

Rintaro Natsuki is a quiet boy who shuts himself away from the world inside his grandfather’s antique bookshop. He loses himself in books and stories and the wonderful space his grandfather has created there is a haven for him. Sadly though it cannot last, and he stands to lose it all when his grandfather passes away. Rintaro will have to close down the bookshop for good and go and live with his aunt, starting over again somewhere he doesn’t want to be. He stops going to school, recedes even further from the outside world and gives up all hope, until the day a big, ginger tomcat with a sharp tongue turns up in his shop. He says that only certain people can see him and asks Rintaro to accompany him on a mission to save some books from a terrible fate. Will Rintaro manage it and will he find light in the darkness again?

I really enjoyed this book and its whimsical, easy to read tone. With the four missions Rintaro goes on it put me in mind of Before the Coffee Goes Cold in terms of its structure and the way in which Rintaro grows as a character the the story goes on. I loved Tiger the cat but wanted more from him somehow, especially since he features in the title; the story focuses on Rintaro rather than Tiger so that’s a little misleading in retrospect. I was also constantly worried something was going to happen to Tiger 😆 but thankfully he made it through ok! (Spoiler but animal lovers will thank me!).

It did make me think about the way we treat books too, and I came away feeling like I ought to reread the ones I love most in my own collection. I get a bit precious and don’t want to damage the covers or bend the spines etc but books are there to be read! All in all I didn’t love it as much as the BTCGC books but it’s in the same vein so if you liked those you’ll enjoy this too. It’s a nice, short read that’s uplifting and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something a bit unusual, quick and quirky.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
One of my 2021 reading goals that I didn’t fare too well with was to read more translated fiction. So at the end of the year I decided to pick up this slim volume to try and rectify my poor translated fiction stats for the year.
I haven’t read all that much Japanese translated works, and I’m not a big fantasy/magical realism kind of reader either, so maybe you’d think this wasn’t the book for me. But I love books (obviously) and I love cats (I’m a veterinary nurse) so I decided to give it a try. And this small book was the biggest love letter to books and reading there ever was. I did find it a bit of a wild and wacky ride at times but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it explored the theme of grief and loss very sensitively and movingly.
I read the digital arc for this book, however I have seen the physical copy of the book and it is a thing of beauty- really well designed and put together and I just thought I had to mention that.
I feel inspired now to take further tentative steps into the world of Japanese translated works, and I thoroughly recommend this book for anyone wishing to join me on that journey.

A book with a talking cat and a bookstore is almost irresistible for a book lover :)

A very quick and charming read, beautifully translated by Louise Heal Kawai. Would definitely recommend to everyone who enjoys stories such as "Before the Cofee gets Cold".

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa (Translated by Louise Heal Kawai) is a powerful book about books. It is also a journey of self-discovery and growing in character.
We learn the value of books. They are to be savored. They are written to be read and not locked away in display cases, never to be touched again. Stories can teach us things. They can also fire up our imaginations.
We see that the richest people are those who have friends. The love of money will always lead to dissatisfaction as we strive to get more, more, more. “Once you got thinking about money there was no end to it.” When the grasping of money rules your life, you will never have enough.
In contrast, to have compassion is priceless. We need to be able to see life through the eyes of others.
I really loved The Cat Who Saved Books and read it in just one sitting. I cannot wait to read more by this author.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A gorgeous little read about love, loss, and cats. I couldn’t put it down and have bought it for two friends for Christmas.

A real disappointment. I usually love translated fiction, especially this particular genre of cat-centred literature, but this book was a real chore. Preachy, pompous and full of superiority, the challenges were dull and the endless monologues on the right way to read were exhausting. Also not entirely sure of the audience, it reads as rather dreary middle grade and is incredibly repetitive.

I loved this book it was quirky, funny, light hearted, and a wonderful story for someone who likes cats and is a book lover. Translated well also.