I love cats, and books, so I was always going to love this. Left on his own to run a book shop, the cat appears to assist him in his task, and also help him realise his potential. Gentle, likeable characters, lovely fantasy tale

Cats and Books. This novel had me before I even got to the first page.

There is something whimsical about the front cover that immediately pulled me in.

This book is only about 224 pages so it isn’t a long read but it’s an interesting, sweet, compelling story.

Rintaro is a guarded character at the beginning as he is grieving the loss of his beloved Grandfather and is facing a complete life change as a result. He is due to move and has to put his Grandfather’s bookshop up for sale. I think he’s someone a lot of people will find relatable and easy to empathise with.

Instead of going to school, Rintaro decides to work in the bookshop. One of his classmates, Sayo refuses to give up on him and goes to the shop every day to try and persuade him to come to school.

Sayo is a complete contrast to the restrained Rintaro and I found their dynamic interesting – what they bought out in each other.

Tiger the Cat. I loved him. Well he’s a cat so there was never any question. He appears and asks Rintaro for help in freeing imprisoned and mistreated books and as a book lover, I found this premise incredibly appealing. It made me think of all the books lining my bookshelves and the ever growing TBR pile – all those stories just sitting there; ones I’ve read or books still waiting to be discovered. This novel also shines a light on how important books are.

I felt so heartbroken at many points in this novel, especially when the books were being thrown out of the window and getting damaged. However, there were some life affirming moments too. This book really did make me think. It’s about learning to care about people, life and finding the courage to do what is right for you.

If you’e looking for something different that makes you feel all of the emotions, then this book is perfect. I really enjoyed it.

I still don't know exactly how I feel about this book. It was intriguing and the almost philosophical elements were so interesting and it made me think. However, and it could potentially be because of the translation, the tone was a bit too dry for me, it felt very clinical, and I didn't get pulled into the story or care about the characters.
The magical realism aspects that were introduced were nice, but so unexpected and felt almost out of different book. I think a lot of this is based on what I expected of this book - something a bit more realistic based in a bookshop, rather than an allegory about 'loving books'.
That said, it's a short read, I would recommend it for those who love books and enjoy Japanese literature.

I have a soft spot for books by Japanese authors, even while I often find the stories quite enchantingly strange and slightly out of my reach. This was no exception and I enjoyed it while never quite being able to lose myself in it. But at the end of the day - cats and books...cant go wrong with that combination in a title :)

The blurb on this title tells you all you need to know about the contents of the book.. It is quite succinct and that adds to its charm. The title will attract book lovers and therefore the story will be preaching to the converted.
Rintaro is a shy, withdrawn student who thinks his peers will not miss him if he is absent from school and 'books' are his solace.
Tiger (made me think of The Tiger who came to Tea!) is the humorous, quirky angle and the instrument to move to each of the 'labyrinths'.
Definitely a thought-provoking read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sosuke Natsukawa/Pan Macmillan Picador for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was initially drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover as I adore cats and books. But this story is so much more than its cute cover. The author Sosuke Natsukawa took me on a surprising journey. A journey filled with a love for books and a love for your home.

Rintaro lives with his grandad above their beloved bookshop, when his grandad sadly passes away Rintaro feels very lost and his world as he knew it is quite empty. The arrival of a talking cat called Tiger gives Rintaro the opportunity to look at life differently.

The Cat Who Saved Books is quite a philosophical read dealing with grief and loneliness. It also looks at the plethora of light, hopefulness, inspiration, courage, knowledge but most of all love that flows through books and the art of reading. It has a mystical, magical feel with Japanese traditions that can easily be interpreted in any culture.

I really enjoyed this surprising journey.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute quick read about the love of books along with friendship, and empathy.

It was great that the characters shared a love for the written word, however I think the title made me feel it would be more about the car rather than Rintaro.

I’m not sure what to make of this book, and despite mulling it over for the last couple of weeks, I’m still no clearer!

High School student, Rintaro Natsuki, has been living with his grandfather since his mother died, and he loves spending time in his grandfather’s bookshop. After his grandfather unexpectedly passes away, he starts skipping school to keep the bookshop open. At school he was just an average student, with no special friends.

The day of his grandfather’s funeral he is visited by a ginger/tabby cat, who speaks to him and asks him to enter a labyrinth with him to rescue some books. Adventures follow and Rintaro begins to appreciate he does have friends and skills.

The story was originally written in Japanese, and there are very clear parallels with popular themes from Manga and Studio Ghibli tales. It also has a feel of adventure tales familiar in the US/UK such as the Princess Bride, Maze Runner and other children’s books set in labyrinths. The main appeal to this book is probably from it’s title bringing cats and books into it.

The cat doesn’t particularly feature in the adventures - being, I suppose, a typical cat - wandering off to do it’s own thing while Rintaro has to solve the labyrinth and ensure his safe return to the bookshop.

While I was really drawn to the idea, and have enjoyed many other books with a similar feel, this just doesn’t quite execute the idea successfully. I’m not sure quite who the intended audience is. At times it felt very childish/YA, yet the labyrinth bosses were incongruous with this as business CEOs and academics.

At times the labyrinth’s felt very 2D and almost cartoonish, at others they were trying to be dark and twisted, and at others trying to address and correct all that is wrong with the world - global economy, knowledge management, social media, the climate crisis.

I wanted to love it, but it just didn’t gel for me. And I can’t work out who I would recommend it to. As a book in translation, which sold phenomenally well in its home country, I wonder if it loses something in translation. I would be interested to watch a Studio Ghibli adaptation of it though!

If books do indeed have a soul then ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ must certainly have a good one.
A love of books is the underlying sentiment in this and, although the notion of a speaking cat seemed a little too fanciful to me at first, I found that once I accepted this fantasy I thoroughly enjoyed this novel by Natsukawa.
Despite its references to some of the more challenging tomes and authors I would recommend this to keen teenage readers as well as adults who enjoy a mature trip back to childhood writing.
Thank you to Picador (Pan Macmillan) and NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely book about the importance of books. I think I would have loved it if I had come across it when I was a kid. I really enjoyed reading it now. It was a quick read that I think will stay with me for some time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland. There's certainly some life lessons within it's pages and the same need to suspend belief.

I love books and those set in Japan, but really this could have been set anywhere as only a few Japanese references are made. Rintaro lives with his grandfather in a bookshop. Sadly his Grandfather just passed away and so Rintaro must leave the bookshop and go to live with an Aunt he doesn't even know. That is until a talking cat appears in the bookshop, and asks Rintaro to go with him on several missions to save books from people who are mistreating their books.

As Rintaro goes with the cat each time, it becomes clear that he's not only saving books but he's saving himself too. He's also putting into practice some of the wisdom his Grandfather passed onto him that he's never really understood until now.

A magical book with that Japanese feel of an other unwordly realm. This is a book for adults but at times it read more like a YA novel and I think someone in that category could certainly read and enjoy this book

The ‘Cat who saved books’ is such a heart-warming and beautiful story featuring a boy who doesn’tknow what to do after the death of his grandfather until a tabby cat called Tiger arrives needing help to save lost, forgotten and unwanted books and brings wonderful personality to the story.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters although I did feel that maybe the writing was a bit slow. If I am being honest this is the first Japanese book translated to English that I read so I am not sure if it is meant to be paced this way. I loved the philosophical parts of the book and the messages that are transmitted though the story. It actually reminded me of how important books are for teaching us lessons, enriching and changing our lives and how important is to share them. Another message that I found very important is that sometimes when we help others that in a way they are helping us as well without us realising, like when Rintaro Natsuki was helping the cat he realized that actually the cat was helping him to realise his purpose and value in so many ways.

I would love to give you more details but I don’t want to spoil the story for you guy so I will just say that this books explains the power of books and the power of knowledge.

At the end of the book there is a translators note which explains the way in which the book was translated. I also found out that the cat in the original Japanese is always referred to as ‘a cat’ and never with he/she gender pronouns or even as ‘it’ which the translator keeps in the English version.

This is the perfect story for anyone who loves books and who loves sharing them with others and also having a cat in the story made it all a bit more fantastic.

This was a lovely little read about a cat asking a boy to help him save books that were imprisoned, butchered, and unappreciated - however it was so much deeper than that.

This has been translated from Japanese so I did struggle with the names, but the rest of the text was fine. It was a heart-warming story helping the boy through his grief after losing his grandfather. I did love the messages about the treatment of books and how important they are and that they all have souls.

I am a cat lover, but I must admit I was expecting a much nicer cat than the one that showed up. Even reaching the end I still dislike him and felt he was a bit of a let-down, which is a shame as he's the whole reason I chose to read the book. I also felt it was a bit too short and rushed to fully sink into it.

Overall, it's a quick and enjoyable read - I just wish there was more emphasis on the cat, and that he had a change of personality.

This story is a whimsical love letter to books and reading, with a sassy talking cat thrown in for good measure.

We follow Tiger and Rintaro Natsuke as they head into a variety of labyrinths to save books from misguided “book-lovers”. There are plenty of fun discussions here about what it means to be a reader, complete with Narnia-esque adventure vibes. I loved it and would highly recommend to anyone who likes quirky little books about books.

For fans of: Books about books, sassy talking cats, quirky books, heart-warming stories, Narnia/Wonderland vibes, quick fun reads.

Loved this book. A very gentle way of writing. unocers the stories bit by bit. Totally absorbed throughout. Not a long book and would suit a range of ages including youg adults and adults.

What a wonderful book! I loved it especially as I love cats…..and books! A delightful tale of how courage and perseverance and friendship can win the day. I will definitely be buying this book.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘“‘Books have tremendous power.’ That was his grandfather’s mantra.”

My thanks to Pan Macmillan Picador for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ by Sosuke Natsukawa. It was originally published in Japan in 2017 and translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai. I combined reading with listening to its unabridged audiobook edition for an immersive experience.

A tabby cat, a bookshop and many books: elements that add up to what I consider a perfect novel. It is both wise and whimsical, beautifully written and thought provoking.

Rintaro Natsuki has always considered Natsuki Books, his grandfather’s tiny, second-hand bookshop, a place of wonder and the perfect refuge for a reclusive boy. He has spent many happy hours there reading.

Then his grandfather dies leaving Rintaro grieving and alone. It seems that the shop will have to close. Then a tabby cat named Tiger wanders in, apparently from the rear of the shop, and asks Rintaro for help. Tiger explains that he is able to be understood by certain people and that he needs a book lover to accompany him on a mission to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Tiger leads him through a number of labyrinths and subsequent book themed adventures.

Sayo Yuzuki, a strong, no nonsense girl that Rintaro has known since primary school, also drops by Natsuki Books; mainly to bring him homework but also because she is quite concerned about his increased reclusiveness. According to the Translator’s Note, Rintaro is a ‘hikikonori’, a Japanese term that indicates someone who has consciously separated themselves from society.

In the course of the narrative there are discussions about various books and the power of books throughout the centuries. I appreciated Rintaro response to Sayo when she finds a certain novel challenging: “If you find it difficult it’s because it contains something that is new to you. Every difficult book offers us a brand-new challenge.’

This was a wonderful novel and given its themes of the relevance and power of books I feel that it will be a great choice for reading groups. I have already put it forward to members of my own group as an upcoming selection.

Very highly recommended.

I requested this book on a whim as the cat on the cover looked cute (I love cats) and I enjoy translated novels. I’m so glad I did! Such a cute story, which also deals with grief and grown up decisions in a subtle way. Rin taro is a shy, quiet teenager but is brought out of his shell by his cat friend and Sayo, his neighbour and classmate. Together they save books! Really well written and translated. 4 stars from me.

A charming story about a teenage boy who, after losing his grandfather, tries to take care of the bookshop he left behind, and instead finds himself into dangerous situations when a talking tabby tells him he has to save books.

The writing can feel a bit disjointed, and I think this probably has to do with the fact that it's a translation. It also feels quite young, and nothing is left to the reader's own intuition because everything is explained in great detail. There are quite a few grand speeches about the importance and value of books, most of which are quite on the nose, but this also feels quite true to the Japanese style of writing. Depending on whether you enjoy that or not, this can be a miss. This was an easy and relaxing read, and I enjoyed it for what it was.

A lovely, heartwarming book with some important messages delivered in a great way for children to understand.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.