In this charming sequel to The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa invites readers back into a quiet world where books hold deep meaning and talking cats offer unexpected wisdom. This time, the story centers on Nanami Kosaki, a shy book-loving girl who finds solace in her local library. When books begin mysteriously disappearing from the shelves, Nanami’s curiosity is piqued—especially after a suspicious man in a grey suit catches her attention.

Enter Tiger, the familiar tabby cat from the first novel, now serving as Nanami’s guide. Together, they embark on a gentle, magical quest to uncover the truth behind the missing books. As they navigate strange challenges, the story once again delivers a symbolic exploration of the value of books, the importance of accessibility, and the courage it takes to stand up for what's right.

The narrative is soft, cozy, and quietly philosophical, though it occasionally leans a bit too heavily into metaphor. Readers who enjoyed the introspective tone of the first book will appreciate this continuation, though it lacks the emotional weight or depth some might hope for in a sequel.

A sweet, low-stakes adventure with heartwarming moments and a reverence for literature—perfect for quiet afternoons.

I absolutely adored “The cat who saved books” and was super excited with high expectations as to the second story.

Unfortunately, to me personally it wasn’t as good as the first one. If I’ve read it first, I think I’d have loved it, but after the first story it just wasn’t the same.

I found the main character a bit annoying and more childish than the first one, which I think took away the brilliance of the story itself.

The concept of the book is super interesting, enchanting, and engaging. I would definitely recommend this book and I’ve bought both of them as gifts already.

Following in the same theme as The Cat Who Saved Books, The Cat Who Saved the Library is an important lesson in empathy, compassion and the power of community. All these things are taught to the protagonist in the books she borrows from the library.

This book is warm, it’s cosy and it’s full of love for literature. It’s also a lovely short book that’s great to speed through in an afternoon. I loved that this one centred libraries and showed how important libraries are to Nanami, a very asthmatic girl who takes refuge in books.

I loved seeing Tiger again of course, but we also got to see Rintaro and Sayo again which made me really happy. Though they weren’t the main characters this time they still had an important part to play

Reading this one has made me want to go back and read the first one all over again!

Great book, it’s a lovely read although I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the previous one. A very different genre from what I normally read but really made a change and was enjoyable.

This was an amazing book. To be quite frank, I enjoyed reading this more than the previous volume. I loved how everything was written. Character building was excellent and much more nuanced than the first book. The plot was smooth with enough obstacles in the path of our heroes. I cannot stress enough how much I love having cats as main characters.

The commentary was great and on point. Every sentence I read, I kept thinking this is exactly what needs to be said at this point in time.

This book saved my life. I don't know why and how I chose this particular moment to read it, but somehow it was something I truly needed. I am currently in a phase of being overwhelmed by everything, feeling as if I'm drowning.

Many parts of the story felt like a reminder to find myself again, a reminder to slow down and look inwards, to regain a sense of balance. A lot of the messages in the book gave me a gentle spiritual boost; it felt like a soft guiding light telling me that I'm not alone, that my struggles were not uncommon but also that they will not last forever. I felt a sense of lightness when I reached the final page, as if a burden has been lifted.

If you have read "The Cat Who Saved Books", here you will find a similar adventurous story of a cat and it's ally, going around saving books. I found this book softer than the first one, and connected to it more deeply. The MC is portrayed to be wiser beyond their years yet had a certain refreshing naivete and childlike perspective on life; something a lot of people lose as they get more exposed to the real world. It's such a good story that it makes you stop and rediscover that inner child locked somewhere deep in your heart.

I am truly indebted. Thank you to the author and translator for making this book exist.

A book about cats and books - what’s not to like! A great sequel with a wonderful storyline. Easy to read.

Its cats, Its book what more could you want.
A book among many, but one of the best I have read.
Sometimes small books can be very powerful.
Thank you for the ARC

I really enjoyed this! I loved the little overlaps and references to The Cat Who Saved Books, but appreciated the differences too.

In some ways it is eerily similar to what is happening in real life, which makes the message extra relevant. Fight for what you believe in and hold strong to your morals.

For me this was the perfect mix of cosy literature about cats and books, mixed with a more serious message. My ideal kind of book.

Thankyou to Netgalley for this eARC (and oh gosh waterstones did such a pretty edition of this!)

The books are disappearing and we need to get them back! This follows Nanami, a girl who spends 99.99% of her time in the library while her dad is busy working - she realises that books arent simply being checked out though... they are going missing completely! We don't need to stress though as Tiger is back to save the day, with some old faces appearing as well. Nanami was a brilliant MC who's bravery helps to save the day.

This was really wholesome and was similar too the first book. It had me in my feels at times and it was so cosy with a little stressfulness mixed in.

I understand why this book is so popular among book lovers. Books and cats are truly a cute combination. 

After Rintaro Natsuki and Tiger saved the books, did that peace last? Apparently not... Years later, the enemies of books rise again. This time, their champions are even tougher, and they’re determined to burn and destroy classic books, starting with the library. 

This time, a young girl named Nanami—frail due to her asthma—sets out to investigate the sudden disappearance of books from the library. Of course, the snarky Tiger also shows up to help. And for those who miss Rintaro (now an adult), he makes a cameo appearance. Will this case also bring a change to Nanami’s real life? 

I ended up getting recommendations for classic books and some insights into publishing issues from this story. 
However, despite its good intentions, the narrative still feels a bit "forceful," labeling readers who don’t fit ideal criteria. In my opinion, this isn’t fair because the world of books is always evolving. We shouldn’t just focus on classics but also actively appreciate and curate potential new classics for the future. 

Though the characters feel very two-dimensional, I still found myself caring about Nanami’s fate and curious about how she’d overcome her new challenges. 
It’s a shame that Tiger the cat remains a side character in a book that features him in the title and cover. He’s not friendly, doesn’t actively help—he’s more like a key or a gateway into the magic realism world. I have mixed feelings about this one. 

Thank you Netgalley and Picador from Pan Macmillan Publishing for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date: 10 April 2025

4 stars ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

such a cozy read. this was very reminiscent of a studio ghibli film while still having the deeper meaning similar to that of fahrenheit 451.

The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa is a heartwarming and quietly magical tale that blends whimsy with a deep reverence for literature.

I was drawn in within tje first chapters by the story’s tender portrayal of Rintaro, a shy book loving teen coping with loss. When he meets a talking tabby cat named Tiger, the narrative shifts into a fable like journey through “labyrinths” of misguided reading. Each adventure challenges our understanding of books’ purpose not as trophies or data, but as living connections between people.

The book is both a tribute to the transformative power of stories and a gentle call to defend the soul of reading. The prose is simple yet poetic, and though the plot can be predictable, it’s the emotion and message that resonate. For any lover of books, this novel is a quiet affirmation of why we read and why we must protect the magic of libraries.
Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this book 📖

Oh what a magical little sequel!! I absolutely adored The Cat Who Saved Books so was really hoping this would be a fantastic addition to the original story and it definitely was! I loved how we jumped forward in time through meeting new characters but also revisited old familiar friends. Such a cosy and heartwarming read about the power of books and the freedom to learn and grow. ✨ Thank you so much to Sosuke Natsukawa, Pan Macmillan and Picador for access to this eARC ✨

A truly delightful easy to read book. It flows beautifully. The story of a young girl overcoming her difficulties who encounters a cat who in turn travels her journey with her.. a magical read.

This is the sequel to The Cat Who Saved Books and Tiger the Cat is back and saving more books. This time our human is 13-year-old Nanami who has asthma and spends more time with books than she does with other children. Here's a quote: "Nanami had a peculiar habit of reading multiple books at once, yet still feeling the need to reach for new ones. There were always so many books she wanted to read, far more than she could keep up with."

I mean I think we know that this is basically me. I have such a huge pile of books to read and so many on the go at once and yet I still find myself standing in front of the to-read bookshelf trying to find something I want to read next. Anyway. Nanami notices that books are disappearing from the library where she spends a lot of her free time and finds herself helping a talking cat to save the books from forces of darkness. I enjoyed this as much as I did the first one - and was delighted to see some of the characters from that first book reappear here. And of course there are plenty of parallels with what is going on in the book and with books being banned in real life.

This charming novel is both a fantasy adventure and a quiet meditation on the power of books. It follows Rintaro Natsuki, a reclusive teenager who inherits his grandfather’s bookshop. When a talking tabby cat named Tiger appears and enlists his help to save books from misuse, Rintaro embarks on surreal journeys that challenge how we read, share, and value literature.

The book explores themes like the commodification of books, superficial reading, and the soul of literature.

The magical realism adds a dreamy quality without losing emotional depth.

It’s a story by and for book lovers. You’ll feel seen if you’ve ever found comfort in books.

The Cat Who Saved Books is a tender, poetic tale with a quiet strength. It encourages readers to reflect on why we read and how books shape who we are.

I love this genre of translated Japanese, gentle books. This one has books and cats in, so how could I not love it? It's a sequel to The Cat Who Saved the Books and I did borrow this book from the library to read first.
This story follows Nanami, a 13 year old high school student, who spends as much time as possible in the library. Nanami doesn't have many friends as she's asthmatic and can't join in with everything, so books are her friends and comfort. Because she's at the library all the time, she notices that books are vanishing and not being returned. Then she spots a man dressed in grey taking some books, whereupon Tiger the orange tabby cat appears.
Nanami and Tiger follow the grey man to rescue the books. Will Nanami have the physical strength for this important mission? Rintaro from Natsuki Books in the first book also helps out. It's several years later, so we catch up on how he's doing.
As in the first book, we also get to read about the joy of stories, books and how they help our wellbeing.

I really enjoyed this story and the message it gives.
I loved reading more into our mischievous orange tabby cat Tiger.

I would love to read another in this series as I feel like Tigers story isn't finished there.

This is definitely one I'll recommend to friends who need a good heart warming story about a girl who faces struggles on a day to day basis, and doesn't allow that to stop her.

I do like Japanese literature and this didn’t disappoint. I love books and I love cats ,so it’s a winner for me. Books start to go missing from the library and Nanami starts to investigate a suspicious looking man who seems to be taking the books. What then happens is an adventure involving Tiger the talking cat , and together they find a way of getting the books back . It has great literature references and thrives on the love of reading and what would happen if we couldn’t read what we wanted to. I loved the relationship Nanami has with the librarians and how she will risk anything to get to the truth. It’s an adventure story , it’s a story about relationships and a talking cat who is just wonderful.