Japanese Light Novel Book Club discussion

March 2025 thread for The Cat Who Saved Books Sōsuke Natsukawa, English translation by Louise Heal Kawai.

The second volume of the series, The Cat Who Saved the Library is coming out in English on April 8, 2025 by HarperVia and Picador for the ebook version.

This book has been circulating among my local book club friends with good reviews. Maybe we will have a live discussion. That would be fun.

The Cat Who Saved Books is a heart-warming story about finding courage, caring for others – and the tremendous power of books.

Grandpa used to say it all the time: 'books have tremendous power'. But what is that power really?

Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.

After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . .

Sosuke Natsukawa's international bestseller, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper

Jack wrote: "March 2025 thread for The Cat Who Saved Books Sōsuke Natsukawa, English translation by Louise Heal Kawai.

The second volume of the series, [book:T..."

Oh, thank you! I didn't know that another book would soon be available.

Rating: 3 stars

This is a tale of self-discovery. I think that it would appeal to most age groups from 12 to adult. There is a talking cat, but the cat (a side character) serves more as a guide to the main character. I enjoyed the magical realism/fairytale quality of this story.

I agree, Middle grade to YA. I am glad to have read this. It was a on my Cat_Books_week read list from 2024. I almost always like books that have positive character development and growth. The two MCs are way more mature and thoughtful than I was even to my late 20s. My local book club friends and I are looking forward to his next book. What is the cat book that the tabby is the soul of?