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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Second Reread (December 2023): 5 Stars*
I stumbled across this book in a Little Free Library and picked it up because the cover caught my attention.
"The Cat Who Saved Books" is a story that follows Rintaro, a teenaged boy who has recently lost his Grandpa. Rintaro's Grandpa owned and operated a modestly successful bookstore named Natsuki Books. With his passing, Rintaro is preparing the bookstore to close so he can move away to live with his aunt. On one of the final days, a tabby cat named Tiger appears in the shop and asks Rintaro for help in saving books.
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, but it completely blew me away. This story is heartwarming, insightful, and allows for great reflection for anyone that says they love books. I also really appreciated the representation of true friendship in the story.
My favorite labyrinth, and the one that has stuck with me the most, was the labyrinth with the man who reads hundreds of books a day. This man attempts to take out the important parts of the story to make a faster to digest summary so him and everyone else can read more. Rintaro helps him to see that reading is supposed to be enjoyed, and by cutting out parts of the story to get through it faster, the reader is not getting the full story. I think this is such an invaluable lesson, especially in the age of GoodReads. People want to read more and are constantly trying to push themselves to increase their reading speed so they can compete with people. It is so important to remember to slow down and enjoy books, because by reading at such a rapid speed, it is easy to not appreciate a story fully.
The other labyrinths Rintaro encounter are equally profound and really made me reflect on my own relationship with reading and books. Ultimately, reading, and life in general, is meant to be enjoyed. One of my goals this year was to read less so I could appreciate my books more, and this book was an eloquent reminder of this.
I have not stopped thinking about this story since I read it, and I HIGHLY encourage everyone to pick it up.
I stumbled across this book in a Little Free Library and picked it up because the cover caught my attention.
"The Cat Who Saved Books" is a story that follows Rintaro, a teenaged boy who has recently lost his Grandpa. Rintaro's Grandpa owned and operated a modestly successful bookstore named Natsuki Books. With his passing, Rintaro is preparing the bookstore to close so he can move away to live with his aunt. On one of the final days, a tabby cat named Tiger appears in the shop and asks Rintaro for help in saving books.
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did, but it completely blew me away. This story is heartwarming, insightful, and allows for great reflection for anyone that says they love books. I also really appreciated the representation of true friendship in the story.
My favorite labyrinth, and the one that has stuck with me the most, was the labyrinth with the man who reads hundreds of books a day. This man attempts to take out the important parts of the story to make a faster to digest summary so him and everyone else can read more. Rintaro helps him to see that reading is supposed to be enjoyed, and by cutting out parts of the story to get through it faster, the reader is not getting the full story. I think this is such an invaluable lesson, especially in the age of GoodReads. People want to read more and are constantly trying to push themselves to increase their reading speed so they can compete with people. It is so important to remember to slow down and enjoy books, because by reading at such a rapid speed, it is easy to not appreciate a story fully.
The other labyrinths Rintaro encounter are equally profound and really made me reflect on my own relationship with reading and books. Ultimately, reading, and life in general, is meant to be enjoyed. One of my goals this year was to read less so I could appreciate my books more, and this book was an eloquent reminder of this.
I have not stopped thinking about this story since I read it, and I HIGHLY encourage everyone to pick it up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
readingduckling's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I liked this book very very much and I'm a little bit sad, that I didn't read it earlier. It's such a cute and beautiful story. Definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
alastorthewerewolf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
readsbymoonlight's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Someone turn this into a Ghibli movie or an anime stat
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death
shotzee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s been years since I’ve read a book that’s brilliant in the way that this book is. easily cracked my top five favorite books. don’t hesitate just read it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
the_reading_wren's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book feels like a children’s book in the way things are over-explained (possibly the translation), and it seems like it was written simply for the author to get a message across. But the points made were interesting, particularly the discussions around the publishing industry and social status attached to reading. I’m glad I stuck with the book because it grew on me as the mystery developed and the background to the magic revealed near the end made me reflect on the story in a more heartfelt way.
“Reading a book is a lot like climbing a mountain.”
The overall messages I took away from this book were the one stated clearly - the power of books is to help us feel empathy and teach us to turn that into compassion. And not to resign myself to “it’s just how the world works” but to act true to myself.
“Reading a book is a lot like climbing a mountain.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia and Ableism
megj23's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death
qrschulte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved the emphasis on the power of books and what it means to truly love books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Death
blues's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Non conoscevo questo libro prima di trovarmelo in mano, è stata una scoperta casuale fatta in biblioteca. L'ho trovato in un momento in cui leggere mi riusciva difficile e mi ha illuminato. Sento di aver imparato tanto da queste pagine e spero vivamente che l'autore abbia intenzione di pubblicare qualcos'altro. Lo stile del libro potrebbe risultare lento per alcuni, ma personalmente l'ho trovato azzeccatissimo con la storia e con il protagonista. E' una lettura semplice e dolce, ma molto significativa.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, and Death of parent
jaredt's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
An adventure lead by a cat to save books is also about the introspection of grief over a love one who has passed.
A shut-in who can't express his grief, can't move forward, is pushed to by a talking cat. The cat wants to save books, and uses Rintaro to get that mission done, but there's more to it. The cat wants Rintaro to save books, who is leaving the bookshop his grandpa ran, who raised Rintaro and died pretty recent.
This is a story of Rintaro on an adventure, and how being pushed out of his shell changes him along the way. How he remembers his grandpa, the routine he had, the love he put into the bookshop.
This is a good book to see how grief can essentially stop a person, especially if they're already someone who keeps to themself. And for that kind of person to slowly step out of that corner when nudged. In this case, it was Rintaro's love of books and his grandpa that helped push him see the folks around him, cat included, who want him to grow and find his place.
This is not an over the top adventure, and Rintaro isn't some hero character. He has a passion, and its that passion that fuels him to change instead of stop completely.
I liked the story overall. It took me a while to get through it, and it wasn't until Sayo's integration into the plot did I feel more engaged. The cat was definitely a highlight, though I wish we got more time sitting with the cat's thoughts and feelings. It felt more like a tool used to support Rintaro verses another character, but I still enjoyed their presence when they were there.
A short story, a speck of introspection, and while I felt kinda ehh about the overall message on books with what they used to represent in the past compared to now, I think it had a decent message overall in regards to connection and support.
A shut-in who can't express his grief, can't move forward, is pushed to by a talking cat. The cat wants to save books, and uses Rintaro to get that mission done, but there's more to it. The cat wants Rintaro to save books, who is leaving the bookshop his grandpa ran, who raised Rintaro and died pretty recent.
This is a story of Rintaro on an adventure, and how being pushed out of his shell changes him along the way. How he remembers his grandpa, the routine he had, the love he put into the bookshop.
This is a good book to see how grief can essentially stop a person, especially if they're already someone who keeps to themself. And for that kind of person to slowly step out of that corner when nudged. In this case, it was Rintaro's love of books and his grandpa that helped push him see the folks around him, cat included, who want him to grow and find his place.
This is not an over the top adventure, and Rintaro isn't some hero character. He has a passion, and its that passion that fuels him to change instead of stop completely.
I liked the story overall. It took me a while to get through it, and it wasn't until Sayo's integration into the plot did I feel more engaged. The cat was definitely a highlight, though I wish we got more time sitting with the cat's thoughts and feelings. It felt more like a tool used to support Rintaro verses another character, but I still enjoyed their presence when they were there.
A short story, a speck of introspection, and while I felt kinda ehh about the overall message on books with what they used to represent in the past compared to now, I think it had a decent message overall in regards to connection and support.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
In relation to death of parent, this is more of death of 'grandparent', who took on the role of parent to raise Rintaro. The death has already happened in the opening of the book, and is integral to the disposition of the main character. The nature of the death is also looked back on a bit further in to the story.