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whosebooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Fatphobia
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 against another edition
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