Book Review: The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

The Cat Who Saved Books. Sosuke Natsukawa, Louise Heal Kawai (translator). HarperVia (2021). 198 pages. Genre: Fiction, Fantasy.

First Lines: "First things first, Grandpa's gone. The tale that follows is pretty outrageous, but he knows that one fact is absolutely real."

Summary:  Rintaro Natsuki's world has been turned upside down.  His grandpa has recently passed away leaving him with a book store.  However, an aunt he has never met is willing to take custody of him which means he will have to close the book store. But Rintaro is hesitant to leave the store, it is his safe haven.  

A few days after his grandfather's death, a talking cat shows up at the book store claiming that he needs Rintaro's help to save books.  It is an odd request, but Rintaro loves books and if books need help, he won't say no.  Over the next several days the cat leads him on three quests to save books from abusive and neglectful owners.  The final quest is the most challenging of all - if Rintaro fails, he will be stuck in the labyrinth forever.

My thoughts:  While I don't often read fantasy, I do like books about books.  When I first heard the premise of this one, I was intrigued.  I tend to like Japanese writers, so I decided to give it a try.  I am so glad I did.

I liked Rintaro immediately.  He is a high school student who has just lost his grandfather.  What I liked most about him is that he loves books.  As well as loving to read, he is also an introvert who finds solace in books.  I could relate to him.  He doesn't think anybody cares about him now that his grandfather is dead.  He is wrong.  There are classmates from school that stop by the book store to bring him homework and check on him.  There are other classmates who ask about him.  But, he tends to keep to himself and doesn't realize that he matters to others.

I also really liked Rintaro's grandfather.  Throughout the story, Rintaro thinks back on things his grandfather did and said.  He was a man who worked hard, lived a meaningful life, loved books and loved connecting others with books. 

There are lots of books mentioned, especially Western literature.  This was a little surprising to me.  But as Rintaro's grandfather said, 

"'There are timeless stories, powerful enough to have survived through the ages.  Read lots of books like these - they'll be like friends to you.  They'll inspire and support you.'"

The scenarios that Rintaro and the cat had to save books from were interesting and pointed out problems with books and reading that we face as modern people.  However, the fourth challenge fell a bit flat for me.  It seemed to drag on more than necessary.

There are two notes at the end of the book - one from the translator and one from the illustrator.  They were both interesting to read.  I always enjoy when authors include notes, it gives further depth to the story. 

This was a quick, entertaining read.  If you enjoy fantasy, like books about books or enjoy Japanese literature, give this one a try.

Quotes:

"'It's not true that the more you read, the more you see of the world.  No matter how much knowledge you cram into your head, unless you think with your own mind, walk with your own feet, the knowledge you acquire will never be anything more than empty or borrowed.'"

"'What was my grandpa trying to accomplish?' Rintaro asked.  The old man smiled. 'Nothing exceptional.  He just tried to remind people of the obvious.  Not to tell lies.  Never bully someone weaker than themselves.  To help out those in need...' Rintaro looked confused.  The old man grimaced slightly. 'Because the obvious is no longer obvious in today's world.'"

The Japanese Literature Challenge can be found at Dolce Bellezza. 

Book Review: Simplicity at Home by Yumiko Sekine

Simplicity at Home: Japanese Rituals, Recipes, and Arrangements for Thoughtful Living. Yumiko Sekine with Jenny Wapner.  Photography by Nao Shimizu. Chronicle Books (2021). 224 pages. Genre:  Non-fiction.

First Lines: "Several years ago, my friend Stephanie came to Tokyo from New York and stayed at our house for a few days.  After her visit, she told me how different my life was from what she expected."

Summary:  Yumiko Sekine is the founder of Fog Linen Work, a home goods brand that focuses on linen housewares and clothing.  She wrote this book to give readers a glimpse into the way Japanese people really live.  It is common in Japan to have a lifestyle and aesthetic of simplicity along with a mixture of Japanese and Western influences.  

The book is organized by season.  Each section includes thoughts on decorating, organizing, rituals, food preparation, simplifying and other things.  

My thoughts:  I first heard about Yumiko Sekine in an online article.  She and her partner had recently built a home in Tokyo.  The article contained pictures of the home and mentioned that she had written a book that was to be released soon.  I was intrigued and requested the book from the library.  I am so glad I did!

The book contains many beautiful pictures of Yumiko's home, her shop and Tokyo.  The book begins with a section called "My Life with Linen" where Yumiko tells some of her history and how she became interested in linen.  The book is then separated into seasons.  Each section begins with the author's reflections on that particular season followed by recipes or instructions for completing a project. Some of the projects include: what to do with old linen sheets, repairing ceramic dishes, creating a wreath, or making bath salts.  Also included are photos of things around the author's home to give the reader examples of the what the author is describing.  

The photographs were gorgeous and would have made a beautiful book by themselves.  However, I enjoyed getting to know the author through the stories she told.  She briefly tells about her family and life growing up in a city in northern Japan.  She has some interesting ancestors who contributed to the person she has become. I also have a better understanding of what Tokyo is like in each season.  

I recommend this book to anyone interested in home decor, organization, Japanese traditions, homekeeping or just looking at beautiful pictures.   

*Link to the article I originally read:

Fog Linen founder Yumiko Sekine at home

The Japanese Literature Challenge can be found at Dolce Bellezza. 

Book Review: Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino

Salvation of a Saint. Keigo Higashino. Minotaur Books (2012). 330 pages. Genre: Mystery.

First Lines: "The pansies in the planter had flowered - a few small, bright blooms.  The dry soil didn't seem to have dimmed the color of the petals."

Summary:  A man has been found dead in his locked home.  The woman who found him is an apprentice of the man's wife.  She was given a key to their home when the wife went to visit her parents in another town.  When she was unable to reach the man by phone, she became worried and went to the house. She found him on the floor in the living room near a spilled cup of coffee.

Detective Kusanagi has been assigned to the case.  When he arrives on the scene Junior Detectives Utsumi and Kishitani have already arrived.  The ambulance has already been there and a doctor has examined the victim.

"That's when they decided there was something suspicious about it and called the precinct...and here we are."

It looks like the man was poisoned.  But was is suicide or homicide?  As the team begins to investigate, they keep hitting dead ends.  If this isn't suicide, how was the man poisoned and who did it?  Eventually Utsumi contacts Professor Manabu Yukawa, referred to as Detective Galileo by the department.  His specialty is physics, but as a scientist his interest is sparked when the police department presents him with an impossible case.  The detectives need proof and Yukawa is just the man to help them find it.

My thoughts:  This is the second book I have read by Higashino.  I really like his straight-forward writing style.  His mysteries are puzzles that are worked through step by step without a lot of fluff.  That is not to say that there aren't secrets to be discovered or trails leading no where to be followed.  The main characters become known to us through their detective work and interaction with one another.  We don't spend a lot of time with them outside of work. 

This mystery is unique in that the reader is made aware of who the killer is at the end of the first chapter.  Or at least we think we know.  This is a locked-room mystery.  So the detectives really have to use their "little gray cells" to determine how the murder was committed and who had motive and means.

The victim was a despicable man whose only goal in life was to produce a child.  If a woman he was with didn't become pregnant, he ditched her and moved on to someone else.  He had clearly made many enemies.  

I really enjoyed working through the clues with the detectives.  Especially, the scientific processes gone through by Detective Galileo.  He is always willing to test things out and encourages the detectives to clear their minds of preconceived notions.  Sometimes we see what isn't really there because we believe it is there.

Reaching the end of this novel was thoroughly satisfying.  I felt like I had battled my way through the evidence, or lack thereof, with the detectives and reached a conclusion.  I didn't come up with the method before the detectives did, but it was enjoyable working alongside them. 

Quotes:

"Kusanagi had met plenty of good, admirable people who'd been turned into murderers by circumstance.  There was something about them he always seemed to sense, an aura that they shared.  Somehow, their transgression freed them from the confines of moral existence, allowing them to perceive the great truths of the universe.  At the same time, it meant they had one foot in forbidden territory.  They straddled the line between sanity and madness."

"The physicist reached out and retrieved the piece of paper off the table. 'It's a habit we scientists get into,' he said. 'Even if the solution to a problem is imaginary, we can't rest until we look into it. But, of course, you're a detective, not a scientist.  You can't be wasting your valuable time proving something's impossible.'"

I read this as part of Japanese Literature Challenge 14.

Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot. Picador (2019). 273 pages. Genre:  Fiction. 

First Lines: "'Oh gosh, is that the time?  Sorry, I have to go,' the man mumbled evasively, as he stood up and reached for his bag."

Summary:  Funiculi Funicula is a small, basement cafe in the city of Tokyo.  The cafe serves delicious coffee, but it is also becoming known for its ability to allow people to travel in time.  The cafe is over 100 years old and its interior hasn't changed much since it opened.  While the summers are hot, the cafe has no air conditioning, but is always cool.  

In order to travel in time, there are several rules that must be followed.  Most notably, "no matter how hard one tries while back in the past, one cannot change the present".  Most people are deterred from attempting time travel by these rules.  However, one summer, four people decide to take a chance and travel back in time.  Each of them has some unfinished business in a relationship that causes them to think that if they set things right in the past, they can more easily accept what has happened in the present.  Is it pointless to go back in time if you can't change the present?  Or is there something else to be gained?

My thoughts:  This was a unique, moving story that unfolds page by page.  

The cafe is run by a manager and his wife.  They have one other employee, who has appointed herself as the one who instructs those desiring to time-travel on the rules.  She also pours the coffee.  The other characters make up the atmosphere of the cafe.  They are regulars who interact with one another and several of them decide to travel back in time this particular summer.  

There are four chapters in the book which correspond with the four characters that time-travel.  These are relationships that are common to all of us, which makes it easy to identify with these characters and the unfinished business they have.  The chapter titles are:  The Lovers; Husband and Wife; The Sisters; Mother and Child.

I enjoyed the writing style of this author.  He interspersed present day conversation with stories of the character's past.  It was easy to switch back and forth because there would be a symbol (a coffee cup) on the page separating one from the other.  The author also included some factual information about Tokyo or the cafe's history or a medical condition experienced by one of the characters.  I found this interesting and it added depth to the story.  

I don't often read stories involving magical realism or time travel, but I'm glad I read this one.  It was an enjoyable read that I won't soon forget.

Quotes:

"Water flows from high places to low places.  That is the nature of gravity.  Emotions also seem to act according to gravity.  When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond, and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it.  The truth just wants to come flowing out."