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Raamatupoe kassi üheksa elu
Must kass Kuro on elanud juba kaheksa elu ning jõudnud lihtsale järeldusele: inimesed toovad kaasa vaid valu ja pettumusi. Oma üheksanda, viimase elu tahab ta elada üksi.
Kuid siis satub ta kummalise vanaraamatupoe juurde, mis seisab vaiksel tänaval nagu mälestus möödunud ajast. Seal elab salapärane naine, kes on kodu pakkunud juba neljale kassile – ja nood pole sugugi tavalised hulkurid. Kõigil neil on seljataga mitu elu ja kõik nad on kuulunud tuntud kirjanikele.
Kuro püüab poest ja selle elanikest eemale hoida, kuid teda tõmbab sinna ikka tagasi. Pood on veider: kliente käib vähe, kuid äri pankrotti ka ei lähe. Uusi raamatuid ei tellita, ent ometi ei saa need kunagi otsa.
Kui aga kaduma läheb väike koolitüdruk, tõmmatakse Kuro vastu tahtmist teiste muresse. Ta peab otsustama, kas jääda truuks oma kibestunud üksindusele või anda inimestele veel üks võimalus.
Soe, nukker ja erakordselt lummav lugu raamatutest, kassidest, mälestustest ja sellest, miks isegi pärast lugematuid kaotusi võib süda siiski uuesti avaneda.
Kuid siis satub ta kummalise vanaraamatupoe juurde, mis seisab vaiksel tänaval nagu mälestus möödunud ajast. Seal elab salapärane naine, kes on kodu pakkunud juba neljale kassile – ja nood pole sugugi tavalised hulkurid. Kõigil neil on seljataga mitu elu ja kõik nad on kuulunud tuntud kirjanikele.
Kuro püüab poest ja selle elanikest eemale hoida, kuid teda tõmbab sinna ikka tagasi. Pood on veider: kliente käib vähe, kuid äri pankrotti ka ei lähe. Uusi raamatuid ei tellita, ent ometi ei saa need kunagi otsa.
Kui aga kaduma läheb väike koolitüdruk, tõmmatakse Kuro vastu tahtmist teiste muresse. Ta peab otsustama, kas jääda truuks oma kibestunud üksindusele või anda inimestele veel üks võimalus.
Soe, nukker ja erakordselt lummav lugu raamatutest, kassidest, mälestustest ja sellest, miks isegi pärast lugematuid kaotusi võib süda siiski uuesti avaneda.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 30, 2026
The Nine Lives of a Bookshop Cat
Author : Kentaro Utsugi
Translator : Sylvia Gallagher
Trigger Warnings : Animal cruelty & abuse, animal death, trauma, & grief.
The story is told from a black stray cat's POV who spent his third life under a certain eccentric writer's roof who never gave him a name. In desperation, the feline protagonist decided to take his (Kinnosuke) & lived his life wastefully, distancing himself from humans, until in his ninth & final life, something unexpected happened. As he was looking for something to sate his hunger & thirst, he came to a halt outside an independent second-hand bookshop called the Hokuto-do Bookshop run by a strange woman in her mid-thirties named Erika Kitahoshi. What entranced him was not an old run-down building which one might think that the owner had entirely given up on fixing it, but the puzzling number of felines surrounding the whole store!
Like most cats are, his wariness turned into curiosity, & gradually found out the truth about the proprietress also known as the "witch" (at least that's how the cats call her) & eventually her curse --- how they were actually fated & destined to meet. To add to the mystery : the books replenish themselves every weekend, as long as the woman does not go out, she will never fall ill, & that the felines' previous owners were all authors. Somehow the shop works all sorts of magic on her & keep her imprisoned here.
What an absolutely surreal read! I mean I have read a number of books narrated by a cat, but listening to Kuro rambling about life & how humans are irritatingly annoying was another level of whimsicality. The other felines too are no better! 🤣
How his life journey started was no joke too : the harsh reality of being born into the world & being forced to survive hell the moment one opens their eyes. Philosophical? Maybe. But moments like these are very real especially when living on the streets: poverty & survival of the fittest is the mirror situation humans experience too. In all of his previous lives, I could understand from his perspective as to why he hated humans. It made me think how hard it was for animals like him to learn to trust again after how many times he was hurt & let down.
An overall slow-paced slice-of-life novel & a poignant & challenging read. There will be moments that it will be repetitive because of Kuro's past experiences and that he is difficult to love, but, I think it is worth to give this book a chance, especially seeing how Kuro gradually "warms up". Don't be fooled by the cover though, this is no typical cozy healing fiction book!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
P.S.
The famous novelist Natsume Soseki is mentioned in the story & you will eventually know why.
Follow me for more book reviews on:
❥ Instagram @bookwormdenz
❥ Threads @denz.kaye
❥ Meta @bookworm.denz
❥ Goodreads @bookwormdenz
Author : Kentaro Utsugi
Translator : Sylvia Gallagher
Trigger Warnings : Animal cruelty & abuse, animal death, trauma, & grief.
The story is told from a black stray cat's POV who spent his third life under a certain eccentric writer's roof who never gave him a name. In desperation, the feline protagonist decided to take his (Kinnosuke) & lived his life wastefully, distancing himself from humans, until in his ninth & final life, something unexpected happened. As he was looking for something to sate his hunger & thirst, he came to a halt outside an independent second-hand bookshop called the Hokuto-do Bookshop run by a strange woman in her mid-thirties named Erika Kitahoshi. What entranced him was not an old run-down building which one might think that the owner had entirely given up on fixing it, but the puzzling number of felines surrounding the whole store!
Like most cats are, his wariness turned into curiosity, & gradually found out the truth about the proprietress also known as the "witch" (at least that's how the cats call her) & eventually her curse --- how they were actually fated & destined to meet. To add to the mystery : the books replenish themselves every weekend, as long as the woman does not go out, she will never fall ill, & that the felines' previous owners were all authors. Somehow the shop works all sorts of magic on her & keep her imprisoned here.
What an absolutely surreal read! I mean I have read a number of books narrated by a cat, but listening to Kuro rambling about life & how humans are irritatingly annoying was another level of whimsicality. The other felines too are no better! 🤣
How his life journey started was no joke too : the harsh reality of being born into the world & being forced to survive hell the moment one opens their eyes. Philosophical? Maybe. But moments like these are very real especially when living on the streets: poverty & survival of the fittest is the mirror situation humans experience too. In all of his previous lives, I could understand from his perspective as to why he hated humans. It made me think how hard it was for animals like him to learn to trust again after how many times he was hurt & let down.
An overall slow-paced slice-of-life novel & a poignant & challenging read. There will be moments that it will be repetitive because of Kuro's past experiences and that he is difficult to love, but, I think it is worth to give this book a chance, especially seeing how Kuro gradually "warms up". Don't be fooled by the cover though, this is no typical cozy healing fiction book!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
P.S.
The famous novelist Natsume Soseki is mentioned in the story & you will eventually know why.
Follow me for more book reviews on:
❥ Instagram @bookwormdenz
❥ Threads @denz.kaye
❥ Meta @bookworm.denz
❥ Goodreads @bookwormdenz
August 29, 2026
This book, narrated by a cat who’s living his final life, is heartbreaking 😭 but also a beautiful tale of an emotionally scarred cat finally finding the home and love he deserved but had missed for a very, very long time. It is about a cat, but this book reminded me that it’s never too late to open up your heart…
📕 The Nine Lives Of A Bookshop Cats
By Kentaro Utsugi
The premise of the book is that a cat gets nine lives (nine cycles of life), and there is a bookstore where cats who used to live with Japan’s literary masters in their previous lives gather and live together to help out the bookshop owner. A cat who is on his final life stumbles upon the shop. Because of his past, he is wary of forming bonds with humans and other cats, but he slowly warms up to them. I found the story full of heartbreaking moments, but equally full of heartwarming and charming ones.
What was most exciting to me was that the protagonist cat used to belong to Soseki Natsume, a novelist whose books I hold close to my heart (he wrote Botchan, I Am a Cat, Kokoro, etc.). I’d be happy to read anything associated with Soseki. If you are not familiar with Japanese classic writers, don’t worry. There is a list of names and introductions at the back of the book. I recommend referring to it as you read and meet the cats.
I also loved how we see Japan’s history and how the country has changed over centuries and decades, as the cats’ previous lives and backstories are unfolded. There is some animal cruelty, but it is relevant to the story’s central theme of trauma, so I could handle it. However, you might want to be prepared for that.
A beautiful Japanese translated fiction I can recommend to translated fiction fans!
My enjoyment level:
4.5-5/5 🌟
📕 The Nine Lives Of A Bookshop Cats
By Kentaro Utsugi
The premise of the book is that a cat gets nine lives (nine cycles of life), and there is a bookstore where cats who used to live with Japan’s literary masters in their previous lives gather and live together to help out the bookshop owner. A cat who is on his final life stumbles upon the shop. Because of his past, he is wary of forming bonds with humans and other cats, but he slowly warms up to them. I found the story full of heartbreaking moments, but equally full of heartwarming and charming ones.
What was most exciting to me was that the protagonist cat used to belong to Soseki Natsume, a novelist whose books I hold close to my heart (he wrote Botchan, I Am a Cat, Kokoro, etc.). I’d be happy to read anything associated with Soseki. If you are not familiar with Japanese classic writers, don’t worry. There is a list of names and introductions at the back of the book. I recommend referring to it as you read and meet the cats.
I also loved how we see Japan’s history and how the country has changed over centuries and decades, as the cats’ previous lives and backstories are unfolded. There is some animal cruelty, but it is relevant to the story’s central theme of trauma, so I could handle it. However, you might want to be prepared for that.
A beautiful Japanese translated fiction I can recommend to translated fiction fans!
My enjoyment level:
4.5-5/5 🌟
July 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This is not one of those easy, cosy reads that it appears to be- it is very much a look at the things that people do to animals, and just how cruel they can be. I know that some people will think that this book is unrealistic in respect of how it tackles animal cruelty, but unfortunately it is very real.
There are a few situations in this book that push things a little too far, but for the most part, it’s pretty accurate to what street cats experience.
In terms of the substance of the story, I really liked the narrator cat (avoiding his name to dodge spoilers here). He was definitely a little tough to love, but I feel anyone would be with his history, and his way of coming around was very well done.
I didn’t love the human characters in this story, but I also feel like they were intentionally a little bare bones as they’re seen from the perspective of, well, cats. I did want to see a little bit more about the cats as well, but it was clearly a book trying to keep itself somewhat short.
Overall, I enjoyed this one, but I do wish it just had a little bit more in it as a whole. I do think it is well worth the read, and it will definitely warm your heart if you’ve ever rescued a cat, loved a cat who takes their time to come around, or if you’ve every been in the rescue world as a whole.
This is not one of those easy, cosy reads that it appears to be- it is very much a look at the things that people do to animals, and just how cruel they can be. I know that some people will think that this book is unrealistic in respect of how it tackles animal cruelty, but unfortunately it is very real.
There are a few situations in this book that push things a little too far, but for the most part, it’s pretty accurate to what street cats experience.
In terms of the substance of the story, I really liked the narrator cat (avoiding his name to dodge spoilers here). He was definitely a little tough to love, but I feel anyone would be with his history, and his way of coming around was very well done.
I didn’t love the human characters in this story, but I also feel like they were intentionally a little bare bones as they’re seen from the perspective of, well, cats. I did want to see a little bit more about the cats as well, but it was clearly a book trying to keep itself somewhat short.
Overall, I enjoyed this one, but I do wish it just had a little bit more in it as a whole. I do think it is well worth the read, and it will definitely warm your heart if you’ve ever rescued a cat, loved a cat who takes their time to come around, or if you’ve every been in the rescue world as a whole.
June 30, 2026
Często zupełnie się rozmijałam ze stylem pisania.
Ale abstrahując: powieść miejscami bardzo okrutna, ale generalnie utrzymana w kocio-healingowym klimacie.
Ale abstrahując: powieść miejscami bardzo okrutna, ale generalnie utrzymana w kocio-healingowym klimacie.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Content advisories: animal cruelty, animal death
I felt like this book was too ambitious in scope and suffers from a short attention span, jumping around in focus, time, and emphasis resulting in a story that feels scattered and underdeveloped.
One of my biggest issues with this story is around pacing. The story was super slow and the non-linear telling bogged it down further. The chapter breaks felt random, as we'd often have skips forward and back multiple times within a chapter (sometimes within a paragraph).
Another issue was character. Look, I know our narrator cat suffered greatly, but he was SO hateful and judgemental, which made him hard to connect with. While I appreciated the commentary on human:pet dynamics, particularly the non-consensual nature of pet 'ownership' and how humans exploit pets, it got super repetitive. It's hard to find fault with a lot of the cat's perspectives on how awful people are, but it makes for depressing and bleak reading... particularly as he recounts as the ways he died at the hands of people.
I wished we'd had more in the way of historical landmarks over the course of the cat's life. There are glimmers -- like how he refers to Hokkaido as Ezo, his commentary on wars, his time on cat island -- but it cold have been so much more! Instead, the focus is on how he died in each lifetime. The cat's personal history feels repetitive and I started to dread having to read paragraphs of the cruelty and pain he suffered before each death. His relationship with Natsume Sōseki was so underdeveloped, and played really no part in the story, I wondered why it was included. I also couldn’t figure out if the cat loved or hated Sōseki.
The lore around the witch was underdeveloped too. For the first section of the book, the bookshop and mystery around the witch was the focus. Then, around the halfway point, we switch gears and focus on the kid writer's story. As such, the witch lore felt rushed when that was addressed (almost as an afterthought) later on. All the handwringing about being 'worthy' of books or writing felt ridiculous, especially when juxtaposed with the cat's (entirely valid) critiques of humanity's bigger problems.
The writing felt soulless and bland; it felt mechanical, devoid of heart and feeling. There was nothing tethering me emotionally to the story so reading felt more like an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment. For a relatively short book, it took me ages to get through. This was partly due to the pace and repetition, but mostly because reading it made me feel bad. I didn't enjoy spending time with these characters or in this world.
I'm not loving how Japanese translations seem to come in two flavours: saccharine fluff or trauma-porn.
Thanks for the invitation to review this title, Quercus. I'm disappointed this was a miss for me.
I felt like this book was too ambitious in scope and suffers from a short attention span, jumping around in focus, time, and emphasis resulting in a story that feels scattered and underdeveloped.
One of my biggest issues with this story is around pacing. The story was super slow and the non-linear telling bogged it down further. The chapter breaks felt random, as we'd often have skips forward and back multiple times within a chapter (sometimes within a paragraph).
Another issue was character. Look, I know our narrator cat suffered greatly, but he was SO hateful and judgemental, which made him hard to connect with. While I appreciated the commentary on human:pet dynamics, particularly the non-consensual nature of pet 'ownership' and how humans exploit pets, it got super repetitive. It's hard to find fault with a lot of the cat's perspectives on how awful people are, but it makes for depressing and bleak reading... particularly as he recounts as the ways he died at the hands of people.
I wished we'd had more in the way of historical landmarks over the course of the cat's life. There are glimmers -- like how he refers to Hokkaido as Ezo, his commentary on wars, his time on cat island -- but it cold have been so much more! Instead, the focus is on how he died in each lifetime. The cat's personal history feels repetitive and I started to dread having to read paragraphs of the cruelty and pain he suffered before each death. His relationship with Natsume Sōseki was so underdeveloped, and played really no part in the story, I wondered why it was included. I also couldn’t figure out if the cat loved or hated Sōseki.
The lore around the witch was underdeveloped too. For the first section of the book, the bookshop and mystery around the witch was the focus. Then, around the halfway point, we switch gears and focus on the kid writer's story. As such, the witch lore felt rushed when that was addressed (almost as an afterthought) later on. All the handwringing about being 'worthy' of books or writing felt ridiculous, especially when juxtaposed with the cat's (entirely valid) critiques of humanity's bigger problems.
The writing felt soulless and bland; it felt mechanical, devoid of heart and feeling. There was nothing tethering me emotionally to the story so reading felt more like an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment. For a relatively short book, it took me ages to get through. This was partly due to the pace and repetition, but mostly because reading it made me feel bad. I didn't enjoy spending time with these characters or in this world.
I'm not loving how Japanese translations seem to come in two flavours: saccharine fluff or trauma-porn.
Thanks for the invitation to review this title, Quercus. I'm disappointed this was a miss for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a fan of Japanese literature, especially when they feature cats, this was always going to be on my radar. Unlike other Japanese novels that I have picked up there wasn’t really a cosy feel to this one. Our main character, our narrator is a black cat, Kinnosuke, who is on his ninth life. In his previous lives he has grown to distrust humans and so has decided that for his final life, he will have no more to do with them. Finding his way to the city, looking for food and shelter, he finds the Hokuto-do Bookshop. This is a rather run-down place and is owned by an almost reclusive woman who has taken in four cats who seem very contented. Kinnosuke gradually moves in, keeping his distance from the woman and the other cats. His distrust and stubbornness stop him from letting his guard down. But he begins to notice that the shop does not attract crowds of customers and although books are sold, the woman never seems to go out book buying but the shelves almost magically get replenished. Another strange thing is that the other four cats in one of their lives, were all ‘owned’ by an author, just like Kinnosuke was in his third life. He would love to know the woman’s story but she will only reveal it if he tells her his story, and reveals his true name. Something he will never do. Another element is his friendship with Madoka, a young girl who loves reading and writing her own story. His friendship with her over the years is touching, how she becomes important. The book seems to cross long periods of time but this is not really expanded on. We, the reader, get to know the story of Kinnosuke’s nine lives, and his eight deaths. We get to understand his distrust of humans and I must give a trigger warning for animal cruelty here. Some of Kinnosuke’s lives and deaths were awful. When he talked of his author, a little bell went off in my mind. I knew exactly who he was talking about and the book he was describing. I had read that author’s book last September but won’t give his name in case of spoilers. There is also a magical element to this story that gradually is revealed in the woman’s story. There is darkness and cruelty in here but there is also a glimmer of hope. Not the cosy read i was expecting but still enjoyable and I loved getting to see how Kinnosuke changed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
he Nine Lives of a Bookshop Cat (e-ARC)
Pub date: 27 Aug 2026
Content warnings: animal cruelty, trauma, and grief
My thoughts:
A bittersweet exploration of trauma that is beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking. The Nine Lives of a Bookshop Cat follows Kinngsuke, a cat living his ninth and final life, who finds himself at a mysterious bookshop filled with other cats, strange magic, and stories from the past. And I have to say, don’t be deceived by the title and cover. At first glance, this looks like the typical cosy and healing Japanese translated fiction I expected, but this book starts much heavier and darker than I anticipated. Some parts were genuinely difficult to read, especially the harrowing experiences from Kinnosuke’s previous lives and the depictions of animal cruelty. I was honestly so caught off guard that I even considered stopping. Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how raw and emotionally honest it felt. What surprised me most was how much I connected with Kinngsuke’s struggle with trust. After everything he has experienced, his reluctance to trust humans felt painfully understandable, and I found some of his feelings surprisingly relatable, especially when it comes to trusting people who are close to you. The beginning is a little slow and definitely darker than expected, but the beautiful bookshop atmosphere, Japanese mythology, glimpses of history, and the different cats’ stories kept me reading. The story gradually shifts towards a more familiar healing and cosy feeling, and even the ending caught me off guard. Overall, this was such an unexpectedly emotional read for me, heartbreaking, raw, strange, but ultimately comforting. I definitely recommend it, just don’t go into it expecting a purely fluffy cosy read.
Overall rating:
⭐️: 4.25/5
Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 27 Aug 2026
Content warnings: animal cruelty, trauma, and grief
My thoughts:
A bittersweet exploration of trauma that is beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking. The Nine Lives of a Bookshop Cat follows Kinngsuke, a cat living his ninth and final life, who finds himself at a mysterious bookshop filled with other cats, strange magic, and stories from the past. And I have to say, don’t be deceived by the title and cover. At first glance, this looks like the typical cosy and healing Japanese translated fiction I expected, but this book starts much heavier and darker than I anticipated. Some parts were genuinely difficult to read, especially the harrowing experiences from Kinnosuke’s previous lives and the depictions of animal cruelty. I was honestly so caught off guard that I even considered stopping. Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how raw and emotionally honest it felt. What surprised me most was how much I connected with Kinngsuke’s struggle with trust. After everything he has experienced, his reluctance to trust humans felt painfully understandable, and I found some of his feelings surprisingly relatable, especially when it comes to trusting people who are close to you. The beginning is a little slow and definitely darker than expected, but the beautiful bookshop atmosphere, Japanese mythology, glimpses of history, and the different cats’ stories kept me reading. The story gradually shifts towards a more familiar healing and cosy feeling, and even the ending caught me off guard. Overall, this was such an unexpectedly emotional read for me, heartbreaking, raw, strange, but ultimately comforting. I definitely recommend it, just don’t go into it expecting a purely fluffy cosy read.
Overall rating:
⭐️: 4.25/5
Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I personally really enjoyed this book, it's dark and pessimistic a lot of the time, but when the cat's - Kinnosuke's- previous lives and negative experiences with humans are revealed you can understand his hesitancy to trust again and his view on humans. Saying that, there's an underlying, hopeful feel to it if you search within what the characters say and do.
Black cat Kinnosuke is cynical and sour, and is on his ninth life, but slowly as time passes in the bookshop he finds himself in, we begin to see him remember his past and learn from it. He acts different, begins to reluctantly act out of character and finds himself going out of his way for the young aspiring author who visits the shop between school hours. I really liked his relationship with Madoka, and how it becomes more important as the book progresses.
Even though this book is short, the pacing does seem a bit slow. I didn't mind, I liked the atmosphere of time passing and lessons being learnt. We see Kinnosuke bond with the other cats and the owner of the shop. We see Midoka grow and face struggles. We also learn context of Kinnosuke's dislike of humans, and his changing views on how humans 'waste' time on nonsensical things.
There were a lot of quotes in this book that reminded me of Osamu Dazai's work, in fact Kinnosuke the cat felt like he belonged in one of his novels.
Overall, I found this book meaningful yet slightly sad, in a bittersweet way. I would recommend trying it if you're a lover of literature and what it means to pour your heart into something even when it's hard, or if you're just looking for something slightly whimsical with a nostalgic feel.
4/5 🌟
I personally really enjoyed this book, it's dark and pessimistic a lot of the time, but when the cat's - Kinnosuke's- previous lives and negative experiences with humans are revealed you can understand his hesitancy to trust again and his view on humans. Saying that, there's an underlying, hopeful feel to it if you search within what the characters say and do.
Black cat Kinnosuke is cynical and sour, and is on his ninth life, but slowly as time passes in the bookshop he finds himself in, we begin to see him remember his past and learn from it. He acts different, begins to reluctantly act out of character and finds himself going out of his way for the young aspiring author who visits the shop between school hours. I really liked his relationship with Madoka, and how it becomes more important as the book progresses.
Even though this book is short, the pacing does seem a bit slow. I didn't mind, I liked the atmosphere of time passing and lessons being learnt. We see Kinnosuke bond with the other cats and the owner of the shop. We see Midoka grow and face struggles. We also learn context of Kinnosuke's dislike of humans, and his changing views on how humans 'waste' time on nonsensical things.
There were a lot of quotes in this book that reminded me of Osamu Dazai's work, in fact Kinnosuke the cat felt like he belonged in one of his novels.
Overall, I found this book meaningful yet slightly sad, in a bittersweet way. I would recommend trying it if you're a lover of literature and what it means to pour your heart into something even when it's hard, or if you're just looking for something slightly whimsical with a nostalgic feel.
4/5 🌟
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this. I’m not sure this should be the first translated Japanese fiction you pick up, but if you already enjoy them, this is a slightly darker, but still, in my opinion, delightfully cosy take on the genre. It had a lovely fantasy element highlighting aspects of Asian mythology I was unfamiliar with.
I always love being from the perspective of a cat, this one was a little cranky, and very (rightfully) disillusioned with the world and humans. He’s had a difficult time throughout his previous lives, but finds a soft place to land in his ninth. There are fairly graphic scenes of animal abuse depicted, but it is also a heart-warming tale about resilience and the importance of stories.
The setting and the atmosphere of the bookshop were lovely. The story spans a lot of time, and I enjoyed the glimpses into Japanese history throughout many eras. Seeing the changing of the seasons was lovely, both literally and the seasons of our main cat’s life.
Some other reviews made me nervous to get into this, that it’d be too dark and not cosy enough for me. I was hooked by the blurb, and the reviews made it seem as though this wouldn’t be accurate. I don’t tend to enjoy darker books. But a book does not need to be all happy fluff to be cosy. Yes, there are reminders of how cruel humans are, and it is valid to avoid this or to have not enjoyed it because of that, but it still felt cosy to me, and I’m so glad to have read it.
If you've enjoyed books like The Travelling Cat Chronicles or The Cat Who Saved Books, I’d recommend this! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
I always love being from the perspective of a cat, this one was a little cranky, and very (rightfully) disillusioned with the world and humans. He’s had a difficult time throughout his previous lives, but finds a soft place to land in his ninth. There are fairly graphic scenes of animal abuse depicted, but it is also a heart-warming tale about resilience and the importance of stories.
The setting and the atmosphere of the bookshop were lovely. The story spans a lot of time, and I enjoyed the glimpses into Japanese history throughout many eras. Seeing the changing of the seasons was lovely, both literally and the seasons of our main cat’s life.
Some other reviews made me nervous to get into this, that it’d be too dark and not cosy enough for me. I was hooked by the blurb, and the reviews made it seem as though this wouldn’t be accurate. I don’t tend to enjoy darker books. But a book does not need to be all happy fluff to be cosy. Yes, there are reminders of how cruel humans are, and it is valid to avoid this or to have not enjoyed it because of that, but it still felt cosy to me, and I’m so glad to have read it.
If you've enjoyed books like The Travelling Cat Chronicles or The Cat Who Saved Books, I’d recommend this! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I got this book via Netgalley for a complimentary review.
I got this book via Netgalley for a complimentary review.
Trigger warnings: death, animal cruelty.
I just couldn't get into this book sadly but thank you for the experience of getting to read it, I love the cover of the book
Its sad in parts. Loved the descriptions of all the cats at the book shop.
The main character cat was kind of judgemental would have been nice if he could have made friends more easily or appreciated things
Sorry but thank you for letting me read this book but just wasnt for me.
I just couldn't get into this book sadly but thank you for the experience of getting to read it, I love the cover of the book
Its sad in parts. Loved the descriptions of all the cats at the book shop.
The main character cat was kind of judgemental would have been nice if he could have made friends more easily or appreciated things
Sorry but thank you for letting me read this book but just wasnt for me.
I got this book via Netgalley for a complimentary review.
Trigger warnings: death, animal cruelty.
I just couldn't get into this book sadly but thank you for the experience of getting to read it, I love the cover of the book
Its sad in parts. Loved the descriptions of all the cats at the book shop.
The main character cat was kind of judgemental would have been nice if he could have made friends more easily or appreciated things
Sorry but thank you for letting me read this book but just wasnt for me.
I just couldn't get into this book sadly but thank you for the experience of getting to read it, I love the cover of the book
Its sad in parts. Loved the descriptions of all the cats at the book shop.
The main character cat was kind of judgemental would have been nice if he could have made friends more easily or appreciated things
Sorry but thank you for letting me read this book but just wasnt for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
In his ninth life Kinnosuke finds himself at the Hokuto-Do Bookshop which is inhabited by a strange owner, lots of cats and very few customers. Used to fending for himself the cat dismisses the other cats as soft and refuses to act as they do but as time goes on he finds the beauty and strangrness of the book shop too much to resist and, after all, he must try to help a lonely girl who just wants to be a writer.
Nine Lives Of A Bookshop Cat is a surreal story about the lives of all cats and those who care (or don't) about them.
This is not just some cutesy story but has some quite harrowing scenes when the cat is telling the story of his previous eight lives. There are gods and myths and difficult lives in this book so don't be fooled into thinking it is just another cosy Japanese Bookshop story. It is much more than that.
I would recommend this novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley and MacLehose Press for the digital review copy.
In his ninth life Kinnosuke finds himself at the Hokuto-Do Bookshop which is inhabited by a strange owner, lots of cats and very few customers. Used to fending for himself the cat dismisses the other cats as soft and refuses to act as they do but as time goes on he finds the beauty and strangrness of the book shop too much to resist and, after all, he must try to help a lonely girl who just wants to be a writer.
Nine Lives Of A Bookshop Cat is a surreal story about the lives of all cats and those who care (or don't) about them.
This is not just some cutesy story but has some quite harrowing scenes when the cat is telling the story of his previous eight lives. There are gods and myths and difficult lives in this book so don't be fooled into thinking it is just another cosy Japanese Bookshop story. It is much more than that.
I would recommend this novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley and MacLehose Press for the digital review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A gorgeous, cozy and emotional book that I read in one day.
Told from the point of view of a cat on his ninth life. He knows it is his final life and just wants to keep himself to himself. But he finds himself being drawn to the Hokuto-do Bookshop, where there are already several cats.
He reminisces on his past lives. It was quite emotional reading all the things he had been through. There were different parts of Japanese history included too.
He gradually warms up to life at the bookshop and forms a special connection with a young girl who visits regularly.
It was a lovely, cozy book that I really enjoyed. This is my first time reading Japanese translated fiction, I would definitely read more based on my experience of this book.
I would recommend this for cat lovers, but be warned there are mentions of animal cruelty and death.
Told from the point of view of a cat on his ninth life. He knows it is his final life and just wants to keep himself to himself. But he finds himself being drawn to the Hokuto-do Bookshop, where there are already several cats.
He reminisces on his past lives. It was quite emotional reading all the things he had been through. There were different parts of Japanese history included too.
He gradually warms up to life at the bookshop and forms a special connection with a young girl who visits regularly.
It was a lovely, cozy book that I really enjoyed. This is my first time reading Japanese translated fiction, I would definitely read more based on my experience of this book.
I would recommend this for cat lovers, but be warned there are mentions of animal cruelty and death.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I found this to be a really interesting book. The usual "cat has nine lives" is assumed to mean they have lucky escapes, but this book literally took it that a cat will live 9 different times. The book is written from the point of view of a cat on his ninth life, having lived at various times through history, with different types of humans, having different ways of passing, and holding a firm idea of how his ninth life should be lived. He arrives at a bookshop as a kitten, and here he stays, learning to understand the other feline inhabitants and the mysterious woman who runs the shop.
I really liked the different cats and their stories, and the way they understood humans and could figure out how to help and how to communicate was lovely. A really sweet and thought provoking read.
I really liked the different cats and their stories, and the way they understood humans and could figure out how to help and how to communicate was lovely. A really sweet and thought provoking read.
Read
July 17, 2026A beautiful story told from the perspective of a cat. This follows Kuro, who is a cat living his ninth life, he finds himself at a second hand book store where all is not what it seems.
The magical realism and coziness of this book made it immediately appealing to me, not to mention the slightly grumpy cat, who did have a resemblance to my own cat.
This story touches on the cruelty and beauty of human lives and their furry companions.
I would happily have read a longer book, as maybe this was a bit too short. It would be nice to hear about other cats stories in the future.
A must for all cat and book lovers.
The magical realism and coziness of this book made it immediately appealing to me, not to mention the slightly grumpy cat, who did have a resemblance to my own cat.
This story touches on the cruelty and beauty of human lives and their furry companions.
I would happily have read a longer book, as maybe this was a bit too short. It would be nice to hear about other cats stories in the future.
A must for all cat and book lovers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A meandering narrative of the 9 lives of a cat with the predominant focus on the 9th life which the cat lives in the bookshop. The cat's had a bleak existence in most of its lives and met its death at the hands of humans a number of times so it's pretty cynical and keeps its distance from people. The cosy aspect of this is the warming up of this cat towards one or two humans. It's not a cosy read overall though due to some of the bleakness., The last parts lost me as the narrative takes a turn into the mythical god realms and I started skimming.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gatti e librerie: ingredienti che mi rendono entusiasta di iniziare un libro.
Peccato che questo romanzo non fosse per me, nonostante le premesse: il protagonista felino era insopportabile, la vicenda noiosa, l'attaccamento al precedente proprietario (Soseki, anche se non è mai nominato) ingiustificato dall'indifferenza fondamentale dell'uomo.
Confesso, l'ho abbandonato: leggere era diventato un dovere, e quando capita non mi sento in obbligo di finire un libro prima di recensirlo.
Con un giusto caveat: semplicemente non faceva per me.
Peccato che questo romanzo non fosse per me, nonostante le premesse: il protagonista felino era insopportabile, la vicenda noiosa, l'attaccamento al precedente proprietario (Soseki, anche se non è mai nominato) ingiustificato dall'indifferenza fondamentale dell'uomo.
Confesso, l'ho abbandonato: leggere era diventato un dovere, e quando capita non mi sento in obbligo di finire un libro prima di recensirlo.
Con un giusto caveat: semplicemente non faceva per me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A lovely translated book about a cat who ends up in a bookshop. It's not any bookshop, there is an enchantment to it. We discover what has happened to this cat in his previous eight lives and why he doesn't trust humans or interact with other cats very much.
This is also the tale of Kitahoshi who runs the bookshop and why she is there and won't leave.
As with all these translations, the flow is different to the western style of book and makes a refreshing change to read,
This is also the tale of Kitahoshi who runs the bookshop and why she is there and won't leave.
As with all these translations, the flow is different to the western style of book and makes a refreshing change to read,
July 25, 2026
Animal death and animal cruelty.
I picked it up thinking it was cosy fiction, my bad.
Some books meander along and that is fine as the writing keeps you reading but unfortunately this book put me into a reading slump. I cannot understand its purpose. I enjoyed the disdain the cat main character has for humans but sorry this book is not for me.
I picked it up thinking it was cosy fiction, my bad.
Some books meander along and that is fine as the writing keeps you reading but unfortunately this book put me into a reading slump. I cannot understand its purpose. I enjoyed the disdain the cat main character has for humans but sorry this book is not for me.
August 9, 2026
This is not a cutesy translation of feel good stories but gosh I love it for that. The story was heartbreaking and it was hard at times but the violence was never gratuitous.
The ending was so satisfying for me, especially since it’s not what you’d necessarily expect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for the ARC
The ending was so satisfying for me, especially since it’s not what you’d necessarily expect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books for the ARC
Read
July 21, 2026Review to come.
August 16, 2026
Sad and beautiful and very japanese ❤️
Review of advance copy
A beautiful and slow tale of Kuro, a cat who spends his ninth life living with a witch and a number of other cats in a second hand bookshop
January 13, 2026
I must admit, the experience of reading this book is incredibly smooth—so smooth, in fact, that it borders on slick. Kentaro Utsugi is undoubtedly a skilled perfumer; he knows exactly how to balance the ratio of "regret" to "warmth," crafting this book into the perfect weekend read. However, it is precisely this impeccable "readability" that constitutes the work's greatest tragedy. It should have been a masterpiece regarding memory and samsara; instead, it willingly shrank itself into a piece of candy—exquisite, yet all too easily dissolved.
As a non-owner who can only exchange fleeting glances with cats on street corners, I am often awestruck by that feline gaze which seems to perceive everything. I expected this book, through its "nine lives of memory" setup, to allow me to peek into a loneliness that transcends the human scale of time. The author did indeed build the stage with increasing depth, and the initial setup was stunning—the lingering scent of a Showa-era used bookstore and the world seen through a cat's eyes, simultaneously familiar and strange, truly demonstrated a high degree of literary completion. But heartbreakingly, just when the story should have dived into deeper philosophical waters, the author chose to make an emergency ascent, retreating to the safest clichés of "a ghost story between human and cat."
The book's greatest sin lies in its squandering of "profundity." The premise that the cat, Kuro, holds fragmented memories of the beloved cats of past literary giants is an incredibly ambitious setting. Imagine: a cat carrying the perspective of Natsume Soseki or Dazai Osamu—how absurd and intriguing would modern society appear in its eyes? This should have been a sharp dissection of human civilization through a feline lens. Yet, the author took this razor-sharp scalpel and used it to carve a youthful bas-relief about "a girl reclaiming her dream of writing." Those grand historical memories and literary souls were ultimately reduced to mere tools used to advance the emotional progress of the male and female protagonists (or one human and one cat). This style of "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" is not so much restraint as it is cowardice toward the subject matter.
This cowardice is equally reflected in the handling of emotion. The title hints at a Dostoevsky-esque heaviness, implying that possessing memory is, in itself, a form of punishment. But the author clearly cannot bear to let the reader (or perhaps himself) endure genuine pain. Every parting of ways is wrapped in a thick, soft-focus filter; every painful struggle is eventually patched up forcibly by the universal adhesive known as "love." It is like a tragedy that could have shaken the soul, only to be rewritten at the last minute into a Disney-style family reunion. For a reader like me, who views cats as unfathomable creatures, this treatment of "sanitizing" and "pet-ifying" the feline soul may bring momentary movement, but it leaves a hollow emptiness after closing the book.
I do not deny that this is a good-looking book. The author’s technique is mature, the pacing is precise, and even the tear-jerking bridges are designed perfectly, making one’s nose tingle while reading. But this is exactly why I am angry—it clearly possesses the skeleton to become a classic, yet it is content to be filled with cheap flesh. It is like a cat that has been declawed, leaving only soft paw pads; while adorable, it has lost the wildness and danger that make a predator so fascinating.
If this were merely a mediocre light novel, I could laugh it off. But the potential shown in this book makes it impossible not to feel pained by its self-imposed limitations. It could have explored the curse of the immortal, the limits of cross-species communication, and how memory reshapes the soul. But in the end, it chose a path paved with flowers, using the most exquisite prose to tell the safest of stories.
Having finished the book, I still love cats, and I will still stare blankly at stray cats by the roadside. But I regret that this book failed to make the cats in my eyes any more profound. It is a finely crafted artifact—beautiful, yes, but lacking the visceral vitality that stings the soul and keeps one awake at night. It is a "good book," but it stops there; and for a subject like this, merely being "good" is, in itself, a monumental pity.
As a non-owner who can only exchange fleeting glances with cats on street corners, I am often awestruck by that feline gaze which seems to perceive everything. I expected this book, through its "nine lives of memory" setup, to allow me to peek into a loneliness that transcends the human scale of time. The author did indeed build the stage with increasing depth, and the initial setup was stunning—the lingering scent of a Showa-era used bookstore and the world seen through a cat's eyes, simultaneously familiar and strange, truly demonstrated a high degree of literary completion. But heartbreakingly, just when the story should have dived into deeper philosophical waters, the author chose to make an emergency ascent, retreating to the safest clichés of "a ghost story between human and cat."
The book's greatest sin lies in its squandering of "profundity." The premise that the cat, Kuro, holds fragmented memories of the beloved cats of past literary giants is an incredibly ambitious setting. Imagine: a cat carrying the perspective of Natsume Soseki or Dazai Osamu—how absurd and intriguing would modern society appear in its eyes? This should have been a sharp dissection of human civilization through a feline lens. Yet, the author took this razor-sharp scalpel and used it to carve a youthful bas-relief about "a girl reclaiming her dream of writing." Those grand historical memories and literary souls were ultimately reduced to mere tools used to advance the emotional progress of the male and female protagonists (or one human and one cat). This style of "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" is not so much restraint as it is cowardice toward the subject matter.
This cowardice is equally reflected in the handling of emotion. The title hints at a Dostoevsky-esque heaviness, implying that possessing memory is, in itself, a form of punishment. But the author clearly cannot bear to let the reader (or perhaps himself) endure genuine pain. Every parting of ways is wrapped in a thick, soft-focus filter; every painful struggle is eventually patched up forcibly by the universal adhesive known as "love." It is like a tragedy that could have shaken the soul, only to be rewritten at the last minute into a Disney-style family reunion. For a reader like me, who views cats as unfathomable creatures, this treatment of "sanitizing" and "pet-ifying" the feline soul may bring momentary movement, but it leaves a hollow emptiness after closing the book.
I do not deny that this is a good-looking book. The author’s technique is mature, the pacing is precise, and even the tear-jerking bridges are designed perfectly, making one’s nose tingle while reading. But this is exactly why I am angry—it clearly possesses the skeleton to become a classic, yet it is content to be filled with cheap flesh. It is like a cat that has been declawed, leaving only soft paw pads; while adorable, it has lost the wildness and danger that make a predator so fascinating.
If this were merely a mediocre light novel, I could laugh it off. But the potential shown in this book makes it impossible not to feel pained by its self-imposed limitations. It could have explored the curse of the immortal, the limits of cross-species communication, and how memory reshapes the soul. But in the end, it chose a path paved with flowers, using the most exquisite prose to tell the safest of stories.
Having finished the book, I still love cats, and I will still stare blankly at stray cats by the roadside. But I regret that this book failed to make the cats in my eyes any more profound. It is a finely crafted artifact—beautiful, yes, but lacking the visceral vitality that stings the soul and keeps one awake at night. It is a "good book," but it stops there; and for a subject like this, merely being "good" is, in itself, a monumental pity.
December 9, 2025
เรื่องราวของแมวดำที่ใช้มาแล้ว 8 ชีวิต ไม่เชื่อใจมนุษย์เพราะโดนหักหลังมาครั้งไม่ถ้วน ที่มาเจอกับร้านหนังสือประหลาดที่เจ้าของคุยกับแมวรู้เรื่อง
ไม่ได้ฟิลกู๊ด ออกแนวขมๆ ด้วยซ้ำ แต่เล่าเรื่องความเปลี่ยนแปลงอันแสบอบอุ่นได้ดี มีสะดุดบ้าง บางอย่างก็ไม่ต้องเปลี่ยนบ้าง ค่อยๆ ไป ช่วงแรกเฉยๆ แต่หลังๆ น้ำตาคลอเลย
ไม่ได้ฟิลกู๊ด ออกแนวขมๆ ด้วยซ้ำ แต่เล่าเรื่องความเปลี่ยนแปลงอันแสบอบอุ่นได้ดี มีสะดุดบ้าง บางอย่างก็ไม่ต้องเปลี่ยนบ้าง ค่อยๆ ไป ช่วงแรกเฉยๆ แต่หลังๆ น้ำตาคลอเลย
January 30, 2026
Story with an interesting perspective - how author’s cats interpret writing and the meaning of creative art.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews