The Cat who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

The Cat who Saved Books was chosen by my Book Club, and it is a really sweet read.

The blurb says:

"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 . . ."

Rintaro is a boy who lived with his grandfather and spent many hours in the bookshop, reading and helping the loyal customers.  After the death of the grandfather, Rintaro turns inwards even more and even stops going to school, thinking nobody would miss him.  A relative comes to help sort things out and prepares Rintaro for leaving the bookshop and going to live with her.  Before Rintaro can close the shop and leave, he meets a talking cat who needs help with rescuing books from their current sad fates.

This is not the type of book I would have chosen myself, but it was really engaging.  Even though I read it after translation to English, the translator kept some of the Japanese words, which helped the book remain in the setting it should.  I liked the development of the character of Rintaro as the book progresses, and seeing how he deals with his grief.  There are only a few characters in this book, and they all add something to the story.  The ending, too, was fitting to the story and I came away very glad that I had read it.

I'd say this book is suitable for any age.  I can imagine a child from 7upwards enjoying being read this book, and from 10+ enjoying reading it themselves.  As a 40yo woman I enjoyed it too.  A short, sweet story.

 

My Books of 2022

 Happy New Year!

And thank you for letting me have the last year off blogging.  I'll update you all with everything eventually, but for now lets concentrate on the most important things: Books!

I actually read 52 books (1 isn't currently on goodreads), though there were two books that I confess that I didn't finish.  I decided that life it soo short to persevere with books that are either too slow or too boring, when there is so much more out there that I want to read!

I should also say, that though I am going to separate out all the books that I have read this year below, the links won't work until I have written up the reviews.  And I know that some of you are still waiting for the reviews of the books that I read in 2021.  Hopefully, now that I have a bit more time (she says, on the first bank holiday of the year), I'll get around to catching up and filling those in too.

You will notice that some of these books are from my recent A-Z Challenge but that I haven't finished this list.  That's because, when my daughter was going in for her heart surgery, I made sure to download a load of free boxsets.  As they are currently on my kindle, these are what I have been going through more recently.  And I have recently joined my local book club, so I'll be reading two 'random' books each month too.  The first meeting I'm attending is tomorrow, so wish me luck!

So here is the list of books that I read in 2022, though I may have the order slightly wrong in some places. 
For those who prefer visuals, there is a picture below.

Fiction:

• Exodus by Andreas Christensen
• Aurora by Andreas Christensen
• Genesis by Andreas Christensen
• When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason
• When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason
• When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• The Monarch of the Glen by Neil Gaiman
• Black Dog by Neil Gaiman
• The Last Safe Place by Ninie Hammon
• The Crown of Thorns by Ian C P Irvine
• Hidden byt Megg Jensen
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• A Single Step by Georgia Rose
• Reckoning by Megg Jensen
• Hunted by Megg Jensen
• Before The Dawn by Georgia Rose
• The Wedding Pact Boxset by Denise Grover Swank
• Wicked Words by M J Scott
• Patterns in the Dark by Lindsay Buroker
• Pale-Eyed Mage by Jennifer Ealey
• Torn by O M Faure
• Untied by O M Faure
• Chosen by O M Faure
• Thicker than Water by Georgia Rose
• Soul Blade by Lindsay Buroker
• Dragon Blood 1-3 Boxsetby Lindsay Buroker
• Shattered Past by Lindsay Buroker
• Oaths by Lindsay Buroker
• Raptor by Lindsay Buroker
• The Fowl Proposal by Lindsay Buroker
• Heritage of Power Boxset by Lindsay Buroker
• Playing Dirty by Andrew R Williams
• The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
• Falling by T J Newman
• Jim's Revenge by Andrew R Williams
• Superior by Andrew R Williams
• Andalusia by David Harvey
• The Dark Insite by Solomon Carter
• The Singapore Grip by J G Ferrell

Non-Fiction:

• English Legal System by Emily Finch and Stefan Fafinski
• Legal Profession - Is it for you? by V Charles Ward
• Watching Neighbours Twice a Day by Josh Widdicombe
• Helping your Child with a Physical Health Condition
• Older and Wider by Jenny Eclair
• Parsnips: Buttered by Joe Lycett
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Christian Inspirational:

• The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian D McLaren
• Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
• The Message: New Testament by Eugene H Peterson

My books of 2021

 

Last year, I set myself the target of reading 50 books, which I hit.  I think I've actually read a couple more than 52, as I still (sorry!) have some reviews to write up, and I don't always add them to Goodreads if I haven't done the review.  If you are a Goodreads user, feel free to click this link to follow me there too.

This next year, I've set myself the even more modest target of 24 books in a year.  This is because I barely wait whilst the girls are dancing anymore, so I have less time to read actually structured into my week.  I also (before last week) hadn't read anything since about October.  I had less free time, and in December you have to watch as many made-for-TV crappy Christmas movies as you can.  It's the law.

Here's a pictorial summary of all the reading I did last year, and I'll give a link to each review below.

Fiction

• The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett
  
• Red White and Blues by Rysa Walker
  
• Ember by Jessica Sorensen
  
• Forgotten by Don and Stephanie Prichard
  
• Genesis Code by Eliza Green
  
• Happiness is a Smoking Gun by Alaine Allister
  
• I Spy, I Saw Her Die by Ian C. P. Irvine
  
• Juliette and the Monday ManDates by Becky Doughty
  
• Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson
  
• The Legacy of the Key by S L Morgan
  
• Mouse Tails by Sonny Collins
  
• Nocturne by Kat Ross (The Fourth Talisman Series)
  
• Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines
  
• Pancakes and Corpses by Agatha Frost
  
• Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
• Rift by Andreas Christensen
  
• Season of Hope by Dayo Benson
  
• Taste by Mary E Twomey
  
• Ugly Girl by Mary E Twomey
  
• The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
  
• The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett
  
• Yesterday by Amanda Tru
  
• Meadowlark by Melanie Abrams
• Brainrush by Richard Bard

Non-Fiction

• Trim Healthy Mama Plan by Barrett and Allison
  
• I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
  
• The Diet Trap Solution by Beck & Beck
  
• The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
  

Christian Inspirational

• Women Rising by Meghan Tschanz
  
• Finding Intimacy With Jesus Made Simple by Matthew Robert Payne
  

Book Organisation

Ok, so I have gone through all my past Book Reviews and tried to classify them, so that if you wanted to find a certain type of book that would be easy to do now.  All you have to do is look at the Word Cloud on the right, squint a bit, and then choose the genre you're looking for.

If you have read something based on my recommendation and think that I have missed a classification (from the list below), please comment and I will add it.  Depending where you read, there are 7 or 8 main classifications of genre (I have made sure I covered them all) but there are also 150+ subgenres and classifications that I can't always see the difference between.  As such, some things you'll have to give me artistic license for, such as grouping Paranormal under Fantasy, rather than giving it its own classification.  And I'm surprised to see that despite reading a load of Stephen King and James Herbert as a teen, I haven't got any Horror listed.  That's probably the only addition that I would make.

And, you will notice that some of the links give more than just books listed, especially in the non-fiction list, but you'll just have to cope with scrolling down to find the books for those.

So here is the list of classifications, so that if you did want to find something quickly, you can either click the link below, or the word cloud.

Fiction:
Adventure
Chick-Lit
Childrens
Classic
Cosy
Dystopia
Fantasy
Horror (No link yet, as there are no books yet)
Mystery
Romance
Sci-Fi
Thriller
YA

Non-Fiction:
Bible
Childrens
Christianity
Feminism
Non-Fiction
Real Life
Recipe
Weightloss

Mouse Tails by Sonny Collins

This is a children's book.  Maybe I should have guessed, because it's called Mouse Tails, but when choosing this as part of my A-Z of Fiction books, I didn't realise that.

This is, however, a cute book to read to children at Christmas time.  It is only a few chapters long, and introduces  a few stories from the Bible from the perspective of mice who are watching the humans.

The blurb says:

A Christmas story for the entire family that introduces several stories from the Bible in a unique and different way - from the perspective of mice. Two orphans are lost in a blizzard when they happen upon kind Nicholas, keeper of the mountain church. Then a young couple arrives as well, slowed down by the storm. Nicholas gives them a haven from the cold as he shares his stories of some very special creatures in this inspirational novella.

If you are looking for a book to read on the nights leading up to Christmas, this may be for you.  If my children were younger, I can imagine settling them with some hot chocolate and a blanket, but I doubt any kids would be that interested over the age of about 8yo. 

Actually Factually by Guy Campbell

I don't know why this book was in my list of books to read - I can only assume that my husband got it for the children, thinking they would like it.  However, I do like tidbits of information, so I chose this as my next non-fiction book to read.

This book is a collection of oft-quoted sayings followed by a discussion about whether they are true or not, and covers a wide range of topics.

The blurb says:

A fascinating collection of misunderstandings, mistakes and misconceptions, "Actually Factually" reveals the reality behind just a few of the myths that get mixed up with truth. If you really thought that Christopher Columbus discovered America or that Henry VIII definitely had six wives this book will bring you right back to Earth with a bump.

Full of fantastic facts to wow your teachers, friends and family, the entries include: your hair and nails continue to grow after you die; a goldfish has a memory of about three seconds; water goes down the plughole the other way in Australia; ship's Captains can perform marriage ceremonies and more.

As an adult, there was nothing new in her, but for a child I can imagine it being quite interesting.  Each chapter is only a few pages long, and though there are scientific discussions, nothing is too heavy for a 8+ year old to understand.

Sword Bearer by Teddy Jacobs

Another YA book, and "J" in my alphabet.  Sword Bearer is a fantasy surrounding a 16 year old boy, Anders, who now gets to train with a real sword.

The blurb says:

You swung a staff until you were ready to swing a sword. Then you went on all kinds of adventures -- fighting monsters, casting spells, and saving damsels in distress. At least that was how it was supposed to work, but I didn't believe a word of it.

BOOK ONE OF THE EPIC FANTASY SERIES RETURN OF THE DRAGONS

Locked in his room in the castle, young Anders yearns for adventure. Until the day he opens a magic portal and a girl bursts into his locked room with a chemical warlock hot on her trail.

And adventure finds him -- an adventure full of danger, full of blood, fire, demons and evil. To face it, he'll need the sword given him by his blademaster, need the ancient words his grandfather gave him on his deathbed. Need the song that runs in his own blood, in his veins.

A sword will be reforged, magic words discovered, battles fought, friends made and lost, secrets revealed. And blood will be spilled. But will blade, word and blood be enough?

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did.  It was quite obvious from the beginning that this book was aimed at teens, but I would allow my preteens to read this (first they'd have to enjoy reading, and then they'd have to enjoy fantasy - unfortunately they seem to have follow after my husband here...).  

It was predicted on my kindle that it would take 4 hours to read, but actually took much less than that.  The action comes fast and furious and I couldn't put it down.  There were a few typos, and if this book was to be aimed at adults I would have expected it to be fleshed out a bit more, but as I said, I did enjoy this book.  So much so, I have just bought the second in the series.

The Lost Heir by E G Foley

I actually listened to this book as an audiobook.  Audible Stories have given free access to a selection of audiobooks for children, for as long as schools are closed due to coronavirus.  Sitting in the garden with DD2, I started listening to this book because it was her age-level and sounded like I book that I would also find interesting. Next thing I know, DD2 had wandered off, and I'm thoroughly enjoying this book.  I don't listen to books that often, but it has given me a chance to sit in the sunshine, doing my latest MosaiCraft project whilst listening to the story.

The blurb says:

Take a dash of Harry Potter and a splash of Oliver Twist, add a pinch of steampunk and a sprinkle of Victorian fairy lore, and what do you get? The Gryphon Chronicles! A rollicking fantasy adventure series that’s as much fun for grownups as it is for kids.

Strange new talents...

Orphan Jake Reed is a smart, plucky twelve-year-old pickpocket living by his wits on the streets of Victorian London. Lately, he’s started seeing ghosts—then discovers he can move solid objects with his mind! He has no idea why, but it seems to be the reason that a Sinister Gentleman and his minions now come hunting him. Suddenly on the run for his life, the rascally lad plunges headlong into a wondrous world full of magic and deadly peril. A world that holds the secret to the greatest question haunting him: who he really is. The answer leads the rough-and-tumble guttersnipe to a mysterious stranger’s mad claim that he is the long-lost heir of an aristocratic family…with supernatural powers.

But with treacherous enemies closing in, it will take all of Jake’s wily survival instincts and the help of his friends—both human and magical—to solve the mystery of what happened to his supposed parents, Lord and Lady Griffon, and defeat the foes who never wanted the Lost Heir of the great magical House of Griffon to be found.

So, yes I did enjoy this book.  It's a shame my children didn't give it a chance (they'll only sit still for watching TV or playing computer games) and listen to it whilst drawing or anything, as I think they would have liked it.  I know I would have liked it when I was a child.  There are 6 books in The Gryphon Chronicles, and though I have no intention of reading more myself, I thought the book was good.  It was very well written, with lots of excitement in the story.

Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning

Tomorrow's Guardian is another children/teen's book, and is D in my series of choosing books based on author's name.  I think the reason I have so many kids books in my to-read list, is because every now and then I come across lists of "30 books every bibliophile should read", "50 books everyone should read before they are 50", and recently a "books every child should read before they are 21".  I add them to my wishlist, thinking that my girls may want to read them one day.  Of course, they don't want to.  At some point I get notified that books on my wishlist are free, so I "buy" them given the chance, and they automatically get added to the to-read list on my kindle.  And since they sound good, at some point I actually download them to read them - like this one - without realising until I actually start reading that they are aimed at children, and not 30-something year old adults...

The blurb says:

Experiencing disturbing episodes of déjà-vu, eleven year old Tom believes he is going mad. Then, he meets the adventurer Septimus Mason, who shows him that he is a “Walker” – someone who can transport himself to other times and places.

Septimus explains that these abilities could be removed leaving him, once more, an ordinary schoolboy. Given the hurt these talents have caused, the choice would seem easy enough, but it is not so simple.

In dreams, Tom has experienced life as other “Walkers” in times of mortal danger: Edward Dyson killed at the Battle of Isandlwana, 1879; Mary Brown who perished in the Great Fire of London, 1666; and finally Charlie Hawker, a sailor who was drowned on a U-boat in 1943.

Reluctantly agreeing to travel back in time and rescue them, Tom has three dangerous adventures before returning to the present day.

Tom’s troubles have only just started, however, for he has now drawn the attention of powerful individuals who seek to use him to change history and to bend it to their will. This leads to a struggle wherein Tom’s family are obliterated from existence and Tom must make a choice between saving them and saving his entire world.

The Hourglass Institute Series is a Time Travel adventure for Young Adults: Time Travel Sounds like fun until you try it.

Prepare yourself for a thrilling dash through history as your read about the adventures of Tom and the Hourglass Institute.

Without overstating it, I was blown away by this book.  Yes, it is aimed at teens or young adults, but there is a lot going on within it.  There is the sci-fi aspect of the time travel, or since it is an innate talent of the Walker it could be seen as magic with a fantasy genre.  It also has aspects of historical fiction, as Tom goes back in time to different periods; horror due to living/experiencing the deaths of other Walkers from the past, and the story describes a dystopian future of what could be if our history was to be altered.

As I am trying to read all the books on my kindle and not by more, I have 'only' added the sequel to my wishlist, rather than buying it outright; but I look forward to reading the next in Tom's adventures when I do start buying books again.  (I am also trying to encourage my girls to read this book, so that they get absorbed by this book and provide me with the excuse of buying the next one earlier, lol.)

The Magemother by Austin J Bailey

Working through the unread books on my kindle, I am skipping books that are for very young children, but reading books that are aimed at teens.  I'm also going through my books and choosing them based on author's last name (so I previously read and A, this is B for Bailey and next I'm reading C).

This book is actually aimed at Middle-schoolers (I had to look that up, and seems to be roughly 10-13yo), so slightly younger than any of the books I usually read.

The blurb says:

An invisible girl. A missing mage. A world in need…

Brinley has spent most of her life lost in her own imagination, teaching bullfrogs to do gymnastics and pretending to be invisible. Now, when a magic bell from another world summons her across time and space on a journey to find her mother, she will discover real friendship, face true evil, and overcome her greatest fears in order to save the ones she loves.

The Mage and the Magpie is the first book in Austin J. Bailey's Magemother series: an epic middle-grade fantasy adventure series with witches, shapeshifters, and cliffhangers, and awesome kids (There are no boring adults in this book!).

I could tell this book was aimed at children - slightly quicker pace with less description and depth than I'm used to, but actually it was still really enjoyable.  I'm not going to read the subsequent books in the series, but if my children were looking for a fantasy book I would encourage them to read this and I would buy the following books for them.  (And admittedly, once I've bought them, for the kids, I probably would end up reading them.)

The book is really well written and the story is easy to follow, even though you are following multiple characters at times.  I like books with a sense of good prevailing over evil, and even though there are sad bits, the book is built up as an adventure and you cannot always predict what will happen next.

Skip by Perrin Briar

I read this book in a day and I was a bit disappointed, as it has the potential to be a really good bit of Sci Fi/Fantasy.

Jera Wythnos is betrothed to a wealthy family, in order to protect her own family from ruin.  However, she discovers the brothers are not all they seem to be.  Unable to get out of the engagement she decides to run away in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, Elian Stump walks into a clock shop, claiming to be looking for a job.  The old watchmaker turns him down, until a cuckoo makes an appearance and the watchmaker changes his mind.
Jera manages bribes Elian to allow her to hide in the shop, when those searching for her break in and damage the clock tower, causing Jera and Elian to Skip forward in time.

The blurb says:

A Mysterious Clock Controls Time. What Happens When It Breaks? The clock tower is the center of the town of Time. It counts down the hours, minutes and seconds of every passing day. But unbeknownst to the local inhabitants, it is at the center of a great deal more than that. It is the center of the universe and controls time itself. But it is old and beginning to break, sending the world’s inhabitants skipping forward and back through time. Seventeen-year-old Jera Wythnos, betrothed to marry a powerful lord, runs to escape her responsibilities and pursue her dream of traveling the world. Hot on her heels is her betrothed, moving heaven and earth to find her before the wedding day. Elian Stump is an outlaw on the run from a bungled heist, but he carries with him a dangerous secret that threatens to either free or ensnare the world. They confront sinister forces at every turn, hell bent on preventing them from achieving their goal, and taking control of the clock tower for themselves. The universe has chosen this unlikely pair to collect all three replacement clock pieces scattered across the world before the clock tower, and time, breaks for good. On their journey they make friends and enemies, encounter strange and wonderful mythical creatures, and face their own internal demons.

The book is very fast paced, and doesn't go into the depth of character that I would have liked.  Additionally, the first book just stops, presumably to encourage you to buy book 2, whereas I prefer books to be roughly self-contained (even if there are overarching stories throughout the series) or at least a lead-in to the following book.  Not having read the next one, for all I know this could have been one large book that has been split up in order to make the author more money.  Book 2 isn't available on Kindle, and I didn't enjoy the story enough to warrant putting a paperbook on my wishlist.