In a remote seaside town outside of Tokyo, Kotoko makes her way along a seashell path, lured by whispers of an enigmatic restaurant whose kagezen, or traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones, promise a reunion with the departed. When a gust of wind lifts off her hat, she sees running after it a young man who looks like her recently deceased brother. But it's not her brother; it's Kai, the restaurant's young chef, who returns her hat and brings her to the tiny establishment, where he introduces her to Chibi, the resident kitten, and serves her steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice, and miso soup--the exact meal her brother used to cook for her. As she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent, the air grows hazy, and Kotoko begins a magical journey of last chances and new beginnings.

S.T. is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his human owner, Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. those idiots), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos (R). But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right.

With no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis (a loyal but dimwitted dog), S.T. discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV-What could possibly go wrong?

Includes a Reading Group Guide.

AN INDIE NEXT PICK!

From the #1 bestselling author in Japan comes a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them, infused with the heartwarming spirit of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for--or rather, demands--the teenager's help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge--the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter . . .

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.

Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai.

Cats, books, young love, and adventure: catnip for a variety of readers! -Kirkus

The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books--an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world.

A chronic asthma condition prevents thirteen-year-old Nanami from playing sports or spending time with her friends after school. But nothing can stop her from one of her favorite activities. Nanami loves to read and happily spends much of her free time in the library, cocooned among the stacks.

Then one day, Nanami notices that, despite the library being as deserted as ever, some of her favorite books, including literary classics like Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief and Anne of Green Gables are disappearing from the shelves. When she alerts the library staff, they dismiss her concerns. But just as Nanami is about to return to her reading, she spots a suspicious man in a gray suit. Eager to discover what he's up to, she follows him. The chase is cut short when Nanami suffers an asthma attack. By the time she catches her breath, the man has disappeared and all that is left behind is a mysterious light filtering through the library's familiar passageways.

That's when Tiger, the talking tabby cat who saves books, comes to the rescue. Are Nanami and Tiger prepared to face the dangerous challenges that lie ahead? Why are faceless gray soldiers burning books in a stone castle? And what happened to Rintaro, the socially withdrawn hero who helped Tiger save books in a second-hand bookshop? At a time of increased book bannings worldwide, Sosuke Natsukawa urges us not to underestimate the power of great literature--and to be prepared to defend our freedom to choose.

Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai

We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts...

An instant international bestseller and indie bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe...

With his crooked tail--a sign of good fortune--and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.

On New York Post's Required Reading List

Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature's way; a family is perplexed by their cat's undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other's lives forever.

Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death--as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.

WINNER OF THE JANN MEDLICOTT ACORN PRIZE FOR FICTION AT THE 2023 OCKHAM NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS

A dazzling portrayal of humanity and the natural world that perfectly balances violence and humor

Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and this is where his story might have ended. If it keeps me awake, says Marnie's husband Rob, a farmer, I'll have to wring its neck. But with Tama come new possibilities for the couple's future. Tama can speak, and his fame is growing. Outside, in the pines, his father warns him of the wickedness wrought by humans. Indoors, Marnie confides in him about her violent marriage. The more Tama sees, the more the animal and the human worlds--and all the precarity, darkness and hope within them--bleed into one another. Like a stock truck filled with live cargo, the story moves inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion: the annual Axeman's Carnival.

Part trickster, part surrogate child, part witness, Tama the magpie is the star of this story. Though what he says aloud to humans is often nonsensical (and hilarious), the tale he tells us weaves a disturbingly human sense. The Axeman's Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her finest--comic, profound, poetic and true.

A writer of formidable resources, a deft stylist possessed of uncanny imaginative acuity.--The Guardian

Utterly charming, particularly so for cat-lovers, who might argue that every bit of magic here is absolutely true. --Booklist (starred review)

A world that will feel both familiar and engagingly fantastical to cat people everywhere. --Washington Post

In this whimsical and inventive debut--perfect for fans of The Guest Cat and Calvino's Invisible Cities--a young couple's daily life is disrupted by their newly adopted cat, who soon initiates them into the wondrous world of felines.

Equal parts magical and humorous, Invisible Kitties tells the story of a young couple that one day accidentally comes into possession of a delightful, playful kitten. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, this new companion, aptly named Cat, upturns the routine of the narrator and her husband in their cramped apartment, and soon they find their existence forever altered as they gradually gain insight into the fantastical world of cats.

Every cat contains multitudes... Charting the couple's ever-evolving relationship with cats -some they live with, others who exist solely in their imagination- Invisible Kitties introduces us to a coterie of extraordinary, physics-defying, death-defying cats. They drop from the sky, they grow from the soil, they transmute. They fly, flow, and evaporate. The young couple's everyday life, often eclipsed by the drama of cats, offers a gentle glimpse of how joy can suddenly sneak into our lives.

Composed of sixty chapters written in Yu Yoyo's elegant and witty style along with the author's illustrations-- Invisible Kitties is a celebration of ordinary life and the felines we love, deftly playing with the invisible boundaries between reality and imagination.

Translated from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang

A beautifully designed Deluxe Gift Edition of the #1 Japanese bestseller-- featuring sprayed edges, foil stamping and other special design features--a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for--or rather, demands--the teenager's help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and Tiger and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge--the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter . . .

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.

A madcap, entertaining escape from reality from the canine perspective. -KIRKUS

Pass masterfully blends humor, heart, and peril in this anthropomorphic tale, making it an unforgettable read. -SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

I am a dog but I do not die at the end of this book. Who else could have written it?

The human who found me is fine. She feeds me. She cuddles me. She puts a roof over my head. But I do not appreciate being held captive. Because I have the intelligence of a human. And I aim to find out why.

Accompanied by Shakespeare, a Pug with the intelligence of a Pug, I run away from home, embarking on an epic quest for freedom, understanding, and, quite possibly, revenge. Together we must survive a harsh desert of cannibalistic coyotes, stray humans, a fugitive white tiger, and one hypnotic beacon that shines from a city of sin, luring us back into so-called civilization.

My name is Rousseau. I seek the truth. Even if it means I lose my mind...

Full of imagination and humor, The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a dog book like no other, with a canine narrator who questions the value of human society, and a dog's place within it.

Read what everyone's saying about The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived:

★★★★★ A quirky, fun, thrilling ride.

★★★★★ By far the best dog story I've ever read.

★★★★★ A very impressive debut that works on a variety of levels.

★★★★★ I did not expect the complexity, the humor, the philosophy, and the humanness that exist in these pages! But don't be fooled-this is no boring, philosophical story. While the themes are underlying, the main force of this novel is action and movement.

★★★★★ Well-written with many fun vignettes.

★★★★★ Insanely creative.

★★★★★ If you have ever read, and loved, or even liked Jonathan Livingston Seagull, you will absolutely love this book.

★★★★★ A must-read for all dog lovers.

In this immensely enjoyable and wise novel, it takes a sweet and personable squirrel monkey, Beep, to help us see the world we live in more clearly. While intending only to go deeper and higher into the Costa Rican rain forest to find a mate, he instead meets Inga, a kindly American tween on vacation with her family. Inadvertently, Beep travels to Manhattan with Inga. With her devoted help--and a bit of inspiration from a visiting Greta Thunberg, along with a dramatic zoo liberation--Beep manages to change the destiny of the world. He even finds his monkey love. Along the way, a vast cast of engaging and perceptive animals have a great deal to say about humanity and the divisions among us, our alien cities, our strange practices, our folly, as well as our beauty, and our promise, unfulfilled.

For fans of Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures and Dave Eggers's The Eyes and the Impossible, Beep is full of humor, inspiration, and remarkable new ways of understanding how we live. Urgent but never earnest in the face of the increasing threats to our planet, Beep the monkey inspires us all to stop being the problem and start being the solution, loving and laughing all the way.

In this stunning follow-up to Hollow Kingdom and Seattle Times/Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association bestseller​, the animal kingdom's favorite apocalyptic herois back with a renewed sense of hope for humanity, ready to take on a world ravaged by a viral pandemic (Helen Macdonald).
Once upon an apocalypse, there lived an obscenely handsome American crow named S.T. . . .

When the world last checked-in with its favorite Cheeto addict, the planet had been overrun by flesh-hungry beasts, and nature had started re-claiming her territory from humankind. S.T., the intrepid crow, alongside his bloodhound-bestie Dennis, had set about saving pets that had become trapped in their homes after humanity went the way of the dodo.

That is, dear reader, until S.T. stumbled upon something so rare--and so precious--that he vowed to do everything in his power to safeguard what could, quite literally, be humanity's last hope for survival. But in a wild world plagued by prejudiced animals, feather-raising environments, new threats so terrifying they make zombies look like baby bunnies, and a horrendous dearth of cheesy snacks, what's a crow to do?

Why, wing it on another big-hearted, death-defying adventure, that's what! Joined by a fabulous new cast of animal characters, S.T. faces many new challenges plus his biggest one yet: parenthood.

Includes a Reading Group Guide.

AN INDIE NEXT PICK!

From the #1 bestselling author in Japan comes a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them, infused with the heartwarming spirit of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for--or rather, demands--the teenager's help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge--the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter . . .

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.

Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai.

Cats, books, young love, and adventure: catnip for a variety of readers! -Kirkus

We've all been there: When a lonely hedgehog hosts a party for his friends, he's suddenly wracked by social anxiety and self-doubt...

The hedgehog is feeling rather lonely, so one day he decides to invite all the other animals for a party. But the hedgehog is also rather a shy, reserved animal, and is terribly worried about doing or saying something he shouldn't, and about all the things that could go wrong.

What if nobody comes? What if too many of them come? What if the elephant shows up and breaks all the furniture? Will anyone be able to hear the hedgehog talk above the frog's croaking? Maybe inviting the others over wasn't such a good idea after all...

An international bestseller, with more than 1 million copies sold in the Netherlands, The Hedgehog's Dilemma is the perfect gift for the shy, retiring 'hedgehog' in your life. This lovely--and loving book--addresses deep emotional and philosophical themes with humor, kindness, and intelligence.

And a rescue dog might save his life

When vet tech and aspiring novelist Janna Welles recognizes Nolan Hoffsler, she needs to know why a bestselling crime writer is hiding out at Chance Animal Shelter. His resolve to hide his true identity weakens as they discuss her manuscript and share a few irresistible kisses. Still, she knows he doesn't totally trust her... Until he reveals that the latest threat against his life pits his survival against the lives of people he loves. It's up to Janna--and her Australian shepherd mix, Wizzy--to stop Nolan from sacrificing himself to protect others.

From Harlequin Romantic Suspense: Danger. Passion. Drama.

Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of the Shelter of Secrets series:

Book 1: Her Undercover Refuge
Book 2: Guardian K-9 on Call
Book 3: Undercover Cowboy Defender
Book 4: Canine Protection
Book 5: Canine Refuge

With a K-9 team in hot pursuit.

To search-and-rescuer Malcolm Colton, hunting the fugitive who terrorized his family is worth any risk on a stormy mountainside. But when his trusty K-9 follows a scent, he's stunned to encounter Giselle Dowling, the celebrity ghostwriter with whom he shares a past tragedy and personal trauma. It's a bittersweet reunion as the estranged pair decide to work together to stop the killer. As their search brings them closer to the cult leader who threatens the Colton family, Giselle and Malcolm find themselves falling for each other. Can Malcolm's K-9 help them bring down the killer and lead them to a future filled with promise?

From Harlequin Romantic Suspense: Danger. Passion. Drama.

Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of The Coltons of Owl Creek series:

Book 1: Colton Threat Unleashed by Tara Taylor Quinn
Book 2: Colton's Dangerous Cover by Lisa Childs
Book 3: Colton's Secret Stalker by Kimberly Van Meter
Book 4: Colton Mountain Search by Karen Whiddon
Book 5: Guarding Colton's Secrets by Addison Fox
Book 6: A Colton Kidnapping by Justine Davis
Book 7: Colton's Blizzard Hideout by Deborah Fletcher Mello
Book 8: Hunting Colton's Witness by Anna J. Stewart
Book 9: Targeted with a Colton by Beth Cornelison
Book 10: Colton's Secret Past by Kacy Cross
Book 11: Colton Undercover by Jennifer D. Bokal
Book 12: Colton's K-9 Rescue by Colleen Thompson