The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

In The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa, Rintaro is a hikikomori, a reclusive teen who loves books and has an almost encyclopedic knowledge about them. His grandfather has just died, leaving him to run Natsuki Books on his own, but soon he'll have to leave the bookstore behind to live with a distant aunt. 

Rintaro stops going to school entirely after his grandfather's death. Why bother? He's going to leave, soon, and he doesn't have any friends. When an orange tabby named Tiger shows up and asks for his help saving books that are being destroyed, he follows. And, when the class rep — a cheerful girl named Sayo — arrives with his homework and becomes involved in the series of adventures into the labyrinth with Tiger, what will they discover? Can he and Sayo save the books from destruction?

Highly recommended - I had trouble putting down The Cat Who Saved Books and ended up with a bit of a late-night hangover from staying up to finish. I liked the way Sayo and another bookish schoolmate ignored Rintaro's introverted tendencies and spotted the depth of his knowledge and his heart. A lovely story of how books connect us and help us understand each other, translated from the Japanese. 

I won a copy of The Cat Who Saved Books from HarperCollins via Goodreads. Many thanks! 

This copy also includes a note on the cover illustration, which is quite interesting. 

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Flamebringer (Heartstone #3) by Elle Katharine White

Flamebringer is the third and final book in the Heartstone trilogy and I was so excited to read it. Even the sluggishness of my pandemic reading didn't dim the thrill although, yes, it did take longer for me to read it than it normally would have.

In the first novel, Heartstone, Aliza Bentaine discovers both love and a fighting spirit when her family and friends are faced with invading enemies and a fierce battle. In Dragonshadow, Aliza accompanies her dragon rider husband on a job that requires flying over dangerous lands where monsters lurk. In Flamebringer, Aliza and Alistair Daired fly home from their job in the second book, but they initially make an error in trying to chase someone down and end up captured by a previously unknown enemy. While imprisoned, they find out about creatures older than the Oldkind and the grudge those older creatures have against the Daireds.

When it turns out everything Aliza and Alistair have known as both history and legend may not be entirely true, what can be done to save everyone from this new, ancient enemy? A final battle will take many lives, some close to Aliza and Alistair, but will they be able to vanquish the evil for good?

Highly recommended - I loved this series. The first book was basically Pride and Prejudice with dragons and I felt like it was a little slow, at times, but it was worth sticking out the dances and other interactions that were a clear parallel to Pride and Prejudice for the exciting action scenes. The second book was adventurous but had a few too many monsters, to the point that it was a little difficult keeping track of them all, but I still liked it. But, Flamebringer brought it all together with plenty of action and danger and fewer different types of creatures to keep track of. I thought it was an absolutely perfect ending to the series. In fact, I loved Flamebringer so much that I may hang onto the entire series for a reread. And, I am not particularly fond of fantasy series. The Heartstone series is loads of fun. I'll be keeping my eye out for future books by Elle Katharine White!

My thanks to HarperVoyager for the review copy of Flamebringer!


©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Dragonshadow (Heartstone #2) by Elle Katharine White

Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White is the second in the Heartstone series published by Harper Voyager. In the first, Heartstone, Aliza Bentaine goes on some dangerous adventures and falls in love with a dragon rider when a group of Riders are hired to protect her home, Merybourne Manor, from a gryphon invasion.

In Dragonshadow, now married to the dragon rider, Alastair Daired, Aliza is trying to get excited about her duties in the family castle. But, she's kind of bored and in need of a different kind of challenge. When Alastair gets an invitation from House Pendragon to help deal with an unknown but deadly creature, Aliza insists that she must accompany Alastair. But, their destination is far to the north, she's not so great with heights, and Aliza will have to ride on Alastair's dragon over the dangerous Old Wilds.

What will Aliza and Alastair find when they reach House Pendragon? Is someone following them? What's up with the mysterious silver box that keeps appearing wherever they go? Are the dead creatures they find on their long journey North in any way connected to the mysterious deaths at House Pendragon?

Highly recommended - I had a couple minor problems with Dragonshadow. One is that there were a few too many creatures. I had trouble keeping track of them and then a little difficulty understanding the answer to the mystery (it took a little thought; I did eventually puzzle it out). This particular fantasy has a slightly over-built set of monsters, in my humble opinion. Having said that, I truly enjoyed the complexity of the plot and Aliza is a character I enjoy for her adventurous spirit. Plus, So. Much. Happened. Heartstone is a fantasy version of Pride & Prejudice, so there's a lot more interaction, manners, dancing. In Dragonshadow, it's all about the mystery of who is killing people and creatures, the dangerous journey, and why people are acting shifty, once Aliza and Alastair arrive. I enjoyed Heartstone but I liked Dragonshadow even better and I'm really looking forward to the third book in the series, which I plan to read soon.

My thanks to Harper Voyager for the review copy of Dragonshadow.

©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project - Lenore Applehans

In TropeTown, Riley is the only Manic Pixie Dream Boy and he's been sent to therapy for going off script. Riley wants to be in control of his own destiny rather than sticking to the same old roles. But rebellion could mean the end for Riley, literally. When the council threatens to retire the trope entirely, Riley and the Manic Pixie Dream Girls must prove their creativity and diversity make them relevant.

OK, let's back up a bit. When I read the description of The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project by Lenore Applehans, I thought, "Um, what?" But, I pre-ordered it because Lenore is one of us, a blogger friend from way back.  As it turns out, the world building is pretty straightforward and not difficult to follow at all. It is, as you may have surmised, a unique world peopled with various types of characters who enjoy a range of activities (including therapy, if necessary). At any time, a Manic Pixie can be called to work in an author's book. There, the Manic Pixie Dream Boy or Girl must play a role in which they will never be one of the primary characters. Being secondary is a drag and it's tempting to go off script. That's what the therapy is intended to stop. When not working in a book, the Manic Pixies and other characters have rich lives with hopes, dreams, love, and worries like anyone else, real or fictional.

I don't want to give away anything else because The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project is a very plotty book with lots of surprises and plenty of questions. What will happen when the council of TropeTown threatens to retire the Manic Pixie Dream trope? Will some of the Manic Pixies choose to plant themselves permanently into a single book and live that life forever? Or, will they band together and find a way to prove their relevance? What happens to tropes who board the train? Do they disappear from existence or do they go off-page forever and become part of what we know as the "real world", the world of readers?

Highly recommended - I was truly worried when I read the first chapter of The Manic Pixie Dream Boy Improvement Project because I thought it was likely to become so clever it bent itself into pretzels of cute. But, it was clever without being either predictable or unbearable, although it's imperative to put up with the combination of giggles, quirkiness, and moments of thoughtfulness that go with the trope. Full of unexpected wisdom and so many surprises. I loved the experience, loved the denouement, and loved the strength and creativity the Manic Pixies showed when they were threatened. And, I think I can safely say there's no other book I've encountered that's quite like it.

©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue by Jeff Seymour, illus. by Brett Helquist

Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue is a middle-grade fantasy adventure that takes place in a world in which people travel in the clouds because it's safer than travel by land or sea. Nic, the captain of the Orion, has rescued a number of children from dangerous situations and turned them into his Skyship crew. Nadya is a Skylung, a humanoid creature with gills who can speak to plants and other Skylungs. She works inside the balloon of the cloudship with Mrs. Trachia (another Skylung), where there is a garden. The plants breathe out atmosphere, keeping the ship afloat. But, the health of the plants is also dependent upon the aid of the Skylungs. 

When pirates attack, the children are able to escape but the rest of the crew is captured. They're being towed by the pirate ship when they emerge from their hiding place and find the adult crew gone. Can Nadya and her four friends and fellow crew members break the Orion free and rescue the adults from the pirate ship without being captured and sold into slavery?

You'll have to read it to find out. I'm not telling. I will tell you, though, that I think Nadya is a great character. She's got spunk and she uses her head. She can be snippy and hold a grudge but she's a hard worker and courageous. There are a lot of wonderful, unique touches to this fantasy world that I found both compelling and surprising. 

Highly recommended - Original world building, a strong storyline, and some nail-biting tension make Nadya Skylung a winner. I was at the beginning of my summer slump when I picked up Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue, so I read it slowly. But, I was aware that it was an excellent book, even during the days that I was having trouble reading. The ending is surprising as something very bad happens to Nadya and I thought the author did a realistic job of showing how a person might react to such a personal disaster. I presume but don't know for sure, that Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue is the first in a series, since Nadya hears a cry for help through the Panpathia (like a spiritual intercom system that only certain people can hear) on the final page. I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Note: This book contains illustrations, so it's a great one for young chapter-book readers who are still intimidated by pages and pages of text with no illustrations. 

©2018 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.