The Goodbye Cat, by Hiro Arikawa

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

Back with a review of The Goodbye Cat, by Hiro Arikawa, which is a book I got for Christmas- finally got around to reading it. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my review. 

Title: The Goodbye Cat 

Author: Hiro Arikawa

Genre: Contemporary 

Release date: 12/10/2023

Status: Standalone

Blurb: "I heard this heavy sniffing sound. 

Then a brush of whiskers. 

When I opened my eyes, Tom was lounging 

on his side, gazing at me. 

His black eyes were urging me to Get up!

He led me to the living-room cupboard. 

I'm hungry, so bring out some snacks! he said. 

It was 3.a.m."

My Thoughts

Okay! What did I think of this book?

Every story held it's own. You know when you read a series of novellas, or short stories, like Blackout, or Let It Snow, and you prefer some stories to others? Yeah, that didn't happen with this- quite the opposite in fact- I wanted to keep reading every single time I started another story. 

Some had the same characters, at different points in their life, with a different cat, others were short and completely unrelated. But all of them moved me, made me feel something. 

There were seven short stories in total, ranging from under 10 pages, to approximately 50. All in all, under 250 pages, but with seven wonderful, well-written stories about a national treasure- cats. 

In these stories, through the seasons of Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten found in a dustbin, whose simple needs teaches an anxious man how to care for his coming child; an island colony of cats teaches a boy not to stand in nature's way; Kota, hatches a plan to become a spirit, so him and his owner can be together forever. 

I love the way Hiro is able to change the tone, the feeling of the story in the way he words a sentence. She has such a light, easy-to-read writing style, you can't help but get engrossed in the stories. 

From this unique perspective, you read about friendship, rivalry, truth, hunger, abandonement, grief, loss, happiness, love, amongst other themes. Sometimes the stories are from the POV of the cats, and other stories, humans, and it was an absolute pleasant to read from both. 

I think this is a book that everyone should pick up- whether they like cats, Japan, both or neither, because it truly is a heart-warming, joyous book.

Absolutely loved. 5 stars.  

Okay! That's my review for The Goodbye Cat! I hope you enjoyed it, feel free to comment whether you enjoyed it, if you've read the book yourself, and what you thought about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

April Wrap Up & May TBR (2024)

Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And after another absent month, I'm back with last month's wrap up & this month's TBR. 

I don't have any reason why I haven't posted at all this past month, I've just been trying to get to grips with actually being productive. 

I'm drawing a line over April. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. 

~April Wrap Up~

I read a total of two books in April, but boy am I happy to have finished these two! 

They're two books that it seems I've been wanting to read since the end of the time, and I am extremely chuffed to have finally finished!

1. The Burning God (The Poppy War #3), by R.F. Kuang

If the other two books made me emotional, this one left me in pieces. I read a fair bit of this in the car, to and from work (audiobook of course, I'm not that reckless!) and I definitely went over the speed limit a couple of times because of this! 

I went into this with no idea of where it was headed, and it did not disappoint! I was on bated breath the entire time when reading this, because it was shock twist after shock twist! Just, this series was everything I wanted it to be and more! 

Can't wait to delve into Yellowface!

2. I Invited Her In, by Adele Parks 

So, I finally fucking finished this! At the start I was pretty hesitant, not sure what I was thinking, but then I started taking it on the tube (trip to London for The Crystal Maze) and all of a sudden, something just clicked! I finished three quarters of the book in about three days! 

I don't tend to read that many thrillers, but this one look inviting (haha), what with the simple premise of a long-forgotten friend helping another friend when she's down on her luck, and everyone I spoke to at least remembering how good the tv show was, that I had to pick it up. 

After finishing it, I know it won't be long until I'm ready to watch the tv show. 

Stinkingly good story, guys. 

~May TBR~

1. Hothouse Flower, by Lucinda Riley 

Okay, so my lovely colleague Liz dropped round a couple more Lucinda Riley books (thank you Liz). So naturally, I dropped the book I was reading (coincidentally, a book that was similar enough to Lucinda Riley so I could purge the effect her books had on me) so I could read this. 

Now, this actually has a lot of aspects that the Seven Sisters books had. You're jumping back in time, through a story told by a relative, or a book, to learn more about how it's affecting you in recent time. I'm currently 200 pages in and it's gripped me with both hands. 

 

2. The Goodbye Cat, by Hiro Arikawa

Of course this is coming next. Seven short stories, about cats, set in Japan. The book is so smooth, the blurb is so gentle, I can just tell, I'm going to love the writing style. I so badly just want to knock this out in a weekend- let's hope I get that chance. 

Most people that have read this (online) seem to have to loved this and I can't wait to join them. 

This book is happening this month. 

3. The Light Behind the Window, by Lucinda Riley 

The Light Behind the Window tells the story of Emilie de la Martiniéres who, after denying her aristocratic background for several years, finds herself to be the sole inheritor of her grand childhood home, after the death of her distant mother. An uncovered notebook leaves her searching for the rest of them, from the point of view of a mysterious Sophia, whose tragic affair changed the path of her family history dramatically. As she pursues the notebook and reads the story, set in London 1943, she discovers that they may indeed hold the key to her future, as well as her past. 

Yeah, I received two books. Looks like it's going to be a very Lucinda Riley month, and honestly, I'm okay with that. 

4. The Wake-Up Call, by Beth O' Leary 

Okay, so there was NO WAY I was adding a third Lucinda Riley book in this TBR, so I had a quick look at my TBR. I haven't read a Beth O' Leary book in FOREVER (it's been all Emily Henry- I get them confused sometimes). And honestly, out of this and No Show, this appealed to me the most. 

The Wake-Up Call is about Izzy and Lucas, sworn enemies, that have to put their differences aside, to work together, so they can find the couples that are missing their wedding rings, so they can save the hotel they both work at and love. 

Of course things happen between them that they don't expect. That's just part of the story. 

This appealed to me because it reminds me of Act Your Age, Eve Brown, by Talia Hibbert, that I finished just under a year ago. Probably because they're both set in a hotel, but whatever. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in April, and all the books I plan to read this month! Feel free to comment what you read last month, or books on your TBR for May- we can talk about them!

I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx