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The Cat Who Saved the Library
59,000 TNDNanami sees nothing wrong with a library and cat combination. But a talking cat is a whole other story.
Thirteen-year-old Nanami Kosaki loves reading. The local library is a home from home and books have become her best friends.
When Nanami notices books disappearing from the library shelves, she’s particularly curious about a suspicious man in a grey suit whose furtive behaviour doesn’t feel right. Should she follow him to see what he’s up to?
When a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears to warn her about how dangerous that would be, together they’re brave enough to follow the frightening trail to find out where all the books have gone. Will Nanami and Tiger overcome the challenges of the adventure ahead?
Warm, wonderful and wise, Sosuke Natsukawa’s The Cat Who Saved the Library is also a powerful lesson never to underestimate the value of great literature, and a reminder always to think for ourselves, no matter what our charismatic leaders might say. -
The Chibineko Kitchen
59,000 TNDFollow the bank of the Koitogawa river until you reach the beach. From there a path of white seashells will lead you to the Chibineko Kitchen. Step inside, they’ll be expecting you.
These are the directions Kotoko has been given. She arrives at the tiny restaurant, perched right by the water, early in the morning. Still reeling from the sudden death of her brother, she’s been promised that the food served there will bring him back to her, for one last time.
Taking a seat in the small, wood-panelled room, she waits as Kai, the restaurant’s young chef, brings out steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice and miso soup. Though she hadn’t ordered anything, Kai had somehow known the exact dish her brother always used to cook for her. And as she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent and the air grows hazy . . .
Soul-nourishing and comforting, The Chibineko Kitchen will help you remember what matters most in life.
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The City and Its Uncertain Walls
59,000 TNDWhen he finally makes it to the walled city, a shadowless place of horned beasts and willow trees, he finds his beloved working in a different library – a dream library. But she has no memory of their life together in the other world and, as the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur, he must decide what he’s willing to lose.
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The Clock House Murders
69,000 TNDThe remote Clock House is filled with priceless timepieces from across the world. It is also rumoured to be haunted by the spirit of a dead girl. A team of ghosthunters visit the mansion to investigate, but their stay has barely begun when one of them is gruesomely murdered, and the survivors realize that they are trapped inside the house with a killer…
As the murderer’s bloody spree continues, the team are picked off one by one.
Can the brilliant detective Shimada Kiyoshi crack the enigma of the Clock House before all those inside have been slain? And can you guess the solution before he does?
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The Convenience Store by the Sea
59,000 TND‘The Convenience Store by the Sea makes magic from life’s simple moments . . .
an unexpected treasure revealing what’s truly important in life. I will hold it close for when I need a reminder!’ Laurie Gilmore, bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe’If you loved Before The Coffee Gets Cold you will love this!”A perfect, feel-good story about finding joy in unexpected connections, ideal for those who love a cosy, heartwarming escape!”Bubble bath fiction’ The Herald’A delightful tale of community and connection’ My WeeklyWelcome to Tenderness! A quaint seaside town in Kitakyushu, Mojiko is full of hidden delights. And one unexpected treasure is the 24/7 convenience store, Tenderness.
At first glance, it’s a store like any other. Sure, it’s a bit odd that the handsome manager has his own fan club. And perhaps the customers are somewhat eccentric.
But there’s a warmth about Tenderness that draws you in. The bright lights are always on. The employees know you by name.
And the shelves are stacked with delicious treats, from strong hot coffee to sweet parfaits, egg sandos to ramen, crispy fried chicken to refreshing soba. After a while, you get the feeling that whatever you need might just be waiting for you here… The Convenience Store by the Sea is the heartwarming international bestseller from award-winning Japanese author Sonoko Machida.
A a series of interconnected vignettes set in a 24/7 Japanese convenience store, the novel tells the delightfully quirky and heartfelt stories of the store’s customers and employees, offering us all a unique recipe for a good, fulfilling life. Translated by Bruno Navasky.
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The Devotion Of Suspect X : A DETECTIVE GALILEO NOVEL
49,000 TNDOne of Time’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All TimeYasuko lives a quiet life, working in a Tokyo bento shop, a good mother to her only child. But when her ex-husband appears at her door without warning one day, her comfortable world is shattered. When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day, he finds himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has ever investigated.
Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius to understand the genius behind this particular crime… One of the biggest-selling Japanese thrillers ever, and the inspiration for a cult film, The Devotion of Suspect X is now being discovered across the world. Its blend of a page-turning story, evocative Tokyo setting and utterly surprising ending make it a must-read for anyone interested in international fiction.
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The Dilemmas of Working Women
69,000 TNDThe classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time – a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women’Witty, wise and thought-provoking’ Cecelia Ahern’Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence’ Lisa Owens, author of Not Working’So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later’ Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as ThisIzumi needs to get a job. Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Kato needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed.
Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend – or marry him. Sumie just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight. -
The Disaster Tourist
59,000 TNDYona has been stuck behind a desk for years working as a programming coordinator for Jungle, a travel company specialising in package holidays to destinations ravaged by disaster. When a senior colleague touches her inappropriately she tries to complain, and in an attempt to bury her allegations, the company make her an attractive proposition: a free ticket for one of their most sought-after trips, to the desert island of Mui. She accepts the offer and travels to the remote island, where the major attraction is a supposedly-dramatic sinkhole.
When the customers who’ve paid a premium for the trip begin to get frustrated, Yona realises that the company has dangerous plans to fabricate an environmental catastrophe to make the trip more interesting, but when she tries to raise the alarm, she discovers she has put her own life in danger.
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The Dog Who Dared to Dream
49,000 TNDThis is the story of a dog named Scraggly. Born an outsider because of her distinctive appearance, she spends most of her days in the sun-filled yard of her owner’s house. Scraggly has dreams and aspirations just like the rest of us.
But each winter, dark clouds descend and Scraggly is faced with challenges that she must overcome. Through the clouds and even beyond the gates of her owner’s yard lies the possibility of friendship, motherhood and happiness – they are for the taking if Scraggly can just hold on to them, bring them home and build the life she so desperately desires. The Dog Who Dared to Dream is a wise tale of the relationship between dog and man, as well as a celebration of a life lived with courage. -
The Full Moon Coffee Shop
59,000 TNDIt’s run by talking cats serving delicious desserts and age-old astrological wisdom. This coffee shop attracts customers who have lost their way in life, from a failed video game developer to a romantically challenged TV director. In the middle of the night, the feline guides will set everyone on their destined paths…
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The Garden of Evening Mists
59,000 TNDA BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICKAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZEWINNER OF THE MAN ASIAN LITERARY PRIZE AND THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZETeoh Yun Ling was seventeen years old when she first heard about Aritomo and the garden. But a war would come to Malaya, and a decade pass before she would travel to see him. A man of extraordinary skill and reputation, Aritomo was once the gardener for the Emperor of Japan, and now Yun Ling needs him.
She needs him to help her build a memorial to her beloved sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese. She wants to learn everything Aritomo can teach her, and do her sister proud, but to do so she must also begin a journey into her own past, a past inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country. A story of art, war, love and memory, The Garden of Evening Mists captures a dark moment in history with richness, power and incredible beauty.
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The Garden of Words
79,000 TNDWhen Takao, a young high school student who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, decides to skip school one day in favor of sketching in a rainy garden, he has no idea how much his life will change when he encounters Yukino. Older, but perhaps not as much wiser, she seems adrift in the world. Despite the difference in their ages, they strike up an unusual relationship that unexpectedly continues and evolves, without planning, with random meetings that always occur in the same garden on each rainy day. But the rainy season is coming to a close, and there are so many things still left unsaid and undone between them. Will there be time left for Takao to put his feelings into actions and words? Between the raindrops, between the calms in the storm, what will blossom in THE GARDEN OF WORDS?