Recommendations based on If Cats Disappeared from the Worldby Genki Kawamura

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly

    by Luis Sepúlveda
    A charming story of a seagull and a cat who teach each other lessons of determination and resilience.

    A cat. A seagull. An impossible task. A worldwide bestseller and the subject of a feature film, THE STORY OF A SEAGULL... is finally out in paperback! Her wings burdened by an oil slick, a seagull ... (Goodreads)

  2. Almond

    by Won-pyung Sohn
    Yunjae has synesthesia and a traumatic past. He meets Gon, who helps him confront his fears and find healing.

    WALL STREET JOURNAL STORIES THAT CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE PICK * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S STAY HOME AND READ PICK * SALON'S BEST AND BOLDEST * BUSTLE'S MOST ANTICIPATED, The Emissary, meets, The Curious ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. I'm Thinking of Ending Things

    by Iain Reid
    A woman accompanies her boyfriend to meet his parents, but strange events make her question her relationship and reality itself.

    A young woman contemplates ending her seven-week relationship with her boyfriend, Jake, while taking a trip to meet his parents at their farm. During the drive, Jake attempts to recite a poem he read ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Norwegian Wood

    by Haruki Murakami
    A young man's journey of love and loss set against the backdrop of the 1960s.

    Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Shutter Island

    by Dennis Lehane
    A U.S. Marshal investigates a psychiatric hospital on a remote island, uncovering chilling secrets and an unexpected truth.

    In 1954, widower U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, go on a ferry boat to Shutter Island, the home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Convenience Store Woman

    by Sayaka Murata
    A darkly comic story of a woman's search for acceptance and belonging in a society that doesn't fit her.

    Keiko Furukura is a 36-year old woman who has been working part-time at a convenience store , or konbini , for the last 18 years. She has known since childhood that she is "different" and that ... (Wikipedia)

  7. South of the Border, West of the Sun

    by Haruki Murakami
    A married man's reflections on a once-in-a-lifetime love affair, and his struggle to reconcile the past with the present.

    Alternate cover edition, here,. Growing up in the suburbs of post-war Japan, it seemed to Hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. His sole companion was Shimamoto, also an only child. ... (Goodreads)

  8. Fragments of Horror

    by Junji Ito
    A collection of short horror stories that will leave you feeling disturbed and unsettled.

    The book is a collection of eight short stories: Prior to the publication of Fragments of Horror , Junji Ito had not written horror manga for eight years; his last published collection in the genre ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Sputnik Sweetheart

    by Haruki Murakami
    A surreal exploration of love and longing, as two people struggle to come to terms with their feelings.

    Sumire is an aspiring writer who survives on a family stipend and the creative input of her only friend, the novel's male narrator and protagonist, known in the text only as 'K'. K is an elementary ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Embers

    by Sándor Márai
    A story of a lifelong friendship between two men that is tested by secrets and betrayal.

    Originally published in 1942 and now rediscovered to international acclaim, this taut and exquisitely structured novel by the Hungarian master Sandor Marai conjures the melancholy glamour of a ... (Goodreads)

  11. Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café

    by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
    In a Tokyo café, customers travel back in time to revisit moments they regret. But there are rules to time travel, and consequences to breaking them.

    *OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD*,*NOW AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*,, If you could go back, who would you want to meet?, In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. The Enchanted April

    by Elizabeth von Arnim
    Four women embark on a journey to a magical Italian villa, discovering joy and transformation.

    The novel follows four dissimilar women in 1920s England who leave their rainy, grey environments to go on holiday in Italy. Mrs Arbuthnot and Mrs Wilkins, who belong to the same ladies' club but ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Thirteenth Tale

    by Diane Setterfield
    A mysterious storyteller reveals a dark family secret, transforming the lives of those around her.

    Vida Winter, a famous novelist in England, has evaded journalists' questions about her past, refusing to answer their inquiries and spinning elaborate tales that they later discover to be false. Her ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Tears of the Giraffe

    by Alexander McCall Smith
    A humorous and heartwarming story of the lives of the inhabitants of a Botswana village.

    Newly engaged Mma Ramotswe is not impressed with Mr JLB Matekoni's maid, Florence Pena. Unknown to him, she has been sleeping in his bed with her men friends. Obvious to Mma Ramotswe is that she does ... (Wikipedia)

  15. The Course of Love

    by Alain de Botton
    A realistic portrayal of a couple's relationship, from the initial infatuation to the challenges of long-term commitment.

    “An engrossing tale [that] provides plenty of food for thought” ( People , Best New Books pick), this playful, wise, and profoundly moving second novel from the internationally bestselling author of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. The Travelling Cat Chronicles

    by Hiro Arikawa
    A cat's journey of self-discovery, discovering the true meaning of home.

    Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong..., Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Orange Girl

    by Jostein Gaarder
    Story of a young girl's magical journey through time, discovering her family's history.

    The film is based on a 2003 novel by the same name, written by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder . The main character is the young boy Georg who one day finds a long letter from his deceased father in ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Mother

    by Maxim Gorky
    A journey of self-discovery for a young man, as he learns the truth of his past.

    In his novel, Gorky portrays the life of a woman who works in a Russian factory doing hard manual labour and combating poverty and hunger, among other hardships. Pelageya Nilovna Vlasova is the real ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Heart-Shaped Box

    by Joe Hill
    A retired rock star's haunted purchase leads to a terrifying confrontation with death.

    Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has a thing for the macabre – his collection includes sketches from infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a trepanned skull from the 16th century, a used ... (Goodreads)

  20. Germinal

    by Émile Zola
    Depicts the harsh conditions of miners in 19th century France, a story of hope and revolution.

    The novel's central character is Étienne Lantier, previously seen in, L'Assommoir, (1877), and originally to have been the central character in Zola's "murder on the trains" thriller, La Bête ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Kitchen

    by Banana Yoshimoto
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery and healing, exploring the kitchen of her dreams.

    From Mikage's love of kitchens to her job as a culinary teacher's assistant to the multiple scenes in which food is merely present, Kitchen is a short window into the life of a young Japanese woman ... (Wikipedia)

  22. The Unwritten Rule

    by Elizabeth Scott
    Sarah has always followed the unwritten rule of not pursuing her best friend's boyfriend, until she can't resist.

    Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend. Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems ... (Goodreads)

  23. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern

    by Anne McCaffrey
    Epic science-fiction story of a fatal plague and a brave heroine's quest to save her world.

    The story begins with Moreta, the senior Weyrworman of Fort Weyr, traveling with her queen dragon Orlith (who is near the end of her pregnancy) to the Gather at Ruatha Hold. At the Gather there is ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Magic Mountain

    by Thomas Mann
    A young man's journey of self-exploration and personal growth during a long stay at a Swiss sanatorium.

    The narrative opens in the decade before World War I . It introduces the protagonist, Hans Castorp, the only child of a Hamburg merchant family. Following the early death of his parents, Castorp has ... (Wikipedia)

  25. The Story of a New Name

    by Elena Ferrante
    Two young women's search for identity and independence in a patriarchal society.

    In 2012, Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. The Story of a New ... (Goodreads)

  26. Depraved Heart

    by Patricia Cornwell
    Dr. Kay Scarpetta investigates a series of murders connected to her past, while dealing with personal and professional challenges.

    Dr. Kay Scarpetta is working a highly suspicious death scene in a historic home in Cambridge, Massachusetts when an emergency alert sounds on her phone. A video link lands in her text messages, ... (Goodreads)

  27. Lullabies

    by Lang Leav
    A collection of poems and prose that explore the themes of love, heartbreak, and healing.

    A sequel to the hugely popular, best-selling, Love & Misadventure,, Lullabies, continues to explore the intricacies of love and loss. Set to a musical theme, love's poetic journey in this new, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  28. Dust

    by Patricia Cornwell
    Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta investigates a series of murders linked to a long-dead serial killer.

    The plot opens with Kay Scarpetta receiving a phone call from Marino informing her about a body, later identified as Gail Shipton, recovered in a field adjoining Massachusetts Information Technology ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Père Goriot

    by Honoré de Balzac
    A tale of ambition, greed, and human relationships in 19th century Paris.

    The novel opens with an extended description of the Maison Vauquer, a boarding house in Paris' rue Neuve-Sainte-Geneviève covered with vines, owned by the widow Madame Vauquer. The residents include ... (Wikipedia)

  30. We Have Always Lived in the Castle

    by Shirley Jackson
    A family isolated from society, struggling to cope with prejudice and tragedy.

    My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two ... (Goodreads)