Book Buzz

Episode 102 - Air date: May 18, 2025

JESSICA:

Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.

Today's reading recommendations are both collections of stories — one tender and whimsical, the other haunting and speculative.

First, we’re going to hear from Lindsey, librarian at the Mukilteo Library, for a book of quirky health hacks. Over to you, Lindsey.

LINDSEY:

How often are we prescribed medication or a change in diet or exercise to cure our problems? What if we were prescribed cats instead? That’s what Syou Ishida proposes in “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat,” translated from Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda.

Down a shady alleyway in Kyoto, Japan, is the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. It’s a mysterious, transient clinic that people hear about from a friend of a friend of a friend, and they only find it when they’re truly in need of it.

In five connected stories, people experiencing a variety of problems come to this clinic and leave with a prescription of a cat and all the supplies they’ll need to care for it. Maybe they’re in a toxic work environment or feeling disconnected from their families. Whatever the case, there’s a cat for that. Bewildered by this unorthodox treatment, when the patients follow their prescriptions, they find recovery and relief.

If you enjoy magical realism and cats, I highly recommend this book. It’s cozy and warm-hearted, but it has depth and moments of sadness, so it’s not overly twee. I could easily imagine it as a manga or anime series. If you like audiobooks, be sure to check this one out to hear the cats meowing between stories.

I give four paws to “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” by Syou Ishida.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Lindsey! This book makes me want to curl up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and my adorable cat for the ultimate comfort read.

Next, let’s hear about a collection of uniquely bizarre stories, from Emily, library associate at the Marysville Library. Take it away, Emily.

EMILY:

Each of the stories in Sarah Pinsker's “Lost Places” offers a distinct, individual reality. Some appear nearer to our own than others, but all fall somewhere along a spectrum of strangeness.

Pinsker’s world-building is effortless and organic across the many genres represented — science fiction, realistic fiction, magical realism, folk horror, dystopian, fantasy, and alternative history masquerading as fantasy. And yet, the people in each piece feel even more significant than their settings. Whether they're a wizard, a bureaucrat, or a disillusioned teen, they all come to find that their worlds and their places in them are less certain than they once thought. Each faces the choice to adapt, band together, resist, or succumb for survival.

The woman who designed a retirement community offering absolute, comprehensive care must now devise a way to escape it.

An artist must learn to navigate life with no short-term memory if she wants to make room in her mind for the ancient, enigmatic entity inspiring her art.

A young woman seeks new purpose in her community when all places of work suddenly and inexplicably close.

A poor farmer must challenge an all-powerful emperor with only a handful of well-placed seeds.

These stories are hopeful, haunting, and begging to be discussed.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Emily! Sounds like a beautifully eerie collection.

Our recommendations this week are: “We’ll Prescribe You a Cat” by Syou Ishida and “Lost Places” by Sarah Pinsker.

Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.

Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.

Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.