We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

We'll Prescribe You a Cat recounts the stories of five individuals who find themselves at the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto. All are there because of some unhappiness in their lives. There's Shuta Kagawa, who rents a cat because he's stressed out about the mental abuse he endures at his job. Handbag designer Tomoko Takamine discovers the therapeutic power of having a cat after she brings her animal home. Yusaku Koga, meanwhile, finds that a cat named Margot brings his family together. A great read-alike for The Blanket Cats. An added bonus is that some of the characters appear in other people's stories.

Kate & Frida: a Novel of Friendship, Food, and Books by Kim Fay

Frida, living in Paris, becomes friends with Kate when she writes a letter to a bookstore in Seattle, requesting a particular book. Kate, who works at the bookstore, sends Frida the item she desires and a friendship is born. Kate, an aspiring novelist, enjoys her job, adores her grandfather Bumpa, and is interested in co-worker Sven. Frida, meanwhile, dreams of being a great journalist. When the chance opens up to travel to Sarajevo to cover the Bosnian war, she takes it--and it changes her life. Kate & Frida recounts the friendship of the women through the letters they write to each other over a three year span. A light novel for those enjoy books about women's friendships.

The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony

In 1969, Maura marries a wealthy doctor named Christy in Dublin. Soon after, she realizes he's a man with a violent temper who abuses her when she doesn't do what he wants. Maura then meets Bernie, who has three daughters and is married to the local butcher, Dan. Bernie and Dan have a great marriage, but Bernie would be risking her life if she had any more children. The Women on Platform Two tells the story of the fight in Ireland for women to have access to contraception. Told through the eyes of fictional characters Maura and Bernie, it's a page turner similar to Kristin Hannah and Flynn Berry.

The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu

In Tokyo, there is a shop where you can rent a cat for three days. The cats are many different breeds-Manx, Maine Coon, Calico, American Shorthair, and Russian Blue. They also come with a blanket which needs to be with them when they sleep. The Blanket Cats tells the stories of seven people who take a cat home, like Taeko, who's on the run after taking a lot of money from the company she works for. One story is from the point of view of a cat named Tabby, who escapes from the woman who rented her and goes on to protect two children who have run away from home. A great read-alike for The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen and the Kamogawa Food Detective series.

Tilda is Visible by Jane Tara

Tilda Finch lives outside of Sydney and knows she has a good life. Divorced with twin adult daughters, Tilda is stunned to discover one of her fingers is invisible. By the time she sees a doctor, other body parts have disappeared. Tilda's doctor runs some tests and says she has "invisibility disorder." While dealing with the diagnosis, Tilda meets blind surfer, Patrick--but can she even start a relationship with all that she's going through? Tilda decides to do all she can--therapy, mediation, a support group, examining her childhood and marriage--to make herself whole again.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi

In a seaside town in Japan there is a place called Chibineko Kitchen. People come to the restaurant to eat a meal that reminds them of someone they were close to who has died. They are also able to see and communicate with that special person for one last time. In the novel, the reader meets Kotoko, whose brother died in a car accident, a boy named Tajii who was unkind to a classmate before she passed, and a widower named Yoshio who longs to see his wife again. With similarities to the Kamogawa Food Detectives series, this novel focuses more on the interpersonal relationships between the characters--including mother and son Nanami and Kai (the owners of the cafe)--and moving their stories forward. A poignant start to the series.

The Cafe with No Name by Robert Seethaler

In 1966, Robert Simon decides to open a cafe near the Karmelitermarkt in Vienna. It's a down-on-its-luck neighborhood that is just waiting for a local meeting place. In The Cafe with No Name, the reader gets up close and personal with Simon, Mila, the cafe's waitress, and the residents who frequent the cafe over the ten years it's in business. Give to readers who enjoyed The Door-to-Door Bookstore.