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Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading.
Twitter: @MissLiberty
View All posts by Liberty Hardy
Hello, readers of the fantastical! This list is inspired by the recent release of A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and it didn’t disappoint! In it, the main character is a witch who runs an inn that magically attracts guests who are in need of refuge. And that got me thinking about other charming fantasy books with establishments that are available when people require them (whether they are aware of it or not).
Magical establishments have been a fun, comforting trend in books over the last few years! The most popular of these is probably Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, where patrons of a café can go back in time, but only for as long as it takes their hot beverage to cool off. And a great recent release is Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which involves an adventure around a pawnshop where people can sell their regrets. I also really enjoy the manga I Am a Cat Barista by Hiro Maijima!
Like those novels, the next five books feature magical businesses of all kinds that can only be found by a person in need of their services. There’s a library, a market, a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a pharmacy, and many also feature cats! Now, let’s visit them together, shall we?
All Access members, read on for recommendations of fantasy books with magical establishments—and every cover features cats!
Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading.
Twitter: @MissLiberty
View All posts by Liberty Hardy
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, Alison Watts (translator)
In Tokyo, there’s a librarian named Sayuri Komachi who has a special ability when it comes to books. She is able to sense what is going on in her patrons’ lives and then recommend the perfect book to help them achieve their dreams. Whether looking to learn a new skill, find a new vocation, or be inspired, Sayuri has a book for that.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (translator)
This is a sweet novel of delicious detective skills! Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare run the Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto. Customers may think they are getting a great meal, but the food doesn’t just fill bellies—it improves their lives. The duo is able to recreate dishes from people’s memories, which then help them remember something they may have forgotten or bring about healing that helps them move forward in their lives. (Even if letting cats sit in the dishes is a major health code violation.)
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda (translator)
Also located in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul is an office that shows itself to people who are in need of help. If a person finds themself walking through its doors, they’ll find themselves given an unusual prescription to take home: a cat. Cats have been proven to help people with many things, including increasing happiness and lowering blood pressure. And the kitties at Kokoro Clinic understand their jobs—they’re just what the doctor ordered!
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, Jesse Kirkwood (translator)
This whimsical novel is also set in Kyoto! (It would be so fun to run errands in all the magical places.) This one also has cats, but this time, they also talk! These special cats run a mysterious coffee shop. The way to get an invitation to this shop, which only appears to a special few, is to be kind to a cat. Once inside the establishment, the cat barista will consult a patron’s star chart and offer them wisdom on how they can change their lives.
The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, Slin Jung (translator)
And finally, this last pick has a magical location with higher stakes! It is set in a fictitious place called Rainbow Town. In this town, there is a house that looks decrepit and abandoned from the outside. But actually, it houses the Rainfall Market, an invitation-only bazaar where people in need of help can change their lives. Serin is a lonely woman living in Rainbow Town, and when she receives a ticket to the market, she can’t wait to go. Inside the house, she is assigned a magical cat companion, and the two shop the many stores. But the market has a catch: visitors can browse as much as they want, but only for one week. If Serin hasn’t figured out what her idea of the perfect life looks like before time is up, she will be trapped in the market forever…
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Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.
