Welcome to Litsy!

This wasn‘t for me. I know lots of people loved it, but I was put off from the first short story. The other three were better. I didn‘t like the writing style and noticed a translation error, which I struggled to get past.

Really cool adventure, loved how it blends short story with an ongoing narrative.

There were some parts I didn‘t like about this book. Like how Fumiko couldn‘t find a way to get in contact with her boyfriend in this day and age was unrealistic to me. But overall, I did like the story. It was warm, sweet, creative, and well written. Recommend.

Similar to one book that I‘ve read before ☺️ enjoying it so far. Heartwarming, delicate writing, good characters so far.
#beforethecoffegetscold #toshikazukawaguchi #tuesdayread

A cute concept of time travel in a coffee shop. Poor presentation, repetitive, mundane, and all tell-don't-show. But some powerfully emotional messages still come through. Makes me think on how to change my attitude even though I can't change the past...

It's the perfect rainy day and I cannot wait to get stuck in this

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for the really lovely card! It made me smile. I really loved this quote: “Keep focused on who and what are most important in your life. Making a life is more important than making a living.” -Larree Renda
If you are one of the wonderful people I have been communicating with through #litsylove please know I appreciate your patience. I am slowly getting things back on track and I should be sending out replies soon!

Enjoyable sequel! Simple, but fluid and beautiful writing, bittersweet endings, interesting characters. There is a certain amount of repetitiveness, but it's suitable for these interconnected stories. 😊

Feb Reads:
Before the coffee gets cold
Tales from the cafe
Rock paper scissors
Heart on the edge

Absolutely in love with my choices in the month of February. Happy Reading to all!!

This is the next library book discussion mom and I are doing in March. This book was published in 2020! I‘m shocked that I can‘t get a digital copy in major Ohio libraries for months. Paper copies at Clevnet also very limited.

Sweet book. Pacing is on the slower side. Chapters are loosely connected to each other.

I don‘t get the buzz. [See what I did there?] Read my mini review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#before-the-coffee-gets-cold

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Quirky, poignant, transporting. A unique gem of interconnected stories that left me pondering the human experience and craving coffee.

I haven‘t read a ton of translated fiction, but I appreciate the way it helps us expand our understanding and appreciation of the world. Does anyone have any other favorites to recommend?

Such an interesting book about time travel, relationships, family, about changing the past if we could. The firstbin three books, will definitely get the next two books.

Sabrina wanted to be a part of Book Club today. 🤓 #bookclub #dogsoflitsy

This was such a good book! I work at a bookstore and we can‘t keep this title on the shelf. It intrigued me enough after ring copy after copy up to see what the big deal was. I must say it is not only a fast read by the various characters will pull you in and hold you captive until the last page.

I read this for my book club and I really liked it. Its very emotional. Beautiful stories leaving the reader with questions about whether it's beneficial or not to go to the past or see into the future. Lovely read. #bookspin #bookclub

It's an emotional read which will warm your heart, break it and also make you laugh. It's definitely more focused on the characters and their stories rather than the time travelling, which I enjoyed.

Like my previous read, I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been more in depth, but this is always a risk you take with shorter books. As it was I think the author did a really good job and I think many readers would appreciate this book.

4.5⭐️ The book is about a coffee shop with a chair, yes “that chair“ that allows you to travel back in time. A lot of feelings were brought to the surface during this read, and while at some points the book felt a little cold, the more that I read, the more connected with the characters. By the end of the book I was crying into a box of Kleenex. It‘s a super cute story that is a little unconventional but heartwarming. #bookspinbingo space #5

If you know, you know! 😢

Photo taken in a naive moment, not long before this book had me sobbing 😭

On the 1st Day of Christmas I pick Before the Coffee Gets Cold as my favorite book of #January.
This was such a sweet book, but beware. Tissues may be needed.
#12booksof2022

Read this one with a box of tissues. Deserves the hype.

Finished this while on a mini-break in Asheville, NC. Beautiful book, recommend if you‘re looking for a feel-good story that puts a rather interesting spin on time travel.

“It takes courage to say what needs to be said.”

First book of December 🤍

I really loved this listen. It‘s full of beautiful connections between the characters, and the idea that love transcends time. The story revolves around the employees and customers of a seemingly simple little basement café, but taking a closer look you‘ll find how unique the café really is. Listening to this one was always a bright part of my day.

“If this was the past, then it held no use.”

An interesting take on time travel: there's a hidden little café in Tokyo that has one single seat that allows you to travel through time. There are many rules, but one of the most important is that you must return to the present before the coffee before you gets cold. ☕ Oh, and another rule is that no matter what you do in the past, the present won't change.
#magicalrealism #timetravel
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

My next listen… 😊

I found this book very average...not sure what the hype is about!

#pop22 A different book by an author you read in 2021

Ropy time travel mechanics?

Twee, didactic life lessons?

More of the same?

I don't care. These stories are life affirming, gorgeous and make me cry in public.

I can practically smell the coffee; it's like I'm sitting there in the sepia-toned room sipping bitter-tasting syphon coffee and thinking about life, the universe and death.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plus a pic of some caramel apple pie 😉

When I let my coffee get cold it makes me want to…#scream ☕️🙀😂 #scarathlondailyprompts #teammonstermash

The concept was interesting but the characters and writing keep the reader at a remove.

Book 106 of the year.

Decided to reread this one because I'm going to dive into the next two books and yup, still enjoyed it as much as the first time. Even though it has magical elements (#timetravel), it still does such an amazing job at keeping the focus on the characters, their struggles, and their relationships with each other. I'm curious to see what the sequel is about #fiction #Japanesefiction #japan

In a coffee shop in Japan there is a seat that can take you to the past. There are several rules including : 1. Nothing you say or do will change the present and 2. You must return to the present before your coffee gets cold. I loved the characters and the lesson! 5⭐️

I really like the premise of this book. I even like the “rules.” At times it was somewhat repetitive. I wish I had known this was a novelization of a play before I listened to it. I can easily imagine this occurring onstage. I agree with other reviewers who mentioned that there was no cat in the story even though there is a cat on the cover. The narrator has a very pleasant voice and is a good match for this novel.

Premise? Wonderful. Sense of place? Lovely. Everything else? A total mess. This book is frustratingly repetitive. Characters are not fleshed out and are often problematic—the woman with the body of a model who doesn‘t know she‘s beautiful and whose “work is her lover,” the disabled kind-hearted martyr, etc. After I found out this is actually a novelization of a play, it made more sense.

4.2 ⭐

My 1st reread since forever. I don't know why I always put aside the idea of reread maybe because of my mounting TBR, or I'm afraid I'll lose the feeling I got when I first read it. But I'm glad it's not true. I still feel it, I cried as hard.
Lesson learnt, not every story end happily, but how the story changed us as a person is what matters most.

It takes a special kind of book to make a person reflects on life, and this is it.

Finishing the 2nd story in the book, I cried so hard.
The 1st story gives me hopeful love.
The 2nd story is a whole new world, a roller coaster of emotion. An unconditional love 😭😭😭

It's a reread for me, and yet I still feel the emotion so strongly.

It's raining tonight 🌩️🌧️🌩️

I liked the time travel rules and the atmosphere of the cafe. I was attached to the characters and their outcomes; I just really wanted different outcomes for some of them. I had trouble relating to the familial guilt and pressure and I had trouble with a sick person being cast as such a cheerful martyr. These may be my own issues. I did enjoy the book.

Rereading this 💚💚

Heartwarming stories of people at the Funiculi Funicular cafe where you can go back in time (or future) as long as you drink your coffee before it gets cold.

I liked it that as we follow 4 individual stories, at the same time, they are all linked together by Kazu and the owners of the cafe. We also find out more about the ghost who occupies the special seat.

A good follow up for the first book! Looking forward to the next stories to come!

Looking forward to reading ‘Before the coffee gets cold: Tales from the Cafe‘. Really loved the first book! Time to immerse into this magical story again! 💗