Welcome to Litsy!

I liked the premise of this one, but it did get a bit samey with the descriptions of the coffee and going back in time. I think that was partially because it is very similar in style to What you are looking for is in the library! But I did enjoy it! I don‘t think I will rush to get the next one, but I will probably read it in the future :)

#DogsOfLitsy #ReadingBuddy

My current read for my IRL book club.

I can‘t say that I‘m loving it exactly but I‘ve already found myself teary. 😆

What a cool idea. Books about time travel are usually fantasy / wish-fulfillment. But what if it cane with so many rules that it hardly made sense to even try it? While the idea carried the beginning of the book, and the slow reveal of the connections between the characters carried the middle, it had lost all steam by the end.

‘Oh gosh, is that the time! Sorry, I have to go,‘ the man mumbled evasively, as he stood up and reached for his bag.
#firstlinefriday
@ShyBookOwl
#24countriesin2024

Imagine a coffee shop that lets you go back in time with a few (read many) rules to follow.

As interesting as the premise was, the book was pretty bland. I understand some essence being lost because of this being a translation. Expected a bit too much I guess, DNFing after the second story.

1. Read or listen to an audiobook at least one hour each day this week, Oh and I have tickets to see TJ Klune Friday evening. So buy lots of his books....that's part of the plan.
2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Book Thief.
3. Impulsive, Kind.

@cupcake12
#MotivationalMonday

Have a great week!

I liked the story but not the writing, which is understandable as it‘s a translation. However it felt clunky to read and a tad repetitive. The way the female character‘s perspectives were written also felt a little off base.
Nevertheless, it was a short read with an interesting plot line.

I was intrigued by the concept & the specific relationships each section explored.

But the writing style just felt so flat. I saw other reviewers suggest it might have been due to translation, but I don‘t think that was my issue. It was more about where the author offered detail (like describing everybody‘s outfits?!) vs where he kept it sparse or oversimplified (the action, character development)? I was left annoyed; so much missed potential.

1, I think WWI or WWII are my favorites, although the WWII time period has so many books set in that time it gets a little saturated.
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses.
3. Gone With The Wind or The Mists of Avalon are the longest books I've read.
#wondrouswednesday @eggs

I've done it again I've started a new audio book and it turns out to be a series of 4 book's.
Why do I do this to myself...
oh well here we go with the first book Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

#audiobook
#readingontheroad
#solotravel
#traveltheworld

At a hidden café in Tokyo with only a few tables, there is one with a special chair that allows the occupant to travel in time. Like other time travel stories, there are numerous rules that must be followed & it is the inventiveness of a few of these rules that helps make this work so well. Also, it is the perfect blend between the bitter & the hopeful that keeps what would otherwise be an overly sentimental story. Great story w/ great cast.

Didn't expect to tear up while reading this one
(Image taken from google images)

Merry Christmas! 🎄I‘m up early and waiting for the rest of the household to wake up and open their presents so I‘ve used the time wisely and finished my book! This is between a ‘pick‘ and a ‘so-so‘. I‘m feeling generous as it‘s Christmas! This is an interesting concept and story, just the execution wasn‘t great. The writing didn‘t really flow. But maybe this is just the translation. Anyway, Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Book Advent Day 8!

I wasn‘t expecting this book to touch so deeply on emotions and humanity. The four stories were heartfelt and thoughtful. Though each was short, the stories were big and didn‘t leave me feeling a hole in the story. The flow of the writing took me a bit to get into maybe due to its translation or that it was written as a play, but I did like the style. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and I‘m looking forward to my bookclub discussion!

I have been depressed & painfully sad since I lost my better half recently. And the rare moment I feel the least bit happy about something I immediately feel guilty. So this hit home, “If I had led a sad life as a result of my sister's death, then it would have been as if her death has caused it. So, I thought I mustn't allow that to happen.I swore to myself that I would make sure that I was happy.My joy would be the legacy of my sister's life.“💙

This book was great! The 3rd and 4th stories in particular made me bawl like a baby. Can't recommend this enough. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Seems like this one's got lots of mixed reviews, but I quite enjoyed the original so am hoping for the same this go round.

I am very turned off by how kawaguchi describes his female characters.

TBD on bailing because of that.

I think this little book lost out with the translation. Also it was originally a stage play and I could see that working well. The appeal of this book might be the lessons/ moral or what ever each story portrayed. I‘m afraid I couldn‘t finish it as there was something about the writing that didn‘t get me in in. I‘m guessing it was the way it was translated. I did love the life lessons of the first two that I read.

Yeah, nah.

This was a speed-read before book club tomorrow, where I suspect I‘ll be in the minority.

Not my cup of tea (🤭)

Weekly Report

Almost done with Clarissa! So, of course, I've started another 18th century epistolary novel 😂 This one is overwrought. Also reading the quite meta Age of Goodbyes. And because my hold from several months ago came through, I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

A rare re-read for me, ahead of seeing the author at #CheltLitFest next weekend. I still love this quirky, emotional book.

Book 1 #20in4 #Readathon @Andrew65
Book 10 #SummerEndReadathon @TheSpineView
Book 15 #Rushathon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

I decided to re-read this book and I'm very glad I did because I enjoyed it much better the 2nd time around. ☕📚

It‘s a relatively gentle and quiet book and so it took me a while to get into it. Ultimately got sucked in and enjoyed it ☕️

The second in this series, and four more people visit the cafe to go back to the past. It was moving and sad. It's a simple idea, but it works.

En Français!

@CBee OMG ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

I‘ve been wanting to read this and the sticker!!!!
I‘m seeing him September 5 & 7 !!!! 😘

Mail came early and what fun this was there! 🥰

Poignant stories of how people have regrets and would go to great lengths to go back in time for one chance to make amends. So, in this unique cafe in Tokyo, you can go back once in the past but have to come back before the coffee gets cold ; but nothing that you do can change the present.

4/5 This book was engaging & emotional. You walk through the tales of people who would give anything for one last conversation, and are left to think of your own life and the moments that slip by. Although this book was well written and compelling, it was also a bit predictable. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a quick, cozy read.

What a charming, thought provoking yet simple story. Four separate stories that are loosely tied together all centering around a small cafe that can let customers travel in time within a set of strict rules. At first I was found the narration style irksome but quickly grew to enjoy it. A great reminder to live your life in the present and to its fullest. Would recommend for a nice light read.

It's a bit trite and earnest, more like a fable or a fairytale than a novel with a plot. It‘s written in a surprisingly simple style, given the complexity of the subject matter. Some people really respond to that though and I don‘t begrudge them that. I'm not sure it lives up to the hype, but you could pick up worse from a Little Free Library. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/before-the-coffee-gets-cold-toshikazu-kawag...

🎧💛🧡🩵 ☕️ In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

I have no idea whether I liked this or not. I think I liked it, but there were parts that were choppy and seemed oddly inserted into the story. I just don‘t know. Maybe in a few days I‘ll figure it out. 🤷‍♀️

The first book in the series was charming and insightful in its examination of human emotions through the conceit of time travel; the sequel attempts the same lyricism but hits some false notes. Part of the joy of the original stories was how much was left unexplained; this volume tries too hard to fill in the blanks. And it seems to be shifting focus to an annoying child. A bit of a sophomore slump here but I will still check out the next volume.

These books truly have all of my heart. I have laughed and cried and felt everything in between. The stories are so wholesome and well written. I don‘t have any words for it, but I do have all the feelings 🥹🙏❤️

Really looking forward to reading this book. I adored the first volume and am curious what this one will bring!

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#books #bookaddict #booklover #bookly #booknerd #bookstagram #casualreader #cozyreader #goodreads #happyreading #reading

Finished reading on 16 May 2023.

I need a rating between so so and pick and if there was one I‘d use it for this. The book was a bit so so to begin with but grew closer and closer to a pick as I read it. Not amazing but a gentle tale of human needs, particularly regrets within relationships. Very much about the power of hindsight.

A small coffee shop has an unusual feature: it lets you travel through time. But you can only stay in the shop, anything you do in the past won't change anything, and you had better finish your coffee before it gets cold or there will be consequences. The book is less about people trying to change fate and more about how revisiting events can change one's emotional responses Full of understanding human complexity and generosity for our failings.

#readathon snacks at the ready (sharing with my reading buddies) and about to start the tagged book. (Yes, I have a cup of coffee too.)

This was such a wholesome read and I am already saving up the buy the second and third book in this serie 🙏🥰

Time for a new book after finishing the last one. I try to switch between genres to keep it fresh 🤪🙏

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