If it is not possible to change the present no matter how hard you try while in the past, then why bother?”

I've slowly grown to really like the staff at the cafe, and the endearing and complicated reasons people want to travel to a different time. Whether it's redemption, self reflection, guilt or just a need for some closure, every story is simply yet beautifully told, with every patron having a unique story to tell. The series really does have the potential to go on and on, with countless people visiting the cafe.

However, I am so glad I was able to read the second book the third time I tried reading it. I would say the writing is more accessible and well etched out than the first. With its atmospheric setting and imagery, simple prose and elements of magical realism, Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is an engaging and thought-provoking read. Though the occasional dispassionate tone and the repetitiveness in the text did bother me slightly, overall I did enjoy the read and look forward to reading the next installment in this series. I find the characters not as engaging and interesting even though their stories sound interesting enough. Maybe their stories do not do much for me personally. Before the Coffee Goes Cold has a lot of mechanical and thematic issues that didn’t work for me, but overall it succeeds as being a cozy and emotionally taxing read. I suspect a lot of people will be really moved by it and I’m sure will find it very heartwarming. Reading this does make me want to see the play and I quite enjoyed all the time travel aspects, particularly the ghost element that was playful and really worked to add texture to the story. A fun read, though not one I’m particularly fond of, but effectively shows the message that ‘ it takes courage to say what has to be said.’ Apparently, this book was written as a play first, which could explain why so much of it feels so over-explained and bluntly delivered. Much of what I found annoying could fill a role as stage directions in a performance piece, but it really jars in a novel. The fact that there time travellers must abide by a number of rules gets mentioned maybe ten times in the first section of the book, and the rules themselves get repeated so often that they become mantra-like.

This time we follow a man wanting to visit an old friend who died in a car crash 22 years ago, a detective wanting to give his wife the birthday gift he was never able to give, a son wanting to see his departed mother one last time and a dying man wanting to see the girl he could never marry. Connecting them all are the staff of the cafe, a small family unit in themselves. Internal monologue: With rules like this I can clearly see why no one time travels. But I love my beloved too much to let it slip.) OKAY🥴 The coffee-making process is described with considerable sensory detail. If Benjamin Obler updated his 2009 list of the ‘top ten fictional coffee scenes’ for the Guardian then Before the Coffee Gets Cold would easily make the cut. With a tear rolling down the cheeks* I'll wait for you/Ifulfill your dying wish/fulfill the wishes you don't even effing remember The truth just wants to come flowing out. This is especially the case when you are trying to hide your sadness or vulnerability.'

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The rules of the time travel are clearly laid out in the book. Kazu oversees the magical activity, running through the travel guidelines before each customer begins their journey.

The story originally began as a play, before being adapted into a novel in 2015. [7] The novel was then translated into English by Geoffrey Trousselot. In 2017, a sequel was released: Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café, and a second sequel Before Your Memory Fades was released in 2022. Now, those two complaints aside... honestly, I kind of liked it. This is by no means a great novel, but I found the time travel rules fairly amusing (and frustrating, but it kind of delighted me in that regard as well). Also, I liked the character of Kazu. As a former barista I delighted in her character. A customer comes in and pisses off a ghost and gets herself cursed? Well, offer the ghost some coffee. The ghost is just an annoyance and the customer should have been focusing on the coffee and leaving the ghost alone anyway (This really is how 90% of baristas who work the night crew would act, I assure you. You did something stupid, we would note it for future stories and possibly even post a snarky sign telling customers not to do the stupid thing again).A question that defies rational thought but the answer of which lies in the hearts of those who are grieving for the people they have lost, regretting all that was left unsaid, those experiencing guilt over past actions or words that haunt them and prevent them from leading their lives to the fullest and those who want to see their loved one(s) just one more time. Why can life be fulfilled only by running the family inn you hated for 15 years, after your siblings death. Seems more like guilt than actually finding happiness to me. We can never truly see into the hearts of others. When people get lost in their own worries, they can be blind to the feelings of those most important to them.” third story: a woman losing her freedom to run her family's inn after her little sister passed. guilt-tripped by her friend saying "that's what your sister would've wanted." no, your sister could not respect that your dreams were different than hers Maybe the author is actually a feminist- believer in equal rights for all but it most definitely didn't read like one.

I hate (HATE!!!!) or "personally do not like books" where women die because of a pregnancy. Let alone for a pregnancy. Especially on purpose. Especially in books written by men. It’s just not my cup of tea.Kawaguchi has justified the second rule by stating that ‘I wanted the story to be realistic’. The time travellers are unable to change the present which creates a harsh sense of reality despite the magic of their time travel.