Gohtaro was completely lost as to how to broach the subject of returning to the past. Kazu calmly looked at him fluster. She turned towards the kitchen and asked, ‘When do you want to return to?’ From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes Tales from the Cafe, a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer.

Tales from the Cafe: 2 (Before the Coffee Gets Cold

If I had led a sad life as a result of my sister's death, then it would have been as if her death had 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 gives us just enough of something new while staying true to what made the original such a roaring success. There is heart and love and sweetness to spare. Kawaguchi is a special kind of storyteller. But these novels, quite honestly, wouldn’t be the same without them. This campy, twee, hyperbolic k-drama tone helps to alleviate some of the sorrow that many cafe tales often leave lingering when they’re over. I was disappointed by this collection of short interconnected stories. 1.5 stars so it will be 2 stars.

Now, that daughter is getting married. She has no memory of her real dad and doesn’t even know that Gotaro isn’t her father. Gotaro’s guilt has reached breaking point, and he wants to record a message from his dead friend for her to watch on her wedding day. The ring of a cowbell hung in the air as she entered the cafe. She hadn’t exactly twisted his arm, but Gohtaro descended once again. He felt a weird calmness sweep over him, as if the contents of his heart had been laid bare. We called it“unapologetically awkward and campy, but it is full of soul, presented through clever world building and unfolding of its characters and relationships. A truly memorable and captivating reading experience.” Terry Hong of The Christian Science Monitor stated that the "narrative is occasionally uneven and tends to meander" but that the author "has a surprising, unerring ability to find lasting emotional resonance." [11] Ian J. Battaglia of the Chicago Review of Books wrote that "despite the occasional clumsiness, the narrative is deeply moving" and that the "characters are the real stars here, and their empathy for one another is powerful." [12] Courtney Rodgers of Book Riot compared the book to American comedy series Pushing Daisies, stating that the "charming short novel asks questions about time and how we choose to spend it." [13] Sweet and heartfelt, this collection of stories following this beloved time-traveling cafe reminded me of the importance of living in the moment, healing, and choosing happiness for yourself.

Tales from the Cafe: Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Audio Tales from the Cafe: Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Audio

The book even includes a character map at the beginning, to help us remember who is connected to whom and how. Our cast of lovable characters is growing, as is the cafe itself. 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. The woman in the dress was not a particularly fast reader. Despite it being the only thing she did, she would finish a book about once every two days.” As long as he felt that there was someone who would find joy in his success, that was enough for him.” There were many times when he felt like giving up, filled with doubt about his talent. He was in his thirties and couldn’t see how he could go on working in casual jobs.”Entering the cafe through the two-metre-high wooden door, he still had to pass through a small corridor. Straight ahead was the door to the toilet, in the centre of the wall to the right was the entrance to the cafe. As he stepped into the cafe itself, he saw a woman sitting at one of the counter chairs. She instantly called out, ‘Kazu . . . customer!’