So glad to have a sequel to the first book. I wish I could see them performed live on stage. Thanks for the advanced reader!

There is a small cafe in a back alley of Tokyo where customers can have a unique experience: the chance to go back in time.

This is a continuation of Kawaguchi’s first book, Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Like the first book, the stories are focused on the shop’s customers and their reasons for going back in time. Some of them are very familiar with the rules, others only have a vague idea. But all of the stories are heartwarming, as people are given the opportunity to talk to loved ones who have visited the cafe in the past, but who they may not be able to speak with in the present. I loved the first book and was pleasantly surprised when I found out there was a sequel with four more stories. The stories are meant to evoke emotion and reflection. They are quiet reads, but thoroughly enjoyable.

This is a collection of short stories. 4 people want to travel before the coffee gets cold.

These short stories were ok but I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book.

I wanted more from this book. The character development just wasn't there. I just didn't care about their stories.

Over the last few years, I've been trying to read more translated fiction. That is how I discovered Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Japanese author Toshikazu Kawaguchi in 2019. When I saw there was a sequel coming out I was excited - so excited that I requested both the audiobook and the e-ARC via Netgalley in hopes of being approved for at least one. I got approved for both versions!

I started with the audiobook because I was at work and had finished the audiobook I had been listening to. Tales from the Cafe felt very much like the first book. The same stark language - it's as if someone else is re-telling you a story. That feeling is made stronger by the fact it is told in third person. I remembered from reading the previous book that it started a little slow but since I knew what to expect with this volume I had hoped to get into the story a bit quicker.

As I was also working on my book club book (another Japanese novel) I continued listening to the audiobook. I didn't like the narrator reading the book. He felt detached from what he was reading. It felt flat and for a book that is only five and a half hours it took me days to get to the halfway point. As I felt it had more to do with the audiobook rather than the story, I picked up the e-ARC yesterday morning. In just a few hours I had it read.

If you haven't read the previous book. that's okay. Outside of the cafe owners, the characters that visit the cafe to time travel are all new. You should prepare yourself that these stories will feel like reading short stories at first. There is also a bit of repetition with each chapter as the person coming to the cafe has to be told the rules of time travel.

If you have read the previous book, the format of Tales from the Cafe is exactly the same. You will also feel very satisfied as there are mentions of the characters from Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

While I haven't read Japanese literature extensively, the few books I have read have been similar in style. On the surface, it seems very minimalist and almost without emotion. Someone at book club mentioned that they felt like they were looking down on the story (in reference to the book we read) and that is an apt description for Tales from the Cafe. Yet, the book is not without emotion. Many of the characters are sobbing and happiness is a prominent theme.

I thought it is interesting that there is a little section about the Japanese language. It felt kind of like a tangent and I had to wonder if it had been added for the English-speaking audience. It is mentioned that Japanese uses "onomatopoeic expressions to communicate sounds". That device is employed in the story - such as the tears dropping to the table. It is this subtle means of infusing emotion into the story that gives it a lyrical quality, but you must read closely to catch it.

There is quite a bit of repetition in the story. It goes beyond the repeated rules and I don't remember it from the previous book. However, it also adds to the poetic feel of the writing style. It's like every time the character's story is retold (or maybe restarted is a better word) the reader gets another layer added.

There could be many more volumes of stories from the cafe, but as a two-volume series, it feels very complete and satisfying. Both are short, quick reads so it would be easy to read both of them in a weekend if you haven't read the first book yet.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday, Oct. 9 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/10/tales-from-cafe-by-toshikazu-kawaguchi.html

Inside a cafe there's a chair that's said can send people to the past. There are rules: You can only sit in the chair once. If you stand up from the chair, you will immediately return to the future. You cannot change anything that happens by traveling back. You can only stay until the coffee goes cold. Break the last rule and you will become a ghost.

Tales from the Cafe (2) has such an interesting premise. If you had the chance to speak to a loved one in the past (or future) what would you do? This volume focuses more on the cafe owners, but all the stories are interesting. At times, they were too maudlin and predictable, but overall a solid, short read.

The return to the cafe in "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" is better than we could have hoped for. In "Tales from the Cafe" we revisit some of the favorite characters of the establishment while getting a deeper history into the lore and facets of its unique nature. With new tales and travels, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, takes readers on another explorations over the nuance of healing and the past. While I was at first reticent seeing there was a new reader, Kevin Shen did the cafe proud as he captured the new voices and added layers to the old. The irony of this book series will forever be that your coffee likely will get cold as you get to wrapped up in the happenings of the cafe to remember to drink it while it's hot.

Not as enjoyable as Kawaguchi's first "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" novel, "Tales from the Cafe" was nonetheless still an okay read. The stories of the people visiting the Funicula Funiculi coffee house to time travel were not as compelling as in the first book, and makes me wonder if Kawaguchi cobbled another volume from outtakes from the first novel. I would recommend this book only if you really loved the first one, otherwise you can pass on this one.
The narrator of the audiobook mostly did a good job reading the story, except for a few instances when he would voice the young girl Mickey, which I unfortunately found very grating.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

For me, Tales from the Café is even more emotional and heartfelt than its predecessor, bringing four more tales of love and re-connection to the table of this quiet and magical place. It takes a lot for a second book to outshine the first, but Kawaguchi accomplished it seamlessly. Whether you're already familiar with her books or not, trust me when I say readers of all ages and interests will enjoy both of these novels of transcending, time traveling tenderness.

A really charming Japanese novel which contains a few short stories about love, family, grief, and acceptance. Beautifully translated, and it’s a quick read. I really enjoyed this book.

I REALLY enjoyed the first book in this series about a little known Japanese cafe where patrons can travel back in time. I was excited for this new installment but I just didn't find the characters as memorable or the storytelling as compelling as they were in the first book. Not a win for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.