The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki in the book we meet Mochizuki Serikawa, A woman in her 40s she is single and a script writer for video games. She wants wrote scripts for TV shows and was celebrated for it she even left her teaching job to write full-time but these days she can only get secondary characters stories Life isn’t going the way she thought it would she even recently broke up with her long time love who she thought she would be with forever. So when a friend from her days and television calls Mochazuki is excited but hesitant just that morning she saw a calico cat on her balcony and thinks it may be a sign of good luck. When she arrives at the hotel her friend apologizes but says she’s a good writer but it isn’t what they were looking for and needless to say this breaks Mochizuki‘s heart. After her friend rushes off and leaves her to drink her cold coffee her thoughts are interrupted by a young boy at the next table who tells Mochizuki her writing is dated and people nowadays are looking for something else, his enthusiasm comes off as arrogance. and an older man walks up and boxes his ears and is much kinder to the brokenhearted Author. They also tell her about the full moon coffee shop in being a coffee lover she is perplexed as to why she’s never heard of this place but then almost blows it off as a prank. Thankfully Mochizuki decides to visit and it changes her life profoundly. This is a short but a gorgeous story. It is a unique original coffee shop where you don’t order anything but get exactly what you want and over each course will learn things that in the end will only help. If you love fairytales then you will definitely enjoy the story it has three talking cats in by the end you will love all of them I certainly did. This is so so so so so so awesome I absolutely loved it! I like the writing style I like the kindness people in Japan treat each other with I love the story I loved Mochizuki, The three felines the book was so interesting it has a lot to say for a fairytale and I also love that it’s not a woman looking for a man to fulfill her but a woman looking to do it for herself.#NetGalley, #RandomHouse, #MaiMochizuki,#TheFullMoonCoffeeShop,

This genuinely might be my favorite read of 2024. I was so shocked and pleasantly surprised by how large an impact such a comparatively short book left on me. I cannot stop thinking about it and I will not stop recommending this to everyone I know. I just hope to one day be worthy of the full moon coffee shop myself.

In this book, we have three interconnected parts, but really five people. All five people knew one another in the past but don't interact much in the present AND their present selves are going through it. They need some kind of guidance or reminder of who they are and why they do what they do. *Cue to the full moon coffee shop* Each of our main characters find themselves at the coffee shop, run by cats, who offer them drinks and desserts based on what they most need at the time...as well as some astrological counseling.

This is such a poignant, thought-provoking story. It is really going to stick with me for the foreseeable future.

This book is about a mysterious coffee shop run by cats that appears only when a person needs it and helps them set their lives back on track. While this is an interesting premise, the story is so brief that there isn't time for that much development or to get to know enough about the characters to care about them that much. The characters did seem likable, however, and it might have been more interesting if more were revealed about them and the story was longer. However, characters coming into and out of the story so often made it hard to keep track of who was who. Plus, unfamiliarity with the Japanese names which sound similar to each other made it even more difficult. Maybe, the book was so popular in the original Japanese because the Japanese consider cats lucky so that was enough to get people invested in the story whereas here it just doesn't go over the same.

Thank you Ballantine Books for my free ARC of The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki — available Aug 20!

» READ IF YOU «
🌙 enjoy low-stakes, cozy fantasy vibes
♓️ love discussions of astrology and zodiac characteristics
☕️ have ever let a server/chef decide your meal

Translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood 🇯🇵

» SYNOPSIS «
It's a full moon tonight, so if you're lucky you might stumble across the Full Moon Coffee Shop — where orders aren't taken, but chosen for you. And if you're feeling a little down on your luck or stuck in place, the extra-helpful celestial staff might be able to help you out of a jam.

» REVIEW «
This book exemplifies what I've come to expect from Japanese fantasy — low stakes, mythology vibes, simple relationships, uncomplex language. If you enjoy learning about astrology and natal charts, you'll have a great time here. Personally, I didn't realize that this would be SO much of the focus, and I already know a lot about this so it was a little boring for me. I loved the way all the characters were connected, as well as the resolution at the end. A lovely, lighthearted read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Cute and cosy, though it was ultimately a little too shallow for me. While I do enjoy a bit of astrology talk, it would have been nice if the respective main characters gave and took a little more insight into their lives and personalities before ascribing everything to simply astrology. Bonus points for the characters being full adults with their own lives and careers though, I always appreciate that!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is the first book in a cozy fantasy series by Mai Mochizuki. Originally published in Japanese in 2020, this English language translation is due out 20th Aug 2024 from Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint It's 240 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

There's a vibrant sub-genre in Japanese food related cozy fantasy (Kamogawa Food Detectives, Tales from the Cafe, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Dallergut Department Store (which was Korean, but same basic genre), etc), and this one fits right in with the others. There's definitely a dreamlike, slightly trippy, aspect (the cafe is ephemeral and changes location depending on circumstances dictated by the patrons' needs, always on the full moon, oh, and it's staffed by giant anthropomorphic talking cats).

The book has a dreamlike quality, and the cats wax poetic to their patrons about Japanese astrology (quite a lot) and philosophy, and music. It contains a fair bit of "woo-woo" pop psychology, but overall it's entertaining, full of whimsy, and fun with a serious bent.

The prose is beautifully wrought and although slightly discursive and meandering, manages to make some good points about the meaning and trajectory of life, growing up, acceptance, and being truthful (and kind) to ourselves. The translation work, done by Jesse Kirkwood, is seamless and invisible. The text flows very well, and it doesn't read as though it's been translated (which has to be the goal).

Four stars. Well written, professionally translated, and full of whimsy, it would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and a challenging and enjoyable book club selection/buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book is a beautifully whimsical, dreamy, feel-good, cozy, contemporary fantasy that captures the magic of Kyoto under a starry sky. Mochizuki weaves a gentle, enchanting tale where talking cats guide lost souls back to their true paths. The unique, ever-changing setting of the coffee shop adds a mystical charm, making each visit feel like a dream. The characters, from a struggling screenwriter to a love-struck movie director, are relatable in their search for purpose and direction. The cats, with their cryptic wisdom and star charts, are both endearing and mysterious, embodying the magic of the myth they represent. Mochizuki’s prose is lyrical and soothing, drawing readers into a world where kindness is rewarded in the most unexpected ways. The story is a heartwarming reminder that even when we feel lost, the universe has a way of guiding us back.

If you love cats, astrology, a touch of magic, and a coffee shop where they know exactly what treat will hit the spot without you having to order, this is the perfect read for you!

The premise for this is cute. It is a true magical realism story. A mysterious coffee shop that is never in the same place, and run by talking cats who are also sometimes humans.
The novel follows several people in short little pieces showcasing how they are all dealing with a different difficult time in their lives - and get some great advice (and treats) from the cats. All of the people in this are connected in a special way, that slowly unfolds with each story.

First, I think the story was a bit too long, with not enough substance in each. There were too many individual stories and not enough depth to really care about each one. It would just roll to the next story and start all over again. Sigh.
I also wasn't really a fan of the astrological aspect. The links to the planets and cats was fun, but when they started pulling up star charts and determining personality...ehhh. I can get behind the talking cats, but the stars...they were too much. Hahaha. Silly, I know.

What a cozy and sweet book! I loved the concept of cats running a magical café and providing astrological advice to 5 different people that are at different points in the lives. The description of the food and drinks was described so well that I could almost visually taste all of the flavors! I loved how we got to see all of the different characters going through their struggles and basically see these cats feed them delicious food while spitting out astrology related stuff. Halfway through I had my heart out on rating it a 3.0, solely because I do not get astrology. But then I got to the ending and I almost teared up. Loved how interconnected everything came in the end.

This was a really great book. The author explain things through different aspects of these people's lives. These people had a lot of problems in life and they were trying to sort their lives out. This cafe would show up a different times and was not stationary. The cat surrounded the cafe and they did the talking and it was interesting. What they told these people because every different time in your life would explain how this was related to your future They also use the horoscope in a round circle.And this was used to explain where they were at their time of their life at that moment. When they solve this problem, they seem to get on with their lives, which was great because they needed some guidance because they were lost. Everybody was related in this book. You'll find out this as you read the book.. The title.
Loved it because the cafes would usually show At all different times. The cats were wise in their own way too. I liked it because I kept going back-and-forth in time. And this really explained how these people became the way they .

3.5 stars. I think this is perfect for an introduction to fantasy elements or if you are looking for a comfortable cozy read with little to no anxiety. I thought this was cute, simple to read, and a good lesson to learn at the end. I enjoyed seeing how all the POVs tied together. I also think this would make a perfect before bed book because each POV was about 20-30 minutes long and can almost be treated like short stories. All in all, I think the lack of conflict/foil in the book and the fact that it’s on the shorter side made it difficult to emotionally invest in the book, which is usually what I need to rate something higher, but if you are looking for cozy fantasy (or you are a cat lover) this checks a lot of boxes!

This is my first foray into the genre of Japanese magical realism books, and while I don't believe it will become my cup of tea (or coffee as the case may be), I enjoyed this quick, surprisingly deep book quite a bit.

What made this particular story unique was the use of astrology to explain personality traits of the characters and to help them with difficult situations that they were experiencing. I learned a great deal about horoscopes and the planets, and honestly, it made a lot of sense. The stories are interconnected, which was fun, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for the digital ARC of The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. The opinions in this review are my own.

I adored this beautiful little book! The author did a fantastic job of weaving a story about interconecctedness, love, hope, and the magic of the stars.

During a full moon, there is a café in Kyoto that pops up just in time to help a person, a person who has been good to cats, and is at a turning point in their lives. I really liked how all four individuals had some tie to the others, whether they knew it or not. When invited to the café, one by one they meet talking cats who read their star charts and give them advice on their life choices and finding the path that best suits them. It was a fun, sweet book to read. The cats were adorable.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine), for the eARC of The Full Moon Coffee Shop. This review is my honest opinion.

By now I've read a couple of books in this particular Japanese genre, a sort of traveling-angel-coffee-shop story. I went in not expecting a whole lot of depth; rather, I was expecting a sweet/cute concept, a couple of characters I would get mildly invested in, and a feel-good story. Hitting those points gets the book a 3 or 4 star rating in my head, and extra polish gets a 5.

<i>The Full Moon Coffee Shop</i> delivered on those expectations, but there were a couple of things that would put me off picking up the book again or recommending it without caveats. tl;dr: Cute concept, well executed, reasonably interesting characters; but leaned too heavily on astrology to explain character traits rather than showing them through the story, and some of the characters were unnecessary -- the book and story were too short to properly develop them.

The characters were fun, and a couple of them had more depth to their moral arcs than I was expecting. Keep in mind that these books tend to be very short and focus on multiple characters, so I'm not talking major character depth; there isn't room for it. However, I really liked that the first character we were introduced to was in her forties, and that some of the other characters dealt with moral decisions like continuing a relationship in which the other partner was committing infidelity.

I thought the concept was very cute; having cats run the coffee shop and lecture people about astrology was pretty funny and different. Also, even as an astrology hater, I liked some of the information the cats delivered.

Here's where I felt a little disappointed. After the initial quirkiness of the astrology-explaining cats wore off, I (remember that I dislike astrology!) was actually sold on having astrology and the conjunction of stars as a funny piece of the story. But at some point the cats started using people's birth charts to explain <i>their entire personality and life story to the reader</i>. (I can't believe I just wrote that sentence.) I thought the author was doing fine showing the first few characters' personality through their narration and story actions. And then, as we went on, it felt like some new characters were introduced but never fully developed, because there wasn't time or space; I think the story would have been much tighter with just the core few.

There's a strange bit near the end where a character is assumed to be gay because... he's a hairdresser who dresses a bit flamboyantly? This is probably partly a cultural thing, and the characters seem to have a positive view on gay marriage, so I didn't feel terrible about it... it was just kind of weird.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC I enjoyed reading The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars because it took me a moment to understand what was happening. Once I did, I enjoyed reading this book.

Told in four parts with four interwoven stories The Full Moon Coffee Shop gives its main characters the insight and push that they need to get their lives together. Wouldn't we all enjoy a talking cat reading our star maps and showing us where our weaknesses and strengths are?

Who would enjoy this book? If you are a fan of magical realism and astrology then I would recommend you check out this book.

Overall it is not my favorite book I've read this year but I did enjoy it.

Cats are magical creatures, and I love reading fantastical stories featuring said creatures. I have not read much Japanese literature, so I was eager to step into a mystical world of talking cats. What I found was a tangle of human midlife crises and seemingly quirky shape shifting cats mixed with astrology. The different humans are lacking in their lives in various ways. They are summoned to the pop up coffee shop that appears on the full moon where they are given an astrological reading to fix their situations. The premise of the Full Moon Coffee Shop was intriguing, but I was left turned off by all the astrology references. Just not my cup of tea, or should I say coffee.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

🌕 I have a deep appreciation for Japanese magical realism books that feature cats. They often blend humor, quirkiness, and profound insights. So, when I discovered a book about a coffee shop run by talking cats, I was immediately intrigued.

🌕 Unfortunately, this particular book didn’t captivate me as much as others I’ve read. While I appreciated the human stories and the concept of reflecting on one’s life, the scenes in the café with the cats felt like an extended astrological reading, which didn’t hold my interest. The heavy focus on astrology was a bit overwhelming. I believe I would have enjoyed the book more if the cats offered advice based on their own wisdom and experiences instead.

🌕 The book is short and a quick read. I know there are readers who will find it enjoyable, as it ultimately conveys a hopeful message about people striving to be their best selves, and there’s certainly value in that.

Thank you @netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

3.5 rounded to 4
The basic idea is one seen often in K-dramas these days: a cafe that pops up just when a troubled person needs it.

I like the idea more than the execution--the pacing was very slow, and I found that the heavy=handed emphasis on astrology solving all problems was a lot stronger than the characterization. All the characters buying into it , even organizing lives and jobs based on astrology didn't feel realistic. I would have preferred seeing the characters work out their own problems, maybe with a listening ear and a touch of magic instead of astrology whooshing in like Superman to solve everything.

This was a cozy, magical realism story. I liked that all the characters were connected and their stories came full circle in the end. I loved the cafe and its concept. Talking cats that create magical dishes specifically for each individual while reading their horoscopes and giving them life advice? It’s perfect! So happy this was translated into English so that I could enjoy this story.