A simple, sweet collection of vignettes that tie together masterfully. An expansion of the plot and the connections between characters would have made the book stand out more.

A delightful and charming story about a particular coffee shop run by cats... that will change it's customers lives. Everyone who has entered the coffee shop is given a star chart consultation by the cats and given some cryptic wisdom.... and every person will have the chance to be guided back onto the correct paths of their lives, from a screen writer who hasn't had any luck, a movie director who is romantically stuck, a hopeful hairstylist, to a technologically challenged web designer. Everyone who enters this whimsical cafe will find themselves being guided by the cats who work there to make a change and find the right path of their lives. This was such a charming and sweet read and I definitely think it would make such a cozy and delightful book to read at a coffee shop! It just evokes such a feeling of comfort and whimsy and I definitely would recommend it!

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The Full Moon Coffee Shop introduces its reader to a whimsical coffee shop managed by cats and which appears once in every full moon to those searching meaning in life. Its owners and employees, giant speaking cats, make delicious cakes, pastries and drinks to the customers, as well as provide astrological advise.

Although I love the premise and the development of each of the stories within this novella, it feels to me as if some things may be missing, as well as the idea of using astrology being too central. This is definitely more of a cozy read with magical realism at the forefront, in which the author discusses some of the traits of Japanese work culture and offers and escape to these in the form of the magical coffee shop appearing to those seeking change. I can suspend my disbelief and think that in this version of reality, astrology is more real than what I think is in our real world, however, it feels like the characters just straight up accept this advise without question, and the whimsy sometimes hinges too much on the astrology. It feels like astrology is the only solution to their problems, and things happen to fall into place the moment the characters get illuminated by this knowledge, which I don't fully love. Nonetheless, this was a fun, short and sweet read. I do wish that the coffee shop had been explored more, since its such a popular and beloved element of a lot of books.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki was a delightful read. The characters are well written and likable. Fantasy is not my normal genre, however, I really enjoyed this book and did not even question the talking cats. This would be a great pick for a book club discussion or for anyone looking for a comfort read. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the gifted e-book.

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Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Such a great story about grief, friendship, & found family & one moment in the audio gave me literal cold chills while I was shopping at Walmart. 5 ⭐️, out now.

Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young. My first book by the much-hyped author & I can see what all the fuss is about. A friends to lovers queer awakening story with some “I’m home for the holidays” vibes. 4.5 ⭐️️, out now.

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore. This is a sensitive & also messy story featuring a trans hero, a funeral home, & the ghosts that only he can see (& that he’s kept secret for years). Grief, some heartbreak, Jewish culture & history rep, & more but it’s ultimately hopeful & lovely. 4 ⭐️ ️, out 08/20. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki & Translated by Jesse Kirkwood. A series of stories about different interconnected people & how they’re brought into contact with the magical Full Moon Coffee Shop at the right time. There’s an emphasis on astrology & making smart decisions with astrology in mind, & overall themes of getting out of unhelpful patterns of behavior & doing something positive. I didn’t totally connect with this novella because it comes across a bit disjointed & didactic for me, but it was interesting to read. 2.5 ⭐️, out 08/20.

Have you read any of these? Are any on your TBR?

I enjoy the way these Japanese tales are told. The writing is simple and straightforward, the stories move along very quickly. There is a huge dose of magical realism and astrology mixed in. This book fits in with a whole bunch of other charming Japanese literature I have enjoyed.

I really like how the story remains simply told but begins to build layers as connections are revealed. There is a lot of astrology incorporated in this story which I do not believe in my life but I enjoyed the way it was used in this story. It requires a suspension of belief and surrender to the conveniences of this quaint tale.

Thank you to the author & translator, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an Advanced Readers Copy of this book to be published August 20, 2024.

Coming August 2024! The Full Moon Coffee Shop is for lovers of astrology, cafes, and cats (yes please!). I especially recommend this novel for those who enjoyed Before the Coffee Gets Cold. In this coffee shop, various characters experience something truly magical. I love the lesson this book teaches and especially loved this cozy style of writing! This is an all-around, feel-good novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my review 🐱☕️

A short, sweet book about second chances and getting one’s life back on track.

Kyoto: There’s a magical coffee shop which appears only during a full moon. There’s no way to order - the staff, of talking cats no less, brings each guest what the staff thinks each guest needs. Along with food and drink, the cats also serve advice, helping those that seem a bit down on their luck to right the path of their lives.

The book is broken into several chapters, each one telling the story of someone connected to the person in the previous chapter. The first chapter is the most detailed, giving lots of information about how the coffee shop works, etc. The first person is a scriptwriter who was once the rising star. But after a few flops, she lost her confidence and slowly spiraled downward. Now writing scripts for a dating game app, she’s low on money, living in a dreary apartment, eating instant noodles for lunch. She sent a former colleague a copy of a script she’d been working on; when the colleague asks to meet for coffee, she’s hopeful that this might be her big break. When the meeting doesn’t go as she hopes, she’s invited to visit the coffee shop down the street - the Full Moon Coffee Shop - where she’s given some astronomical advice on what’s gone wrong with her life.

The subsequent chapters follows pretty much the same pattern - someone who’s in a rut or a little disappointed in life which receives some sage feline advice. There’s hints about what happened to the characters in the previous chapter, with the epilogue tying everything together beautifully.

I enjoyed this book. It is VERY short - I felt like it was over just when I was getting into it. It’s translated from Japanese, so lots of ideas were new to me (although not too hard to understand).

Highly recommended! I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

Cute little story! I like how the characters are intertwined. I also like the descriptions of the cafe and the cats!

This book was a beautiful journey featuring adults at various cross roads in their lives. It was cozy fantasy at its finest. This was my first non-manga read from Japan. The message was beautiful. The plot unfolded perfectly. This was a heartwarming novella that I think lovers of cats, cozy fantasy, and/or journeys of personal growth will really enjoy.

Content: mentions of cheating and closed door touching

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the arc!

This was super cute and whimsical. As different characters come to a cross roads in their lives, they turn to the smart and elegant kitties of the Full Moon Coffee Shop to help them find their way. Brilliant in advice and astrology, the Full Moon Coffee Shop cats are a big helping hand and help the characters find their way to a happier and more fulfilling life.

3.5 stars

This was a cute little book, a very quick read. I liked the intertwined story of all the characters and the ways things were revealed and sort of come together throughout each little vignette. The story of the cats and the magical cafe was also quite cute, especially as a cat person myself. However, many elements to the characters' stories and the messaging they get told about their astrological readings that felt kind of stereotypical. If you're really into cats or astrology or want a cute short book, this is a good recommendation.

This is one book I feel like I have a perfect pitch for - if you combined some lesser known Studio Ghibli vibes (Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns) with Before the Coffee Gets Cold, you'd find yourself at the Full Moon Coffee shop. As someone who is constantly searching for Ghibli vibes in novels, the opening scenes of this book caught me in a chokehold and sent me straight into whimsy. Cats? Check. Interconnected characters dealing with questions of life and purpose? Check. Unexplained, unexplainable magic? Of course.

As the novel continued, some of the excitement died down for me - the opening of the novel was my definitive highlight. I don't know that it carried the emotional payoff I wanted from it's conception, but it did possess a bright cast of characters that kept me reading until the end. The magic of the book pulls back as it goes on, which was to my detriment as a reader, but I know it won't feel that way for everyone. Either way, I would absolutely recommend this novel for people looking for the whimsical side of Japanese storytelling - it delivers on sheer vibes, which is never disappointing.

Review to be posted to Instagram @madthoreads 08/06/24

This book was a cute, cozy, quick read. It gave me vibes of The Midnight Library. There is a collection of characters that are facing different challenges in life and The Full Moon Coffee Shop helps them navigate their different paths. I think the story does a nice job of wrapping everything up at the end as well.

Like some others, I got a little lost with the astrology and could have done without it, but overall it was a good read! I would definitely recommend to someone looking for a quick, cozy read or to someone who is interested in astrology.

I really didn’t enjoy this much. I’m all for magical realism, but the in-depth astrological reading was lost on me. Maybe the wonder of a life-size cat was lost in translation.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

How many coffee shop books have I read lately? Answer - a lot. This one didn't quite hit for me, even though the thought of cats bringing me bespoke drinks and treats is delightful. This was really a look at astrology, and how people's star charts impact their decisions and life events. All of the characters were interconnected in some way/shape/form and The Full Moon Coffee Shop appears when and where it needs to depending on the person in question.

I loved the setting, the background, up until the point that the cats started speaking about astrology. It went too deep and lost me at that point. I love fantasy, I love a bit of woo, but the thought that these cats who were really planets would just start popping off about star charts was apparently a bridge too far for me. I can see this being for you if you are DEEPLY into astrology.

Translated from the Japanese, this incredibly well-crafted novel (almost novella) tells the story of connected persons who have come to a moment in their lives when they need something and it is provided by a pop-up cafe run by cats who can also be seen by people. They bring you the exact beverage and treat that you need even if you did not know you wanted it and tried to order something else. And, the master is almost an astrological counselor. Sure to be a book club favorite.

I didn't really feel much for this book. There was nothing wrong with it, but I think it needed to be longer? I just felt a disconnect with the characters overall

Having read the “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series and other similar themed books, I had high expectations for this book, which were unfortunately not met. It was an okay story, with banal characters.

Notable lines:

“But what you say does make a lot of sense. The tea starts out as water, but experience transforms it entirely.”

“As long as you make sure the roots are happy, the plant will produce beautiful flowers. And if it doesn’t, then you only ever need to look at the roots.”

“That means that if you want to produce your best work, you need a home where your inner self can truly relax. If you don’t, you’ll feel miserable, and things will only go from bad to worse. In other words, for you, home has to be a sanctuary.”

A cute fast read, but unfortunately it was not for me. While I loved the premise and aspects of the story, it fell a little short in the execution. The astrology elements seemed to have more of a focus than the fantastical elements, which I was not expecting. It felt more like an astrology class being taught by cats. I know this book will be for some people. If you like astrology or want to learn about it, this would be a good book.