I absolutely love cats and to read about cats in the novel was great.
I really enjoyed the characters and the story. However I did struggle with the translation. I think that the translation was done well but you could tell that the novel was a translation.
Overall I enjoyed this story and I feel like if you like cats then I feel like you would enjoy the story. Would recommend to all cat lovers.

In The Full Moon Coffee Shop, Mochizuki, introduces the reader to Mizuki - a substitute teacher turned professional screenwriter who is now experiencing a loss of popularity and self in Kyoto, Japan. After meeting with a hopeful colleague and being turned down for her newest screenplay, Mizuki finds herself in a coffee shop attended by human-like cats full of the personal wisdom that Mizuki needs in just that moment.

This is the magic of the Full Moon Coffee Shop, from personalized wisdom and inner reflection to knowing exactly what you want to drink and eat without asking. After Mizuki leaves the coffee shop, others seemingly find their way inside. All those who enter realize they are deeply connected in some way to Mizuki and can credit her in some way with their success in life.

In life, some events are fate, some events are left to change, and some are left to the strength and desire of the person living the life. All who visited are left with a life-changing experience in the thought-provoking yet cozy little tale.

This book provides a quick look into a few people's lives and this coffee shop they stumble upon on a, you guessed it, full moon, Each of them are going through a rough/confusing time in their lives. That is how the shop finds them.
Since this was a short book, there was a lot to get through in a small amount of time. I think it was focused more on the astrological aspect rather the lives of the characters after their visit or even their experience in the shop. It also would have been fun to learn how to nurture each of your troublesome planets. Maybe there's a recipe "the characters" could have made at home. It seemed to just teach us about astrology, and I already knew a lot of it, so it was meh to me.
It was a quick read and easy to follow

In Japan, cats are seen as symbols of good luck, and if you’re kind to the right one, you might just find yourself in a mysterious coffee shop under a Kyoto moon—a place that shows up when people need it most.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is run by talking cats and serves more than just coffee and cake. These wise felines read star charts, share cryptic advice, and guide people back onto the right path. For a struggling screenwriter, a stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a lost web designer, the shop’s arrival is no accident.

I was really drawn to the premise and wanted so much to love this story, but I just couldn’t get into it. I tried picking it up multiple times, but it never quite pulled me in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the chance to read this. 🐈‍⬛☕️📚

This was an interesting concept for a book! As a lover of cats and coffee, I thought for certain I would love this story. I thought it was interesting that we got three different stories that sort of intertwined with each other, all involving the individuals coming upon a café that could only be accessed on a full moon and with invitation. Where it got a bit in the weeds for me was the astrology information, which seemed to weigh down the stories a bit. The ending was satisfying though when we got an epilogue to see how all the characters changed after their visit to the Full Moon Coffee Shop. I thought it was interesting and enjoyed it, but it probably isn't one that is going to stick with me for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Mai Mochizuki for the advanced copy of The Full Moon Coffee Shop in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a beautifully written/translated tale about a magical coffee shop run by cats that appears when and where it is needed. Each story follows a separate character, but as the stories progress, we figure out how they are all connected. Astrology is a major factor in the stories and the cats use it to help the characters overcome whatever is holding them back in their life.

I thought this was really cute and I loved the cats and astrology aspects. I’ll be checking out more by Mochizuki in the future!

Mizuki Serikawa was a very successful writer for a TV production when she learned that she was being let go because her writing wasn’t current for the audience. She had no idea this wa coming so she was completely lost as to what to do. As she was wandering and thinking she met a boy who told her to go and visit The Full Moon Coffee Shop. She had never heard of it but she had nothing else to do. The shop was in a little far off lane she didn’t know existed. When she got there she was surprised to see the waiters were CATS, talking cats. She thought she was dreaming until they seemed to know a lot about her. There was one cat who was versed in Astrological “Life Phases”. He had some very interesting ideas about how she should proceed with her life.
This is a book I don’t think I would have picked up on my own. I really don’t like fantasy but this story and the characters were so interesting that I enjoyed it to the end.

A perfect fall read with warm and cozy vibes. The cats and astrological references were very enjoyable to find in the story.

When life gets tough, I often turn to my favorite local coffee spot to get me through the challenges. The one where the baristas know your name and your order and even if you might need an extra shot of espresso when you walk in the door. It seems all too magical that the coffee shop could come to you!

The Full-Moon Coffee Shop is a quaint story of a little pop-up cat cafe that brings its customers exactly what they need, whether it’s a delicious dessert, a beautiful beverage or a reading of their stars. As each character’s story unfolds, you learn a little more about their past, present and future and, if you’re unfamiliar with astrology like me, a little about how signs influence life itself.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC for review!

It would be nice a have restaurant pop up in the middle of the night at a random location when you need it the most. Not because you are hungry, but because you need the support, you need the hope, you need the understanding.

I cannot really guess how I would react seeing man size cats running this restaurant and talk about astrology and astronomy though. Also, who am I to not to accept man size cats when I'm fine with appearing/disappearing restaurants?! These cats loved to return the favor you did to them some time ago. They would figure out when you need them to most and be there for you.

Cats, miracles, food - this is the optimistic, heart warming side of the Japanese literature. You will leave the book feeling warm and fuzzy with a new wave of hopefulness surrounding you. Some days it's all want to read so I'll be happy to see second installment of this book

In Japan cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives. It’s also run by talking cats.

This was a lovely and magical storyline. It does dive pretty deep into astrology, which isn't really my thing. And for that reason, it is a solid 3 stars. It was totally adorable and cozy.

Thanks to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going to preface this by saying I’m a sucker for translated books. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the culture that’s different than my own. Maybe it’s the writing. I don’t know. But this book didn’t disappoint.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is about a shop that shows up where people need it, and it’s run by talking cats. I don’t believe in astrology, but I did enjoy this book. Learning about the different people who visited the shop and seeing them change was great. They’re all somehow connected, and the short pages didn’t deter from getting to know them.

I’d read a part 2 of this book. It was so cute while also tackling some heavier topics. I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

5 Stars
Genre - Magical Realism
Human Sized Talking Cats
Astrology
Lots of stars


“This is Astral Milk straight from the Milky Way!”

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is a beautifully written modern Japanese fable. In Japan, cats are good luck charms, full of wisdom and love. I absolutely loved this book, it filled my heart with hope; just as it does for the three main characters. I don’t hand out 5 stars easily, but this book that has a permanent place in my mind.

The story takes place in current Kyoto, Japan and at a magically appearing and disappearing food truck along a serene river under the full moon. You do not find this coffee shop, it finds you when you need it the most. The gentle glow, inviting atmosphere, and waving adorable 6ft tall star-gazing cats say, “Welcome” as they serve you drinks and treats that you need.

Something about this place makes you speak your entire truth; words and thoughts that you have never admitted to yourself or anyone else blurt out. Feelings that you had shoved down so deep inside of you and so desperately tried to forget arise the moment the cats read you and your birth chart.

There are three believable main characters who have all lost their way; a wounded TV scriptwriter, a ruthless TV executive, and a cheating IT guy. Each chapter is written from their point of view, but their stories begin to intertwine. They all discover the mystical food truck coffee shop and leave with newfound wisdom, lessons learned, and perfectly aligned with their given star path; no longer lost or headed off course.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Del Ray for an advance copy of this book for review.

Definitely have to be familiar with Japanese sensibilities/culture to understand some of the happenings in this book. Having some knowledge of astrology would help too. Not exactly my cup of tea, but did enjoy the relaxing experience of this read.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This was not the whimsical delight I’d been hoping for.

I am baffled by the use of cats in the narrative since, outside of referring to them as cats and being specific about the type of cat (tabby, tuxedo, etc.), they possessed no feline-like qualities. Anthropomorphizing animals in a story can only be successful when the human elements don’t significantly outweigh the animal components. Cats running a cafe is quite appealing in theory, but when executed in a way that makes them simply feel like people wearing costumes, the attraction withers. Plus, the cats’ presence was minuscule, making this gimmick even more pointless.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop relies heavily on astrology, so if you’re fascinated by the influence of celestial bodies, perhaps you’ll find something to appreciate in this. It isn’t an area of interest for me and the uninspiring content here didn’t change that.

This was all further exacerbated by how trite its life lessons were. I would not consider the story wise, as everything was wrapped up in tidy packaging. It embraces the idea that if you do certain things, life will work in your favor. I do not find this uplifting. We’d all love to believe it’s true, I suppose, but it’s harmful to cling to it. Stories that offer this type of platitude only minimize the reality of our struggles, and I just cannot embrace this attitude of inauthenticity.

I am immensely grateful to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Three women, seemingly intertwined on their paths, all run across mysterious people on their path one full moon night. One is a seemingly washed-up screenwriter, another a tv executive, while the third is an actress who’s made a disaster of her career by having an affair with a prominent married man. All are guided by the mysterious meetings of strangers to The Full Moon Coffee Shop. This magical pop-up coffee shop is full of coffees, teas, and other unique delicacies that are specially created for each person who happens across the shop. But the best part is… the coffee shop is run by magical talking cats! These cats sit with each of the 3 women and read their star charts, relating them to where they are in life and giving them hope for their future path, and courage to persevere. This was a cute little magical read and easily read in one sitting. This one gets 4 stars from me! I received an arc copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I would love this because cats! but sadly it was just alright. I didn't hate it, I just didn't connect strongly to any of the characters. I think I would've liked it to be a bit more introspective instead of being quite so astrology based. And also, I wish there were more cats and a few less people. This was an easy read, which I'm grateful for, but it didn't exactly break me out of my slump.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

On a full moon night, a cafe appears to those who need it. The Full Moon Coffee Shop, which was published by Ballantine Books last month, follows five characters as they struggle with their jobs, their love lives, and more, only to find all the answers to happiness after eating and drinking at The Full Moon Coffee Shop. Which is run by cats.

Sound a little weird? When I started reading my free e-ARC of this very short novel, I didn't really know what to expect. It sounded interesting when I first heard about it at the Reading Group Guides Book Group Speed Dating session earlier this year.

Originally written by Mai Mochizuki and translated by Jesse Kirkwood, the book could read like an ad for astrology. "Want to fix your life? Just have your stars read! By cats!"

The book is heavy on dialogue with little action. And at times, the dialogue felt very stiff. This could, of course, be because of the translation.

I did appreciate how the characters' lives were interwoven, and I do find astrology interesting. (Blame it on listening to the memoir All Signs Point to Paris.) I just felt like the novel was too short for me to really get to know the characters, and everything was quickly all tidy in the end.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by by Mai Mochizuki is a beautiful translated novel filled with cats, astrology, and magical realism. This is a quick set of interconnected stories that is so ease to binge in one sitting. I really liked the way all of the stories connected through the characters. It was very engaging and held my attention from start to finish. Astrology plays a huge part in this story and I loved how it was used. The food descriptions are so delicious and magical. This is a wonderful and entertaining story about finding and understanding yourself.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Heart and face smiling at the same moment.. this right here is that kind of moment.

Just finished reading this eARC that I got from netgalley.

When I saw this title for the first time “The Full Moon Coffee Shop”, I fell in love with it because I love coffee and moon as well.

Only after reading this beauty I realized that the whole book deserves to be loved.

The way the story progresses from one person’s experience with the full moon coffee shop and its peculiarities to the next person’s life is commendable.

The twists and turns of the book and the connections between the people were such a beautiful part. It just brought a smile here and there in the absolutely precious manner.

As in this cafe, you cannot order anything but each dessert is served to people arriving . It has been described legit in the most impeccable details, so much so that you literally crave to have it.

All in all, this book deserves your love and time. In turn, it has such beautiful smiles to gift to you.