This was a cozy, comforting read. I enjoyed reading about the descriptions of the convenience store food and meeting all the interesting characters.

Books like these have become so popular and I thought I knew exactly what to expect with this one, but I was wrong. Short, sweet, East Asian novels that features libraries or cats or convenience stores aren't hard to come by and tend to follow the same or similar styles. They are formulaic and comfortable. The Convenience Store by the Sea, while also comfy and soothing, is not as predictable as others. The strings that tie the various characters together aren't as tight. There is a bit more variation. I liked the balance that it struck between smoothness and digestibility with a bit of quirkiness and novelty.

I think I’ll always have a soft spot for books like this, the kind that move so slowly, it almost doesn’t feel like you’re reading at all. Slice-of-life stories can be hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a hit… with a gentle miss, only because I picked the wrong time to read it (my bad!)

Still, the book is delicate and utterly charming. The writing is kinda simple, the atmosphere is warm and soothing, and everything just feels right.

There’s just something so endlessly comforting to me about this slice of life genre. A collection of loosely connected stories centering around a convenience store, with food at the heart of it all. I love it. If you’ve read The Kamogawa Food Detectives or The Curios Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, this one will feel right at home. Probably with a steaming bowl of something delicious in hand, if you’re anything like me.

I always want to live inside books like this. Where the stakes are low, the people are kind, and the food always sounds delicious. They always leave me with such peace of mind, and a cozy feel. I would give anything to live near a convenience store like this. Mine just sells mediocre hot dogs and lottery tickets.

I will say, the writing does feel a little basic at times, almost overly simple. But I also understand that this is a translation, and that might be part of the reason. Still, there’s a charm in not having to think too hard while reading. Sometimes the simplicity works in the book’s favor. Letting the cozy atmosphere and gentle emotions take center stage without distraction. Sometimes it’s nice taking a break from deciphering metaphors or wading through existential dread—though I do love a good spiral into philosophical angst now and then.

Overall, I found this to be a soothing, slow paced read. Like literary comfort food.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putman for the ARC!

I really enjoy so-called "healing fiction," and I love convenience store culture, so I immediately requested this ARC when I saw that it was available on NetGalley. Like many books in this genre, it consists of a series of interconnected stories with recurring characters and themes of people dealing with life's problems -- rejection, love, career, etc. I was expecting a little magical realism (common in these books), but this book didn't go there.

Overall, the stories were an interesting collection, some great, some less interesting. I particularly loved the ones about bullying and retirement, and I liked the world created by the author around this community of senior citizens. It's not the best I've read, as I didn't feel like the ending really brought things together, but I'd recommend it to anyone who's into this kind of book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide honest feedback!

There were so many great stories in this book, all leading to a heartwarming ending. I can barely even call it an ending because the characters continue on. My favorite is the the girl students. That one had me in its grasp. This is such a cute and cozy book that I will want to continue reading for a long time

The Convenience Store by the Sea is a cozy story about a convenience store where a group of very interesting and helpful people work. It follows six different stories, all of them having the convenience store and its employees play a major role in helping them learn something about others and themselves.

As with many books like this some stories stood out to me more than others, but all of them I feel had a really nice heartwarming aspect of it that was satisfying to me as the reader.

This will definitely make you nostalgic for a good コンビニ おにぎり🍙, and the magical realism present in everyday life in Japan.

Thank you to Putnam Press, NetGalley, and Sonoko Machida for the e-ARC of this book.

What a charming book! It has a beautiful sense of community with amazing "found family" trope storylines filled with compassion. The characters were. I only wish there could have been a tiny bit more character development for the manager and his brother! I will be recommending this to those who are a fan of books like Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and the Kamogawa Food Detectives.

Whimsical and meandering - Sonoko Machida explores slice-of-life stories amongst the townspeople of Mojiko.

The ones I enjoyed the most were definitely about the older couple navigating post retirement life, and Azusa's struggles with a toxic friend group. As for the others, I really hoped for a faster pacing and tighter editing to improve readability.


My thanks to NetGalley for the eARC - all opinions my own!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of Convenience Store by the Sea. If you have read my review of the Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen, you will know that this is the second book I have read in this genre. The novel is a series of short vignettes that use Tenderness, the store, as the common connection point. Through these short chapters, we get to know the people who work at Tenderness and their regular customer base. There is no drama and no high stakes. Each chapter revolves around a person with either a man vs man problem or a man vs self problem
In each instance, the enigmatic manager of Tenderness and/or one of the staff there is able to use their life experiences to help. My FAVORITE chapter is the one about the hard man and the soft egg.

Each chapter left me with a warm and safe feeling that is reminiscent of how I feel after watching a Studio Ghibli film. This book definitely isn't for everyone. But I enjoyed my time with it immensely and hope that more of the author's work is translated.

Sooooo, the moment I finished this book I went online and bought the physical copy to be shipped to me. I wanted to snag the original cover before the new updated cover is released in America. There are different stories that intertwine and help us better understand the characters. This kind of reminded my own experience living abroad and visiting my local convenience store; becoming a regular. I laughed, I got emotional, and I found myself content when the book finished. I love this genre of fiction, and this book is no different.

I saw the reviews about this book were about either liking it so much or dnf.

I am not in between. I am sorry; I just know that this book is not for me because I feel bored by reading it. I hope this book finds a suitable reader when it is officially published!

Thank you, Sonoko Machida, Penguin, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is right up my alley. Japanese lit about a convenience store. A specific niche but one I love!! I’ve also been getting into more “cozy” and soft fiction lately so I was excited to get this ARC. However the book didn’t work for me. It never really found its stride story-wise. Too slow and all over the place for me.

The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida is a delightful and heartwarming collection of interconnected short stories set in the charming seaside town of Mojiko, Kitakyushu, Japan. The stories revolve around Tenderness, a 24/7 convenience store that, while appearing ordinary, serves as a special gathering place for the community. The store becomes more than just a place for essentials—it’s a hub of warmth, where people share stories, seek advice, and find comfort.

Machida’s writing is gentle, humorous, and evocative, capturing the essence of this quaint town and its quirky residents. The store manager, Mitsuhiko, is a handsome and wise figure with his own fan club, while the customers are a colorful mix of characters, each with their own struggles. The book explores themes of empathy, community, and the power of kindness, as the store’s motto, "Caring for People, Caring for You," becomes a guiding force for both the characters and the reader.

The six short stories feature diverse characters, each story is heartwarming and beautifully written, illustrating the joys of everyday life and the deep connections that bind people together. Machida also paints vivid, mouthwatering descriptions of the town, its food, and its culture, making the setting feel alive and immersive.

What sets The Convenience Store by the Sea apart is its quiet wisdom and focus on the small but significant moments that define human relationships. If you're looking for a cozy, emotional journey that celebrates connection, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the e-arc.

A cozy, nostalgic fiction novel with a similar vibe to The Kamogawa Food Detectives. No real linear plot, I think this could best be described as a novel made up of human experiences. Will recommend this one to someone looking for a lighthearted book.

The Convenience Store by the Sea is kind of a perfect title for this book that takes place in a quaint and community-oriented sea town. There’s a lot of beautiful prose and sentimentalism in describing the setting of the convenience store and the surrounding Kyushu, Fukuoka region that takes me back to Japan. There’s also not a lot of translated Japanese lit that takes place in the specific region described (Kitakyushu, Mojiko), so I appreciated the visual imagery. For context, I’m definitely a reader who can overlook some plot flaws in exchange for excellent writing/translation.

Unfortunately, I think most of the efforts went into building the setting including the mythos of the convenience store, leaving both the plots and characters thin, which is the meat and potatoes of slice-of-life stories. There’s also a heavy fixation on how hot the convenience store manager, Shiba, is with extensive details about his looks, pheromones, and fan club. I don’t think this part really added much to the story and was a little weird and repetitive between all the stories - I mean how can you tell if someone has a lot of pheromones?

Special thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

dnf

When I went to Japan one thing that became I part of my daily routine was visiting the convenience store, so imagine my delight at this book. Unfortunately I just wasn't able to connect with it and got a bit confused with all the characters and such. I hope to revisit this at a later date and wouldn't dissuade someone from picking it up. I did however enjoy the descriptions of the convenience stores and it took me right back :)

Machida is such a talented writer. I loved this book so much, it was so warming and cosy. Loved it and I can't wait to see what's written next.

Beautiful calming and so much more this story was 0ne that really touched my heart. I like books like this were we seeing people just being people and Machida does so in a way that keeps you engaged. I loved how the stories of the characters intersected and tangled with one another to create the story and a true community between the characters

"The Convenience Store By The Sea" is a collection of interconnected short stories that focus on the employees and customers of a charming convenience store in Japan. While each story features different characters, ideas, and lots of delicious food, the overarching theme of the book is how community shapes humanity. I love simple stories that bring big emotions, and "The Convenience Store By The Sea" does that beautifully. Sonoko Machida crafts a wonderful, cozy world filled with characters that are quirky and fun while feeling very familiar and relatable.

If you are a fan of the When The Coffee Gets Cold series or The Kamogawa Food Detectives series, this is right up your alley.

Thank you endlessly to Sonoko Machida and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I look forward to "The Convenience Store By The Sea" being released on July 15, 2025.