I can't recommend this enough. It really is a must-read. I saw it all over social media last year (although I think it's been around for 3+ years).

There's one seat in the café that will allow you a short trip of time travel. You can only meet people that have already been to the café, nothing will change in the future and you only have until the coffee gets cold.

Who would you want to see? What would you want to say to them?

There's so much to think about and talk about within the pages of the book, even before you allow yourself to think about the cup of coffee you'd have there....

This book was not perfect. I will have to say that. If you read this book for the fantastical element of time travel, you may be disappointed. There are many 'rules' regarding the time travel that aren't explained and/or do not make sense.

But having said that, the actual stories in this book are beautiful. Each chapter is a separate short story, but they have the same characters and settings, so while they are separate, this book also feels like one story in itself.

I adored it! The stories were sometimes fairly emotional, so while this is a short book, I don't necessarily think it's a quick read.

It was a charming premise, and I think it's worth the read. I can't wait to read the next one.

This was a really brilliant read. So heartwarming and the characters were great. I really enjoyed the audiobook of this and I felt the narrator really helped convey the emotion of the book.
This was very life affirming that you can change at any point and it was also very cosy. I will read more of these books.

"Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, narrated by Arina Li, is a delightful and heartwarming audiobook that takes listeners on an enchanting journey through time and emotions. With Li's captivating narration, the story comes alive, immersing you in a world where coffee and love intertwine.

Kawaguchi's novel is a unique blend of magical realism and poignant storytelling, and Arina Li's narration beautifully captures its essence. Li's voice is soothing and expressive, effortlessly conveying the emotions of each character. Her precise pacing and gentle intonation create an intimate atmosphere, allowing the listener to connect deeply with the story.

The narrative revolves around a small café in Tokyo, where a peculiar seat holds the power to transport individuals back in time. As customers sit in that special chair, they can revisit pivotal moments in their lives, as long as they return before their coffee gets cold. Each chapter focuses on a different character, sharing their desires, regrets, and longing for resolution.

Li skillfully brings these characters to life, infusing them with personality and depth. Her ability to capture the nuances of their voices, both in their joys and sorrows, adds an extra layer of authenticity to the audiobook. It is a testament to her talent that you can easily distinguish between the different individuals, making their stories all the more engaging.

The combination of Kawaguchi's enchanting storytelling and Li's superb narration creates a truly immersive experience. As the tale unfolds, you'll find yourself laughing, crying, and reflecting on the beauty and complexities of human relationships. The audiobook is a perfect companion for long drives, quiet evenings, or whenever you need a gentle escape from reality.

Moreover, "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" is not just a captivating story; it also offers profound insights into the nature of regret, second chances, and the significance of human connection. Through the characters' experiences, the novel invites us to consider the choices we make and the impact they have on our lives and the lives of others.

In conclusion, Toshikazu Kawaguchi's "Before the Coffee Gets Cold," narrated by Arina Li, is a gem of an audiobook that combines magical elements, emotional depth, and exceptional storytelling. Li's narration beautifully complements the narrative, making it a truly immersive experience. I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone seeking a touching and thought-provoking journey that will warm your heart and leave you pondering long after the final words have been spoken.

It was a short but sweet book. I enjoyed the different stories and the message behind them.

At times, it was a little frustrating because I thought the characters never used their time in the past/future well and didn't say what they wanted to say. But the premise of the story was interesting and kept my attention. I even had a little tear in my eye at the end.

In Toshikazu Kawaguchi's novel, a Tokyo cafe offers the chance to go back in time - but only under an extremely limited set of conditions. How and why this is possible is never explained, which is a wise choice - it's not a science fiction book really, and readers are simply left to accept the premise at face value. Getting bogged down in trying to put logic behind it would only take away from the story, which is simple and beautiful with a clear message about the choices we make in life and how we can take control of our own destiny, at least to some extent.

The novel focuses on four journeys back in time, and has a small group of characters consisting of the people who work in the shop, those who travel back, and those they meet. Each journey is presented in turn but the storylines of the four travellers do weave together. The characters are all likeable and believable people and the reasons they have for travelling are varied.

By placing numerous restrictions on the time travel concept, Kawaguchi is able to keep control of it. It's only something that will benefit a small number of people, therefore the cafe isn't inundated with guests, and the time travel opportunity is considered an 'urban legend'. Travellers have to remain in a particular seat at a specific table in the cafe, and can only meet people who have visited the cafe. They have a very short amount of time - the time it takes for a cup of hot coffee to go cold - after which they must return to the present by drinking the coffee. But most importantly, it is impossible to change the present, no matter how hard they try to do so.

'What's the point then?' is what all of the characters wonder at some stage of the novel, but the point - for the small number of people who can benefit from it - becomes clear as the story unfolds. Everyone has had a conversation (or many) that they wish they could go back and have again and say the things they really meant. Most people who have lost someone wish they had one more chance to see them again, to ask them something or tell them something. If that lost person had ever visited the cafe in their past, then the time travelling chair offers the chance to do just that.

Ultimately it's a touching and nicely executed story, a true 'feel good' story that is much more moving and genuine than a lot of the contrived novels in the semi-self-help genre. It has a simple and strong message that is well made - and you don't need to be able to time travel to understand it and follow it. People who enjoy this genre will definitely like it, but it will appeal to a wider readership as well. I often dislike 'feel good' novels and find them schmaltzy and false, but I did enjoy this as it is neither.

The story works well as an audiobook and is easy to follow. I believe the narrator has Japanese heritage, which is as it should be for a story by a Japanese author set in Japan, but her accent sounds American and I found that somewhat distracting as I felt it pulled me away from the story and made it sound like it was set in the USA, which has a very different culture from Japan's. It created a slight dissonance. A Japanese accent would have felt more authentic to me. However aside from that, she read it well with a good rhythm and clarity.

Before the coffee gets cold is about a coffee shop where a particular seat allows the occupant to travel through time with a few rules, they can never leave their seat, nothing they do will change the present and they must finish their coffee before it goes cold to return.

Throughout the book we are introduced to several characters and their stories, from a wife whose husband has Alzheimer’s, a woman whose estranged sister died before they had a chance to speak, a woman whose boyfriend had left for America abruptly when she thought they might get married, and a pregnant woman who wants to see her daughter in the future knowing that if she gives birth to her daughter she will die.

There is a wealth of human experience written in the pages of this book and the audiobook narrator, Arina Li, did a wonderful job of delivering these stories.

It was short but very enjoyable.

I’ve been wanting to read ‘Before the coffee gets cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi for a while so when I saw the audio up on NetGalley it was an instant request, and I’m so grateful to have my request accepted by the publisher.

Enjoyable thoughtful book which was narrated beautifully. I loved how the individual tales played out and felt the narrator added depth to the stories. I love this book. Thought provoking and emotion

I'd been looking forward to reading this for ages, so I was pleased to receive a digital review edition of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio UK. My thanks to the author and publisher.

However, I'm sorry to say that I was quite disappointed. The idea is great, but I found the characters very same-y and the novel had no emotional impact for me.

I could exit the room, leaving it playing, and wander back in without really feeling that I'd missed much.
I don't think it was anything to do with the narrator - more the style. Although, evidently, neither was the narration gripping enough to turn the stilted narrative into something that caught and held my attention.

I was a little frustrated by the repetitious nature of the writing: something happens that the reader can follow perfectly well, but immediately following, the author explains, like babies' building blocks, what's just happened.

Sadly, I could not connect with this novel.

I wanted to love this - the premise of a book that makes you think about who you would wish to spend time with again, if only for a few precious minutes, is lovely. However, I personally found the emotions of the characters too simplistic and lacking in nuance. The outcomes for each character are also strangely conservative, miserable, and indeed out of character without any examination of this trend. The narrative is nicely paced however and I enjoy the concept if not the execution.

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

This whole book is such a clever concept and the idea was so intriguing. Following a series of characters and their brief encounters with going to the past. Bound by a set series of rules, you can only go back sitting in one particular seat and must drink the coffee before it gets cold else face the consequences.

I got more and more intrigued as it went on and each chapter focusing on a particular story or character made for compelling reading. The writing was spectacular and it was such an enjoyable story. It was weaved so well and regularly found myself awed by the thought of it.

My only problem was that I could not keep hold of the characters and regularly got confused as to who was who but that was definitely an issue of my own. All of the stories I found interesting and there wasn’t one I didn’t enjoy, which can be the case when detailing separate stories.

I was amazed how quickly I finished the book too. I’d heard such good things about it before but it’s taken me a while to get round to it. So glad I finally have, it’s so well worth a read (or listen if you’re an audiobook fan. Can attest for the fab narration and quality of the audiobook).

“It takes courage to say what has to be said.”

Four short tales, four short experiences with time travel in a small café in Japan, all with an underlying arc of the café’s staff and frequent visitors.

Despite its high-tier reputation among my friends, I’ve been hesitant to pick up Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Partly because I don’t often read general fiction with a dash of magical realism (romance and fantasy with a dash of thriller or mystery is more my cup of tea recently) and more than that, I continually avoid sad books. When the opportunity arrived to request an audiobook, it seemed the perfect opportunity to listen to what has been recommended as heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measure while doing the washing up, without the stress of sitting down to read a highly praised book.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that whilst sweet, the later stories in particular, pulling at my heartstrings, I never found it heart-breaking. Potentially because of the narrative style or the audio narrator, I felt distanced from the characters and their struggles. At first a little unlikeable. I enjoyed that over such a short book, what first felt cold, warmed up and become more engaging but even then, I felt as if I had no stake in the character's struggles. Often, the plot was a little predictable and watching it all unfold was pleasant but not surprising.

It’s a short book and was a happy way to spend the morning, it also touches on some important topics and a unique perspective on time travel and moving forward. I’m glad I read it, it just didn’t hit the top tier for me as it did for others.

If you go back to the past and cannot even change the present, then what use is it? *SIGH*😮‍💨

SUMMARY:
Is about a cafe named Funiculi Funicula that can bring you to the past, and before the coffee gets cold, you have to go back to the present time.

👁️‍🗨️This story is told in third person POV

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🔊:
Narrated by: Arina Li 👩
Length of audio: 6h 52m
The narrator did a pretty good job; I have no problem with her voice, and I think the way she pronounced the Japanese name was great. At first, I thought she spoke a little bit too fast, until I realized that I set my speed at 1.25x (so silly).

However, listening to this audiobook for 6 hours 52 minutes was excruciatingly boring for me. I couldn't help but keep wondering, "Why should you go back to the past even when you cannot change anything?" I had this one question lingering in my mind even until the end of the book.

This book has only 4 chapters, and each chapter represents one short story.

MY THOUGHTS:
📌 First let's we talk about the five rules:
✏️The first rule – the only people one may meet while back in the past are those who have visited the cafe.
✏️The second rule – no matter how hard one tries while back in the past, one cannot change the present.
✏️The third rule – in order to return to the past, you have to sit in that seat and that seat alone. This was the seat occupied by the woman in the dress. If you try to sit there by force, you get cursed.
✏️The fourth rule – while back in the past, you must stay in the seat and never move from it.
✏️The fifth rule – there is a time limit

Just by those rules, "Do you want to go back to the past?" The answer is: of course "NO," except...
"You are desperate enough to bet your own life to travel back in time, and if you violate one rule, you will end up as a ghost that should go to the toilet and take care of that curse seat."

📌 I couldn't remember even a single character's name in this book, I think I always have this problem, whenever I read a book written by Japanese author.

WHY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR ME:
☠️ Despite this is a short book with only 213 pages, but it was very b.o.r.i.n.g. I remember it taking awhile just to explain those rules, and I also didn't feel those stories were heartwarming or sad. For me, it was very bland.

☠️ I knew this was a fantasy genre, but you know when a fantasy book goes "to infinity and beyond", and ends up becoming ridiculous instead? Yeah, this is how I felt toward this book.

☠️ This book is not my cup of tea; I picked it up based on the hype and popularity.

☠️ My first impression of this book was "it's going to be good", but as soon as I started it, that impression fell apart. As you know, this book is very popular, and most of my friends have read it, so I might as well try it too.

OVERALL:
If I could travel back in time, I would tell myself, "Don't go even near this book." Or maybe I should try to go to Funiculi Funicula Cafe and get a cup of coffee? But if I followed those rules, then It means I still ended up reading this book! So tell me, what use is it to go back to the past if I cannot change anything?

CREDIT:
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan UK Audio, for providing me with this audibook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🐥

This one has been on my radar for ages and I kept putting it off for some reason. I’m glad I’ve finally got around to it.

I’ll start by saying, I loved the audio! The narrator does so much justice to the story and I don’t think I’d have enjoyed it half as much if I’d have read it myself.

I loved how it was written through 4 short stories, each cleverly interwoven. The premise of the book was really sweet and original, played out lovely over the 4 chapters.

Such an interesting concept, made it a really engrossing read. I was totally consumed by it and I didn’t want to put it down. I listened to the whole thing in one setting.

The interwoven stories came to a very heartfelt ending and it really added to the story for me. I almost didn’t want it to end, I’d have happily devoured a full length novel of it.

Definitely not my usual thing, but there was something rather magical about it. I will definitely be checking out the others in this series.

I really liked this book!

The premise of the book was very interesting. A café where you can go back to the past and have a conversation with someone who has been there before. The catch is you must drink the coffee before it gets cold, otherwise, you're trapped. There are many more rules besides that one, but that's the gist. The scenarios that this situation allows lead to beautiful human interactions. I loved that these were divided into almost independent short stories, which meant that you were not that attached to the characters or plot on the first one, you could still be surprised by the second, and so on.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold had a really interesting concept, but I found the book extremely boring. The story got repetitive even though the book is rather short and the writing style felt off (which might have been because of the translation). It was simple and clunky.
I especially did not like the fourth story.

A beautifully sweeping story full of heart - that slowly moves through scenes that seem ordinary but infused with a subtle magic that makes a truly moving read. The narration was clear, easy to follow and emotive,

There is a reason this book is a global bestseller- thought provoking, sensitive and important.
The audiobook, narrated by Arina Li is an excellent way to enjoy this story, adding life and warmth to the translation.
Thanks to the author, narrator, MacMillan Uk Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to access this audiobook

Such a fun read, I loved the idea behind this book! A quick read with great characters, Now that I’ve read / listed too this one, I will definitely need to continue this series.

I've just finished listening to 'Before the Coffee Gets Cold' by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I really enjoyed this book which surprised me. There are a lot of characters so it can get confusing at times. The premise, four people travel to past/future. The catch, however, is that they can only stay in that time for a short period of time. They have until their coffee begins to get cold when they have to return to the present. If they don't drink their coffee in time, they stay as a ghost of the past. A very hard hitting read, one that stayed with me for years after when I first listened to it.