A series of somewhat connected stories about people struggling with various aspects of their lives. At some point in their journeys they encounter a coffee shop run by cats, and find a path to learning more about themselves and about the world around them.

Full disclosure - I DNF'd at 60%. It was pure drivel. While the premise is somewhat interesting (albeit way too similar in style to Toshikazu Kawaguchi's), it has a huge flaw that is infuriating and frustrating at the same time. While I only read the first two stories, both of these wax lyrical about astrology in nauseating ways. I don't want to provide too many spoilers, but the author takes astrology way too seriously, and I just can't read a book that does that. I've lost all respect for the author, his writing, and the story. It became meaningless and a waste of time of enormous proportions. There is literally nothing for me in a book that has pages upon pages of astrological theory (and charts!) and describes in an unselfconscious way why it all makes sense.

Honestly - unless you believe in astrology, or at the very least find it inoffensive, this is a book you should stay away from. I literally felt offended reading it (despite the writing itself being not half bad).

I'd raise a point also I never have on Netgalley - this book has fundamentally false advertising. On the surface it feels quaint, fun, and exciting. It's none of these things, in reality - rather an ode to astrology and horoscopes.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This one is for cat lovers and fans of the series "Before the coffee gets cold". A very cozy read, that filled me with warmth. I can only recommend this book. It's beautifully written and let's you dive into a magical world. I hope there will be more from this author and maybe even a similar book.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop (Aug 2024) by Mai Mochizuki and translated by Jesse Kirkwood is a feel-good magical realism story about a mysterious pop-up café truck run by… talking cats.

Set in Kyoto, the café will appear on full moon nights and only to people who are in need of a break or a new perspective in life. Yes, this trope is really being overdone in both Japanese and Korean fiction, but personally, I really love it.

Also, food/drinks and magical cats, who could resist? What set the story apart from others similar to it is the astrology theme. Basically the cats dish out advice based on their customers’ horoscope, in addition to serving delectable food and drinks.

This book has 3 chapters, featuring 3 different customers namely Mizuki, Akari, and Takashi. The stories are interlinked. Hope-filled and warmly gentle, they flow really well and are highly entertaining.

The original Japanese #満月珈琲店の星詠み is actually a series that started in 2020. To-date, there are 5 books (swipe to see them in order). I’ve only read the first 2 books though. Don’t think I intend to read them all.

The original books feature ilustrations by Chihiro Sakurada. In an interview, Mochizuki shared that she had wanted to write a novel with an astrology theme but found it difficult to start. By chance, she came across Sakurada's illustration on Twitter, featuring a cat owner of a coffee shop truck, and she thought she could write a story with this work on the cover. So she went to meet Sakurada, who was exhibiting at a doujin event, and they decided to collaborate. Pretty cool eh.

I thank #NetGalley and the publisher Octopus Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & octopus publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A coffee shop that randomly appears that is run by talking cats sign me up!

The book is split into 3 parts with each character having to overcome certain 'pit stops' in their life and the cafe has a way of showing them what it is the need most through their star charts. This was certainly a unique take and I think if you were more into astrology you would better understand everything better.

I enjoyed how each of our characters were linked but their stories still felt independent from each other. With a book of this length you are never going to get amazing character development but I feel the time we spent with each character was just right to get a snap shot into them as a person.

If you are a fan of what you are looking for is in the library, before the coffee gets cold, the kamogawa food detective you will enjoy this one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is a sequence of three interconnected stories. Each story starts in the real world before taking a swerve when the talking cats appear who host the full moon coffee shop. This swerve took me by surprise (‘before the coffee gets cold on an acid trip’ was my first reaction) but I was expecting it for stories 2 & 3. I’m not sure I fully accepted the premise because the cats all had the western names of planets and gave advice to their coffee shop guests from western astrology, yet the story is set in Japan. The east-west fusion didn’t work for me. I also didn’t buy all the astrological stuff either. However, our characters all find it useful to get their lives back on track or to be more honest with themselves and thus have happy endings.

Whilst I love cats, this just wasn’t quite my cup of coffee. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a pretty fast read as it is not an over long book but is a great read.
It has a comforting feel about it and the idea that the café is run by cats with no fixed location is an intriguing one. It deals with horoscopes and learning about yourself as an individual.
This is a fabulous read and very different.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a beautifully written selection of short stories revolving around a mysterious cafe run by anthropomorphic cats. It's as if you mixed the styles of "Before the Coffee Goes Cold" with a dash of Studio Ghibli.

An easy, relaxing and cosy read and an absolute delight!

What a sweet uplifting little book. I enjoyed this story about a connected group of people who need some help to find their life paths. Different and enjoyable. I bet it is even more beautiful in the original Japanese, but it reads well in translation.

Thank you so much for approving my request. I've copied my review here and added some technical feedback that I noticed as well, below.

My review:
2.5
Enormous talking cats running a coffee shop that only appears on a full-moon… say no more, I’m in! While the premise is fantastic, the writing enjoyable, and the story quite sweet, this is let down by how strongly astrology features in the book.

<b>What worked for me:</b>
• The cover is stunning! When I saw the cover and read the synopsis, this rocketed into my Goodreads TBR list right away.
• Writing style: I was instantly transported to the narrator’s world within the first page. The vivid and detailed descriptions allowed me to conjure up a beautiful mental picture of the music they heard, the food they were cooking, their view out of their apartment, the visiting cat…
• I was not expecting to see French language sprinkled throughout the first few pages! My little Canadian heart <i>loved</i> that!
• I loved the illustrations at the beginning of each new section (the Full Moon Pancakes sounded delicious and coupled with the illustration, this part made me hungry!)
• Satsuki the actress made a wonderful speech after she was fired that I was really glad to see in this book. It addresses misogyny head-on demanding to know why she is the only one being fired for an affair she had with a married man which is both overkill and sexist as hell. Her speech was moving and challenging some of the industry and cultural toxicities of vilifying and destroying women in situations where men, who are just as culpable, don’t experience any fallout.
• I loved the storyline of Miss Serikawa and the old conductor - the way this touched her students was heartwarming! I loved Megumi’s assessment that the dreams were the cats’ way of thanking them… that’s a much nicer way of looking at it then the astrology stuff.

<b>What I wasn’t so keen on: </b>
• I <I>hated</I> the astrology stuff and it really adversely affected my enjoyment of the book. I was trying to suspend disbelief about the moon phases stuff and tried to see it as part of the story. When the astrology then took centre stage, I had a <i>really</i> hard time continuing to suspend disbelief. Again, I tried to tell myself it’s just world building and part of the story but the fact there are folks out there that actually believe this and take is super seriously kept niggling at me. I don’t love that the problems our characters were going through, the strengths and challenges they had, and elements of their personality were attributed to something so vapid as star signs. I would have preferred a narrative where our characters were more in the driver’s seat about their choices and took responsibility to change - I didn’t like how the astrology made them victims of their destiny rather than the architects of it. There was something disempowering about it.
• Repetition across the three sections when the cats explain the houses/star chart stuff
• A common bugbear of mine is when authors insert technobabble into books without researching it properly. Some of the nebulous references to Takashi’s work in “IT” were questionable. What did he actually do? They claim he’s a security expert but his work is more data analyst/dev ops. Then, when the cats say “IT work is about data and communications”, I got more confused again. I wouldn’t say a security expert, or many software development jobs, are “all about communication”; they’re more about logic and problem-solving. I think, unless they can speak to the specifics, keep it high level or give them a job/field that you understand a bit better. I also think Takashi should leave the web/UX design advice to his colleague, he gives Megumi some odd advice!
• My ongoing frustration with English translations continues to be Britishified language. In the first section, Mizuki notices some school kids on the train and estimates them to be in “Year two or three”. I looked it up and Japan has a very similar grade school set up to Canada: I think a Japanese speaker would have said “<i>Grade</i>two or three”. There were a lot of mentions of “primary school” throughout the book, when, I think, in Japan, folks would say “<i>elementary<i> school”.
• A Mercury Cream Soda sounds… lethal? I can’t be the only one who read that and assumed it meant the metal?

As you might be able to tell, I think astrology is a load of bollocks; so, while this book ticked every box for me, the astrology detracted from my enjoyment significantly. It plays such a core part of the story that it almost needs to be mentioned in the blurb - early reviews are showing that I’m not the only one disappointed by this theme. The messages in this book are really great, I just hate they’re largely attributed to astrology. If the astrology had been left out, and they’d emphasized that the kids saving magical cats are now giving them sage advice as adults as a way of thanking them, this would’ve been a five star read for me.

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. The approval email notification was personalized to the book and a really nice touch. Thank you so much, Octopus Publishing! 🐙✨

Technical feedback (not part of my review):

Pg 29: “his hair was dyed blonde on the outside and light blue on the inside”. Is there a clearer way of illustrating this character's looks? I'm not sure what the 'inside' and 'outside' of hair would even be...

Pg 191 the font changes. This might be to depict the dream but as there’s a chapter break, this isn’t needed and looks more like a formatting error than an intentional design choice. Ditto for Megumi’s dream sequence.

It bears repeating that I recommend the prevalent astrology theme be mentioned in the blurb. Negative Goodreads reviews are saying a fair few of us felt duped by this. For expectation management, this might help filter out those of us that don't want to read about astrology.

This book is what many describe "healing genre".Characters are interconnected and they all discover a magical cafe run by cats where astrology has an important role on these people's lives. I wanted to love this but it was just a cute story,. There were really good points throughout the story, though. I was a bit lost when astrology made an appearance. It was entertaining and quick read as it is a short one.

Talking, astrologer, dessert serving cats. Yes that’s what this book is about and it’s fantastic.

We meet several people with a past connection who are all at a bit of a moment of crisis or challenge in their lives. They have a surreal moment where they each experience a coffee shop in which cats read their astral charts and serve them mind blowing desserts, helping them to see their next steps more clearly.

This is a lovely book, a very gentle book about nudging people into achieving their own happiness and success, whilst enjoying the nostalgia from re-kindling memories and past connections. It’s very sweet and wholesome. If you enjoy cosy Japanese fiction this will likely be a winner for you.

I enjoyed that this was set in Kyoto. It felt like a lovely location for this book.

I received a review copy of this book from Octopus Publishing via NetGalley for which my thanks.

Along the lines of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Kamogawa Food Detectives books in its broad structure and emotional appeal, but also with a little more depth as well as uniqueness in having its base firmly in astrology (the only piece of fiction I’ve read so far to be so), The Full Moon Coffee Shop not only turned out every bit the delightful and heartwarming read I was expecting but even more, and quite a perfect start for my #ReadingtheMeow2024 reads.

The first in a series and translated by Jesse Kirkwood, as the book opens we meet a former primary school teacher Mizuki Serikawa who now writes scripts for games (mostly for the side characters) and has all but lost interest in life, no longer taking any pride in her appearance or care of herself, and surviving only on instant ramen. A last-ditch attempt at reviving her TV-series writing career (in which she was once at the top) seems to fail sending her further into depression. But then at the restaurant where she met and was let down by young and successful producer Akari Nayakama, she finds not only surprise fans but also an invitation to a strange café she’s never heard of before. Reluctant and after some dithering, she does make it to the place—amidst the beautiful cherry blossoms, just by the river Kamo in Kyoto and to her surprise finds a place run not by humans, but cats. Besides feeding her some delicious pancakes (Full Moon Pancakes with butter and Astral Syrup), these cats (who are special in another way that we soon see) give Mizuki insights into herself and into the age we live in that she had never considered before. Using astrology and Mizuki’s chart, they help her see things from a new perspective and understand where she’s perhaps been going wrong in life, giving her new purpose and motivation.

We then learn more about the producer, Akari Nakayama who shares a deeper link than we first realise with Mizuki as also with actress Satsuki Akiwara whom also Akari has had to deal harshly with, than we first realise. As these two ladies and after them various other connected characters find their way to the Full Moon Coffee Shop, which opens up magically at different locations in Kyoto, its various special cats, from a Singapura named Caelus to Cranus the tux help them understand themselves as never before. Readers also begin to see how these characters are bound together, but fate it seems connects them and our magical café in another way too!

This was a book I jumped at when I saw it listed both because of the cats (no surprise there) but also because its name ‘The Full Moon Coffee Shop’ reminded me very much of a Kdrama I enjoyed some years ago, Hotel Del Luna (still one of my favourites that I’ve watched) where a hotel for spirits who haven’t been able to cross opens every Full Moon night, with the characters helping the spirits find the answers they are seeking. The Full Moon Coffee Shop did in a sense turn out the same, a café magically appearing every Full Moon night only to those who need it—not spirits in this case but real, live human beings who’ve perhaps lost their way or been unable to find what they’re really looking for in life.

The cats who run the café—and there’s a whole set of them—make this additionally special. As we read on, we realise they are no ordinary cats. However, even more of a surprise awaits us as the book gradually reveals deeper connections. In fact, the book is full of these, seemingly serendipitous happenings, meetings and links but which turn out to have more to do with fate, perhaps than chance. Everything links back and together so beautifully by the end, that one can’t help but have a smile on one’s face.

What set this book apart from the others I’ve mentioned and makes it more than just cats and people in need of help, though is the astrology. Because it is astrology and birth charts that these cats use to give our various characters better and deeper understandings of themselves. And along with them, the reader too gets to learn a fair bit about it, different stages of life, the influences of the stars and planets, how each person’s unique chart shapes they way things can turn out for them—not necessarily fated in that it can’t be changed but more like a map that helps one navigate life, especially the obstacles likely to arise in one’s way or one’s own fears. What I found even more interesting was the broader insights into the age that we live in, once again from the perspective of astrology. It was fascinating to learn how things transition across ages in terms of values and value systems, natural and manmade occurrences and how humans too must adapt to these changes (to which we are much more resistant than we might realise), with lessons from each age to be carried into the next—an aspect of the book which had a lot more profundity than I was expecting. It also left me curious as to why the author chose to base the work on Western astrology rather than the Japanese/Chinese systems (a question to which I haven’t yet found the answer).

Beyond the astrology, characters and even the cats, the book has much more--there’s Western classical music referenced all through (Pathetique and Nessun Dorma among them), plenty of delicious sounding food (desserts, really—all of which one would want to eat) and also very much the lovely city of Kyoto and many of its landmarks (with a very brief visit to Osaka too)—among them the Gokonomiya Shrine, Daiko-ji temple and the Otesuji shopping arcade.

All these elements together make it a rich reading experience, with emotional appeal, charm and much to interest one’s intellect too. At its heart though is also just humanness or humaneness, the compassion, love and concern for fellow creatures that makes us (or ought to) who we are and what really sets everything off for this story.

As a cat-themed pick, I did find myself wondering at one point whether characters other than cats could have done the same ‘job’—perhaps they could, but with the backstory we learn eventually, one realises though that it had to be the cats!

Published 29 August 2024. I love Japanese literature that features cats and interlocking stories where characters are 'healed'. This is such a one and is based on the legend that if you're kind to cats, they'll be kind to you, they'll repay you, and this is what happens here although you don't quite understand how everything is connected until the very end. Each character in the story is going through a difficult time for one reason or another and they come across a sort of pop-up coffee shop - named The Full Moon Coffee Shop as it only appears at full moon. There, they are served by talking cats! Magical realism - I love it. Each cat is named after a planet - and the cat that serves the main character in the chapter happens to be named after the planet that governs their birth chart. There is a lot of astrology in this book as the cats explain the character's birth charts to them - not telling their fortunes, but explaining how the planets affect their lives, helping the characters to understand themselves better and so enable them to adjust their lives for the better. On top of this, our characters are served delectable desserts and coffees with names such as 'Moonlight and Venus Champagne Float' tailor made desserts to compliment their charts. The format is reminiscent of 'Before The Coffee Gets Cold' so will appeal if you like that one although I guess that some will find it a bit dry because of the astrology discussions. For me- it was a nice, cosy read - just as I knew it would be.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop followed stories of a unlucky screenwriter, a movie director, a hairstylist, a web designer and and one surprise POV. All of them seem totally stranger until readers learnt connection between each other through their personal lost andI problems. They shared this life issues with a mysterious coffee shop, running by talking cats, whom serves delicacy snacks and coffee. They also will help read their special customers' astrology charts.

I love this slow pace cozy fantasy story with magic realism elements. Expecially this book also featuring cats and lost souls with real issues. Their problems seem related with our own problems. The plot is switch between nowdays and background story in the past. I love the Kyoto setting and several places mentioned here.

The writing feel little bit dry and the characters' emotion feel less flesh out for me. But it is normal style for Japanesse narrative literature. I cant grab the astrological explanation, but maybe it is because I am not really into this topic.

Thank you Netgalley and Brazen, from Octopus Publishing for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 29 Agustus 2024

Note : Sudah di terbitkan di Indonesia via Penerbit Baca 1 Juli 2022.

Interesting incorporation of astrology and I learned a lot more about this subject. It reminded me of Before the Coffee Gets Cold so I think readers of this or The Midnight library would enjoy it!

3.5 stars - Get ready for magical, mysterious cats and a lot of introspection at The Full Moon Coffee Shop!

This book isn't going to be for everyone, as there are very lengthy discussions of astrology and star charts which can be off-putting. However, if you're at a crossroads or wanting to turn inwards to consider your life path, this is worth having a read.

"Whenever you feel lost, stop for a moment. Get your bearings. You need to take a look at yourself, and accept what you see, before you can take a single step forward."

Everything in this story is intertwined - the characters, history, the universe... Mizuki Serikawa is our focal point, with all the other customers of The Full Moon Coffee Shop being linked back to her time as a substitute teacher. On a grander scale, the world's history connects to current events and trends and can inform the decisions we make much like our own personal histories can impact on our futures. The book weaves seemingly disconnected strands together and points out

It was clever how each food and beverage tied concretely to the advice and truths being revealed to the characters. Akari even points this out in her section, saying "Maybe the Planetary Affogato was a kind of message from the two cats. Satsuki couldn't just give into the sweetness of temptation - she had to remember the bitter consequences, too." These symbolic pairings run through the whole novel and add extra charm to an already sweet story.

This was not what I was expecting, but I liked it...

The Full Moon Coffee Shop follows a different character in each chapter, all of them going through a difficult moment in their lives, and the way this book resorts to helping them is through astrology. It is generally based on the myth that if you're kind to cats, they'll one day return the favour, and they do it in a very unique way in this novel. Each character in one way or another finds themselves in a sort of pop-up café run by talking cats (bear with me). Each cat represents one of the governing planets that influence your horoscope, like Pluto, Venus, and so on. They explain to each character how their natal chart influences how they are as people, and how they behave and respond to others. This knowledge can help them learn more about themselves and try to figure out a way out of the uncomfortable situation they're in at the moment.

This Japanese novel is part of the "healing fiction" sub-genre that's been trending nowadays, which I love, but, even though I liked the book, it wasn't my favourite out of the bunch. The talking cats were a bit too much for me, but I loved the descriptions of the food and drinks they served each character. It all sounded delicious! I also quite liked the connection between the characters (which you only find out towards the end of the novel).

All in all, this was a quick and cosy read, so if you're looking for that kind of vibe and you love cats, this might be the book for you.

Thank you very much to Brazen and NetGalley for my e-ARC!

based on the japanese myth of cats returning favours to those who are kind to them, “the full moon coffee shop” offers a short insight into the lives of three characters in need of advice. they each find themselves visiting a cake cafe in the middle of the night, where they are served by talking cats who offer them life-changing astrological advice on work, relationships, and love.

this was a cosy and magical little read, with a bunch of mini astrology lessons sprinkled throughout by talking cats (each named after a planet). if you’re a fan of japanese literature, astrology, cats, or descriptions of themed desserts that will make your mouth water, this book is for you. the dreamlike writing in scenes of the full moon coffee shop were also reminiscent of alice and wonderland, which might have been my favourite thing about this read.

Another one of those Japanese books whose characters are all interconnected and through magic (this time in the form of astrologer cats) find their way in life. Nothing unforgettable, really.

Un altro di quei libri giapponesi i cui personaggi sono tutti interconnessi tra di loro e tramite la magia (stavolta nella forma di gatti astrologi) trovano la loro strada nella vita. Niente di indimenticabile, anzi.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

**Liked:**

- Talking cats

**Not my cup of tea:**

- Astrology

... Okay, now I will expand, because it's more complicated than that.

This book is a cosy fantasy set in Japan, so it's fantastic if you love Japanese culture and want something comforting to read. I love cats, so having them run a coffee shop? Sign me up. Mizuki, the protagonist of the first story, was relatable and interesting. The book itself is short and sweet, an easy read through and through.

The reason why I'm not giving it a higher rating is that... I felt like it lacked some depth and substance. I think I couldn't feel more strongly about the characters' issues because they were told rather than shown. As I said, I rooted for Mizuki, but I was indifferent about the rest of the (human) characters and their stories. It didn't feel like I knew them enough to care.

And there's also the astrology. I didn't mind it as a metaphor for changes in society, or why some people struggle with certain things more than others, but at times it could be a bit much.