I really enjoyed how each of these short stories were nearly interwoven into each other with characters cropping up from previous stories.

However, I did find some of the stories took a little longer to get into than others which made for a more slow reading experience.

The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida feels like stepping into a warm hug. Set in the 24/7 store “Tenderness” in Mojiko, Japan, it’s not your typical convenience store—it's filled with quirky regulars, cozy lights, and shelves stocked with parfaits, ramen, and every comfort food you could crave. There’s even a fan-club-worthy manager, adding a touch of charm and humor to the mix! Each character brings a little spark to Tenderness, turning it into a place where everyone can find a piece of home.

Thank you to @orionbooks and @netgalley for the ARC of this lovely read. It’s a perfect, feel-good story about finding joy in unexpected connections, ideal for those who love a cozy, heartwarming escape!

This is the literary equivalent of those cute colouring in books that seem to be everywhere on social media. Those bears, hello kitty, kawai etc. the cover is stunning by the way =- art in itself. the stories within are cute and the characters even cuter.

I had high hopes for "The Convenience Store by the Sea", but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. While it had moments of charm, the story dragged and the characters were way too eccentric to warm up to. The worst for me was Mr. Shiba, the store manager, who felt more off-putting than endearing. Overall, it was enjoyable at times but it didn’t leave a lasting impression - it lacked the warmth and heart that similar books deliver so well.

In a seaside town is a convenience store that stands out compared to all others. What could be so special about a convenience store, you might ask? Well, for starters, there's its manager with really strong charisma and the fact that the store's products seem to be better than that of others. But this convenience store is also special place where lives entertwine and dreams are found.

This book was quite cute. As someone who loves slice of life media, I liked how it's structured to offer the reader glimpses into the lives of many different people. It's also a book that showcases the beauty of people caring for each other in all sorts of circumstances, and shows them finding their dreams at different ages, I found that really heartwarming.

I enjoyed the writing even though it took me a moment to get into its rhythm. The characters were also all pretty easy to get attached to, especially Mitsuri, Azusa and her friend, but I didn't enjoy the way most men in the book had very misogynistic views. I understand it might be related to cultural context but it made me uncomfortable to read about how most male characters expectations for the women around them was to be a docile housewife.

The repetitive mention of the manager's "sex appeal" also felt uncomfortable at times, thankfully it is toned down a bit after half of the book.

It was still an enjoyable book and the descriptions of food from the convenience store made me want to try them so much!

I'd recommend this book for those who like the slice of life genre in media and lighthearted explorations solidarity and what it means to find ones dream.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

If you loved Before The Coffee Gets Cold you will love this.

The Convenience Store by the Sea is a series of interconnected short stories about customers or staff members of a beautiful local shop with a lot of heart and a little magic.

I wish I had read about the structure going into it, as I wanted to follow every character to the very end but you really only get a snippet of how the store changed their life at the turning point. There is a touch of magic infused throughout but it is a background feature rather than the central plot.

I found the unfolding community the real delight of this book. Seeing the tiny gifts and favours peppered throughout and the warming festive plots towards the end made this fun to read.

The pace is incredibly laid back, probably slightly more so than is my preference, but I enjoyed myself all the same.

This is a heartwarming book where nothing dramatic or threatening happens but enjoy the small moments and joys in the characters’ lives. It is definitely a cosy read which is my favourite subgenre in Japanese fictions.

Unfortunately, I felt a bit lost at times due to too many characters. I think it would have been easier to connect with the stories if the staff at the store remained as the main characters throughout the book. Instead, the focus kept shifting to different characters, so I couldn’t feel strong attachment to any of them except Mr Shiba who seems completely an unrealistic character but stands out in the book..

Still, there are many uplifting and charming moments in the book that made it worth a read for me!

This is a sweet little read with multiple stories based on the same convenience store. Sometimes characters overlap and I enjoyed my time with them.

I'm really sad to say that I did not like this book as much as I wanted to. :(
By looking at the stunning cover and reading the synopsis I had high expectations that I could love this book. I didn't.
I guess the main reasons are: way too many characters to keep track (for my taste) and some characters are too eccentric. Honestly, I didn't relate or connect to any characters. I was, indeed, a little more curious about Mr Shiba, but other than that, no one else stood out to me.
I liked it when the characters were talking food and shop organization, but that didn't happen very often.
It was a cozy read that unfortunately will not be very memorable to me.
Maybe I'm the one to blame for expecting this book to be something closer or more similar to Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata.
Yet, I do recommend this book to readers who usually enjoy cozy Japanese books.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orion, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel.

The cover art on this book is just beautiful: a gentle, slice-of-life scene with a gorgeous colour palette. I’d totally buy an art print of it!

Within these serial shorts, we have a fantastic food writing and the food theme across the most of stories really worked. To illustrate: for me, there’s nothing for vile than egg salad sandwiches, seriously the mere thought makes me feel sick; but, the way these were described in the second story were starting to win me over and make me hungry. That’s powerful writing!

The sense of place was excellent - I loved the vibe of the convenience store! The interconnectedness of the stories was enjoyable too, I particularly love the serial short format in stories like this.

My favourite section was Melancholy Strawberry Parfait with the schoolgirls who bond over their sweets and form a meaningful friendship. It was emotive but also quite sweet.
The least enjoyable was Advent Calendar Cookies of Love and Longing which didn’t have the food theme but loads of high school angst. It was also the only chapter that wasn’t significantly connected to the convenience store.

I didn’t like the weird sex-appeal thing surrounding the manager. It didn’t contribute anything to the story except awkwardness and I don’t understand what the point of it was. The convenience store stood on its own merits without that weirdness.

Bruno Navasky is a gifted translator. This was one of the more enjoyable translations I’ve read in 2024. He brought the story and world to life for English speakers in a way that felt authentic and unobtrusive with only two words (rubbish, car park) that didn’t feel 100% accurate. I’ll keep my eyes open for future works of his!

I was privileged to have my request to read this book accepted through NetGalley. Thank you so much, Orion! ✨