Scan barcode
onegalonelife27's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In the hustle of Tokyo, a little cafe exists where you can go back in time…
I found this story fascinating since there are several rules-simple enough but daunting in practice-that makes one question if it’s even possible. Each chapter stars a traveler of the chapter, wrestling about traveling, overcoming the rules and then being able to to talk to whoever they wanted-before the coffee gets cold.
I do feel like the last chapter was more of a gut punch then it needed to be-like it’s good but man it just hurts so much. Like the author wanted to make sure you cried before you finished the book, I certainly teared up.
We actually meet quite a lot of the cast in the first chapter-made up of various regulars of the cafe and the staff. I think this lends to more telling than showing in the narration, but given the setting is always in the cafe and the characters that often show up, I found the style fitting. It gives enough description to help build on and helps the reader understand each character.
While it does make me curious how the formula is changed for future stories, I’m currently good on the series. Like i said, the last chapter really puts you through the emotional wringer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
bookishevy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
If you could time travel, who would you meet? This is a question that I think all of us have thought of at least once, but four characters in this book actually get the opportunity to make this journey.
More than coffee is being served at an old back alley café in Tokyo. Local legend says customers get a chance to travel through time, but many of them don't go through with it after learning all of the rules, the most important one being they have to return to the present before their coffee gets cold.
I timed my coffee yesterday to see how long it would take to get to room temperature and it took around 25 minutes, which isn't a lot of time to make amends. But these four characters are up to the challenge, and I was very stressed over them making it back in time.
This quirky read warmed my heart as it explores missed opportunities and regret. My biggest takeaway is to live in the moment and let the people you love know how you feel while they're still here.
There are four long chapters, each focusing on a different character. The writing is a bit melancholy, but the stories move quickly despite dealing with heavy themes.
This is book one of a series. There are currently four books, and I think a fifth is on the way. I'm a sucka for anything dealing with time travel, so I'll be collecting them all.
More than coffee is being served at an old back alley café in Tokyo. Local legend says customers get a chance to travel through time, but many of them don't go through with it after learning all of the rules, the most important one being they have to return to the present before their coffee gets cold.
I timed my coffee yesterday to see how long it would take to get to room temperature and it took around 25 minutes, which isn't a lot of time to make amends. But these four characters are up to the challenge, and I was very stressed over them making it back in time.
This quirky read warmed my heart as it explores missed opportunities and regret. My biggest takeaway is to live in the moment and let the people you love know how you feel while they're still here.
There are four long chapters, each focusing on a different character. The writing is a bit melancholy, but the stories move quickly despite dealing with heavy themes.
This is book one of a series. There are currently four books, and I think a fifth is on the way. I'm a sucka for anything dealing with time travel, so I'll be collecting them all.
Content Warnings
Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, and Death
frostedpetals's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicide, and Death of parent
avisreadsandreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Terminal illness, Death, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Death of parent
mmarquis1158's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book felt like a warm hug. It was a perfect rainy day read. There was just something so cozy about it that made it feel ok to be sad and empathize with the characters. I love how the 4 stories all tied together at the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, and Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy
pianokeys's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Dementia
astrofeldy's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
An easy read, with a familiar format for fans of Midnight Diner, BTCGC is a collection of four interwoven character arcs as they each explore the meaning of life’s trajectory through time. While a nice concept, the repetitive, episodic nature of the stories (where unnecessary context and same-same world building with each episode, repeat) makes the pace feel unnecessarily slow. The English version is also let down by clunky, direct translations of dialogue and description, where interpretation and more nuanced focus on meaning would have helped make this a more enjoyable read. Would make a lovely tv show, but the book just didn’t nail it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Death
leaonaxreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was exactly what I was looking for. I’m in a reflective and transitional period in my life and I’m very much a mood reader so this fit the bill. I was recommended this because I enjoyed The Midnight Library.
Something to keep in mind is that this is translated from Japanese I believe, so the prose is not perfect , but the message is perfectly clear. It follows a few different characters wanting to visit different periods in time directly related to events that took place in their lives. Reading it left me wanting to live my life more purposeful and with more meaning; say the things I want to say, and do the things I want to do because time is a precious gift.
There are some sad topics covered here, but such is life
Something to keep in mind is that this is translated from Japanese I believe, so the prose is not perfect , but the message is perfectly clear. It follows a few different characters wanting to visit different periods in time directly related to events that took place in their lives. Reading it left me wanting to live my life more purposeful and with more meaning; say the things I want to say, and do the things I want to do because time is a precious gift.
There are some sad topics covered here, but such is life
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Grief, and Death
xoemax's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Pregnancy, Death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Abortion, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Medical content, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
sydneylmeyer7's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, and Dementia