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t_rich15's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A beautiful book once again but the stories did start to feel repetitive. My favourite story was the dog one (it almost made me sob) and the father one was also interesting - quite a lot of the story characters were quite frustrating though, I must say lol.
Overall a good book but not my favourite of the series.
Overall a good book but not my favourite of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Dementia
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
3.75
Title: Before We Say Goodbye
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Genre: Magical Realism
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: November 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Repetitive • Reflective • Heartwarming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The regulars at the magical Café Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend and extraordinary, secret menu time travel offering. Many patrons have reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family, and visited loved ones. But the journey is not without risks and there are rules to follow. Travellers must have visited the café previously and most importantly, must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to go cold.
The new set of visitors include: a husband with something important left to say, a woman who couldn’t bid her dog farewell, a woman who couldn’t answer a proposal, and a daughter who drove her father away.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth installment in the hugely popular Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. After reading book three, I wasn't sure if I would continue with the series, yet this one was my favourite thus far and has me anticipating the upcoming release of book #5.
There was just something about this set of stories and characters (or maybe it was my mood at the time) that resonated deeply with me. I always find it interesting to see which point in time a person will return to or who they choose to see if given the opportunity. Similar to the others, this one does get repetitive when it comes to the concept and rules for the café, however, I think I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me as much.
I listened to the audiobook as enjoyed the narration and being able to listen to one characters story (section) at a time and not needing to remember too much as I moved through. I think the series is a good place to start for anyone just getting into consuming books via audio.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being back among the café and its characters and getting to meet the new ones. It's a concept that fascinates me and it made for some reflective and interesting reading. I'll likely continue to venture into this series when the time is right as I don't necessarily think they are worth rushing for.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• the series
• reflective stories
• short story collections
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, animal death, grief, terminal illness, cancer, medical content, infertility, pregnancy, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, abandonment
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There are many crossroads in life. All regrets stem from what happened at one moment we never imagined would happen to us."
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Genre: Magical Realism
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: November 14, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Repetitive • Reflective • Heartwarming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The regulars at the magical Café Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend and extraordinary, secret menu time travel offering. Many patrons have reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family, and visited loved ones. But the journey is not without risks and there are rules to follow. Travellers must have visited the café previously and most importantly, must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to go cold.
The new set of visitors include: a husband with something important left to say, a woman who couldn’t bid her dog farewell, a woman who couldn’t answer a proposal, and a daughter who drove her father away.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth installment in the hugely popular Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. After reading book three, I wasn't sure if I would continue with the series, yet this one was my favourite thus far and has me anticipating the upcoming release of book #5.
There was just something about this set of stories and characters (or maybe it was my mood at the time) that resonated deeply with me. I always find it interesting to see which point in time a person will return to or who they choose to see if given the opportunity. Similar to the others, this one does get repetitive when it comes to the concept and rules for the café, however, I think I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me as much.
I listened to the audiobook as enjoyed the narration and being able to listen to one characters story (section) at a time and not needing to remember too much as I moved through. I think the series is a good place to start for anyone just getting into consuming books via audio.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being back among the café and its characters and getting to meet the new ones. It's a concept that fascinates me and it made for some reflective and interesting reading. I'll likely continue to venture into this series when the time is right as I don't necessarily think they are worth rushing for.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• the series
• reflective stories
• short story collections
⚠️ CW: death, death of parent, animal death, grief, terminal illness, cancer, medical content, infertility, pregnancy, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, abandonment
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There are many crossroads in life. All regrets stem from what happened at one moment we never imagined would happen to us."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
pasta_al_limone's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Death
saoreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think it's amazing how, even after four books, the tone and the aspect of storytelling remain strong. It still makes me tear up. The moral lesson, I guess, at the end of it, wasn't about the plot but about different scenarios playing out within rigid and set rules. It's giving out huge lessons to readers when it comes to our relationships with people. The characters are lucky to have the chance to meet loved ones from the past again. Ever since book 1, this has been the theme, and it's deeply ingrained - subtle, but screaming that thought to me: instead of living with guilt and regrets, cherish your relationships. Although I wonder how long it takes before that reality hits, when that in itself is the truth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
kelsreadsthings's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
not my favorite in the series but i still enjoyed it! the story about the dog though really got me 🥹
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
bellsdixon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
thewoodlandbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
sommerblond's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
chiiinkx's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
ghostsversion's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Welp it finally happened folks. A Kawaguchi Book that wasn’t an immediate 5⭐️. Honestly I was certain of this from the very first story. I just didn’t feel that same emotional connection to the character as with other stories. Same goes to some extent with the main girl from The Proposal story. The switch from 3rd person to 1st person was also something that I didn’t particularly like. Which wasn’t even consistent in the book itself, seeing as the last one was a classic story. Also I don’t like how Kohtake is I think pretending to be a nurse to Mr Fusagi? What happened to the original plot of the movie? I don’t know I just was a bit disappointed by this book to be honest. I hope the next one isn’t the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent