On a full moon night, a cafe appears to those who need it. The Full Moon Coffee Shop, which was published by Ballantine Books last month, follows five characters as they struggle with their jobs, their love lives, and more, only to find all the answers to happiness after eating and drinking at The Full Moon Coffee Shop. Which is run by cats.

Sound a little weird? When I started reading my free e-ARC of this very short novel, I didn't really know what to expect. It sounded interesting when I first heard about it at the Reading Group Guides Book Group Speed Dating session earlier this year.

Originally written by Mai Mochizuki and translated by Jesse Kirkwood, the book could read like an ad for astrology. "Want to fix your life? Just have your stars read! By cats!"

The book is heavy on dialogue with little action. And at times, the dialogue felt very stiff. This could, of course, be because of the translation.

I did appreciate how the characters' lives were interwoven, and I do find astrology interesting. (Blame it on listening to the memoir All Signs Point to Paris.) I just felt like the novel was too short for me to really get to know the characters, and everything was quickly all tidy in the end.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by by Mai Mochizuki is a beautiful translated novel filled with cats, astrology, and magical realism. This is a quick set of interconnected stories that is so ease to binge in one sitting. I really liked the way all of the stories connected through the characters. It was very engaging and held my attention from start to finish. Astrology plays a huge part in this story and I loved how it was used. The food descriptions are so delicious and magical. This is a wonderful and entertaining story about finding and understanding yourself.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Heart and face smiling at the same moment.. this right here is that kind of moment.

Just finished reading this eARC that I got from netgalley.

When I saw this title for the first time “The Full Moon Coffee Shop”, I fell in love with it because I love coffee and moon as well.

Only after reading this beauty I realized that the whole book deserves to be loved.

The way the story progresses from one person’s experience with the full moon coffee shop and its peculiarities to the next person’s life is commendable.

The twists and turns of the book and the connections between the people were such a beautiful part. It just brought a smile here and there in the absolutely precious manner.

As in this cafe, you cannot order anything but each dessert is served to people arriving . It has been described legit in the most impeccable details, so much so that you literally crave to have it.

All in all, this book deserves your love and time. In turn, it has such beautiful smiles to gift to you.

This book felt like a warm hug. I loved the intertwined stories and sprinkling of astrological elements. The later led me to looking up my own astrological chart and thinking about the impact on my current life. Definitely a must for those looking for a cute palette cleanser, or for fans of magical realism. Packs a nice punch for a short piece of work.

(Actual: 3.5⭐, rounded up) I love translated literature and read a lot of work from Asian (specifically Japan, Korea, and China) so this was such a sweet surprise to be given the opportunity to read an early copy of this book! As we all know, I absolutely adore magical realism as a genre and thought this did a good job of conveying and weaving in those such aspects throughout the course of the book. I also loved the nod to cat cafes haha because, while I've never been (I'm allergic 😢), they're so cute and fun! My one critique is that, despite being an astrology lover myself, I did find that whole aspect (i.e., of the cats making their predictions to their patrons predominately based off their star charts) a bit heavy-handed and wished it could have been just slightly toned down a little. That said, I still think this is a quick, breezy read, and is especially perfect for those who ARE hardcore lovers of astrology and want to see those kinds of in-depth interpretations more in fictionalized work.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a great book and one I wish had been a bit longer. Coming in at around 240 pages I was left wanting it to be a longer book. One thing I don't always say with books. It's great and so magical and I will read more by this author. If you are a fan of magical realism, Japanese literature and whimsical tales grab this book!

This Japanese translation & tale is so cute and whimsical. I loved the value of cats & the wisdom they can portray to a culture just by valuing them instead of condemning them. Thank you so much for letting me read this!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop follows a handful of people whose lives are all tangentially connected as they discover a coffeeshop run by celestial cats, who use astrology to give them life advice,
I found this book sweet and hopeful, but the astrology was often a bit more information than I could really process smoothly--it pulled me out of the book a bit at times. Aside from that, I did enjoy it--I liked the characters (sometimes I wanted a bit more about them, but overall did like that it was just little snapshots of their lives).

*thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

This book was the epitome of lightweight and fluffy and cozy in the best way. A cafe appears in random locations only under the full moon and just when you need it most. Pour out your worries to a magical cat who serves you the perfect drink without you needing to order it and points you in the right direction for the next step of your life. Who doesn’t want that?? 🐈 🌕 🐈‍⬛

This book followed the paths of a handful of people whose stories intertwined once in the past, and again in the present, all with a need to learn something about life. The magical cats share their wisdom using the stars and the characters’ natal charts to help each person gain clarity and confidence. This is the meat of the story, and while there isn’t a driving beat or a climax to the plot, the whole thing fell together beautifully.

This book wasn’t deep, but it had everything it needed to be whole. I loved the sweet way the cats helped each of the characters, giving them hope and perspective. It was a perfect palette cleanser and a delightfully quick read.

This cozy little novella is reminiscent of a Studio Gibli movie... our main characters find themselves at a popup cafe run by large, talking cats. They have a drink and think about where things are going in their lives. They each have a gentle epiphany about what would make them happyy, before the cafe disapears into the night. This is one of those weird little gems where nothing actually happens in the plot, but you finish the book feeling like a richer person for having read it. It's absolutely charming.

I have been seeing this cozy fantasy book recommendation all over social media, and was eager to explore this translated Japanese novel. I paired the audiobook with my complimentary digital copy, and immersed myself into the lush, magical, and dream-like story. The author uses a magical coffee truck, staffed by talking cats, to deliver life altering advice for interconnected characters. Each character's interaction with the pop-up coffee truck read almost like a short story until the final epilogue with wrapped them up into one culminating narrative. Each character has recently had some bad luck, career change, or failed relationship. Using magically infused drinks and desserts, the cats provide solid advice grounded in zodiac context. When character re-emerge from their coffee shop experience, their fates seem to change, and they only vaguely remember their time at the coffee shop.

I really loved the variety of characters, and how their interconnectedness grew out of their childhoods. Exploring themes of fate, identity, and happiness, this cozy fantasy read is like slipping into your favorite cardigan.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop was a delightful escape. Mochizuki's illustrations are simply charming, and the story itself is a warm hug on a chilly night. I loved the gentle pace and the focus on the everyday magic of human connection. The characters are endearing, and the coffee shop setting creates a cozy atmosphere that's hard to resist. While the plot might be a bit predictable, it's the perfect read for a lazy afternoon or a quiet evening. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most extraordinary moments can be found in the simplest of places.

This is a cute quick read translated from Japanese. The Full Moon Coffee Shop only appears on the night of the full moon and at a different location each time. The different characters come across it at different times and come away with life changing experiences.

Have you ever had a moment in life where you’ve felt like what you’re doing is not paying off? No matter the work you put into that particular situation, you’re struggling to see the outcome? That’s where The Full Moon Coffee Shop comes in to help you. With talking cats who feed their customers deserts, cozy drinks and read them their astrology charts, they leave the cafe feeling rejuvenated and having a better understanding of how they can keep their lives moving forward.

I did rate this 3 stars, mostly for the fact it heavily leans into astrology - which is something I do not have a strong understanding of. Otherwise I loved the concept of this story. Talking cats who run a cafe, feed you and make you feel better? Immediately yes!

Well, now I can say I've read a book about cats operating a coffee shop? So there's that. And while this part of the story is a bit "out there" the core of this story is people trying to figure out life. I loved that these were really redemption stories after setbacks and letdowns. I do wish there were more cats, and I think this would be even better with some illustrations, but a quick, reflective read. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this August 2024 release.

A charming, short read that is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli or “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It’s light but has meaningful life lessons and conversations that may help those who are struggling with the direction of their life. I would also recommend this to anyone who loves astrology! The story has a light and airy atmosphere that is mostly vibes and very little plot. If that’s your sort of thing, I thoroughly recommend, but as someone who loves complicated and heavy stories and atmosphere, I wasn’t grasped by the story. Very lovely and will be recommending it to my friends though.

Reading this was like a warm hug or getting to try the magical drinks or dessp9oí I'm erts served at the Full Moon Cafe. Different people all in a quandary in their daily life are given a chance to be served by the magical cats, learn important life lessons and receive grace for a past kindness that bonded them all. Refreshing and lyrical .

The blurb alone won me over to giving this book a try. With family from Japan, I have always loved the culture and to visit - the little shops, love of cats, and almost mystical beliefs. I love it all. Always makes me feel like the mind is more open to possibilities - both of this world and beyond.

This book has these possibilities (and talking cats), but I think somehow some of the magic of the stories may have been lost between letters, scattered between words, and swept away in the breeze that is 'translation'.

It is still a beautiful story full of mysticism and wonderful, telling the tales that are so rife in the world today - a life that has been created of loneliness through hard work and drive. To seek your dreams we do often get lost among the stars, isolated little specks of light. These little tales are about those people and the magical cafe that sees more than that is there; that serves more than just tea - they may serve a new destiny if you reach out for it.

The stories can be read one at a time or in one sitting. They are enjoyable, but I guess I just imagined more of of the cat characters since they really were at the center or premise of the book. Seemed almost like that cartoon character. But it could be the magic is lost in translation.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion **

4 stars
One word to describe this book: LOVELY.

Truly, what a love book. The Full Moon Coffee Shop focuses on the interconnected lives of three people in Kyoto. It falls into the genre that I call gentle magical realism. It's a cozy read perfect for fall.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the e-arc!
When I first saw this book, I was immediately intrigued! Charming and magical with a cat coffee shop reading astrological charts? Literal perfection in a book. This is a Japanese bestseller that was recently translated, and I hope the rest of the series will be translated as well. In this book, you follow a bunch of different characters as they find this coffee shop and get a bit of much-needed perspective on their lives.
For some reason, this book's formatting with the different characters that all intersect was very nostalgic for me. It reminded me of a similar story I read when I was younger, which contributed to the vibes of whimsy and nostalgia that this book invoked. The book is also a bit different than I initially expected with the shop, and the character is a bit more grounded than I expected. It felt like stepping into a new part of the world as opposed to a brand new world. Overall the book is heartwarming and beautiful with a more slow and tranquil pace. I found myself picking this up when I had a moment of downtime and felt very relaxed so it definitely fits that vibe.