I enjoyed this but I feel like this whole genre is getting to be so similar that it would take a lot to make a book stand out. This book did not have anything to make it stand out. It was enjoyable and pleasant to read but nothing new.

The Convenience Store By The Sea by Sonoco Machida, the story is mainly about the Tenderness convenience store, it’s employees and their regulars. The main draw at first to the convenience store is Manager Shiba who has movie star good looks and likes to love bomb his customers. The other main stand out is his brother Suji or the whatever man. The book also focuses a lot on cashier Majoki, she married and is still in love with her college boyfriend and they have one son Josiah who doesn’t think much of his mother but then again he is a teenager. Before the book is over he will see his mother in a whole new light there’s so much I’m not putting in this review that was in the book but just now because there is a lot there is another brother they called big red who rides his bike around town and he is mainly in the beginning my favorite was The Whatever Man.It seems if you go to the store with a problem maybe not that same day but soon someone there will find a solution and it will probably be one of the brothers. There’s lots of talk about Japanese cartoons because the cashier has a story blog about the Manager that is quite popular and eventually that will come to help one of their customers but not until after Suji finds him. my favorite thing about the book is that they help everyone from the elderly to teenagers college students and on and on this book is just a love bomb of its own it’s so positive and I just loved all of it I have really been getting into stories written by Japanese authors and it seems I cannot get enough just know if you read this book it is one you will be thinking about for days I know it will be for me. I really absolutely loved this book. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#ConocoMachida, #TheConvenienceStoreByTheSea

This slow paced, cozy translated book was exactly what I needed recently! I had just read a few heavy non-fiction books and this story whisked me away. I loved it and couldn’t get enough of the people we meet in this story! I would love to see some of these characters get their own books because some were just so entertaining. I wish I didn’t sit on this book for so long. Although it’s a quick and quirky read, it was slow paced which, depending on your mood could be good or bad. Overall, a good read!

I want to live inside this book 😭

This was so lovely!!! The Convenience Store by the Sea
by Sonoko Machida felt like a warm hug of a read! It made me laugh, cry & yearn for community as beautiful as Sonoko Machida has created. 1000% recommend this cozy read!!

Thank you so much G.P. Putnam's Sons for sending a copy my way!

I gave this one a solid go but sadly the story didn't capture my interest. I'm disappointed because I usually really enjoy Japanese translations that are full of cozy charm. This story was just a little too disjointed to keep me motivated to finish though. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Putnam Books for the ARC of The Convenience Store by the Sea! I think the most lovely part of Japanese literature is magic in the mundane - books centered on spaces typically seen as just a part of every day life. This book showed the magic in a convenience store! Following different characters, their lives, and a convenience store - we were taken on a journey of interconnectedness. All I can say to convey the feelings of this book is that it is like a warm hug! I recommend to anyone else who enjoys translated literature and cozy short stories.

This was a fun and cozy read for me. I loved following the lives of these different people and how their lives are changed by the people they meet and connect with at the Tenderness Convenience Store.

Each chapter followed a different character and while I enjoyed reading about each of them, I think my favorite was Azusa. I knew from the beginning of her story that Mizuki wasn't a good friend, so I was happy that she not only developed a friendship another classmate, Nayuta, but that in doing so she learned to step out of Mizuki's shadow and stand up for herself.

I also love that even though we follow a new character each chapter some of the previous characters are still referenced even if it's just in passing.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this; I have been loving the influx of Japanese and Korean literature - so much of it has been such a balm to my soul, with many also being the magical whimsy that we all desperately need right now, and I was hoping for more of the same.

Unfortunately, that was not the case for me with this one; while I really enjoyed the narrator [which is half the battle these days I am finding] and found a couple of the vignettes nice [and nothing more than that], the rest were just not for me. Filled with mostly unlikable, selfish people [with the exception being Shiba, who is nice to the point he ends up with an obnoxious cult following], the stories rubbed me the wrong way [who wants to listen to TWO HOURS of mean girls being mean only to "be sorry" when they are shamed for their behavior? It was not a good time], made me cranky, and by the end [which was a relief to get to], I almost wished I had just DNF'ed instead. Such a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sonoko Machida, Bruno Navasky - Translator, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G. P. Putnam's Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A gentle read, I found it quite slow going but liked how each chapter was interconnected but told from a different point of view.

I have become a huge fan of translated Japanese healing fiction, and was really looking forward to this one for a while! I found the characters and the setting to be charming, though I admittedly started to lose interest because this book is a bit too slow paced for my liking. Even though I didn't finish it during this read through, I plan to go back to it another time when I need that good, warm hug via reading again. I still think this book is worth checking out if you like slice of life and cozy books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc!

The Japanese translated books are not hitting right now. I don't know why that is. My main issue with this book is just the lack of plot or direction.

There’s just something so endlessly comforting to me about this slice of life genre. The story takes place in Tenderness, a small convenience store in the seaside town of Mojiko, Kitakyushu.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons

*3.5 rounded to a 4*

Like most translated fiction I have read, this is an interconnected slice of life novel. I have really enjoyed those kind of novels in the past and am happy I got to read this one.

I liked most all of the characters and it was fun seeing who would pop up in whichever story I was reading at the time. My favorite characters were Mitsuri, the Whatever Guy, Azusa, Takiji, and Hikaru. Their stories were my favorite. Takiji and Hikaru are the cutest and I love their bond.

I had a great time reading theses stories. Some were funny, some made me cry, but they all had their own heartfelt messages at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the e-book copy!

I am always down to read a translated work but this one was a bit too slow for me. I found the stories to be very long winded and I lose interest by the third or fourth chapter. Despite not finishing it, I do think this is still worth checking out. Especially, if you like slice of life story collections this will work for you. Sadly, it just did not move me.

3.5/5 ☆

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

This translated Japanese novel was cozy, slower paced and low stakes. I appreciated how things came together in the end but it did drag a bit in the middle.

I thought this book was a fun, quick read about a town and the center piece of the convenience store that everyone gathers at. I liked the structure of this book, where each chapter followed a different member of the town but each chapter was still interconnected.

My main problem with this book was that I was finding it hard to care about the characters; I would get attached to one of them for a few pages and then we'd move on to the next one.

This book was my introduction to the healing fiction genre, and I think it did a solid job at convincing me to pick up more books! The plot was, of course, quite slow moving (I saw a review describing it as a soft/gentle movement and I couldn't agree more), which I feel is quite indicative of the genre, but it did leave me longing for a little bit... *more*? I loved the premise but felt like I was only scratching the surface, I would've liked a little more depth to the store itself and the characters. But that being said, this was the perfect summer beach read for me and I really look forward to exploring more in the healing fiction genre.

I’ve always had a soft spot for those quiet, cozy East Asian novels that revolve around ordinary places—libraries, cafés, cats, and, of course, convenience stores. They usually follow a familiar rhythm, and that’s part of what makes them so comforting. I picked this one up mostly because of the convenience store setting. I mean, who doesn’t want to get lost in a story about a 24/7 konbini called Tenderness?. But honestly, it didn’t quite live up to what I was hoping for.

While the idea of Tenderness as a community hub was really charming, I didn’t feel like the store itself was as central or as vividly described as I wanted. I was hoping to be completely immersed in its warm lights, aisles of egg sandwiches, and friendly regulars, but the atmosphere just didn’t leap off the page for me.

The characters were fine, but I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of them. They felt a little too surface-level, and I never really got to know them in a way that would make me care deeply about their stories. The plot also didn’t do much to pull me in - it kind of wandered along gently, which isn’t a bad thing, but it left me feeling a bit indifferent by the end.

That said, there is a quiet charm to this book. I didn’t dislike it, actually enjoyed it in that low-key, easy-to-read kind of way. It just didn’t leave a lasting impression. The writing style felt pretty basic at times, but I tried to remind myself that this might be due to translation.

All in all, it’s a sweet little read, perfect for a rainy afternoon when you want something mellow and comforting. Not unforgettable, but not disappointing either. Just… a nice little pause.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sonoko Machida’s The Convenience Store by the Sea is my first foray into the healing fiction genre. Healing fiction features cozy books originating in the East that follow ordinary people facing every day issues that are usually set in familiar environments, like laundromats, cafes, or in the case of Machida’s novel, convenience stores.

The store at the center of The Convenience Store by the Sea is Tenderness, a chain of stores where shoppers can buy what they need while also acquiring some healing for the soul. The Convenience Store by the Sea features various slice-of-life stories spotlighting a variety of characters living their lives, which brings them into the orbit of Tenderness. From the elderly, to the creative, to the lonely, people are drawn to Tenderness for not only its goods, but its heart … not to mention its charismatic manager Shiba, who even has his own fan club.

The Convenience Store by the Sea is a book that I wanted to love so badly, but unfortunately did not work for me personally. That is not to say that it won’t be beloved by many, but for me, it was not a compelling introduction to the healing fiction genre. I was drawn to this book because of the convenience store aspect, but Tenderness did not play a prominent enough role in the novel for my liking. Furthermore, the crafting of the convenience store’s atmosphere and ambience did not shine through the pages, giving me only a vague sense of its warm and cozy aesthetic. As for the slice of life stories, I sadly found them languid and dull.

I’ve now read a handful of these cozy translated novels. I’m easily persuaded to read them and I want to be in love with them, but they’re still very hit or miss with me.

Out of the ones I’ve read so far this one landed somewhere in the middle of the pack. Not my favorite, but not my least favorite either.

This particular book centers on a convenient store, those who work there, and those who frequently visit. Its individual tales come together to paint a picture of a small community. I enjoyed all the quirky and unique characters! The story’s themselves were a mixed bag: some I liked, others were a tad slow. Overall I think I liked the idea of this book a bit more than the book itself, but it was still a good read. Especially if you’re in the mood for some deep relaxation and to get lost and a slice of life story.

Thanks to netgalley and Orion for a copy of this book!

This is a series of interconnected stories of the people who work at and frequent a convenience store by the sea. It's very sweet and uplifting as these Japanese so-called healing literature books tend to be. I liked the idea of a convenience store that really catered to its clientele in special ways though some of the characters were a little over the top for me. Some of the tales are more relatable than others, and in that sense there may be something for everyone in this book.
I did think that the translation itself was on the weak side and in certain parts much too literal. It was awkward to read in other parts but I suppose we are reading mostly for the story and not for the style. As these types of books go, I have to say that I really did enjoy this one. It might be fun for a book group to read, especially one that is focused on Japanese life.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's as sweet as it can be.