Thank you @picadorbooks for gifting me a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe! This was a surprise review copy, and I haven't even read Before the Coffee Gets Cold yet... but I couldn't resist! I was in the mood for something a little whimsical and I knew this would be ideal. Don't worry, I will get myself a copy of the first one, and this book can pretty much be read as four standalone stories anyway, and from reviews I was very familiar with the plot of the first book!

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In Cafe Funiculi Funicula, you can order a cup of coffee that will allow you to travel through time - but there are very specific rules you must follow, number one being you must return before your coffee turns cold. At first I wondered, what would be the point in travelling through time if you can't change anything? But I was being obtuse. There are many reasons these characters travel back (or forward): for closure, to grieve, to set a record straight, to say goodbye, or simply to see a loved one for one last time. It's whimsical, yes, but it's also sad and hopeful and heart-wrenching all at once.

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I enjoyed the gentle rhythm to these stories. The rules have to be repeated each time a customer wishes to time travel, and I found the repetition almost soothing - or maybe just more comforting? Even through translation (deftly done by Geoffrey Tousselot), you can feel the warmth and familiarity of the cafe. By the end, Kazu, Nagare and Miki all felt like old friends.

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This really is a lovely blend of wholesome and melancholy. I'm looking forward to getting myself a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and returning to the warm, slightly magical, coffee-scented atmosphere of Cafe Funiculi Funicula!