Bestsellers · Time travel

Before Your Memory Fades – Toshikazu Kawaguchi ★★★★

Blurb; The latest novel in the international bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series, following four new customers in a little Tokyo café where customers can travel back in time.

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe comes another story of four new customers, each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Café Funiculi Funicula’s time-travelling offer. Among some familiar faces from Kawaguchi’s previous novels, readers will also be introduced to a daughter, a comedian, a sister, and a lover, each with something they wish they had said differently.

With his signature heartwarming characters and immersive storytelling, Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

My Review; I have loved the previous two books, so of course, I had to grab this. I devoured it. I loved it. We get four different stories in one book. All beautiful stories. Coming back to this cafe felt like coming home with all the familiar characters. It is best if they’re read in order but can easily work as standalone reads. Is you could travel back in time who would you visit? Highly recommend. A well-deserved four stars.

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Bestsellers · Time travel

Before the Coffee gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe – Toshikazu Kawaguchi ★★★★

Blurb; In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time…

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula’s time-travelling offer.

Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Kawaguchi’s previous novel, we will be introduced to:

The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago
The son who was unable to attend his own mother’s funeral
The man who travelled to see the girl who he could not marry
The old detective who never gave his wife that gift…

This beautiful, simple tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives. Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

My Review; I absolutely loved the book before this one (Before the Coffee gets Cold) and the lovely Mel from Melanie’s Reads told me about this one and sent it me for Christmas last year. This is a book that I wanted to devour but also to savour & not finish.

It’s a short read at just under 200 pages. It is split into four different short stories of people coming to the cafe to time travel, most people choose to travel back in time but in this book one person travels forward! The rules remain the same from book one and the cafe characters remain the same. Its such a cosy read. Welcoming. A setting I will miss.

However, short story number three did require some attention from me as this was a story of back and forth, hard to keep track. Each story is unique and beautiful. Highly recommend and isn’t that cover just stunning. A well deserved four stars from me… If you could who would you go visit back in time? Or the future?

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fantasy · Magic · Time travel · Young adult

Fantastic Beasts; The Crimes of Grindelwald – J.K. Rowling ★★★★★

Blurb; At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

This second original screenplay from J.K. Rowling, illustrated with stunning line art from MinaLima, expands on earlier events that helped shaped the wizarding world, with some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of both the books and films.

My Review; The second instalment of Fantastic Beasts. Another brilliant, easy read. These books are so beautiful with the design layout and how the story is told in the play format. I felt this book had much more in it than the first and can’t wait to compare it to the film already.

Since I was a little girl I have always loved J.K. Rowling, the magic and the books. This didn’t let me down either and I am eagerly awaiting the final installment of Fantastic Beasts. I was lost into the wizarding world yet again. A story that can easily be devoured in one sitting. I absolutely love Newt, his crazy creatures and his adventures. Magical.

A book most have probably read already! But if not definately one to get or add to your list. Loved it. Highly recommend! A well deserved five stars.

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