Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

This is the April Monthly Group Read discussion of Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #1) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and Geoffrey Trousselot - translator. This book can be used to fulfill prompt #23 A book that is considered healing fiction
World Health Day is April 7, 2025! https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...
Sasha Wolf is the "humble hero" who has graciously volunteered to lead this discussion! Thank you so very much to Sasha! YAY!! 👍😁🎊🎉👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

HERE is a listing of potential discussion questions. These are meant to not only help those who volunteer to facilitate these monthly discussions but also to provide ideas for members participating in discussions!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read. It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number). That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book. 😊

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the April Group Read, and apologies for the delay in getting started. We had some gremlins in the GR messaging system, but hopefully they've now been chased away!

This is my first time doing the PS challenge and my first time either leading or participating in a Group Read here, so please be patient with me while I figure it out. By way of introduction, I'm Sasha; I'm a mother and grandmother living in London, UK and currently planning my retirement from Big Law with great gusto!

Here are a few initial discussion questions to get us started:

1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection?

2) The website "K-Book Trends" defines healing fiction as "free of difficult or complex plot" with themes of "empathy, healing, comfort, courage and solidarity", often set amongst the customers of a store or similar everyday venue. It became popular as a genre in Korea and then spread to Japan and beyond. Is this a genre you have read in before?

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer?

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book?

5) What language are you reading this book in? Given GR's demographics I'm guessing most of us have the English translation by Geoffrey Trousselot - but perhaps we have some other translations represented, or even someone who is able to read in the original Japanese?

My answers:

1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection? No, I'm reading it specifically because it's the Group Read selection. I think I'd seen it mentioned on book blogs before the challenge, but I hadn't really focused on it.

2) Is this a genre you have read in before? I hadn't even heard of it before the challenge! I immediately loved the idea of it, though. Communities forming around a place or a shared interest, gentle magical elements, solidarity, healing - all very much up my alley.

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer? My great-aunt who was a nurse in the Spanish Civil War, and the woman she met there and lived with for the rest of her life. I think my mother presented me with a very curated version of their story, and they died before I was old enough to ask them about it in person.

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book? I normally prefer to just let the story do its work without having to rely on tools and aids. I do think the chart is useful in this case, though, especially for someone like myself who isn't very accustomed to Japanese names.

5) What language are you reading this book in? In English. I prefer to read in a book's original language if I can, but Japanese sadly isn't among the ones I've learned.

I'm about 50% in - finished the first two stories so far.

1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection? Yes

2) Is Healing Fiction a genre you have read in before?
Maybe? I would put the Legends & Lattes in this category.

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer?
This is a hard question, probably my ancestors, maybe grandparents, maybe people that died in strange ways to ask them who did it, my mind is a bit all over the place with this question.

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book?
Awwww bummer - my kindle edition didn't have this!

5) What language are you reading this book in?
Reading the English version translated by Geoffrey Trousselot

1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection?
I have actually read this 3 times and look forward to rereading it for a 4th time and then continuing through the series while taking some notes. I have read the first 4 and want to read all 5 that have been translated into English. (Obviously, I really like this book/series!)

2) The website "K-Book Trends" defines healing fiction as "free of difficult or complex plot" with themes of "empathy, healing, comfort, courage and solidarity", often set amongst the customers of a store or similar everyday venue. It became popular as a genre in Korea and then spread to Japan and beyond. Is this a genre you have read in before?
I have read other books that would qualify and have loved them all!

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer?
Easy answer for me. My biological father whom I never had the opportunity to meet in real life before his death.

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book?
I love relationship maps because it is so helpful to me in remembering the interrelationships of the characters and that can be so beneficial in understanding the story overall. I have found maps to be helpful as well.

5) What language are you reading this book in? Given GR's demographics I'm guessing most of us have the English translation by Geoffrey Trousselot - but perhaps we have some other translations represented, or even someone who is able to read in the original Japanese?
Ugh. I am a typical mono-lingual American, so always English...

Britany wrote: "Awwww bummer - my kindle edition didn't have this!"

Oh, that is a bummer! I read a Kindle edition as well, but I guess the one that's available in the UK must be different from yours. Perhaps they added it based on feedback?

Maybe its at the end? Or my kindle skipped over it when I started reading? Going back to check...

Thank you for jumping in and leading Sasha! I had thought about leading for the first time, and, between having to deal with the complexities of Medicare, the requirements I have to do for RESEA, in addition to my activism work, I knew I just could not do it.



1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection?

I had read this a few years ago for an earlier Pop Sugar Challenge. I can't remember the year, but I was hooked.

2) The website "K-Book Trends" defines healing fiction as "free of difficult or complex plot" with themes of "empathy, healing, comfort, courage and solidarity", often set amongst the customers of a store or similar everyday venue. It became popular as a genre in Korea and then spread to Japan and beyond. Is this a genre you have read in before?

Yes, and quite a bit before I even knew it was a genre lol lol !

I've read most of this series - the first 4 books, and I've really enjoyed them. So far, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is my favorite. Also, I read The Kamogawa Food Detectives for a challenge IRL, and am really enjoying this series.

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer?

The person I would most want to visit is my Dad. He died 20 years ago in January, and the loss is as raw as if it were yesterday. My dad's cousins died very recently, and I would love to see them in person. We wrote when I was very young, but I never met them in person, as they lived overseas.

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book?

Ohhhh, sigh, I did not have this feature. I do like writing the names down and making maps myself. That practice has helped me through a lot of Russian literature.

5) What language are you reading this book in? Given GR's demographics I'm guessing most of us have the English translation by Geoffrey Trousselot - but perhaps we have some other translations represented, or even someone who is able to read in the original Japanese?

Yes, my copy is the Geoffrey Trousselot translation. I love being able to read in the author's original language and composition, but of the languages I speak and read, Japanese is not one ... yet...

Thank you all for your great responses! Adding some more questions for those who have read the first story, The Lovers (pp.1-56 in my edition). Please remember to use spoiler tags where relevant, for those who may just be getting started!

6) Has your impression of the book changed after reading this first story?

7) Based on the description of the cafe in this story, does it seem like somewhere you would like to hang out? What kind of place do you like?

8) Which of the characters do you find most interesting so far?

9) What do you think of this book's version of time travel, compared to other versions you may have come across?

Of course, if there's something you'd like to share about this part of the book that isn't covered by these questions, please go ahead!

My answers:

6) Has your impression of the book changed after reading this first story? Yes, I found the story more difficult to get into than I expected. The style seemed rather flat and unemotional, with some odd sentence structures and word choices. Some of that might be a translation issue, of course. There also seemed to be some unnecessary repetition, which I assume was in the original.

7) Based on the description of the cafe in this story, does it seem like somewhere you would like to hang out? What kind of place do you like? I like cafes with light, airy spaces, cosy decor and a good view of the outdoors, but I don't think that would work so well for this story atmospherically. I'm also picky about what coffee blends I like. It's not a snobbish thing, or at least I don't think so - my favourite is actually from one of the popular chains, so real coffee snobs would probably look down on me! But the chain's decor is anything but cosy, so I don't actually like hanging out there for more than half an hour or so at a time.

8) Which of the characters do you find most interesting so far?I'm very intrigued by the woman in the white dress and would love to know more about her story!

9) What do you think of this book's version of time travel, compared to other versions you may have come across? I don't think I've come across a version where the time traveller can interact with other people, but nevertheless is unable to change the future regardless of what they do, and knows that in advance. I think that's an interesting combination. It raises questions about the importance of human connections vs the importance of actions and their effects.

Some questions after finishing the book:

10) Which of the four stories was your favourite, and why?

11) Kawaguchi has said that in this book, he intended to write about how we accept regret and go forward. How successful do you think he is in this?

12) Will you read more books by this author?

My answers may be a little skewed, because I'm re-reading the book, which I really enjoyed. I freely admit my positive bias

6) Has your impression of the book changed after reading this first story?
No, I didn't have any sort of impression to go on when I read it the first time, and re-reading it, I'm going in with a lot more background. But I truly loved the "rules" of "going back in time" and finishing your visit before the coffee grew cold. How can I not love a quirky little cafe in Japan? Even with no cats?

7) Based on the description of the cafe in this story, does it seem like somewhere you would like to hang out? What kind of place do you like?
I haven't had nearly enough time to spend in cafes, but I adore small ones. Funniculi Funnicula is probably a little too small for a private visit with another person, at least for me, but I'd love it for reading and writing. I love darker restaurants, pubs and public places, so I'd probably enjoy it for this reason as well.
I have great memories of the now-closed Passim's in Cambridge, MA. It was larger and brighter than the cafe in the book, but the atmosphere was cozy.

8) Which of the characters do you find most interesting so far?
If I were to choose from the first story only, I'd probably pick Kazu. I still want to know more about her backstory. She's calm, collected, cool, and preserves the ritual of the coffee. I know that she is an artist and cousin of the owner, but her quiet and reserve makes me want to know her better. Also, I really felt for Goro, and was proud of the growth that Fumiko attained.

Now, if I were to pick from the whole book, it would be a tie between Kei, and the wife of Mr. Fugasi.

9) What do you think of this book's version of time travel, compared to other versions you may have come across?

I am not a super big fan of SFF, but what I have read with time travel has annoyed me! This book made the concept palatable for me, perhaps because the ritual of the coffee and the desire to see one's loved one made more implicit sense in the parameters of this story. It just did not feel like a gimick.
I've loved experiencing everyone's journey back in time, the visit with the loved one, and the understanding that they achieved.
While the trip back couldn't change the facts of the present, the intimate realizations were certainly able to change the person(s)... and their future(s).

Sasha wrote: "Some questions after finishing the book:"

My answers:

10) Which of the four stories was your favourite, and why?

The final one. I found it the most moving of all of them, perhaps because as a mother, I empathised with Kei's situation the most.

11) Kawaguchi has said that in this book, he intended to write about how we accept regret and go forward. How successful do you think he is in this?

I do think he succeeds pretty well. I think the theme comes through in each story. The rules of time travel in this universe make more sense knowing that this what he was trying to achieve; the inability to change anything is what forces the characters to confront their regrets and move on, or at least make choices about what comes next.

12) Will you read more books by this author?

Maybe. I found the style of this one rather offputting; it felt flat and unemotional. I'm not sure how much of that was down to the translation and how much was the author's original style and/or Japanese cultural convention. If I do read more, I'll probably try to pick up a translation in German or French to see if a different translator might work out better for me.

1) Was this book already on your TBR list before this challenge/this Group Read selection?
No, it wasn’t on my list.

2) The website "K-Book Trends" defines healing fiction as "free of difficult or complex plot" with themes of "empathy, healing, comfort, courage and solidarity", often set amongst the customers of a store or similar everyday venue. It became popular as a genre in Korea and then spread to Japan and beyond. Is this a genre you have read in before?
I was not familiar with this genre. Initially, I found the book slow and not easy to be drawn into the story. Eventually Kei drew my interest as her story unfolded and we learned more of her background.

3) The book's epigraph is If you could go back, who would you want to meet? What would be your answer?
I would love to go back to visit my parents; to ask more questions about their life, listen more closely and write down their history. I never met my paternal grandparents - they had such interesting lives. I would like to meet them.

4) The book opens with a relationship map of the characters. Do you find this helpful? What kind of additional features do you like to see in a fiction book?
I listened to the audio version

5) What language are you reading this book in? Given GR's demographics I'm guessing most of us have the English translation by Geoffrey Trousselot - but perhaps we have some other translations represented, or even someone who is able to read in the original Japanese?
English

reply | flag