Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

This discussion thread is to mark your completion of the April challenge to fulfill prompt #23 A book that is considered healing fiction
World Health Day is April 7, 2025!
https://www.calendarr.com/united-stat...


Please include the following information about this book:

Title:
Author:
Would you recommend this book?

Title: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
Author: Fredrik Backman
Translator: Henning Koch
Would you recommend this book? Yes, but then I'd recommend any of the books I've read by this author 😊

Title: An Acceptable Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Would you recommend this book? I would, but it's the 5th or 8th book in the series, so I'd recommend starting with A Wrinkle in Time

Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I listened to the audiobook version of this one while on a road trip. The premise was very interesting, but the execution was very drawn out. Overall, left me wishing it was better written, although I couldn't say if something stylistically was lost in translation.

Title: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Would you recommend this book? It would depend on who was asking me for the recommendation. I found the style a little stiff, which I think is probably partly a translation issue and partly a difference in cultural norms. I would recommend it to someone who has read translated Japanese literature before or is able to read in the original Japanese. Otherwise I would probably recommend Latin American or other Western magical realism over this for most Western readers.

Title: Before We Say Goodbye
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Would you recommend this book? I enjoyed it overall, but I wouldn't recommend jumping in here, since it's book 4 in the series. Still, two of the stories made me cry.

Title: The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Author: Hisashi Kashiwai
Would you recommend this book? To anyone who enjoys the series beginning with Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The premise is similar. An obscure eatery has an underground reputation for helping you solve your mystery(ies), as related to a dish you once had in your life. This book includes a cat, Japan, a father-daughter team, and plenty of healing - but no time travelling. I enjoyed it, and plan to read the next book in the series.

Title: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
Author: Satoshi Yagisawa
Would you recommend this book? Yes. This was a surprisingly short book (for the number of weeks I was waiting for the person who had it checked out before me to return it). I enjoy this genre, this is probably the third I've read overall, and I like the idea that we can sit and listen to someone work through the problems in their life with some gentle guidance from friends/family/even strangers, and eventually they'll get themselves righted and back on the way. How wonderful that this is a whole vibe right now. I was surprised that this book was initially published in 2010, and was only translated into English in 2023. I guess it speaks to the need we have of learning a little something about making time for healing on this side of the world, too.