My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/10 Author: Toshikazu KawaguchiGenres: Japanese contemporary fiction, magical realism, grief and lossOriginally Published: September 24, 2024Number of pages: 240Series: 6th book of the series This is the last translated book, at least for now, of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and yes, I read all…
Category: Contemporary Books
Before We Forget Kindness Summary
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4/10 Author: Toshikazu KawaguchiGenres: Japanese contemporary fiction, magical realism, grief and lossOriginally Published: March 13, 2023Number of pages: 224Series: 5th book of the series Five Books In, and Still Waiting This is the fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and it is another…
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Book Summary & Honest Review
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7/10 Author: Toshikazu KawaguchiGenres: Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction Originally Published: March 14, 2017Number of pages: 192Series: 2nd book of the series I’m the kind of reader who needs to finish what I start, and after reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold, I felt…
Before the Coffee Gets Cold Summary: Storylines, Characters and Message
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7/10 Author: Toshikazu KawaguchiGenres: Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction Originally Published: December 06, 2015 Number of pages: 213Series: 1st book of the series This was my first time reading a Japanese writer. It happened almost by accident. I was heading into a vacation and…
A Thousand Boy Kisses: Summary and Review
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 8/10 Author: Tillie ColeGenres: Romance novel, Young adult literature, Young adult romance literatureOriginally Published: 2016Number of pages: 352 “A Thousand Boy Kisses” is dedicated to those who believe in true and epic love. I do, and I have never given up on love. But did I like the book?…
The Alchemist Summary and Review: What Is the Book Really Teaching You
My Rating: ★7/10. When I first read “The Alchemist” at twenty years old, I was so driven by it. I thought it was teaching me so much – entirely new perspectives and ideas. At that time, it felt genuinely transformative. When I decided to write a summary, I wanted to be honest with my readers, so I reread it – especially since it’s a relatively short book. I was also curious: how would I feel reading it now, at thirty-four.
Remarkably Bright Creatures Summary, Review and Recap
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 7/10 Author: Shelby Van PeltGenres: Mystery, Drama, Domestic FictionOriginally Published: 2022, May 3Number of pages: 500 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is one of the few contemporary books that I really enjoyed, although the ending could have been more revealing. The…
The Last Thing He Told Me | Book Review
If you enjoy mystery, intrigue, and investigation, this might be the book for you. I first came across The Last Thing He Told Me when I saw the poster for its movie adaptation. Since the film received such widespread attention, I decided to read the book before watching it.
The Bastard of Istanbul – Complete guide with analysis
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 8/10 In the novel, Shafak tells two parallel stories centered around two families: the Turkish Kazanchis and the Armenian Chachmakhchians. What I found especially interesting is that even the surnames carry meaning. Kazanchi and Chachmakhchian are both common surnames found among Armenians and Turks.
The Forty Rules of Love Summary
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 9/10I don’t remember another Turkish writer becoming as famous in Armenia as Elif Shafak, especially considering the historically complex and often strained Armenian-Turkish relationship. So, you can imagine my skepticism when I first started reading The Forty Rules of Love.










