{"id":1405,"date":"2021-08-15T06:53:38","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T06:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1405"},"modified":"2024-11-10T16:20:55","modified_gmt":"2024-11-10T16:20:55","slug":"before-the-coffee-gets-cold-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1405","title":{"rendered":"Book Recommendation: Before the Coffee Gets Cold Book Series!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"904\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C904&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1406\" style=\"width:353px;height:471px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC-scaled.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Hi Readers! In the past two days, I read <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Toshikazu Kawaguchi\u2019s two books: Before the Coffee Gets Cold and its sequel Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Caf\u00e9<\/strong><\/span>. I must say, I have enjoyed reading both these books. I had only ever read <a href=\"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/tag\/haruki-murakami\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Haruki Murakami<\/a>\u2019s many books which were translated to English from Japanese. But, this time I was keen on exploring a different Japanese author\u2019s books. I\u2019m glad I decided to do that, because I truly loved reading both the Before the Coffee Gets Cold books!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><em>What would you change if you could go back in time?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a caf\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Toshikazu Kawaguchi\u2019s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~RULES OF TIME TRAVEL~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Basically, the idea behind these books is that you can travel through time to the past or future, but there are several rules which you need to follow. Because of the tedious rules &amp; their application, most people don\u2019t see the point of the time travel offered by the Funiculi Funicula Caf\u00e9. The rules are straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The First Rule:<\/strong><\/mark> The only people one may meet while back in the past are those who have visited the cafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The Second Rule:<\/strong><\/mark> No matter how hard one tries while in the past, one cannot change the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The Third Rule:<\/strong><\/mark> In order to return to the past, you have to sit in that seat and that seat alone. There is always the woman in the dress aka the ghost sitting in that chair. If you try to sit there by force, she will put a curse on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The Fourth Rule: <\/strong><\/mark>While back in the past, you must stay in the seat and never move from it. If you get up from that seat while in the past, you will be forcibly returned to the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The Fifth Rule: <\/strong><\/mark>There is a time limit. You need to drink the coffee before it gets cold in order to return to the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">There are a few more rules as well, but they are not as important, so you can catch on with them as you read these books.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1017\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC01.jpg?resize=678%2C1017&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1407\" style=\"width:388px;height:582px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC01.jpg?w=1100&amp;ssl=1 1100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC01.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC01.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">While I read the first book, it was just a fun magical realism novel which was not so weird that there was nothing to it. It made sense. There were rules. It was fun to get to know all these multitude of characters, including the caf\u00e9 staff &amp; the regular customers. Because I wasn\u2019t looking for something great, I just read it one page at a time. By the end of first book, I began to appreciate <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>the masterful writing style at play<\/strong><\/span>. <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The way the four stories &amp; chapters were interweaved to connect each with the other was wonderful to behold.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The most lovely message at the end of \u2018Before the Coffee Gets Cold\u2019, was that even if someone goes to the past or the future, nothing that they do will change the present. This was the main rule because of which the urban legend had called it pointless time travel. But, what we understand towards the end of the novel is that <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>even if you can\u2019t change the present, you can certainly change how a person feels. <\/strong><\/span>Whether it is a person who is traveling through time or the person they are going to meet. Because they decide to go to the past to convey maybe a small message or give a letter or a gift or simply to have a conversation, <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>the only pure thing that changes are their feelings &amp; perspective about life. <\/strong><\/span>It was a subtle message throughout the story, but only at the end did I actually understand it &amp; I have loved to ponder over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We see a girlfriend go back to the past to meet his boyfriend. It doesn\u2019t change the present, but for her it may have changed the future. We see a wife go back to visit her husband before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. In this, we see how the wife\u2019s perspective changes about the present situation to live more optimistically. We see two sisters, Hirai who travels back in time to visit her now dead sister Kumi. Even here the present doesn\u2019t impact, but the future may just as well have impacted. <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>All these are such perfectly curated &amp; polished stories that you can\u2019t help but fall in love with them.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1017\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC02.jpg?resize=678%2C1017&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1408\" style=\"width:366px;height:549px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC02.jpg?w=1100&amp;ssl=1 1100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC02.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BTCGC02.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD : TALES FROM THE CAFE~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Usually, the sequels are disappointing because they don\u2019t live up to the first original book. But, in this case, it gets a whole lot better! I loved the stories as well the message in this book as well. <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The reader is sent into a maze of stories where all your emotions come up to the surface &amp; when you are out of the maze, you are a reformed person with a new perspective, and in this book, the new perspective is towards death.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We see a best friend going back to the past to meet his now dead best friend whose daughter he raised. We see a son return to the past to meet his now dead mother who he couldn\u2019t meet before she died. We see a possibly going to be dead person meet his then lover in the future to see how her life turned out. We see a detective husband go to meet his now dead wife in the past 30 years ago just to give her a gift &amp; have a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">All these stories have death surrounded by them. So, either way, whether they meet them in the past or future, they know that the present won\u2019t change. I think this is why this book has a much bigger message for the readers. <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The first takeaway for me was that even though the person was about to die, the person close to them went to meet them through time travel, mainly to just have a conversation. <\/strong><\/span>It\u2019s so important, isn\u2019t it? So many people regret not telling the people they love that they love them and then it\u2019s too late. <span style=\"color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>In this book, we see people leaving behind their own sense of security, pride &amp; even happiness to meet the person they loved just so they could speak to them once more. I loved that about the stories in this book.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>The second takeaway was a shift in my perspective about death.<\/strong><\/mark> Death is an unavoidable part of life. And after someone close to us dies, we tear up &amp; forget to live our life. In this book, the author has asked us to question ourselves at such times. Will the person who is now dead be happy to see you like this? Instead of crying over their death, wouldn\u2019t it make more sense to celebrate the incredible lives they have lived? Because your baby only lived for 70 minutes, you are broken up about it. But, the baby was precious enough to have gotten those 70 minutes in the first place. So instead of taking someone\u2019s long life for granted, shouldn\u2019t you be happy about the life they got to live, even if for a short while? Wouldn\u2019t they want you to be happy after they have left you? These questions would never stop if I continue writing them, but I am sure you get the overall picture. <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>So, I guess, just live, be happy, value the people in your lives today &amp; every day, don\u2019t keep any space for regrets, love widely &amp; truly with all your heart!<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\"><em>&#8220;If I had led a sad life as a result of my sister&#8217;s death, then it would have been as if her death had caused it. So, I thought I mustn&#8217;t allow that to happen. I swore to myself that I would make sure that I was happy. My joy would be the legacy of my sister&#8217;s life.<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1017\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230311_152939-01.jpeg?resize=678%2C1017&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2653\" style=\"width:347px;height:521px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230311_152939-01.jpeg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230311_152939-01.jpeg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BEFORE YOUR MEMORY FADES~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I read Before Your Memory Fades almost two years after I read the first two books. It was so sweet to get back to this universe, kind of like returning home. The beauty and magic of the book hit me this time as well. In all of the stories, there is death involved. It\u2019s either a person who has died who travels or for whom another person travels in time. And because death is such a sensitive topic, all the books are written with that sensitivity and ingenuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">One of the key takeaways from this book is about how there are multiple perspectives of a particular situation or decision. We have two people whose parents couldn\u2019t be around to raise them. One wanted to know why her parents had her and was full of angst. And another is simply thankful to her parents for letting her be born and was full of gratitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Your perspective and mindsets, whether they are positive or negative hugely impact your life. Another amazing lesson from this book is about seizing your happiness! How deciding you want to change your life is just as important as your mindset and perspective towards your life. Things don\u2019t magically change just by hoping and wishing. You have to work at it and transform your life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">And what I loved the most about the book is how one person can change your whole outlook on life. This one person who means the world to you is no longer alive. And, because they have died, there is nothing to live for, so you want to die too. But, before doing that you want to travel in time to the past to meet your beloved person one last time. But, when you meet them, you are told to not give up on your life and live your to the fullest because that\u2019s what they would want for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">All these messages are just so subtle and touch you deeply. They are relatable and despite the time travel factor, it\u2019s just so raw and makes you think about how you are living your life and the changes that you might want to make to feel more connected to your loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=678%2C900&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2655\" style=\"width:368px;height:488px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?w=1928&amp;ssl=1 1928w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1157%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1157w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1542%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PSX_20230305_165446-01-1-scaled.jpeg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Before We Say Goodbye is the fourth installation in the \u2018Before Your Coffee Gets Cold\u2019 book series. Japanese books have become my comfort place over the years. I read through them pretty quickly and always have a warm feeling when I am with them. <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>They feel like my safe space, and especially when it\u2019s a series, it\u2019s like going home. I have loved all the first three books a lot. They spark up a lot of feelings around love, happiness, choices and perspectives.<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>In this book, I saw a lot of stories revolving around death, grief, regrets and second chances.<\/strong><\/mark> A man who was always away on business and couldn\u2019t be a good husband and father returns to the past to meet his family. A woman who fell asleep next to her dog when he died felt that she wasn\u2019t there for him during his final moments returns to the past to be with her dog one last time. A woman who declines her boyfriend\u2019s proposal because she thinks she could do better only for him to die a few months later returns to the past to attempt to accept the proposal. A daughter who loses her father regrets not speaking to him kindly when they had their last conversation wants to go back to the past to fix her attitude and have a pleasant chat with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">All these stories had a tenderness to them and were written with many sentiments at play. Regrets and second chances is usually something I get very emotional reading about. Perhaps, that\u2019s why I had higher than usual expectations.<mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong> Unfortunately, during the entirety of the novel, I felt devoid of emotions during my reading journey. I could sense it in the characters, but it felt only on the surface and never really ran as deep as I was expecting.<\/strong><\/mark> This really bummed me out, because these books have always been a 4.5 or 5 star reads for me. There could be a tiny chance that I didn\u2019t read it when I was in the right headspace. So, maybe when I re-read it some time later, it will be different. Anyhow, for now, I feel bitter sweet about it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"1205\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/IMG_20231004_112604_315-01.jpeg?resize=678%2C1205&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3048\" style=\"width:390px;height:693px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/IMG_20231004_112604_315-01.jpeg?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/IMG_20231004_112604_315-01.jpeg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/IMG_20231004_112604_315-01.jpeg?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#27c7cd\" class=\"has-inline-color\">~~BEFORE WE FORGET KINDNESS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If I had to share in one sentence my thoughts of the fifth instalment in the \u2018Before Your Coffee Gets Cold\u2019 series, I\u2019d say, \u2018End the series before the warmth gets cold.\u2019 I still remember when I read the first two books of the series two years ago. I was so impressed with the masterful writing where characters could travel in time and couldn\u2019t change the past or future but could change how their loved ones felt. It was so wholesome where regrets or longing or shame or sadness changed into fulfilment or intimacy or pride or happiness. I have felt that this core feeling of feelings has decreased in Before We Say Goodbye and further more in Before We Forget Kindness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We have four stories in this one as well. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The Son<\/mark><\/strong> is where the 7-year-old son goes to the past so he could stop himself from crying after his parents tell him they are separating. He wanted both of them to be happy. This was my least favorite story, because a child shouldn\u2019t have to be an adult at such a young age. Perhaps it didn\u2019t translate well, but what could have been endearing came across to me as careless. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The Nameless Child<\/mark><\/strong> was perhaps the strongest story of the bunch, where the wife whose husband dies when she was giving birth to her daughter, goes back to ask him to name their daughter. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The Father<\/mark><\/strong> was too long and repetitive. Father-daughter stories usually bring out some kind of emotion in me, but this one failed to do so. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">The Valentine<\/mark><\/strong> was interesting, but I found the flawed character just flawed and not lovable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Even when I tried hard to see the kindness in these stories, most of the times it eluded me. <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Given the nature of the time travel, I found that in almost all the stories the kindness was masked in selfishness.<\/mark><\/strong> If you really had to put it under a magnifying glass, then the first two stories had a theme of kindness. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"901\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C901&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3736\" style=\"width:362px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?w=1927&amp;ssl=1 1927w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1020&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1156%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1156w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1542%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-1-scaled.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I have rated <mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c45911\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Before the Coffee Gets Cold at 4.5\/5 stars, Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Caf\u00e9 at 5\/5 stars, Before Your Memory Fades at 4.5\/5 stars, Before We Say Goodbye at 3.5\/5 and Before We Forget Kindness at 2.5\/5 stars! <\/strong><\/mark>The first three books are a solid recommendation from me. No matter what kind of writing you like to read, these are the books that everyone should read at least once!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\">Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"176\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/sign-1.jpg?resize=200%2C176&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1362\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hi Readers! In the past two days, I read Toshikazu Kawaguchi\u2019s two books: Before the Coffee Gets Cold and its sequel Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Caf\u00e9. I must say, I have enjoyed reading both these books. I had only ever read Haruki Murakami\u2019s many books which were translated to English from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[38,29],"class_list":["post-1405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews","tag-favorite-books","tag-japanese-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picsart_24-11-10_21-28-44-906-2.jpg?fit=2500%2C2500&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1425,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1425","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":0},"title":"Books Read in August 2021!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Another month up & gone! I READ SEVEN BOOKS THIS MONTH & even more exciting is that I loved 5 out of those 7 books of those 7 books which rarely happens to me. ~~THE ONES I LOVED~~ ~~BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD & BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/4.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4059,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4059","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":1},"title":"Healing Japanese Fiction Book Recommendation: The Lantern of Lost Memories","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I finally read a book this month! \u201cA reader doesn\u2019t find a book. The book finds the reader.\u201d While I had heard this from so many people, it always sounded too surreal to believe. These last two months have been hell work-wise. There are so many instances where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PXL_20250222_172256071-1-scaled.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PXL_20250222_172256071-1-scaled.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PXL_20250222_172256071-1-scaled.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PXL_20250222_172256071-1-scaled.jpg?fit=904%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1451,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1451","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":2},"title":"Happy International Translation Day!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"October 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"<Reposting this because a stupid malware issue deleted it.> Hi Readers! Happy International Translation Day! I am a bit behind schedule as this was on 30th September, but better late than never! This for me only means an appreciation post for all the amazing books translated to English from many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/PicsArt_10-01-05.19.20-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/PicsArt_10-01-05.19.20-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/PicsArt_10-01-05.19.20-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/PicsArt_10-01-05.19.20-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/PicsArt_10-01-05.19.20-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1461,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=1461","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":3},"title":"Daughters&#8217; Day Special Book Haul!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"October 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! How are you all? As promised, I am back with a Book Haul post! I got all these books from my parents on the occasion of Daughters\u2019 Day! As usual, these have been on my TBR since a long time. I already read 3 of these books, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;books&quot;","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Book-Haul.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3178,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3178","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":4},"title":"Top 12 Posts of 2023 \u2013 Year in Review (Part 3)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Year on year, you outdo yourselves! Mindscape in Words had 64000 VIEWS in 2023! This is a 40% increase than last year. I know there are two to four posts which receive a majority of traffic, but they are also the ones I love the most. I love\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100804-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100804-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100804-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100804-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/PSX_20231213_100804-01-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2742,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2742","url_meta":{"origin":1405,"position":5},"title":"Japanese Murder Mystery Book Recommendation: The Decagon House Murders","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"April 26, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! If you follow me on Instagram, chances are that you have already read this super short book review. But, I always tend to come back here to read my thoughts on a particular book after a while I have read it. So, here we go. This is probably\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Book review&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PSX_20230421_133857-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PSX_20230421_133857-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PSX_20230421_133857-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PSX_20230421_133857-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PSX_20230421_133857-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1405"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3739,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions\/3739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}