Audacity Book Club: July Read

By Celeste Daniels

Hello Audacious Readers!

I hope you’ve had a good July so far. I have returned accomplished and rested, ready to jump back into my favorite book club! And this month, I figured we would back ease in with something familiar.

If you have been following the book club (i.e. you should be), you know there is one book series we have followed and reviewed every year sincing starting and this year is no exception. We are once again traveling to the streets of Tokyo to explore the newest installment of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

In a small alley in Tokyo sits a magical café called Funiculi Funicula that can send people back in time using a peculiar set of rules. The present won’t change, but the person will. After all, this book series is not about the destination but journey. thorugh time.

Our beloved café owner, Nagare; stoic but kind barista, Kazu; and adorable baby girl, Miki, are back as we meet a new set of patrons ready to visit their part: A kid coping with his parent’s divorce, a mother looking to help name her newborn child, a father who couldn’t give his daughter his blessing for marriage, and a pair of friends with unresolved feelings. I also would like to point out that this is a prequel that takes place right after the events of the first book, Before the Coffee Gets Cold..

A series of slice-of-life tales focused on comfort and closure, Before We Forget Kindness is as heartfelt and compassionate as the rest of Kawaguchi’s series. This book is available at your local bookstore, Bookshop.org and your local library. I hope you enjoy it, and I will see you in August for the full review.

As always, don’t forget to read audaciously!