LGBT Bookworms

Note the date: in May we'll meet on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend instead of the last Saturday of the month. We'll have our get-together at the usual 11:00am time. We will discuss Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a magical realism novel about a Tokyo café where customers can travel back in time. The time travelers must follow strict rules, most importantly returning before their coffee gets cold. The book follows four different customers who use this unique opportunity to revisit moments with loved ones and explores themes of regret, love, and closure. Originally a play, the novel is the first in a bestselling series that has been translated internationally. Kawaguchi, at the age of 49, is best known in Japan for his plays and collaborations with a theater troupe called Sonic Snail. This is his first novel, and it draws on his dramatic skills. The magical coffee shop, with its shabby interior, serves as a stage through which his characters must pass into another dimension. The larger world enters only when we learn their backstories. Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time? Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the first of a six book series, was published in 2020 and it's 272 pages long. It's available in both audio format and print in local libraries and online. Come join us as we enjoy warm coffee and explore this intriguing book!