The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is an adorably informative short read that will leave you feeling gooey in the heart and enlightened in the mind. I wasn’t sure what exactly I would get from this novel, but I knew I needed to pick it up – after all, who could say no to a book where cats feature predominantly, and they run a magical coffee shop that deals in out of this world desserts and sage teachings from the gods?

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favours to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars. In Japan cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favour. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives. It’s also run by talking cats. While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes, coffees, and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives have veered off course—because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. After all, there is a reason the shop appeared to each of them…

I love the simplicity of The Full Moon Coffee Shop, even though on the surface it seems anything but. It’s a book about cosmic cats running a coffee shop that only opens on nights with a full moon where they will bring you drinks and desserts that they feel is what you need and they read your astrological chart. It is whimsical, lovely, heartfelt and eye-opening, even if you don’t believe in astrology and birth charts holding the inner workings of your psyche. Beneath the magic of it lies the core of this story, the messages that I feel resonate the most. Life has its challenges with doors opening and closing, and the stages of life can shift our focus or have us seemingly falling behind a little if we get caught up in the past, but understanding what is important to us, what we want to do instead of what is expected of us or what is the supposed path for success means all the difference. What is fulfilling is not what inherently gets us the most money or fame or fans, but it is what sings to us. Oh, and forty is still young!

I love books like The Full Moon Coffee Shop that reiterate the point that life isn’t fixed, that you can change your career path or life path or whatever it is you feel you can’t alter, and that there is always time to find your meaning and your place. You are never stuck in a position. You are never too old to commit to a dream, to do something for pleasure and peace, and you should always do what feels right in your soul. It is a great reminder especially in today’s age where the mindset leans towards money and influence being the principle indicators of success. It is books like The Full Moon Coffee Shop that give me faith that the younger generations might not fall into the same trap we did as Millennials and Gen Zers entering adulthood.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a must-read for you magical realism, whimsical fantasy, cosy fantasy readers out there. It is quaint, cute, and exceptionally warm and comforting as well as being a beautiful read full of lessons and amazing characters.