Cat Lovers, Coffee Shop, and Other Novels in International Settings

 There's a full moon this weekend - the Strawberry Moon, coffee lovers! 

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, translated from the Japanese, August 20, 2024; Ballantine Books

Genre: fantasy, astrology, Japanese fiction

This special coffee shop appears only to those who seem to need the guidance of a tortoise shell tabby cat to get their messy lives back on track. The cat gives astrological advice depending on the individual's circumstances and the time, date, and place of their birth. 

Many Japanese authors love their cats and coffee shops and use these themes and settings to reveal a larger truth about life in their stories. How the individuals benefit from the tabby's astrology advice is the interesting part of the book. I also liked the explanations about an astrology term I've always heard but never fully understood - Mercury in retrograde. It seems things can go wacky for about three weeks when Mercury is in this mode. 

An interesting and entertaining book, whether or not you believe in astrology, the pull of the full moon, fortune telling cats, or magical coffee shops. 

I'm reading this book partly for the setting - Indonesia and its capital, Jakarta

Darkness Falls in Jakarta by Louise Soraya Black

July 4, 2024; Muswell Press

Genre: mystery/thriller, women's fiction

Description: The death of Claire’s parents triggers traumatic memories of her past life in Jakarta, a time that Claire has been running away from ever since.

Haunted by guilt and the terrible misunderstanding that forced her to leave the city she loved as a teenager; she embarks on a journey back in the hope of finding answers and perhaps a path to forgiveness.

Louise Soraya Black perfectly captures the heartache of lost chances and the fragile hope of making amends.

My review on goodreads.

Crime, Croissants, and Lots of Humor on this Bike Tour in the Eastern Pyrenees of France

A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants by Ann Claire, May 21, 2024; Kensington CoziesGenre: cycling, travel, cozy mystery, Southern France

Setting: Pyrénées-Orientales in France, along the Mediterranean Coast near the Spanish border

I love the humor in the main character's telling of her story. Sadie's observations and descriptions along the bike route are original and clever and you want to meet her in person. An example: Her description of imminent and unwanted downpour starting on their bike tour goes: " a raindrop the size of a grape fell on my nose."  Ha, ha, I say. 

The crimes, vandalism, and subsequent murders along the tour route may be due to at least two persons. I like that this mystery storyline does not prevent the reader from armchair travel of a very good kind through the Pyrenees mountains and villages and sights. 

The visit to a giant grocery store with a whole section devoted to multiple varieties of French yogurt, custards, and puddings was new and appealing. French pastries also play a large part in the routine of the tour group.

I loved taking this nine-day cycling tour through hills, mountains, and very scenic villages and towns. Not only for the travel, but the food and the humorous and interesting characters, plus a mystery with a surprise culprit.  Of course, there is also a handsome gendarme to spice up Sadie's bike tour.

What are you reading/watching this week?  

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves