The Full Moon Coffee Shop

 

The Full Moon Coffee Shop: A Novel by Mai Mochizuki is a seriously strange story which is the genre I seem to be migrating towards lately. I ended up finishing it rather quickly, despite its quirkiness and the awkwardness of the translation from Japanese.

I feel like I had a hard time connecting with the characters, except for the astrology-spouting cats who were the proprietors of the mysterious Full Moon Coffee Shop. The premise of the story is that the coffee shop would appear out of the blue throughout the book allowing the human characters insight into  their inner feelings, based on the astrological advice from the cats.

The wisdom of the cats who projected horoscopes into the night sky and referenced the zodiac signs, planets, and natal charts of the visitors to the shop, was responsible for putting in motion the novel’s happy ending. The story’s structure was a bit jarring because some key information wasn’t revealed until very near the end. 

The resolution seemed somewhat quick and contrived, and I’m actually left wondering if I missed something. Overall a unique read that has me wanting to revisit my own natal chart and review what planets reside in my celestial houses.

I finished reading this book on the plane to Sarasota, Christmas 2024!

North Woods: A Novel

Weird. Just plain weird is how I describe North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason. But, I really liked it, so much so that I want to read another of his books, maybe The Winter Soldier or The Piano Tuner.

Although I was baffled and confused through much of North Woods, I found the writing flowed well and was easy to read. I just kept plowing ahead and usually could figure out what weird, creepy thing had happened. 

Basically the story follows the lives of characters who inhabit a piece of property in Western Massachusetts over the course of time, starting in pre-colonial days and continuing to the present. The author’s extensive knowledge about and obvious enthusiasm for the natural environment of the area make the setting come to life. The unusual characters are all deeply, physically and spiritually, connected to the yellow house and acres of forest surrounding it.

The rich vocabulary stimulated my brain, as I time-traveled through 400+ years of the transforming landscape. I learned what a catamount is and why a picture of one features prominently on the book’s cover. This quote from the last chapter demonstrates the underlying theme. “…the only way to understand the world as something other than a tale of loss is to see it as a tale of change.”

I finished reading last night, and ‘the what in the … WTF’ ending brought everything together in a strange and thought-provoking way. I didn’t want it to end, and I immediately went back to reread the beginning. Here is a bit of foreshadowing from an early chapter. “I have come to the opinion, generally, that he who does good to the land shall be protected, while he who trespasses upon her will be met with most violent return.”

The Body Keeps The Score

Does reading two chapters for upcoming school professional development count? I was dreading reading The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van Der Kolk. MD because I was warned that it was tough to read. 

It is a a tough topic and a very dense read, made all the more so because it was really just assigned to us as busywork which I resent is preventing me from grading papers and planning lessons. In silent protest, I’m reading only the required chapters, by candlelight as the power is out, whilst stuffing my face with Cheez-Its. (Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 5:57 PM)

EDIT to add that this book is currently (December 2024) being read by my dear friend from high school, Sue. After having a discussion with her about the book, I came home to search for my copy, only to discover that it was unfortunately a tragic victim of the Summer of 2024 Dumpster. 

😱