The Convenience Store by the Sea: The quirky, charming Japanese sensation with over half a million copies sold worldwide

There’s a peaceful charm to this book that really sneaks up on you. The Convenience Store by the Sea is a gentle, introspective read that blends stillness and healing in a way that feels deeply comforting.The characters aren’t loud or flashy - they’re ordinary people with quiet struggles, and that’s what makes them feel so genuine. The seaside setting becomes almost a character in itself - calming, a little melancholic, and always present in the background.I especially appreciated how the story doesn’t force drama or resolution. It respects the slower pace of recovery, of finding meaning again after loss or change. It reminded me that sometimes it’s okay to just be still and exist.If you liked The Hyunam-dong Bookshop or Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this has a similar emotional resonance - soft, kind, and quietly profound.This is one of those books that’s less about what happens and more about how it makes you feel while reading it. I’ll be thinking about it for a while.

What a lovely, enjoyable book! It is vinaigrettes about customers and staff that frequent a store called Tenderness. The characters intersect at different times and some stories are stronger than others but all are enjoyable. Thoroughly recommended.

A charming story of everyday people whose lives are gently entwined by using the same convenience store.Funny and easy to read, I felt happier during and after reading this story.

Absolutely loved this book. I have been to Japan several times and therefore found the book even more moving. A great story that had an impact on me.

This book is very much in the vein of what I expect from a translated Japanese story - we're introduced to a wholesome community, and the stories of different members of that community, as the book progresses. The convenience store, and the residential building it's in, connect these various characters, of different ages, backgrounds, professions and temperaments which I really like and it was interesting to get to know these different people and the experiences they were having, from adjusting to retirement, pursuing passions, difficulties at school, and more. There's something for everyone in this book and though some of the characters' stories weren't as interesting to me, there were plenty that were. The two slightly strange characters, Mr Shiba and the Whatever Guy added a little intrigue and mystery into the story. I particularly enjoyed the Whatever Guy's personality, probably more than Mr Shiba who is perceived differently by the characters, making it hard to get a real read on him. I'm a little unsure how they really play into the overall story - they weren't exactly necessary to the plot, though brought an edge of the paranormal into it, if only very slightly. I'm sure I'm missing something! I did enjoy reading this and getting to know this community as well as the quirks of the convenience store and how it meant different things to different people, but it was a little slow going at times.I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Loved the characters in this book. Throughly enjoyed it.

I had high expectations for this one which unfortunately those weren't met. There are lots of characters that have stories connected between them which would have been enjoyable for me and unfortunately it made it harder to follow up. It is not a memorable book for me, unfortunately.

Beautiful book bought for presant