Genre:
Women's Fiction, Contemporary
Format:
E-ARC
Publisher:
William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date:
September 20, 2016
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
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About the Author
Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, includingLittle Beach Street Bakery, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop, and Christmas at the Cupcake Café, all international bestsellers. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and Scotland.
Connect with Jenny Colgan
My Review
Nina is my kind of heroine…to put it simply, a lover of books. She can match readers to the perfect book for them to read. This is why she makes such a wonderful librarian. Unfortunately, the library she works at in Birmingham, England is closing and a huge corporation is taking over with a media center. A job and place she would definitely not be suited to work.
Overall, Nina is a quiet woman who doesn’t take risks. Now, due to necessity, things are changing. She needs a new career and job. To top it all off, her roommate becomes so annoyed with all the books stored in their small apartment, that she asks Nina to find a new place to live. This forces Nina to make even more decisions.
Librarians are not in high demand any longer. So, she decides to buy a van and make a bookmobile out of it. The perfect available van to buy is in Scotland. After giving it much thought, she decides to go for it. She buys the van and stays in Scotland. She rides from town to town recommending and selling books.
Along the way Nina meets some very interesting people such as an angry landlord and a train conductor willing to help smuggle books to her van.
This is one heroine I truly could identify with – I just wish I was able to take a risk and open my own bookstore. I don’t think I’d like driving a van, but a small bookstore would be more my speed
Okay, back to this book. It’s a charming story of a woman who loses everything and is able to pick herself up and start over. That’s really the main point. Not only does she start over, she does it by doing something she loves – recommending and selling books.
It’s a heartwarming book with quirky, eccentric and fascinating characters. Each one has a story of their own. I did feel like the book was slow in a couple of spots, but nothing that prevented me from enjoying the book.
One thing I found odd is the title. There is no “Bookshop on the Corner”. It’s a bookmobile which travels from town to town. So, that could be misleading. The cover works perfectly with the title, but neither works with the storyline. Not a big deal, but it is noticeable.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more books by her.
For reading challenges:
NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2016
FTC Disclosure: The publicist and Edelweiss provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I would think this was about a bookstore too, not a bookmobile, based on that cover. Which I love BTW! But otherwise this sounds good. I like that it explores how she starts over and follows her dream. And I'm with you- opening a little bookstore- how awesome that would be. :)
ReplyDeleteI do like Colgan :)
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I LOVED going into the bookmobile, which was a rare treat because it didn't arrive very often. This sounds like a fun book, especially for book lovers. I will add a link to your giveaway to my blog's sidebar.
ReplyDeleteYvonne, what's the deadline for entering this terrific giveaway?
DeleteThe number of days left to enter is on the top left side of the Rafflecopter. It's sponsored by the publisher. There are 10 days left :)
DeleteOkay, thank you, Yvonne! I think I put the correct date on my blog. ;)
DeleteI just finished this and reviewed it myself and like you I loved it! I definitely identified with Nina though I did find the title a little odd at first. I think maybe because she parks on corners? Or she's just around the corner? I don't know but it was delightful!
ReplyDeleteThis book is on my TBR list - I enjoyed reading your review. Thank you for sharing
ReplyDelete