The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Rating: 7 / 10
Nina is a librarian at a time when libraries are downsizing and people are losing their jobs left and right. When the inevitable rolls around she decides that she can still pursue her love of matching the perfect book for each person, and she opens a traveling bookshop.
So.
This book. It was a disappointing but not overly bad read. First off, Nina learns that she needs to stop READING books and instead LIVE her LIFE because apparently those two things are mutually exclusive?
As every bookworm loves hearing, this book ironically rambles on about how REAL LIFE is so wonderful why would one bury oneself in READING? Of course the point the author is trying to make (I suppose) is that there needs to be a balance between life and reading. However, it mainly came across as a long story about a woman whose life became so much more FULFILLING once she put those darn books down. [[Seriously. There's an entire scene where the best friend comments on how much better Nina is doing now that she no longer carries books around with her]]
If you ignore the recurring theme which insults the reader (why aren't you LIVING your LIFE already??) the book was a pleasant read. The romances didn't really make sense-- they didn't really click with my understanding of the main character.
It was cute to read someone live out what I'm sure is many of our dream-- living in the beautiful countryside selling books? Sign me up! Once again, the book was a bit heavy handed on how absolutely AWFUL cities were-- so crowded and dark and dank and horrible and smelly and why in the world would anyone choose this?-- and how AMAZING the Scottish countryside was. Like. Okay. I get it. You don't have to hit me over the head with how horrible my city-dwelling life now is and how much improved it would be if I moved to the countryside.
Overall: a cute, slightly disappointing read. Good for a quick read but it would not be the first book I recommended to a friend looking for a light romance featuring a bookish character.
Hm. That sounds interesting though. Let me know: what is your favorite light romance featuring a bookish character?
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