The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

 

Our June meeting was held outdoors at Paul Miller Park! We welcomed a couple new faces and discussed The Bookshop on the Corner, by Jenny Colgan. Coming up next in July, we're reading The Liars' Club, by Mary Karr. As a heads up, it looks like we'll be planning on trying to meet outdoors for the duration of these summer months meetings~ but we'll be sure to let you know for sure either way prior to each meeting~ stay tuned!

 

To the goods!

 

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.

I think it would be appropriate to say the group agreed that this book was a welcomed, easy read after last months The Sentence. The majority of us thought this was an enjoyable, uncomplicated summer read, however, they agreed with the few naysayers that there were unbelievable places seeped in sap. Those who caught this read as an audio book highly praised, and recommend, that version.  

Those few who were less impressed by the book liked the authors introduction to the book better than the story itself. The read felt like young adult fiction, written by a young adult. They couldn't get past the implausible parts and missing details that lead to the happy, tidy endings for each character portrayed. 

In closing, again, it was said that maybe not every read has to be stellar. Some books can just simply be a welcomed reprieve from heavier material or life stressors. One member thought enjoying books despite all their perceived hangups is a superpower they wish they could wield.... can you guess who that might be? 😉

 

 

Would you like to read more books like The Bookshop on the Corner? Fans of the book also enjoyed, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, by Abby Waxman, Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, and The Bookshop of Second Chances, by Jackie Fraser. All of these titles are available within the Viking system~ reserve your copy today!   

 

At the conclusion of every book club discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:

Would we recommend this to a friend to read? 
"YES"  

 
Would we recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"NO" (we were unanimous!!)

Rate the book 1-5 stars, with 1 being the lowest rating: 
3 stars