The Bookshop on the Corner By: Jenny Colgan
Genre: Adult Fiction
"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 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 love books about books (though I don't read them very often), and Nina is my kind of girl. She's brave-but in a self-conscious, normal way, not like a superhero-she knows so much about books, and she loves nature. I enjoyed watching her step out of the pages of her shyness into a bigger, more exciting world while still doing what she loves. I wish I could go around selling books out of a van!
If this novel did not take place in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. The way the author, Jenny, writes about Scotland is truly majestic: rolling hills, delicious homemade food (don't read it if you're already hungry!), and don't forget those lovely lochs! Sometimes it seemed too perfect. As a world traveler, I know that every place has both its sunshine and shadows, and Jenny focused a lot on the sunshine (not to mention the novel almost entirely took place in the never-ending sunny summer months). But it was still fun to read the Scottish accents and watch the Scots farm and celebrate their holidays.
Toward the end of the book, the story became less about books and more about men. The romance was a bit too cliche and forced for my taste. Sigh. I guess books must have romance these days to make money. What are your thoughts? Mostly for the above reason, I give this book a lower score of 3 out of 5. Also due to the romance and some spicy language, I suggest the novel for 18 year olds and up.
What I learned: There is a book out there for everyone.
