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mia_cafaro's review against another edition
3.0
This wasn’t bad but the author could have done more with the concept
drdarcysdata's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in just a few sittings as I was enjoying it so much. It was especially fun to be reading this when the Olympics were happening in France - and as the cyclists rode under the Eifel Tower. I enjoy reading and it was fun to read this book about others who enjoy reading and to think about how a book can change and enrich a life.
hexli_haha's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the middle of the book. I'd recommend the book to every booklover :)
melboyce's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
unhingedfemaleprotagonist's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to love it, but something about the story never fully took off for me. I loved the concept of the mobile book shop at the end, and it left me wondering why the story didn’t revolve more around that. So much potential there.
always_need_more_books's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
daja123's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
markalkman's review against another edition
1.0
Well. I guess this book is supposed to be romantic and poetic and lyrical. The main character is probably supposed to be a passionate dreamer and the setting is supposed to be idyllic. In my opinion, this book is none of these things. It's pretentious and shallow and just kind of weird. The way it's written feels like something that shouldn't be allowed but is considered literature. There are way too many relative clauses (idk, is that what it's called in English?) and way too many comparative descriptions. However it's called in English grammar: the author has pulled the sentences apart which makes it VERY difficult to read and to stay focused on the story. Maybe the translation is to blame, but I know for a fact that these kind of things are pretty much frowned upon in Dutch grammar. So I don't know why the hell the publishers thought this was a great idea. It's really not.
Storywise - the concept was promising, I guess. Juliette isn't really happy with her life and after meeting an eccentric man and his daughter, she decides to become a bookcrosser. Someone who hands out books to strangers after basically following them around for a while. Which kind of sounds creepy, come to think of it now... anyhow. What really bothered me is the fact that after meeting Soliman and Zaide only ONCE she immediately moves in with them and takes care of Zaide when Soliman has to go away for a while. This isn't romantic and poetic and lyrical at all. It's weird and definitely not normal. She also quits her job to dedicate her time to being a bookcrosser but we never actually get to see her in action? She hands out books to her former boss and colleague but she only tells Soliman about it. And she hands ONE guy on the subway a book but that's it. Pretty much a let down.
Some of the conversations were so vague and pretentious that I rolled my eyes on more than one occassion. I guess these type of books are really not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore books - I basically hoard books. I sell them, I buy them, I love them and I share them... but treating them the way they did in this book was way too much, even for me.
This entire book was WAY too pretentious for my taste and ugh. Kind of a let down. I was hoping for a cute read about a girl finding the perfect homes for books and instead I got this. Even the books the author referenced made me feel very inferior and stupid. I still finished it because I wanted to know how it would end, but I feel like I kind of wasted precious time I could have spend reading a different book.
And that's the tea on my 39th book of 2018.
Storywise - the concept was promising, I guess. Juliette isn't really happy with her life and after meeting an eccentric man and his daughter, she decides to become a bookcrosser. Someone who hands out books to strangers after basically following them around for a while. Which kind of sounds creepy, come to think of it now... anyhow. What really bothered me is the fact that after meeting Soliman and Zaide only ONCE she immediately moves in with them and takes care of Zaide when Soliman has to go away for a while. This isn't romantic and poetic and lyrical at all. It's weird and definitely not normal. She also quits her job to dedicate her time to being a bookcrosser but we never actually get to see her in action? She hands out books to her former boss and colleague but she only tells Soliman about it. And she hands ONE guy on the subway a book but that's it. Pretty much a let down.
Some of the conversations were so vague and pretentious that I rolled my eyes on more than one occassion. I guess these type of books are really not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore books - I basically hoard books. I sell them, I buy them, I love them and I share them... but treating them the way they did in this book was way too much, even for me.
This entire book was WAY too pretentious for my taste and ugh. Kind of a let down. I was hoping for a cute read about a girl finding the perfect homes for books and instead I got this. Even the books the author referenced made me feel very inferior and stupid. I still finished it because I wanted to know how it would end, but I feel like I kind of wasted precious time I could have spend reading a different book.
And that's the tea on my 39th book of 2018.
jessicakimmet's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the loveliest stories I have read in a long time.