madisonmila's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely devoured this. Easy read but I definitely felt invested in the characters. Highly recommend!
geetanjali19's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
megs_bright's review against another edition
5.0
A quick, beautiful and captivating read. The feelings of family, love, hardship, loneliness and togetherness weave this little book together and left me smiling, laughing and crying.
reading_rj's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
shoafanator's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
tabithar's review against another edition
4.0
Its an almost 4 star for me but I can see this being a book that would appeal to a lot of people. Its a book about the influence of readers on others, and how books and reading can change people's lives.
kanziekan's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brontherun's review against another edition
3.0
If you are a lover of independent bookstores, this novel is set in one of your favorite places. Almost all of the story occurs in Island Books, the fictional store on the fictional Alice Island in Massachusetts. The format was at times awkward, as the 3rd person perspective leverages first person techniques, such as characters' written book reviews, homework assignments, etc. to gain the first person thoughts.
While many of the characters were endearing in their quirkiness (independent bookstore, remember?) my favorite was the Chief of Police, a lifelong islander and career cop who becomes central to the story, and leads the most popular book club, which discusses police and crime thrillers.
While like life, many of the events are tinged with sadness, there is humor in the story, although it is as off-beat as our bookseller, his adopted daughter, and the town folk. For instance, "In reading Twain, I often suspect he is having more fun than I am." As someone who feels like I should enjoy Mark Twain, but can't quite bring myself to, I appreciate this sentiment.
My favorite quote from the book is a thought from our noble independent bookseller: "We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone."
While many of the characters were endearing in their quirkiness (independent bookstore, remember?) my favorite was the Chief of Police, a lifelong islander and career cop who becomes central to the story, and leads the most popular book club, which discusses police and crime thrillers.
While like life, many of the events are tinged with sadness, there is humor in the story, although it is as off-beat as our bookseller, his adopted daughter, and the town folk. For instance, "In reading Twain, I often suspect he is having more fun than I am." As someone who feels like I should enjoy Mark Twain, but can't quite bring myself to, I appreciate this sentiment.
My favorite quote from the book is a thought from our noble independent bookseller: "We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read and we are not alone. We are not alone."
whataboutzana's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dawneelisabeth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5