The Last Library - Freya Sampson

 

You can tell a lot about a person from the library books they borrow

Library assistant June knows a lot about the regulars at Chalcot Library, yet they know very little about her. When her mum - the beloved local librarian - passed away eight years ago, June stepped into her shoes. But despite their shared love of books, shy June has never felt she can live up to the village's memory of her mum. Instead, she's retreated into herself and her memories, surviving on Chinese takeaways-for-one and rereading their favourite books at home.

When the library is threatened with closure, a ragtag band of eccentric locals establish the Friends of Chalcot Library campaign. There's gentlemanly pensioner Stanley, who visits the library for the computers and the crosswords, cantankerous Mrs B, who is yet to find a book she approves of, and teenager Chantal, who just wants a quiet place to study away from home. But can they compel reclusive June to join their cause?

If June wants to save the library, she finally has to make some changes to her life: opening up her heart to friendship, opportunities and maybe even more . . .

What did I think?

As a booklover, I just couldn't resist a book about books!  The gorgeous hardback edition of Freya Sampson's wonderful debut even has a print of a library ticket inside which lists all main characters as if they had checked out the book.  It's such a lovely little touch that makes a book feel extra special when held in the hands of a booklover.

The library is June's happy place; it's where she has fond memories of her mum who also worked there and where she interacts with the colourful characters of the local community.  So, when the council threaten to close the library, June and the library patrons decide to make some noise to show their opposition.  For introvert June, this is way beyond her comfort zone and she is at risk of losing her job if she opposes the council.  The library is clearly important to June so she needs to break free of her shell and stand up for what she believes in.

Oh what a delightful book.  It's a vibrant, fun story with a huge message: libraries are SO important.  There's much more to a library than books; it's the hub of the community and a place where you can send an email if you don't have a computer, read the newspaper or study for school.  This beautiful novel shows us that libraries are a place where you can be alone without being lonely; you can have some peace and quiet (unless it's time for children's storytime) but there's always somebody else there and for some people this could be the only interaction they have with another human being all day.  

Beautifully written with warmth and humour, The Last Library is a truly heartwarming book bursting with community spirit.  Libraries are lifesavers for many people and The Last Library reminds us how important they are. 

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Littlest Library - Poppy Alexander

 

It's only the beginning of her story...

Jess Metcalf is perfectly happy with her quiet, predictable life - it's just the way she likes it. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, her life is turned upside-down.

Packing up her grandmother's books, she moves to a tiny cottage in a charming country village. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the owner of an old red telephone box, too - and she soon turns it into the littlest library around!

It's not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their magic - somehow, they seem to be bringing the villagers together once more...

What did I think?

The Littlest Library is such a lovely story and it involves books so that's a win/win for us bookworms!  I already love books, that's a given, but reading this book has made me want to rediscover my childhood favourites and the many classics I have sitting patiently on my bookshelves.  There is nothing quite as magical as books and The Littlest Library reminds us of that.

Jess is at a crossroads in life after losing both her grandmother, Mimi and her job in a library, so it's the perfect time for a new start.  I adored reading about village life in Middlemass and how a detour off the motorway played a hand in Jess finding herself living there.  I think Jess is very brave to move somewhere new on her own and I loved seeing how her character developed over the course of the novel.   

I can't go any further without mentioning the books!  Oh my word, what an amazing thing for Jess to do: to put all of her grandmother's treasured books into the phone box for people in the village to borrow.  The books really made a huge impact on the village and some of them even have wonderful little notes in the margins that are a lasting legacy from Mimi.  I was so touched by this and although I would never write in a book, I can see how wonderful it must be to find a hidden message like this.

I really liked Poppy Alexander's writing, not just the warm and lyrical style but the way that the story is more realistic than fairy tale.  Jess has quite a few obstacles to overcome and I really felt for her when she was faced with difficult decisions; if only happiness could pay the bills!  I had my fingers and toes crossed that fate would would intervene once again, but you'll just have to read it for yourself to see if Jess gets her happy ending.

The Littlest Library is a charming novel with community (and books) at its heart.  I really enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Poppy Alexander book.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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About the author:

Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets.

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The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles

 

IN THE DARKNESS OF WAR, THE LIGHT OF BOOKS - HOW LIBRARIANS DEFIED THE NAZIS

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

PARIS, 1939

Odile Souchet is obsessed with books, and her new job at the American Library in Paris - with its thriving community of students, writers and book lovers - is a dream come true. When war is declared, the Library is determined to remain open. But then the Nazis invade Paris, and everything changes.

In Occupied Paris, choices as black and white as the words on a page become a murky shade of grey - choices that will put many on the wrong side of history, and the consequences of which will echo for decades to come.

MONTANA, 1983

Lily is a lonely teenager desperate to escape small-town Montana. She grows close to her neighbour Odile, discovering they share the same love of language, the same longings. But as Lily uncovers more about Odile's mysterious past, she discovers a dark secret, closely guarded and long hidden.

Based on the true Second World War story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable novel of romance, friendship, family, and of heroism found in the quietest of places.

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, this book is simply perfect.  Aside from the wonderful story, this is definitely a book for booklovers and if I could fall in love with a book, The Paris Library would be the one to win my heart.  It's like a love letter to books and libraries and Janet Skeslien Charles' beautiful writing has provided me with so many amazing phrases about books that I'll never forget.  I suggest you keep a notepad beside you while you're reading as there are so many literary gems (and book recommendations) that you will want to write down.  It's the first time I have ordered a book mentioned in a book I have been reading, while I was still reading it!

Set in the American Library in Paris in 1939 with the threat of Nazi invasion hanging over the city, Odile and her co-workers try to keep the library open as a sanctuary for all of their patrons.  With a growing sense of suspicion and unease, emotions are heightened and friendships are put to the test.  Although they try to keep things as normal as possible, nothing will ever be the same again.

The dual timeline sees us catching up with Odile over 40 years later when she is living in Montana and she becomes friendly with her teenage neighbour, Lily.  The pair share a love of all things books, particularly the Dewey Decimal Classification that can be applied to almost every part of life.  There really is a book for everything!  Lily is another wonderful character, she is a bookworm so everyone reading the book is guaranteed to love her.

Running alongside the story of Odile and Lily is the true story of Occupied Paris and I'm getting goosebumps just typing this now.  The description of a deserted Paris is so far removed from the lively, vivacious city we know it to be that it caused me to hold my breath in fear of making a sound to disturb the silence.  It's heartbreaking to see the effect of war; people turning against their friends and neighbours causes just as much devastation as bombs being dropped from the sky. 

So beautifully written and completely enthralling from beginning to end, The Paris Library is haunting, heartbreaking, captivating and so very highly recommended.  It's a perfect piece of historical and contemporary fiction and a simply wonderful novel.  I could write so much more about it but you really need to stop reading my review and start reading this stunning book for yourself.

I received a beautiful hardback edition as part of a Tandem Collective readalong; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

 

Between life and death there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren't always what she imagined they'd be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?

What did I think?

I think Matt Haig has written one of my favourite books of all time.  I am struggling to find the words to review The Midnight Library as it is so completely beyond exceptional that any words I use seem to fall short.  This is a book that everyone needs to read at least once; I know I will be reading it many more times.

Although I have read his Christmas books, I am ashamed to admit that this is my first adult Matt Haig book (so many books, so little time and all that) but what a book to start with.  The Midnight Library is about Nora Seed who is so unsatisfied with her life that she decides to die, nobody will miss her after all.  Caught between life and death, Nora finds herself in a magical library that contains her Book of Regrets along with every volume of her life and all those sliding door moments: the possibilities of lives she didn't choose to live.

Like a cross between Mr. Benn and It's a Wonderful Life, Nora tries out the other lives she could have lived and sees the snowball effect of decisions she made in her root life.  You can't help but think about your own life while you're reading The Midnight Library; what if I'd done this or what if I hadn't done that but unfortunately we can't rewind time and we're stuck with the life we're leading, for better or worse.

There is a veritable banquet of food for thought in The Midnight Library and every reader will take something different away with them after they finish reading.  One thing is for sure, The Midnight Library will remain in my mind forever.  I read an ebook version but now that I've seen the library card in the front of the hardback, I have to get a physical copy too.

Beautifully written, extraordinarily inventive and completely unique, every bookshelf should have a copy of The Midnight Library.  Believe the hype; this is one bandwagon you most definitely want to jump on.  5 stars just aren't enough for The Midnight Library, it deserves every single star in the universe to show how truly magnificent it is.  Extremely highly recommended.

My rating:

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Bookmagnet Best Bookish Buys: The Library Book Cushion

This month's best bookish buy comes from a surprising place: homeware store, The Range.  I saw this posted on one of my many Facebook groups and thought it was perfect for my reading chair.  So I sent my personal shopper (my Mam) along to The Range at the MetroCentre to pick one up for me.

Measuring approximately 43cm long by 33cm wide, it's a lovely plump cushion around 10cm deep.  Currently priced at £8.99, I think it's an absolute bargain and you could often expect to pay that for just the cover but you get both the cover and the cushion.  It's perfectly sized for lower back support whilst reading and despite repeated use, it still bounces back into its lovely plump shape.

The only thing I don't like about it is the plain brown back.  I would have much preferred to pay a bit more for the tapestry style print to cover both sides.  Not that it matters, as you can't see the back of the cushion, but I know it's there and I don't like brown!

Front

Back

Here's a close up of the tapestry style texture of the front of the cushion.  It really is beautiful, although you can't read the book spines no matter how hard you try!

The Range also have foam seat pads for kitchen or patio chairs at £6.99 each.  Delivery is £3.95 if your local The Range doesn't have one in stock.

The Library Book Cushion from The Range is a Bookmagnet Best Bookish Buy and a really unusual gift for any book lover.

A Library Miscellany - Claire Cock-Starkey

What can be found in the Vatican's Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts and enlightening lists, this book explores every aspect of the library, celebrating not only these remarkable institutions but also the individuals behind their awe-inspiring collections. From the ancient library at Alexandria to the Library of Congress in Washington DC, A Library Miscellany explores institutions both old and new, from the university library to that of the humble village. It opens the door to unusual collections such as herbaria, art libraries, magic libraries and even the library of smells, and charts the difficulties of cataloguing books deemed to be subversive, heretical, libellous or obscene. Packed with unusual facts and statistics, this is the perfect volume for library enthusiasts, bibliophiles and readers everywhere.

What did I think?

If you're ever looking for a gift for a book lover then this little gem by Claire Cock-Starkey will definitely fit the bill.  If you're really splashing out, make sure to pick up the highly recommended The Book Lovers' Miscellany too.

This pocket-sized book is perfect to read on the go, either reading cover to cover or dipping in and out as the mood takes you.  It's full of useful statistics, eye-opening facts and interesting titbits that amazed and entertained me.  I was amazed to read about the first mobile library in Cumbria in 1857 as horse-drawn carts provided access to books in remote areas without a library.

The timeline at the end of the book is an invaluable source of information as you see the evolution of libraries.  I was astounded to see the reference to e-books in the 1970's, when the world wide web was only a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee's eye.  It must have been a librarian's dream to think that books could be accessed by anyone anywhere in the world at anytime.  Of course the downside to e-books is the effect it has on the libraries we have come to know and love.  As lending of physical books diminishes, I sincerely hope that libraries are not under threat of closure.  Long live the library!

A Library Miscellany is an enlightening and entertaining pocket history of every book lover's favourite place; I loved it and I'm sure you will too.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: A Library Miscellany - Claire Cock-Starkey

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for this fabulous little book: A Library Miscellany by Claire Cock-Starkey.  I've previously read and thoroughly enjoyed The Book Lovers' Miscellany and you can read my review here.

What can be found in the Vatican's Secret Archive? How many books did Charles Darwin's library aboard the Beagle hold? Which library is home to a colony of bats? 

Bursting with potted histories, quirky facts and enlightening lists, this book explores every aspect of the library, celebrating not only these remarkable institutions but also the individuals behind their awe-inspiring collections. 

From the ancient library at Alexandria to the Library of Congress in Washington DC, A Library Miscellany explores institutions both old and new, from the university library to that of the humble village. It opens the door to unusual collections such as herbaria, art libraries, magic libraries and even the library of smells, and charts the difficulties of cataloguing books deemed to be subversive, heretical, libellous or obscene. 

Packed with unusual facts and statistics, this is the perfect volume for library enthusiasts, bibliophiles and readers everywhere.

EXTRACT

I haven't had time to read and review A Library Miscellany but I have something even better for you today: an extract from the book itself.  As someone who is interested in the RMS Titanic, I am delighted to share the extract about the two libraries aboard this iconic ill-fated ocean liner.

You can buy a copy of the book from Amazon UK here and you can find out more about the author on her website www.nonfictioness.com and by following her on Twitter @nonfictioness 

For those of you lucky enough to be in the Oxford area on March 20th 2018, you can hear Claire Cock-Starkey talking about A Library Miscellany (and The Book Lovers' Miscellany) at Oxford Literary Festival on March 20th at 12pm - click here to find out more.

Follow the tour for more great content from A Library Miscellany: