In true, fantasy-literature-loving fashion, the series centers around the premise that the stories that are fictional in one reality, are the reality of another “alternate dimension.” If, then, the “fictional tales” from one reality end up in the reality in which they are “historical documents”, it is then possible for characters from the story to show up in the wrong reality, or it gives them the ability to alter what they perceive to be their reality. To keep this from happening, the Invisible Library tasks its Librarians with recovering these alternate-reality versions of stories, and file them away in this extra-dimensional Library where they can do no harm.
Of course, that means there are two other factions that complicate things: The Fae, who thrive on chaos and natural unpredictability, so long as they hold the power--and the Dragons, who value stability and order, and so would much rather they held sway over the realities. The lore is fantastic, the imagery is absolutely spellbinding, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, dragons, fairy stories, or all of the above!
Sarah moves to Paris to give her friend a break – it’s a bookshop exchange! Having never left her little town of Ashford, this is the first time Sarah is venturing out of her comfort zone of romance novels. However, even though it is a ‘little bookshop’, it is actually a massive building that houses decades of books and history. Sarah faces a number of challenges throughout the book, personal and professional. This book is set in Paris which is known to be the city of lost souls and through The Little Bookshop on the Seine, we learn about many of the lost souls that call this city home. Though the bookshop staff are initially resistant to her, partly because of how Sophie manages them herself, eventually Sarah makes friends with them and learns about why they moved to the city and their reasons for working for the bookshop. I really liked that aspect of that book.
Read my full review on the blog and find this book on Goodreads.
“Without question, Fawn Birchill knows that her used bookstore is the heart of West Philadelphia, a cornerstone of culture for a community that, for the past twenty years, has found the quirkiness absolutely charming. When an amicable young indie bookseller invades her block, Fawn is convinced that his cushy couches, impressive selection, coffee bar, and knowledgeable staff are a neighborhood blight. Misguided yet blindly resilient, Fawn readies for battle.
But as she wages her war, Fawn is forced to reflect on a few unavoidable truths: the tribulations of online dating, a strained relationship with her family, and a devoted if not always law-abiding intern—not to mention what to do about a pen pal with whom she hasn’t been entirely honest and the litany of repairs her aging store requires.
Through emails, journal entries, combative online reviews, texts, and tweets, Fawn plans her next move. Now it’s time for her to dig deep and use every trick at her disposal if she’s to reclaim her beloved business—and her life.”
Read my full review here.
There is a certain uniqueness it has - with the right touch of the old and it's definitely high-tech vibes, the hometown Bay Area settings along with allowing me (the reader) to armchair-travel in time and place through its pages, and well, the bookstore itself, of course!!
I mention this book many times over on my blog, like in this post about Books I Would Watch on the Screen or another one about Top Ten Bookish Settings I Would Love to Visit. These are just two of the half-a-dozen occurrences but I have never actually reviewed it! Well, I am not sure I might ever get to it and maybe I will just ask my teens to write a joint review for me now that my younger one has gotten to it!
As for the other books in the list, here are a couple for which I did write reviews. One is a sweet children’s book called The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop and the other is a sweet contemporary romance titled The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans.
Another five star book that I read about a bookstore was The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak. Autumn spent summer after summer helping her mother at her bookstore until one day her husband went missing. She missed a summer at the bookshop, but the next year she went with her two teens and they had a wonderful time, despite Autumn's heart being in limbo about her missing husband. She does find love, but not without its challenges. The side story was about Autumn's seventeen-year-old daughter and the serious issues the teen was facing. This story really made me feel for all of the characters involved.
Great answers everyone. A few more books to add to my tbr here.
ReplyDeleteBooks about bookstores are always so wonderful and since I have not read any of the other books on today's post, it just means more books to read :)
ReplyDelete