Tag: bookshop

Review: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

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Alexis: While I didn’t enjoy The Little Paris Bookshop as much as The Book of Dreams by Nina George, I still really enjoyed reading it!

Summary: In Paris, a fifty-year-old man named Monsieur Perdu runs a bookstore on a barge, which floats on the Seine. He calls it the Literary Apothecary, because he treats books as medicines to cure people of their broken hearts. But Perdu is harboring twenty years of heartache, after the love of his life left him without any explanation, except for a letter, which Perdu hasn’t been able to bear to even read. Until one day, when he finally reads the letter, and decides to finally start living his life.

What I liked: I loved Perdu’s journey. While he physically journeys down the Seine in his bookshop, he emotionally breaks out of the depressed funk that he’s been stuck in for twenty years. His character arc was perfect.

I enjoyed George’s lyrical writing style, and how the book veers towards magical realism in some parts. For example, Perdu is always able to somehow read his customers and understand what book they need. 

The overall bookish feel of this book was wonderful, and you can really feel George’s love of books seep into Perdu’s character. 

The secondary characters are vibrant and oftentimes outlandish. I enjoyed reading about Perdu meeting them and finally creating connections with people after all his years of loneliness.

What I didn’t like: I really wasn’t a fan of Manon’s character. Her diary entries gave me a good glimpse into her character, and I figured out early on that I didn’t like her. She just seemed so immature and erratic, and sometimes the way she talked about Jean felt too manipulative. What I did enjoy about her diary entries were her descriptions of Jean, because it showed what Jean was like when he was young.

Overall, I loved reading about Perdu’s journey. This book is about love lost and love found, finding yourself, and the power of books. 

VERDICT: 4 starsZ

The Little Paris Bookshop

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Alexis: Yesterday, I went to a secondhand bookshop called 2nd and Charles. My mom and I both had three bins full of books we wanted to sell or donate, so we sold as many as we could!

But while we were there, I wanted to find one book to get that I’ve been meaning to read. And that book was The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.

Earlier this year, I read The Book of Dreams by Nina George and I loved it! It was a five star read for me. I can’t wait to read The Little Paris Bookshop next week before grad school starts.

Secondhand Books

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Alexis: Here’s a stack of some of my secondhand books! 

To be honest, most of my books are secondhand, unless I really, really want to read a book that was just released. 

I actually picked up The Little Paris Bookshop today (more on that tomorrow 😉) from a used bookstore. I adored George’s The Book of Dreams, so I can’t wait to read this one. 

When I was visiting my boyfriend in Texas, I picked up A Court of Thorns and Roses and Airborn at different used bookstores. 

And last but not least, Great Expectations and Bel Canto were passed down to me from my mom. My copy of Great Expectations is actually my mom’s from her time in high school, which is pretty cool!

A chill Saturday morning read

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Anna: I’m so excited for this chill weekend! Have you read My Sister, the Serial Killer? My library hold FINALLY came in, and I’m really enjoying the to-the-point writing style and intriguing story/mystery so far! I love stories about sisters, even murderous ones!

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I hope you have fun (or chill!)  weekend plans?

Review: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

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Anna:

It’s official. Ann Patchett is a literary genius.

Commonwealth is hard to explain, and it took me so long to pick up because besides being a multigenerational family tale, the description is pretty vague. I’m so glad I finally read it! This is a book that kept me reading late into the night, and only regretted a little bit the next day at work, which I haven’t done in a while.

The book is extremely character-driven, which is one of the reasons I liked it so much. Despite the depth of characterization, I wouldn’t describe the plot as slow-moving at all–there’s a family tragedy at the center of it all that ties the characters together and keeps the reader guessing.

This book has many different characters and perspectives, which is something I love in a book but is often difficult to do well. Ann Patchett does this beautifully. All the characters are fully fleshed out with real motivations and lives, even the ones that only have a few pages in their perspective. At the end thought about who I would identify as the central character. It’s probabably, Franny–the baby at the baptism responsible for mixing all their lives together in the first place–bringing the book full circle! Yet every other character feels just as vital.

Commonwealth is about guilt, forgiveness, and the complexities of familial love. It’s also set partially in Virginia, where I live and where everything bad in the book happens! I cracked up at all the descriptions of the summer heat and mosquitoes.

VERDICT: 4 books

Which Ann Patchett book should I pick up next? The only other one I’ve read is State of Wonder.

Review: Convenience Story Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated from Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori, is like nothing I’ve read before. This is a short, easy read that challenges everything you think about society, education, identity, and what it means to be happy and successful.

Keiko Furukura, now approaching middle age, has worked in a convenience store since she was eighteen. She loves her job, and finds value in the work she does every day. Everyone else tells Keiko that she’s wrong to feel this way, and that this makes her not normal. They tell her she can’t be truly happy unless she has a full time job, a husband, and kids. When a lazy ex-employee, Shiraha, moves in with her and people assume they’re dating, Keiko’s happy little world is turned upside down. 

This book is crazy. Keiko is a unique character and she’s so happy and innocent that it’s heartbreaking. She has adapted to mimicking the speech patterns and behaviors of others based on what she’s been told is “normal”. I’ve heard other people speculate that Keiko is psychotic—I don’t think that’s the case, and I have no need to diagnose her. I think this book is really about society’s expectations surrounding identity and success. 

I gave Convenience Store a three and a half book rating because I thought it was too short and ended too early. However, I think this unique story is something I’ll think about for a long time.

VERDICT: 3.5 books

Used Bookstore Haul

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Alexis:

A bookstore where everything is $3 or under? Yes, please! I picked up four books, the max I should probably put in my suitcase, from Lucky Dog Books in Dallas, Texas. My boyfriend, who reads nonfiction/business books, found 5 books!

  1. On Gold Mountain by Lisa See
  2. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
  3. Water Wings by Kristen den Hartog
  4. Rose’s Garden by Carrie Brown