Nina Redmond is a librarian with a gift for finding the perfect book for her readers. But can she write her own happy-ever-after? In this valentine to readers, librarians, and book-lovers the world over, the New York Times-bestselling author of Little Beach Street Bakery returns with a funny, moving new novel for fans of Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop. Nina is a literary matchmaker. … Bookshop.
Nina is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile — a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
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A cozy romance (but with some not particularly steamy sex) set in England and Scottish Highlands that features a heroine who has to rebuild her life, and her difficulties and successes in renovating her career and love life. A good read.
love this author! Love to follow same characters through to different books.
Loved this book! For anyone who is a self-proclaimed book lover. This book gives you permission to be proud of your bookworm ways.
Sweet love story
Excellent characters & well-written story.
After a dry spell where I was grumpily wondering if there were any fun, entertaining books out there that were actually about something, I stumbled across The Bookshop on the Corner. What a breath of fresh air!
When shy librarian Nina’s place of work—a, you guessed it, library—is sold to a mysterious corporate entity, she ends up buying a van, moving to rural Scotland, and creating a mobile store for book-starved farm families.
There is much to entertain here, including a van with a “death wish” that rolls away from her when she parks it improperly and adheres itself to railroad tracks before a fast-approaching train. There is the train itself that comes and goes through the night and a swarthy Latvian railroad engineer with soulful eyes and a poetic heart.
Oh, and there are the frequent local social events—mid-summer festivals, harvest celebrations, husking bees (ok, I made that last one up), where herds of Scottish farmhands, muscular and freckled, show up in their kilts to find wives.
Basically here’s nothing not to like in this book. The best part is Nina, rolling through the Scottish countryside, a missionary bringing the wonder of reading back to people who have lost their bookstores and libraries.
What a treat. Highly recommend.
This book was truly delightful -not a word I often use! The book was set in Scotland, which appealed to my Scottish ancestry. And the protagonists love of books was charming. There is a great quote from the book that I have added to my list of favorites: “There was a universe inside every human being every bit as big as the universe outside them. Books were the best way Nina knew – apart from, sometimes, music – to breach the barrier, to connect the internal universe with the external, the words acting merely as a conduit between the two worlds.” (pg. 234-235) This resonated with the introvert in me and strengthened my bond with the protagonist, Nina, who is clearly an introvert herself!
Honestly, the first part of this book was hard to get through. It felt like there was too much filler and nothing was really happening. But, after about 6 chapters it started to pick up. I loved the concept (without telling too much) of how the main character follows her passion and where it leads her. Great story overall. Definitely a good read that pulls you in, wanting more and more. Wasn’t quite satisfied with the ending (is there a sequel???). Wouldn’t recommend for young readers due to language and some sexual content.
A unique literary masterpiece.
One of my favorite books ..this is the book that turned me on to one of my favorite authors ..light hearted and sweet and it’s based in Scotland which makes it even better . I could not put this book down
Nina Redmond was a 29 year old bookworm, working as a librarian…well she was until cut backs happened, and she lost her position in the small, but hectic branch library, and thrust into a competition into securing her job at the main library in the center of Birmingham. But while talking to her ex co-workers, the idea of having a book bus pops into her head. So she starts looking through the paper for a bus. But when she finds one that is within her price range, it’s in Scotland.
But when fate works against her, and Nina doesn’t get the job at the main library, or the permit to park the bus she intends to buy (if she can convince the owner to send it to her), for use in Birmingham. Nina gets the courage to move to where the bus is…in Kirrinfirf, Scotland.
Nina was thrilled to find a new home in a stunning barn conversion, the only upset was her gorgeous, but grumpy landlord, Lennox, who was going through a particularly nasty divorce. And now set about working on her book bus, with the help of her friends Marek and Jim who drive the night train, whom bring her books from her ex co-worker and friend Griffin. But what she didn’t expect was for them to bring her ex roommate and friend Surinder. And then Nina’s life really gets started.
I’m going to finish my rehash there, but I will assure you, that we follow Nina on this journey of finding herself and a community, lust, heartbreak, conflict, success and happiness and I enjoyed every second of it.
In 2001 I read my first Jenny Colgan’s book called Looking For Andrew McCarthy, I sat in Greenwich Park, enjoying the book and thought it was funny, but age of 21, I honestly didn’t appreciate such talent of the author, only the happily ever after. Now 15 years later, I opened The Bookshop on the Corner, and within the first few pages, I was back, sitting in that park laughing my head off like a fool, but this time I recognized the sheer talent of the author; how she managed to suck me back to my homeland, laughing at the British-isms and remembering how much I struggled to understand my Aunt Ellie, with her thick Scottish brogue. The authors writing is truly smooth, refreshing and intoxicating. Being a British expat, I have had to retrain myself to read American “English” rather than British English, so I quite often struggle with books written by British authors, but with this author I didn’t have any of these issues; so it’s very American friendly.
When it comes to the plot and the characters, I honestly couldn’t separate them from the story. When it comes to Nina and her journey…it basically comes down to, she is everything thing I wish I could be and have! Including darker nights in winter. Seriously! I know she is a character, but I want her life (sorry hubby), including that scene in front of the fire *swoon*
I honestly could sit here for hours telling you how much I love The Bookshop on the Corner, but let me just sum it up quickly! It’s amazing and you must read it!!!
I give The Bookshop on the Corner 5 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Imagining the characters and the places were easy. This is one book I will gladly read again. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about a book lover who decides to start over in a little town.
Very nice easy read Well written I felt I knew the characters in the book
Interesting while heroine learns about, and becomes fond of Scotland and its people. Entertaining because it’s about books and their relationships with the personalities in the story. However, it ends like most somewhat romantic novels’ but a happy ending isn’t bad, is it.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and easy to follow.
I’m an 86 year old female who loves to read and look forward to more about
the characters in the future.
I’ve always wanted to own a book store/coffee shop and this book reminded me of that long-ago fantasy. Unique premise and entirely unjoyable!
This is a real ‘feel-good’ story. Wonderful to read on a wet, gloomy day instead of the chores which have piled up.
Sorry, it just didn’t interest me long enough to really get into it. I gave up!
Very enjoyable read. Very descriptive
I liked charming nature of this book and how she didn’t always know where she was heading she perserved