The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

Have I ever told you about my chick lit obsession? Back in the 1990s, when I was writing feverishly and belonged to a romance writers' group (because it was the only writing group that was active, although I didn't fancy myself "into" romance), I began reading romance to try to understand what my friends in the group were all about. That led me to chick lit and the discovery that I only like British chick lit, not American and definitely not Irish. At that time, Jenny Colgan was one of my absolute favorite authors. And, then I started to move away from romance when I stopped writing and left the group. I've occasionally seen Jenny Colgan's name amongst the offerings from publishers but didn't think the stories sounded right for me . . . till The Bookshop on the Corner.

I'm sure just about everyone reading this review looked at that cover and thought, "Oooooh." How could you not love it? A window crammed with shelves of beautiful books, the word "bookshop" in the title, and an author I happen to already know I enjoy were all it took for me to say, "Yes, please," to reviewing The Bookshop on the Corner.

Nina Redmond is about to lose her job as a librarian. Thanks to budget cuts, the library in Birmingham is closing and everyone is being encouraged to apply at a media center, whatever that is. Nina can't let the books be sacrificed, so she piles them into her car and begins taking loads of them home. But, her roommate, Surinder, is not happy. There are books piled everywhere in their shared flat. Then, Nina gets a brilliant idea. She'll create a rolling bookshop and sell them! That way the books will find a new home and Nina will have an income.

Unfortunately, the only van big enough to fit the task is in Scotland. After buying the van, Nina discovers Scotland is a perfect place to sell her books and she moves into an updated barn on a farm, near a grumpy landlord in the midst of a divorce. After nearly being stricken by disaster on a train track, Nina falls for a train conductor who loves poetry. Meanwhile, she's working hard at learning how to fit in with the locals. Will Nina's business survive and thrive or will she be forced to return to Birmingham? Is the train conductor the love of her life or just a diversion? And, what about those Scots?

Highly recommended - I think The Bookshop on the Corner is as much a love song to Jenny Colgan's second, adopted home in Scotland as it is a romance and a story about books. Frankly, I loved everything about it. Light-hearted writing, great characters, a sweet romance, tons of book chatter, and a dip into Scottish culture make The Bookshop on the Corner a charming, escapist read, especially great for reading on a plane or beach, or any other time you're looking for something especially light to read.

Warning: You may find yourself looking up and possibly even buying titles mentioned by Nina in the process of selling her wares. I came out of the book with only a single title on its way to me (still waiting for it to arrive) but I would have likely ordered more if there'd been a bit more detail provided. At least one book was mentioned repeatedly but without mentioning the author. Argh, frustration! I really want to look up that particular book, even though Nina keeps saying it's "rare". At any rate, there's a bit of danger to reading a book about books. I just thought you ought to know.

©2016 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall

The Flying Circus by Susan Crandall
Copyright 2015
Gallery Books - Adventure/Romance
357 pp. 

Gil is a barnstormer with a death wish, Cora a fearless young lady who doesn't miss the life of privilege she used to have, and Henry is running from the law. When their lives intersect and they become a team with Cora promoting Gil's sky acrobatics and performing stunts, Henry working as the team's mechanic and learning to fly, what will happen?

I bought my copy of The Flying Circus on a whim after hearing an author I follow call it "adventurous". It is definitely an adventurous tale and there are plenty of surprising plot twists, in spite of the fact that the overall plot is predictable. The Flying Circus is, first and foremost, a love story. Henry is besotted by Cora from the first day. But, Gil is also attracted to her. Cora, for her part, is most taken by Gil but Gil has a secret that may change everything. Meanwhile, seeing her obvious preference for Gil, Henry tries to overcome his longing for Cora without much success.

There are plenty of questions that the author drags out in order to keep the pages turning. What is Gil's big secret? Why is he suicidal? Is it just because of his experience in the Great War or is there something more going on? Who will Cora choose? Did Henry really kill a girl or was he set up?

Recommended, particularly to romance readers - Although there's plenty of adventure, because the romance aspect of The Flying Circus is so prominent I think people who bristle at romantic plotlines might find The Flying Circus a little tedious. I can't say whether it was the story or just the fact that I was having a lousy reading month that made it drag on for me, but it was neither a quick nor gripping read for me. At the time, nothing was really clicking, though. I hesitate to say anything negative about the book. I liked the characters, rooted for all of them, found their storylines predictable but still wanted to see them through. However, I do prefer adventure to romance and The Flying Circus was not a personal favorite because of the dominance of the romantic storyline and the predictability factor. Still, it was a pretty good read and definitely one I think romance readers will enjoy.


©2015 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.