I'm happy I read The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods for book club because there's much to discuss in this bookish novel. I gain so much from talking about a book with fellow readers, especially those who read in genres other than those I frequent.
The story is told in two timelines - 1921 with Opaline and current time with Martha. Both are oppressed by horrible men, and books play important roles in their journeys toward bright futures. This book is a fun combination of history, mystery, romance, and magic, and the audiobook narrated by Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon was outstanding.
The plot has a considerable amount of magical realism which pushed my comfort zone since I avoid fantasy novels. I sometimes found it challenging to track 'who' and 'when' because of the dual timeline format and large cast of characters, but overall I enjoyed this and may read The Story Collector by this author.
The story is told in two timelines - 1921 with Opaline and current time with Martha. Both are oppressed by horrible men, and books play important roles in their journeys toward bright futures. This book is a fun combination of history, mystery, romance, and magic, and the audiobook narrated by Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon was outstanding.
The plot has a considerable amount of magical realism which pushed my comfort zone since I avoid fantasy novels. I sometimes found it challenging to track 'who' and 'when' because of the dual timeline format and large cast of characters, but overall I enjoyed this and may read The Story Collector by this author.
Enjoyed the story but was disappointed by the ending. Thought I'd lost track of the storyline, rewound final chapter and epilogue twice to make sure I hadn't missed something. Sadly, the end feels like it's disconnected from the rest of the story, as though we're missing a chapter connecting the story to the ending. Good story to that point though, worth a listen.
