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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoy Jenny Colgan’s books, filled with searching, struggling characters who always manage to find their place in the end. But it does seem like she has a serious anti-fat bias, describing in detail the fatness of antagonists in her stories. In this book, a major plot point revolves around a character calling a child fat, which obviously is a wild thing to say to a child, but also seems to be the worst insult one can make. I’m pretty sure this is the last book of hers I’ll read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
A cozy little Christmas book. A little bit of romance, a little bit mystery, a little bit of finding yourself in the world.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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The Christmas Bookshop is the sort of Hallmark movie-type Christmas book: a lovable old bookstore in danger of closing, a lovable bookstore owner, an out-of-place woman who needs to find herself, potential romantic interests, all set in a Christmas setting, in Scotland, no less. Count me in!
I found it slow to warm up to the main character, Carmen, but it did happen, as Carmen’s character not only got fleshed out but had character development and growth as well. Because I have two sisters of my own and have three daughters, I enjoy stories that involve sisters. Sofia started out as sort of a cookie cutter character but grew into a supporting character that helped the narrative immensely.
And I absolutely loved the Edinburgh setting and felt the city itself was another character of the book. The secondary characters add depth to the story, and you really root for Carmen and the other people in the book. While there’s romance in the book, I don’t find it central to the story. To me, it’s about Carmen’s growth while working in the bookshop.
While this may be a Christmas story, it’s also more than that. It definitely pulls at the heartstrings, but it’s also got a strength of spirit at its core. It’s about creating long-lasting bonds, and most importantly, love.
I do have to say that the book does drag a bit in the middle part, where nothing seems to be happening, but hold on, dear readers, to get past that when the story rights itself and you’re back on to smooth sailing and a lovely story overall.
The Christmas Bookshop is the sort of Hallmark movie-type Christmas book: a lovable old bookstore in danger of closing, a lovable bookstore owner, an out-of-place woman who needs to find herself, potential romantic interests, all set in a Christmas setting, in Scotland, no less. Count me in!
I found it slow to warm up to the main character, Carmen, but it did happen, as Carmen’s character not only got fleshed out but had character development and growth as well. Because I have two sisters of my own and have three daughters, I enjoy stories that involve sisters. Sofia started out as sort of a cookie cutter character but grew into a supporting character that helped the narrative immensely.
And I absolutely loved the Edinburgh setting and felt the city itself was another character of the book. The secondary characters add depth to the story, and you really root for Carmen and the other people in the book. While there’s romance in the book, I don’t find it central to the story. To me, it’s about Carmen’s growth while working in the bookshop.
While this may be a Christmas story, it’s also more than that. It definitely pulls at the heartstrings, but it’s also got a strength of spirit at its core. It’s about creating long-lasting bonds, and most importantly, love.
I do have to say that the book does drag a bit in the middle part, where nothing seems to be happening, but hold on, dear readers, to get past that when the story rights itself and you’re back on to smooth sailing and a lovely story overall.
The overall mood of the book was exactly what I was looking for out of a christmas book, so I am happy I did choose this one. The found family, reconnecting with family, finding love as a side-plot and holiday joy, were exactly what I wanted. Happy reading days.
There were some parts of the book disguised as being deep when in fact they just barely skimmed the surface, but I didn't mind them that much, after all - I wasn't hoping for a literary fiction masterpiece going into this book.
"What do you think happiness is?" she asked him.
"A by-product," he answered immediately, "of being useful."
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes