Goodnight June

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! This was one of those sweet beach reads that takes barely any time to read and you feel like you know where the story is going, but there are surprises here and there.

The book is told in part through the letters that June finds and I just loved it. But I didn't think the book would revolve so much around family and the relationships between sisters both blood and the sisters you choose to share your life with. I actually could have done without the romance part of the story because I felt like June didn't really need to find someone right away. That her staying in Seattle could be just for the bookstore and the life she needed to carve out for herself and not because she fell in love, but it was wonderful nonetheless.

I think maybe loving the book might have to do a bit with how it reminded me of You've Got Mail which is one of my favorite movies of all time. A little children's bookstore struggling, part of so many memories.....good stuff.

2.5

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goodnight June is June's story. June inherits from her great aunt Ruby a small, cozy children's bookstore - Bluebird Books, where June spent her happiest moments as a child and learned to love reading. As a 35 year old, June is vice president of a large bank and in charge of foreclosing many small businesses. She has few important people in her life, anxiety problems, and a severe lack of satisfaction with herself. When she inherits Bluebird Books, June goes home to Seattle for the first time in 5 years and begins to reevaluate her life. She discovers a scavenger hunt that her aunt Ruby left for her in the bookstore of letters between Ruby and Margaret Wise Brown that explain the origin of Goodnight Moon and renew June's passion for the bookstore. June discovers what it is like to be on the opposite side of the foreclosing business while she is trying to raise funds to save the bookstore, all with the help of the charming Gavin who owns the Italian restaurant next door.

I absolutely 100 percent love when an author shows his/her fangirl/fanboy side... And in this case, Sarah Jio's fangirl flag is waving hard. The story behind the popular children's classic Goodnight Moon is unknown because Margaret Wise Brown died shortly after writing it. I can tell that Sarah Jio truly loved Goodnight Moon because she uses so much imagination and heart to develop a very plausible origin of Goodnight Moon and uses the letters to tell the story with passion and creativity.

Also, June's story is one that we can all identify with and could ultimately stand alone as its own story. She has to make the choice between living a life with passion or complacency. She has to forgive, and she learns to love. And she also discovers a few things she didn't know about herself. Yes, it's somewhat “chick flicky”, but its inspiring and sweet. I'm an avid hater of cookie cutter chick lit, so trust me when I say that this story is not that. Jane's story is inspiring and leaves you contemplating your own dreams.

Right now is a time of major change in my life with moving and finding new job, etc., so I feel it was the perfect time to read this book. I probably a little biased since in the past year, I've somehow developed a dream of owning an independent bookstore and hosting authors/holding events to inspire budding readers. Reading is and always has been a huge part of my life, so I love to see that there are others who are still so inspired by reading and would rather pick up a book than a game or show on their iPad. I think Goodnight June is Sarah Jio's confession to also being one of these people and her charge to go do something about it.

I literally blazed through Goodnight June in less than a day. It's an easy read and would be perfect for sitting outside on a lazy summer day. And the great news is that its release date is May 27 - TOMORROW!!! So you only have to wait 2 short hours.. or 1 if you're on the east coast. Ready. Set. Go.

I don't think I've done it justice, but if you just go read it you'll see what I mean. Thank you Sarah Jio for such a beautiful and inspiring story. It's been a while since I've read a something this great.

I've had a couple of other books by Sarah Jio on my radar for a while, but this is the first one I've read. I'll definitely be moving her other books up on my list.

This review is also posted on Great Minds Read Alike.