The Book Haters' Book Club
Ratings9
Average rating3.4
All it takes is the right book to turn a Book Hater into a Book Lover... That was Elliott's belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters' Book Club--a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed "nonreader." As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookshop, Elliott's passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookshop into high-rise condos. But others won't give up the bookshop without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott's romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney's sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott's legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookshop, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage. Filled with humor, family hijinks and actual reading recommendations, The Book Haters' Book Club is the ideal feel-good read. It's a celebration of found family and a love letter to everyday heroes--those booksellers and librarians dedicated to putting the right books in the right hands every day.
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The Book Haters' Book Club
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (3/5) or 6.42/10 overall
Characters - 7
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 7
Logic - 6
Enjoyment - 6
I enjoyed the first half of it, but then became too heavily tropey for me. :/ It's unfortunate but I just felt this shift from interestingly original to boringly typical and I just didn't understand, like how you go from this amazing book store with these dynamic characters to every adult book trope ever? Idk, but this author did and it annoys me to no end.
Novel Approach To Novel Writing. I really like what Anthony did here with the interludes throughout the book, including opening and closing. It becomes very clear (because one of the early ones is “signed') quite early exactly who this person is, but the way Anthony writes them and where she chooses to place them are indeed quite novel in my experience, and thus this book is recommendable for this feature alone. Then there are the (Minnesota-specific) actual book recommendations spiced throughout the tale, in the form of newsletters the bookstore/ book club sent out periodically. And again: Actual. Books.. As in, you can search for them on your preferred site and buy them yourself! Which, again, is novel and recommendable for this feature alone.
Actual story-wise, we spend the first half of the book with many of our characters in shock and trying to prevent what they see as a travesty... and then a bombshell is dropped when the answers they've been begging for are finally provided. This bombshell twists the entire book to pivot in a new direction... and gives them all much more depth. Throughout both halves there is quite a bit of humor and heart, and there are a lot of different threads and themes going on here. (So those readers that prefer a more contained/ linear / singular focused tale... I still say give this one a try, but know going in it may not be your thing.) Ultimately the story itself is strong enough here, and the novel aspects of the writing truly take this book over the top in the best ways. Very much recommended.
Storyline so good through first three quarters but fell flat through the finish. 2.5 stars.
