This book was way too slow for me. The plot did not seem to move at all. I felt like the author made the main character a bit ridiculous in her want to hide away in the bookshop. How would that even work? Too unbelievable for me.

One of the strengths of "Bookish People" is its portrayal of the quirky and complex characters that inhabit the literary scene. The characters are vividly drawn and, at times, relatable. Coll's insights into the dynamics of the publishing industry and the writer's life add authenticity to the narrative.

However, the plot itself can feel somewhat disjointed and lacks a cohesive central storyline. The various subplots, while individually interesting, do not always come together in a satisfying way. This can make the narrative feel fragmented and, at times, slow-paced.

Additionally, some readers may find the satirical humor employed by the author to be hit-or-miss. While some moments are genuinely amusing, others may come across as forced or overly exaggerated, affecting the overall tone of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Sadly this one was too messy to be enjoyable. The premise (bookstore! DC!) enticed me, but the book didn’t live up to that hype at all.

This "bookish" book follows a few people who work at a bookshop in Washington DC over the course of a hectic week. I jumped on it because I am indeed a bookish person too! But I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

It was a quirky "dramedy" - I think it's meant to be a comedy but the way the main character is acting it often felt to be about mental health too (although the author never really deals with it?).

A series of unfortunate events happens and it's meant to be funny, but it turned a bit ridicule, maybe because of the writing. I felt some of the chapters felt unmoored in reality and others felt very grounded, so it wasn't very consistent.

I liked the more serious stuff that was mentioned, like the socio-political context, but it didn't feel like it went anywhere or was addressed.

Did not finish this one. It was just boring and flat. I thought it was going to be great from the synopsis and cover, but it just didn’t have the follow through.

I have tried to review this book several times and each time I have to reread the jacket description to remind me what the story was. If I can't remember it then it isn't a book I can recommend. So I won't.

I love books about books! Give me all the bookstore vibes. I was a bit sad to find out I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. The subplots/time/POVs were a bit confusing. I will definitely keep a look out for more from this author but wasn't too thrilled with this one. Thank you so much for the chance to review.

Amazing summer read that is both funny and witty and entertaining. I loved the insight into the running of a bookstore and it was a great read!

I was very excited about this title, but I have had difficulty getting into the book. I have currently marked as DNF, but will be reattempting in the future as I am a mood reader. However, from what I did read I really enjoyed. I think the main problem for me was the book didn’t instantly hook me and I felt like I was having to work a bit to get started on this story. I am excited to try this book when I am in a different headspace and will be updating my review.

Can there just be more and more and MORE books about bookstores and libraries! This was so fun! This was such an unputdownable book!

I saw the cover of this book and immediately was intrigued. I love books, bookish people, and animals so if you love those things too, you will love this book! The writing wasn't the best and I didn't really care for the political parts of the book. There were also a little too many sub-plots going on within the book.

As a reader requesting books about books is a must but this one disappointed me. It was just stupid and none of the characters were well developed. It was too whimsical and far-fetched.

As a reader who loves independent bookstores, I read any and every book I can that takes place in one. "Bookish People" is the exact kind of quirky and moving that I like best.

A wonderful cast of characters emerges in Coll's world, each one with their own problems and concerns: finding their biological father, dealing with the recent death of a spouse, or keeping their career on track after a national scandal. Just reading that sentence makes me want to read it again for the very first time! Huge fan of Coll and her work, and this book cemented my lifelong affection for her writing.

DNF -- I got 100 pages in and couldn't finish. I love the cover and the description is really fun, but the long chapters and so many points of view had me losing the thread of the story, and losing interest.

I really could not get into this one. I didn't enjoy the writing style or the vignette style. Just didn't work for me at all.

Bookish People by Susan Coll has a great title and premise. This was a nice read but it lacked elements of depth and left me a bit wanting.

I'd recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction, anyone who enjoys reading and bookstores and just wants a fine book to escape into for a while.

I just didn't vibe with one, it was slow and I didn't like the characters. There where some good parts but not enough to keep me interested.

This book was a bit slow in pacing, but I loved the weaving together of the narrators' stories and the distinct voices in the book. I would recommend it to folks needing a slice of life book that is fun to read.

So, so bad. I had to DNF. The writing is so amateur and the characters poorly drawn. Definitely not going to read any more by this author.

This book was admittedly chaotic, but I was in the perfect mood to read it when I did. I listened to the audiobook while frantically trying to pack for a trip, clean my house, and finish up tasks for work before I left the country, and my frazzled state of mind perfectly fit the tone of the book.

Sophie's bookstore is all over the place. Sophie just wants to retreat from the world in her little book nook, and Clemi is frantically trying to hold the store together while juggling a bit of an identity crisis. The other members of this ensemble are just as bizarre, and the story came together hilariously.

This book is light and funny and served as a great palate cleanser. I will say that while this is a character-driven novel with not much plot, there also wasn't enough depth to the characters. I was left wanting a little more from either the plot or the character development.

I am confused by the dog on the cover, since the pet in the story was a turtle.