DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

As a book lover, I had high hopes for this book and wanted to love it. Sadly, it didn't meet my expectations. I loved the setting (bookstore), but the story itself felt disjointed. It felt like a bunch of short stories randomly thrown together, which made it hard to stay engaged. I did like the main character, and I think the book could've benefitted from just sticking with her as the main focus. I love turtles, so I did enjoy Kurt Vonnegut Jr.!

While I did enjoy that there was a lot going on in the book just like there is in real life, it was also at times somewhat distracting. I loved how the chapters ended with the store manager's daily recap of what happened each day, and I was entertained by many of the quirky situations involving a cozy hidden book nook, a notorious poet, a literal Chatty Cathy and the escapades of multiple animals. I just couldn't really connect to the main characters. That was the drawback for me.

However, as a lifelong bookworm, how could I not enjoy a book set in a bookstore? Even without a major draw to the characters, the "bookish landscape" was entertainment enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse and author Susan Coll for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this "collection" of characters includes some stereotypes that hardened readers can easily recognize and identify with, the plot itself doesn't hold up, the book is rather slow, despite the fact that everything happens within a week / ten days more or less, and it was not easy, as far as I'm concerned, to get to the end.

Per quanto questa "raccolta" di personaggi, annovera alcuni stereotipi che i lettori piú incalliti possono facilmente riconoscere ed in loro riconoscersi, la trama di per sé regge poco, il libro é piuttosto lento, nonostante tutto accada nell'arco di una settimana/dieci giorni piú o meno, e non é stato facile, per quanto mi riguarda, arrivare alla fine.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

This is a quirky read about a bookstore, its owner, and her employees. Throw in a disgraced poet, a scene stealing turtle, a bunch of "cats" and "birds", and a vacuum with a mind of its own and you get either a chaotic mess or masterpiece depending on how you choose to see things. The main story follows Sophie Bernstein, a newly widowed woman in her fifties who is sleepwalking through life. After discovering a long forgotten "secret" room in her bookstore she begins to make plans to move into it and live the rest of her life in solitude. There is so much going on in this story with multiple storylines that all intersect during one eventful summer week in Washington DC. The chapters were too long IMO and I found it a bit confusing to jump from multiple POVs. Each chapter ended with an "end of the day" report by the bookstore manager that summarized the craziness that took place that day. The ending was a nice surprise with everything wrapped up neatly, but the journey to that ending was painful at times. There was just too much going on for me and I didn't feel invested in any of the characters really. Being a “bookish person” I really wanted this book to be better. It was a really chaotic and felt disjointed, but I think that was the point. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and author Susan Coll for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This review does not reflect the opinions of any brands I represent.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Ohhhh the potential that this book had. The first half of this book was really hard for me to get into. Sophie's character at first seemed to drag and have a negative viewpoint, which I didn't like. I wanted more for Sophie other than her dwelling on her late husband. However, by the end of the book her character got better. As for Clemi, right off the bat I loved her. I could see that she really cared for Sophie and the bookstore in general. I liked how this book switched from the various character's perspectives and gave insight to how they viewed their time in the bookstore. With this all being said, I didn't love the book but I also didn't hate it. It was just "Blahhhh."

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

Bookish People by Susan Coll had all the makings of a fun read, but somewhere along the way, it becomes a little chaotic and difficult to keep track of all the characters. It was a good book nevertheless.

Bookish People
by Susan Coll
It was funny mostly. Sometimes the story got bogged down in useless humor and took away from the story.I just thought the book lacked a story to tell.

I absolutely loved the idea of this book. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectation. I found there were too many sub-plots, and to be honest, I got a bit confused. I couldn't even tell you now what happened, other than Sophie losing her husband, and retreating into a little room inside the bookstore.
Sorry, 2/3 star review. Xx

This had all the makings of a great read for me – a storyline about books, a bookstore and writers. Unfortunately, what was billed as a “big-hearted screwball comedy” started out very slowly in a depressing vein, evolved into a disjointed series of loosely-connected threads highlighting troubled people, and concluded in a chaotic frenzy of activity and mishaps. The one shining bit of humor for me was a tortoise named Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., who rides around on top of a Roomba vacuum cleaner.

Sophie Bernstein is the owner of a popular independent bookstore in Washington, D.C. Having just lost her husband nine months ago, she is deeply grieving and struggling to fulfill her personal and professional obligations. Her store is staffed by an eclectic group of wannabe writers and overqualified escapists from other professions. Added to this mix of characters are a variety of quirky authors invited to hold readings and sign books.

This novel was not a good match for me. The author’s style, pacing and dark humor turned this read into an endurance exercise. I could only read a few pages at a time and was on the verge of labeling this a DNF at several points. I had difficulty embracing the ongoing focus on vacuum cleaners – first as an imaginary memoir and then as a mechanical nemesis.

My biggest issue was that I never felt an emotional connection with the characters. Sophie’s struggle to deal with loss on several levels, coupled with the tumultuous political atmosphere of the times, was understandable, but she came across as a rather ditzy, unsympathetic protagonist. I did enjoy Autumn T’s “End of Day Reports,” which provided continuity and a light touch of humor.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book is ridiculously, laugh out loud funny!

Set with the backdrop of a DC bookshop, we have the bookshop owner, Sophie, and her events coordinator, Clemi, as the books main narrators. Sophie is recently widowed and Clemi has just found out that a famous poet might possibly be her father. Set over the course of a week we see chaos ensue. You get a rogue bullet, a turtle named Kurt Vonnegut Jr., dogs on the loose, a lawsuit, a solar eclipse, and a key eating industrial vacuum cleaner.

At times I did think this book was a little bit too long but then something would happen that would make me think, “what else could possibly go wrong?!”, and I would be consumed by this book once again.

I loved reading the “End of the Day” emails that Autumn T. would send out to the staff as well as all of the book and author references!

I suggest picking up this book if you’re in the mood for a good laugh, want to read a book that revolves around books, and want something heartwarming.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think owning a bookshop would be fantastic, and even better if it has a secret room. Sophie has it made. Minus the depressing loss of her husband. Watching her trying to cancel the book signing and inevitably forming a bond with Raymond, also suffering his own loss, was very sweet! Let's not forget the Russian tortoise either. He's the real star of the book.

A quick, lighthearted read, but did not draw me in as much as I’d hoped. I struggled to connect with the characters.

A good quick fun read for an afternoon escape, a weekend at the beach, a long plain ride etc. It will take you away and won't disappoint.

Delightfully written but not a whole lot happens. It starts off fairly enjoyable in a slow burn kind of way, but as much as I wanted to like this, it pains me to say that it just felt like its themes were more interesting than the actual story …which barely progressed at snail's pace

*** I received an early complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

As someone who considers herself a "bookish" person, I was eager to read about the exploits of the characters who work at a quirky DC bookstore. I found both of the main characters (Clemi and Sophie) to be highly relatable, and I loved the humor and witty dialogue. "Bookish People" left me wanting to continue to follow these characters into the next chapters of their lives. Fun and full of literary references, this book is bound to please all kinds of "bookish people."

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Muse!

Sophie Bernstein is at a crossroads in her life. After the death of her husband, she feels like everything is starting to fall apart and she begins to retreat into herself. She decides to make a retreat for herself in the back of her bookstore as an escape.

A series of circumstances both comedic and less than funny build out the storyline of this book. There are almost too many side plots with some building on each other and others that are somewhat unnecessary.

This book was not for me. The plot sounded so interesting but I just didn’t connect with it. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly relatable. Some were flat and could have used a bit more development. The chapters are very long which can be off-putting for someone who does not like to stop reading in the middle of the chapter.

I had a hard time connecting to this story and the characters. The story is about a bookstore in the DC area and the lives of those that work there. I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters, not enough depth for me.

First off I’d like to say that I love the cover, it really drew me in and made me wanna read this book!

However, the plot itself lacked for me. There were so many times I got drawn in, then suddenly I was confused and the story was dragging again. This book was ALL over the place. I’m not a huge slap stick humor kinda gal, and so things like a whole chapter about a faulty vacuum just don’t do it for me.

Loved the bookstore vibes, and the thought of a hidden room within it, and a few of the subplots were enjoyable, but as a whole this wasn’t a very enjoyable read.

Also, while I understand this is an unfinished copy, the formatting/watermarking makes it very un-enjoyable to read. Literally half a page watermark every other page is a bit much.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Harper Muse and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Intriguing and entertaining story with delightful characters.