I had this downloaded on my kindle to read but wasn’t able to because of the formatting issues. The premise still sounds interesting and I’d probably pick it up now that it’s released!

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Oooohhh! So good!

2.5 stars

I'll pretty much pick up any book about bookstores or libraries. I'm an avid reader but also a lover of books as objects and collectibles so, out of the gate I'm usually going pretty favorable (or at least highly intrigued) towards anything that will revolve around them.
Unfortunately, this book about a Washington D.C. bookstore (and its owner, Sophie Bernstein, and employees) was something I had to make a concerted effort to finish. In the past, when I've encountered a book that was trying and I considered DNFing, there was some resolution to the plot that I would hold out hope for. In this case, there weren't high enough stakes or a thread of the plot that captured me, so I pushed through on pure willpower (and it's a very light and quick read).

The bookstore is a hot mess and chaos swirls day after day as they host many book signings and readings (organized by Clemi), are perpetually understaffed, and vacuum and animal problems abound. It was almost stressful to read about the level of madness constantly challenging the characters, with an owner who's MIA both literally and, many times, in frame of mind. Some of the characters got muddled in my mind amongst the messiness of issues that were always being chased.

Too much going on but not enough happening.

The highlights of the book were the End of Day reports by Autumn T., which were a fun way of grounding some of the busy bits.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this advanced copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely adore books about books and book lovers and this one‘s premise sounded perfect and the cover is adorable but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. It wasn‘t too bad, but I had higher expectations which weren‘t met.
The different character pov‘s and plots were confusing and the writing wasn‘t really good for keeping up with the book so at parts, I was actually ready to DNF it.
Nevertheless, the characters were really likable and even though the execution falls flat. Some scenes and moments were absolutely amazing, others just weren‘t.

meh. I found the story a bit boring. I lost interest about halfway through and had to make myself finish it. I am sure others will like it, but not my cup of tea.

I really wanted to like this book and from the description I was excited to read it. However, it fell flat for me and I had a really hard time getting through it. The story felt disjointed and the writing style lacked flow.

The premise has a lot of potential but overall I think this could benefit from several more rounds of editing and tightening things up.

Bookish People is set in an independent bookstore in DC where various events happen one after the other, all while Mrs. Sophie Bernstein, the owner, goes through some sort of life crisis after her husband passed away. There's a tortoise somewhere, a poet with a drinking problem, a solar eclipse, and a bunch of random things.

This book was described to be witty and hilarious, but this whole novel probably went way over my head because I did not find myself amused, and I found it painful to get through at times, mostly because I had no idea what was happening anymore or where the story was going.

This is a story about books, but even as I love books, this wasn't for me. I could not build an emotional connection with it, or any connection, which is unfortunate.

I can see this book appealing to people who have more wit and humor than I, don't mind a slow-paced book and just want vibes, and are in between reads.

I give this 2 stars.

Nonetheless, thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the e-arc.

This book did not work for me. The writing style and story were all over the place and didn't seem cohesive at all. I didn't finish this one.

I was so excited to read this story! I love a story about fellow book people especially when we get to look at several people woven into the same storyline. Unfortunately, this book just did not suck me in. I wasn't particularly interested in any of the characters and in fact it caused me to go into a bit of a reading slump since I was trying so hard to finish this book.

I think this book was just not for me, I absolutely see how someone could love the characters and their struggles and storylines.

I unfortunately could not get into this one. Was excited about the premise but the writing felt really flat and I really struggled with the writing style. This was not one for me.

A cosy look into how we cope when things are terrifying, who knew that was possible? Bookish people is set in an independent DC bookstore in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and murder of Heather Heyer. Sophie the owner of the bookshop is struggling after the death of her husband and also struggling to understand the world we live in. She wants to burrow deep into the depths of her bookstore and possibly never emerge. This story is a great reflection on how unassuming often quiet bookish people get by when things don't make sense. A great reflection on our times, and super relatable.

This book had a lot going on. It was improperly formatted, so reading it was a challenge for me. I also just felt like it had so many different storylines going on that it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. It gave me a lot of anxiety.

I was so excited to read this book because the premise was so interesting to me. Plus, books about bookstores are such a treat. I found this book difficult to get into. I didn’t understand what was happening. I probably would have DNF’d if I hadn’t received this from NetGalley. That said, it really started to come together at the end for me. That was where it felt the strongest and I felt more connected to the characters. Finally, we were in the bookstore interacting with authors and customers!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperMuse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but sadly this fell so short. I was so disinterested in where the story was going and the characters.

The whole doomsday aspect was weird and off putting.

I am a huge fan of books about books, libraries, bookstores, authors, and other bookish people or places, so had high hopes for Bookish People. I have mixed feelings about this one. This story is set in an independent bookstore owned by Sophie Bernstein, and she is burned out. She is mourning the loss of her husband, her favourite store manager is leaving, and the world looks grim. She just wants to hide, but things don't work out that way. Clemi is the bookstore's event's manager and has booked in poet Raymond Chaucer, who is rumoured to have driven his wife to suicide. All the other bookstores on the tour have cancelled, but Clemi wants to give him a chance. She actually wants to meet him as she believes her might be her biological father, and this might be her only chance to find out. Sophie is worried about the backlash from the public, but lets Clemi move forward. From there, the story is full of vignettes that might fit together, but seem to be disconnected. Will Raymond Chaucer appear? Is he Clemi's father?

I really wanted to like this book, but it was just "meh" for me. There is so much going on in this book, it was confusing. There is a broken vacuum cleaner, a pet tortoise that is kept in a closet, people protesting dressed up as cats? and more. We do see the daily workings of an independent bookstore with customer interactions and mishaps, scheduling issues, inventory issues, unread galleys piling up, authors and publishers and aspiring authors with whom Sophie interacts as well as personal issues that cause some angst. I liked the premise of this book, but it didn't deliver for me. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and some interesting characters and that is what made me continue reading until the end, but it was not a standout for me. Remember, this is just my opinion, so if the synopsis interests you, you might still want to grab a copy and give it a go.

Successful independent bookstore owner Sophie Bernstein is officially burned out. She’s over people, social interactions, sugar coating things, technology, her family, and even books. Meanwhile her event coordinator for the store, Clemi, has her own odd circumstances and agenda running. Successful and yet controversial poet Raymond Chaucer has been causing quite the stir on the airwaves amidst the bizarre death of his wife and all his appearances have been cancelled but one - the one at Sophie’s bookstore. A series of crazy and comical yet frustrating events lead to an unforgettable night.

This was a fun and amusing read. Sophie strapping her vacuum cleaner in so her car remote would be in the car is such a relatable thing when life is just not going according to plan. A different genre for sure but this comedy and writing style reminded me of the Finlay Donovan series which is one of my favorites and also centered around a bookstore, one of my favorite places on earth. A solid vacation read, and I also highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator does a fantastic job.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am obsessed with this cover and I loved the premise but the writing just didn't do it for me. The books, and falling in love in DC were a treat.

Maybe it’s because I work in a bookstore but I really loved this novel.
Sophie is a bookstore owner who is recently widowed and just wants to hide away in a back room and leave the pressures of running a bookstore behind. Clemi, the events manager, finds it hard to keep up with all the demands of her job - appeasing customers and making sure author visits go smoothly despite her guests being controversial and mildly neurotic. Both women are “bookish people” who love books but they’re burned out by it all. This story is funny, satirical, quirky, and well-paced with characters to cheer for.

I tried really really hard to finish this book, but I didn’t. The internal thoughts of each character just kept going and going and I’m not sure it was relevant to the plot.

Susan Coll’s Bookish people is a cute book that grapples with some heavy topics. The book was character rich!

The story takes place in a Washington DC book store. I really enjoyed this book because it brought back sweet memories for me. I used to travel to DC regularly for work and would go to independently owned bookstores in the evening!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the digital advanced readers copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.