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.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

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.

Bookish People...you tempted me with your cover!! Don't forget the blurbs/description that sold this as a romantic comedy. Well, I read through quite a few Anne Frank references and current events references that are causing a mental collapse in our heroine. This was so intense and sad that I could not continue reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

This book is adorable! A light, easy read that was very enjoyable. The best part about it was the characters, I really got invested in their stories.

Bookish People had an excellent premise of the day to day events in an independent bookstore, unfortunately it does not translate into text as well as it would have on screen. There was a fun cast of characters and a I loved how they all came together for a big event surrounding a controversial author. In the end, I found the characters one dimensional, except for Sophie who was written to include every Jewish trope in existence. Sophie could have been written as a proud Jewish woman, but instead was made to be the punchline to every joke,

Rating: I was incredibly disappointed in this book. It had so much potential, but was slow moving with characters who had very few redeeming qualities. With some tweaking and giving the characters more substance could have ,Adele this book exceptional.

The title of the book Did. It. For. Me. I knew right away I wanted to add this to my "to read" pile. The cover is everything. I was so so excited to dive into this one as soon as I was able. My excitement soon turned to disappointment however. For me, the book was boring making it hard to follow along at times. I think I was checked out pretty early on. I definitely was hoping for more out of this one!