... this was a book I had to sit and process for a few minutes after it was over.

It was beautiful and sweet and the writing structure and the locution were incredible. It depicted a wonderful, heartwarming story and truly illustrated how great books are (and the person who guides them).

There's not much else left to say other than I loved it. I was instantly attached to both Carl and Schascha, and their dynamic was sweet and very entertaining. Think Carl and Russell from the movie Up, especially in the beginning.

I wish it was longer. That there was a little more depth and/or closure to the side characters, because we see Carl/Schascha's initial effect, and then that's it, the story is over for them. And I get the appeal, it does work for the story, so it's mostly personal preference that just wants to see them at least one more time.

And the new owner of the bookstore! Carl's friend's daughter. I was expecting... more of her character and was disappointed she didn't get the ending the other side characters did. I thought for sure the people we met at the actual bookstore would also have been touched by Carl/Schascha.

thank you Netgalley for the free copy

United States Publication: July 4, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
Octogenarian Carl Kollhoff hand-delivers books to customers of the bookstore that he has worked at for most of his adult life. The deliveries he makes each day are the highlight of, well, his life. Having no partner and no children, Carl treasures the small interactions he has with his customers. But the number of orders is diminishing and the new management seems to want to let Carl go. Struggling to prove his job still makes a difference, Carl is joined by a 9-year-old girl who is looking for companionship and chooses him to attach to. At first, Carl is reluctant to let her join him on his route but quickly she wins her way into not just Carl's heart but the hearts of his, now their, customers. But forces work against Carl and soon he finds himself jobless and without the companionship of his customers and his 9-year-old friend. Struggling to keep a community alive in the fast-paced world of today and in the face of technology that replaces the human touch, Carl and his friends learn to reach out to one another and build important connections.

This is a really lovely story about the companionship of both people and books in life and the way we can become and remain connected to one another. Henn took the opportunity to explore the truism that we don't really know what's going on behind closed doors and what secret struggles and fears people are addressing and unknowingly asking for help about. He employs Carl and his young friend to deduct the truth of people in hiding and find creative resolutions that not only benefit the receiver but the giver as well. He builds on the truth that we are all here to help one another and we all need help from others.

What a sweet book! This was the perfect cozy read for a gloomy Sunday morning.

This book was effortless, whimsical, and light. Carl and Schascha’s dynamic was highly entertaining, reminiscent of Carl and Russell from <I>Up</I>. The supporting cast of characters, all given literary names by their favorite Book Walker, are interesting and eclectic.

An excellent feel good book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hanover Square Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is incredibly charming. I just adored it. Who doesn’t love a story about books and friendship?! The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn is for readers who love hopeful stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Meet Carl Christian Kollhoff. He is an elderly bookseller who delivers his recommendations door-to-door in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the alleys of his hometown. Unexpectedly losing his job, will the power of books and the friendship of a nine-year-old girl help Carl find the courage to rebuild?

I cannot stress enough how beneficial it would be to add this book to your summer reading list. After reading this beautiful story, it’s easy to see how it has become a bestselling international phenomenon. Henn beautifully portrays what it is to love and get lost in books and the stories within them. The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a story I will be rereading for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hanover Square Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

The premise of this story is sweet. I’m assuming this is a translation to English and while the flow is not bad, it’s definitely choppy in some areas.

I’m also slightly unease about relationship between a 9 year old and an older gentleman, so I’m not sure if that also comes across differently through the translated text.

Ultimately, this story shows the power of books and the friendship that can happen over a shared interest like books.

Thank you so much to Harlequin and Hanover Square press for the ARC.

This one sounded so cute and fun and the cover is adorable. I was so eager to dive in and while it started out promising, it didn't hold my attention no matter how hard I tried. I see now it's compared to A Man Called Ove and Midnight Library and I was the rare exception that didn't like either of those, so I'll probably be the odd one out with this one and it will be a big hit.

It will be available for purchase on July 4th.

A lovely and heartwarming short novel about readers, books, friendship, and taking care of one another, The Door-to-Door Bookstore charmed me immensely. The writing is engaging, and I didn’t want to put it down once I started it.

Carl and the other main characters are wonderful, as you get to know them throughout your reading.

In spite of some intensely unlikable characters and a few messages that didn't work for me -
* Carl buys wine because of a stressful day, and then decides on two bottles, because extra stress - alcohol as a coping mechanism isn’t a message that personally appeals.
* a young girl is told by Carl that he thinks a schoolmate likes her because he pushed her. This is also a message that doesn't work for me.

This was a story that I adored and truly enjoyed my time reading it.

Recommended!



Favorite quotes -

“Carl made a point of never lying. Send a lie out into the world, and you can never retrieve it.”

"He had last read it twenty-five years ago, and was in the habit of reopening each of his books every quarter century, to see whether they had anything new to tell him."

"Even when an extraordinary book ends at precisely the right point, with precisely the right words, and anything further would only destroy that perfection, it still leaves us wanting more pages. That is the schizophrenia of reading."

I found this book to be absolutely charming and immensely readable! I loved all of the main characters except for Effie‘s husband . . . and found the writing to be sincere, and the storyline quite believable. If you believe in the power of books to heal and change lives, along with the power of kindness, imagination and community, you’ll love this very special story.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This short novel is packed full of wonderful characters engagingly portrayed. This story is about an elderly man who works at his bookstore whose job these days is delivering books by hand to a small eccentric group of customers. He's pounced upon by a nine-year-old girl who begins accompanying him unasked on his rounds and changes his life and that of his customers.

I couldn't put down this book with its lovely writing, compelling characters, and a plot that is exciting in a gentle way that's perfectly in keeping with the wonderful protagonist.

Pure enjoyment! One of my favorite reads this year! Carl’s story is such a roller coaster of emotion you cannot help but fall in love with this older gentleman who just wants to deliver books to his customers. From choking back tears to laughing out loud this book will grab you by the heart strings and not let go. I cannot wait to get a physical copy just as Carl would want me to!!! Wonderful, lovely and amazing!

What a lovely story of friendship and community and the power of books to connect us. Great characters and a beautiful style, this was a quick but memorable read.

A feel good charming gem of a story involving books, friendships, and not knowing what you need until you get it. Carl is a delightful character.

Thanks so much to Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Carl is a small town bookseller. He has a magnificient gift of matching people with the right books. He delivers them after hours. He then loses his job. He and a little girl have befriended each other and they need each other.

So many quirky characters! I loved how this emphasized the love of books. Such a magical story, and you know I'm a sucker for a story about an old man. There were so many touching lines in this book and I'm grateful to have read it.

This book is about Carl who is an older gentleman who works in his old friend's bookstore, now taken over by his friend's daughter. Carl actually has a special role in this store. He delivers books to certain customers by walking around town.. One day, he is joined by a little girl who becomes the friend Carl didn't even know he needed, in more ways than one. Times, they are a changing, and we need our loved ones to get by. Suffice to say, this is a story about friends, forgiveness and looking out for one another.

I think there might be something magical about this book. Here's why. There are so many times I am reading an e-book and I look down and I see I have a lot more to go percentage wise. As I was reading, I got very invested in these characters, looked down at the percentage left and was astonished to see that I was almost finished. I was floored. How did this happen? I don't know except to say that there must be some magic going on here. I really loved it. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher.

"The Door-to-Door Bookstore" is intricate and full of treasures. Books, friendship, being seen, and belonging are some of its themes. Recommended for book and library lovers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #TheDoortoDoorBookstore #NetGalley

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Carl delivered books for City Gate to the last customers who ordered them for delivery. He knew what they liked and he chose the books for them. Until the day that Schascha came along side him and changed not only his life but the lives of the people to whom he delivered books.
This book is about books and the people who love them, even though they might not read them right through to the end or they can't read them at all. There is a right book for every person and some people need help to find it.
Henn's characters are real people doing real things. I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC; the opinions are mine and I was not compensated for them.

“The Door-to-Door Bookstore” by Carsten Henn is an amazingly sweet book. I can understand why readers are comparing it to “A Man Called Ove” because the writing style reminded me a lot of Fredrik Backman’s. Others have explained the plot - an elderly man is a courier for a bookstore and on his travels meets a nine year old girl who brightens and expands his world that bit more. I, personally, cannot imagine my life without books, so some of the asides about how precious books are hit me hard. There was a great line about how there have to be different books because not everyone is the same, so what one may love another may dislike (yes!). This is a very wholesome and heartwarming book. There are a number of great lines - or maybe asides might be a better phrase - that were touching and humorous. The only reason didn’t book didn’t get a stunning five stars was that one section, albeit a short one, seemed to be added for “action” and potential drama - and overall the story didn’t really need it. In fact, that little bit took me out of the story world created. I also wasn’t too thrilled with one character being “a bad person” just because; I understand that everyone grieves differently, but with that character it didn’t feel genuine (one of the few false steps in this book). Overall, if you want to read a really well thought out book that may put a smile on your face and give you Backman vibes, do pick this book up. You’ll be glad you did.

Charming is an appropriate word to describe this gem of a story. The story is somewhat familiar - older person who is essentially alone makes a much younger friend who transforms their life, picking up more new friends along the way, ultimately transforming everyone’s life. If you enjoy feel-good, inter-generational stories, this one is for you.

I really liked Carl and his connection to all the different characters. I loved his love for books and how he knew the books people needed.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC