This is such a beautifully written book. When I say I couldn't put it down I really mean it. I read the whole thing in one sitting.

The only thing I would criticise about it is I would have loved a list at the end of every book mentioned in it. It just means I will have to reread it to make my own list.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc to review.
This book was enchanting. I loved the way Ella and her mother Sally’s relationship grew closer and their hearts mended their broken edges. All of the literary references were well done and always a favourite part of novels such as these.

My favourite book of 2024 so far. I am only sorry that for a variety of reasons that I didn’t get the chance to read and review my Netgalley copy before it’s publication date.

The book is a beautifully written, emotive story about the power of love, friendship, community and most of all the enduring power of words given to us through literature of all genres where words reach us all with understanding and love.

This is a wonderful story of mother and daughter dynamics. Family doesn't always mean blood. Sally lives alone after her daughter fled to Australia. But she is active in the community and appreciated by many. For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.
Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.
But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-two years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.
Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew.
She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow…

I did not get hooked to the characters The storyline was a bit slow for my taste. I did try to pick it up a few times but just could not keep going. I think if I was in a different mood maybe I would have carried on reading

Every year on her estranged daughter’s birthday Sally adds a new book to her library with a special inscription written just for her. Although Sally doesn’t know if her daughter Ella will ever read the books or the inscriptions, she keeps faithfully adding to the library. Then an accident occurs and Ella must travel from her home in Australia back to her home in England to care for her mother. Now the two have to face the issues that have kept them apart for so long. Honest, tender and heartbreaking at times, this is a good book for clubs and mothers/daughters to read. I enjoyed reading it. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable. The plot is one that is engaging and I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Every year on her daughters birthday, Sally adds a book to a library. So far there is 42 books. Each book has something written in it as well, from a mother to her daughter.

So far there is 42 books, but the daughter, Ella doesn’t know these books exist. Ella is on the other side of the world. Estranged from her mother for 22 years.

However, an accident brings Ella back home and she not only discovers her mother is much changed, has developed her own family out of the community around her but that she always remembered her daughter on her birthday. Ella starts to realise what being a mother is like and reflects on the relationship she is creating with her own daughter.

Ella is not a pleasant character and although she went on the so called ‘journey’ that is sometimes a trope within books as this, I didn’t warm to her by the end either. That said, writing a character that can have that sort of effect on the reader is skilful. Sally on the other hand I was invested in from the very beginning and there was some beautiful moments with the secondary characters.

A book about books, their importance but the people behind them, that purchase them, gift them and read them. What memories do gifted books mean to you?

Such a lovely story.

Sometimes the path between Mother and daughter can reach a crevice where the relationship can break down.
At times it is difficult to be a parent and we get it wrong. At times too, the daughter may handle things not quite right.
But one sure thing remains, love. Maybe just not understanding.

Each year this Mom adds a relevant book onto her shelf for her daughter and inside she rights a meaningful inscription. She faithfully does this although her daughter left home and she has a new life. Later with a family of her own.

She lives abroad but has to return home as her Mother has had an accident. She’s needed.

From there on the story unfolds.

It’s a reawakening of love, relationships, understandings, faults and complications which I was totally invested in.

I “read” this by listening on audio from Netgalley and the time just slipped away from me.

I think this author is new to me so I’m going to see if she has back listed books. Love her way of telling this relationship it just flowed so fluently.

If you like family type stories with complicated and complex dynamics you may enjoy this one.

An absolute gem of a book that left me utterly enchanted. From the moment I cracked open its pages, I was transported into a world where memories are not just fleeting moments but cherished treasures stored away for safekeeping. Storey's writing is nothing short of magical. She effortlessly paints vivid scenes with her words, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the quaint charm of the Memory Library—a place where memories come alive and stories unfold with every turn of the page. "The Memory Library" is a luminous tale that will stay with me long after I've turned the final page. Kate Storey has crafted a masterpiece that celebrates the beauty of memory and the timeless bonds that connect us all. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone seeking a captivating and uplifting read. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Avon Books UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

A gentle, feel-good, contemporary novel about second (and maybe even third) chances, friendship, family, relationships and the magical power of books. I absolutely adored the idea of the Memory Library, and the books that were brought up throughout too. There are firm literary roots growing through every chapter and that was just lovely.

It’s an easy read with an underlying air of mystery, you may or may not unravel it before the reveal, but it’s a gentle one and it doesn’t detract from this being predominantly a contemporary read. There’s a light romance, some complicated themes but touched upon lightly enough to keep this enjoyable and not heavy. Brilliant characters (aside from ‘Meh’ point below!) delightful community spirit and of course, literary connections.

My only ‘meh’ thing about this book? Ella’s character. Usually I’m completely supportive of characters that as a reader, we love to hate. After all, real life traits in books rather than picture-perfect-sugar-coated lives is really important. But there was just something about Ella that I never really got over and I think it was her tendency to play the ‘If I were queen of the world’ game. It wasn’t endearing and just served to remind me as a reader of her self-centred approach to life. She, as a character, is just about tolerable. However, the relationship that blossoms between her and * other characters * saves the day.

Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-two years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.

Written with humanity and deep emotion, Kate’s Storey’s The Memory Library is affecting and enlightening. Steeped in love of many kinds with a beautifully explored need for human connection, and an underpinning theme of books and literature, this is a story to break your heart and mend it again. I absolutely adored it!

Pro-tip: Read with a box of tissues...you will need it!

The Memory Library explores a relationship between mother and daughter. The daughter has given her mother the cold shoulder for years due to suspected betrayal. When the mother falls ill, the daughter flies to the UK from Australia to take care of her. The story follows their time together as they try to repair their broken relationship.

I liked the idea of this book and I still like the idea of “The Memory Library.” However, I think that this book fell flat in its delivery. The characters were rather static and there just wasn’t enough heart warming content for me personally.

I see this book as something that many could relate to. I could see many people enjoying this, but it just wasn’t anything amazing for me.

An excellent read, which held my attention throughout. Sally was great, as was Charlie (and the cat whose name I can't remember). I disliked Ella at first, but she grew on me. How sad, to have had a rift for so many years because of a misunderstanding. I loved the book theme, and the sense of community in this story. The ending was well written. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a Nutshell: A feel-good contemporary novel about second chances, the power of friendship and the magic of books. Works pretty much as expected. No surprises herein. Unlikeable main character though, so be prepared with tons of patience to tolerate her.

Plot Preview:
Forty-two-year-old Ella has been in Australia for more than half of her life, having left Greenwich two decades ago after a major argument with her mother Sally, who now lives alone in Ella’s childhood home.
When Sally falls at home, Ella is forced to return to take care of her mother, not out of love but out of duty. However, once back home, she discovers something special that her mum has been working on all these years. But is one gesture enough to forgive the hurts of the past?
The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of the key characters, mostly from the present timeline.

Bookish Yays:
💐 Sally – loving, sacrificing, friendly, forgiving. And on top of that, a bibliophile. Sally’s character saves the book from being a thundercloud, courtesy Ella.
💐 The secondary characters, who include a drag queen and a Black young man with a wild Afro and a wilder fashion sense. Ella’s husband Charlie has a limited role but still leaves a mark.
💐 Hadron Collider the cat: With such a name, you can expect Hadron to be amazing, and he is. He also dislikes Ella, which proves what an excellent judge of character he is.
💐 The eponymous memory library, which comes out of a beautiful sentiment, and the actual public library in the book, which shows why libraries are the best!
💐 The ode to books, with various books being not just mentioned but also discussed. Some parts reminded me of Sara Nisha Adams’ “The Reading List”, but the bookish points are much better handled here.
💐 The community spirit, amply depicted in the close bond and the mutual assistance across the characters. These offer plenty of old-world vibes.
💐 The parenting related topics, especially the different standards applied to mothers and fathers and the problem of watching aging parents going through a health issue alone. The mother-daughter relationship between Sally and Ella also is beautiful once fixed.
💐 Plenty of quotable quotes and thought-provoking lines.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 Several themes are explored well: friendship, acceptance, family, found family, social support. But one annoying theme was that of miscommunication – too frequent and overused.
🌹 The prologue set on Ella’s eighth birthday provides a beautiful introduction to the story, but also provides a spoiler to the cause of the rift.
🌹 The pacing is on the slower side, and the plot also gets a bit repetitive in between. But it somehow works for the story as the emotions come out well.

Bookish Nays:
🌵 Ella – When I tell you that Ella’s routine habit is to play the game of 'If I was [sic] queen of the world’, you will understand what a self-centred and judgmental woman she is. We all know at least one such person, the kind sees only trouble in their lives and considers everyone else trouble makers. As a major chunk of the story comes to us from her third person perspective, it takes every iota of patience to tolerate her behaviour. I don’t mind unlikeable characters in fiction as long as their arc is realistic. The problem is that Ella’s turnaround becomes unconvincing because she isn’t presented with any redeeming qualities before.
🌵 I didn’t get why Ella counted uppity Prudence time and again as Sally’s friend even when it was clear that there was no love lost between them. This inclusion felt very forced.
🌵 “I want a man who writes me love letters.” – Never a fan of such idealised and over-romanticised requirements of what counts as love, especially for a couple married more than a decade. Love is so much more than material gestures.
🌵 The sappy ending (prior to the epilogue) didn’t work for me. It felt too neat. I get that this is what most readers would want from this genre – a picture-perfect finale, but it doesn’t work for me. I prefer more realistic endings.

Basically, there was nothing much to hate in this novel (except perhaps for Ella, but she too, as expected, improves by the end.) But there was nothing that blew me away as well. Except for the inclusion of the drag queen character (which I loved!!), there was nothing out of the ordinary here. It’s a nice read, but not a memorable one.

Recommended to those looking for a story of second chances with family and the power of books. It ought to work well for book club discussions because of the characters, the bookish chats, and the themes.

3.5 stars, rounding up because it will work better for the right reader. This is a heart-read, not a head-read.

My thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Memory Library”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I really enjoyed this book and I could see my patrons loving it as well. I will definitely recommend my library order this book for circulation purposes!

This is a book about life and family, about what you believe and what is true, about friendships and most importantly about being able to change and to listen. This is Ella and Sally's story which gets right to the heart of relationship breakdowns and being able to come back together in tough times.

Best of all this story is about books, quotes from books and how books can be your best friends, can help you grow and understand and can bring people together. I really enjoyed this story as in some ways it hit home and I would think it would hit home with most people as we all have aging parents who at times might need our help but also at times we may need theirs.

A great read, a great story and I highly recommend it as it will touch your heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the chance to read this book.

This is a really heartwarming story about forgiveness, love, and second chances.
Ella left home at 18 and has barely been back since after feeling that her mother betrayed her. When she is forced to come home many years later, she must face up to the truth and find a new path forward.
There are so many lovable characters in this story. It's such a pleasure to read.

A beautiful and heartwarming read. This is the kind of book that brings out many emotions and is a nice flowing read. Good characters in a lovely story

What a wonderful story, made better if you also have a love of books. Ella finds out a lot about herself and the past to help her make new plans and a new love for the people close to her. This was a pleasure to read, and also a brilliant idea that will encourage reading from an early age. The characters were so well suited to this moving story as it all just flowed as things fell into place eventually. Will the library recover or be gone forever, this is a story about rebuilding, not only places but also people and their relationships. It will give you an understanding of the pain in putting things back together, I enjoyed reading this very much and recommend it.