The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

Sara has recently lost her job and now she is starting to question her own life choices. She's always found books to be a great distraction from a world she considers not worth being part of, but more and more she's beginning to wonder what hiding behind books has really given her. What if all that time spent hiding from heart ache and pain has kept her from experiencing life? It's with this mindset Sara decides to take a risk and do something completely out of her element: she's going to America! Sara travels all the way to Broken Wheel, USA to meet her pen pal and fellow book lover Amy for the first time. Unfortunately, the trip doesn't work out at all how she planned but slowly the quirky town works it's way under her skin and leads her on a path to self discovery.
Readers of The Broken Wheel Recommend is a story about pen pals, friendship, self discovery and loss. Sara is the every-woman of book nerds everywhere who hide behind a book cover whenever life gets difficult.

I found this book intelligently written with eloquent words and fantastic imagery. I loved the author's tone. The characters were incredibly complex with long histories that affected the lives of each character uniquely. I found myself feeling empathy for poor George who fell into alcoholism following the breakup of his family, causing him to lose his only daughter. I felt tortured for poor Caroline who, although extremely loud and over religious, was a woman who regretted never meeting "The One". I even grieved the passing of Amy through reading the letters Sara and Amy shared over their brief friendship. It is so very rare to meet someone who truly understands you and Amy's sudden departure before Sara could meet her caused tremendous pain.

I found the epistolary method employed by Bivald while transitioning between chapters genius because it slowly develops Amy and Sara's relationship throughout the book while often highlighting town relationships explored in the next chapter. Mostly I loved this method because by the end the reader has developed an emotional connection to Amy and Sara's friendship so that the last letter pretty much gives you the big "Feels".

Sara sighed. It was like trying to change an unhappy ending in a book. However much you tried to convince yourself that things could end differently if only you could get rid of the sadistic bungler of an author, it was all still there in the back of your mind.

This is a story about a woman who learns to live outside her books and live life. Its about a woman who learns to distinguish literature from reality and the profound difference that makes in enjoying one's life. Who knew opening a book store in a small town in a foreign country could have such a profound effect on so many individuals? Sara and her bookshop, The Oak Tree Bookstore, changes not only the lives of each person in Broken Wheel in positive ways, but also begins the resurrection of a once dead town fighting for its last breath. It was heartbreaking and inspiring experience to read The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.
Honestly, this review doesn't even come close to how I feel about this book. I don't think I possess the writing skill to really convey how much I loved this book.

Dewey used to take naps in the box of library cards, in the box of return forms and the box of tissues, and on visitors’ laps or in their briefcases. When people started turning up to use the library’s computer to look for jobs that didn’t exist, he sat on their knees.

I want to think that it helped.

This book would appeal to readers who enjoy stories about friendship, self discovery, recovery and small town America. I would only suggest reading this if you want to feel deep, powerful emotions and have a deep respect for books. A definite chick lit novel with a variety of characters and a surprisingly accurate depiction of small town America (or so I think, I'm not actually from a small American town).

I loved this little story about Sarah, who comes from Sweden to visit her pen pal in Broken Wheel, Iowa. Upon arrival in the small town that is slowly dying, Sarah discovers that her friend, Amy, has passed. The town immediately takes her in and takes care of her. Unsure how to pay back their kindness when the town refuses to let her pay for anything, she opens a bookstore with all of the books that Amy left behind.

The story is sweet, a bit on the long side and certainly not very surprising or deep, but you will be charmed by the people of Broken Wheel and Sarah. There is a lot of discussion about the books that Sarah and Amy like to read as well as books they recommend to those in the town. I find it amusing that the books range from "classics" to romance novels. There is something for everyone!

I do like the comparisons of this book to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, as well as The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry . This sweet bookish book does a beautiful job portraying a town that appears to be dying - but with the infusion of a new visitor, book store and busy-bodies determined to mind everyone's business but their own - a new life is infused in the town and its residents.

This was a fantastic book, fun to read, and easy to love the characters. Loved it!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sara is a shy, withdrawn Swedish woman who lives through the books she loves. She develops a long distance correspondence with an American woman from a small town who also adores books. Sara decides to visit her friend, Amy but when she gets to Broken Wheel Sara finds out that Amy has passed away. This book has so many layers that it is hard to decide what the book is exactly about. It is not only a love story but is also an examination of small town life and people and the joys and regrets that their choices bring them. It is also a tribute to books. I found myself wanting to visit the bookstore and Broken Wheel.

This book starts out softly and slowly. I enjoyed how the writer peeled out the story with each chapter. It's a revelation on the citizens of Broken Wheel as I read on. The letters provide enough flashback and background information. There are chapters that seems a bit tedious but, overall, it's a really really enjoyable read

Somewhat to my surprise, I loved this book. I was persuaded to try it by good reviews, but approached it with caution because it could well have been dreadful. Young foreign woman arrives in a dying small town, opens a bookshop, brings new life to both the town and herself and forms attraction to young man which Keeps Going Wrong – it has the sound of a worn-out, sentimental load of cliché-ed nonsense. In fact it is funny, rather insightful and absolutely charming without being in any way twee.

Katerina Bivald paints excellent pictures of her characters. I found them wholly believable, recognisable in many cases and drawn with insight and compassion. Even some of those who would be hard to like in real life are generally pictured with understanding and often with wit. She also draws an evocative picture of a small farming town dying as a result of economic hardship and the rise of conglomerates driving family farms out of business and people away from the area – and of hope that it can be saved. These aspects gave the book a real base of thought on which to build what is essentially a feel-good Romantic Comedy.

Bivald is also excellent on the pleasures and effects of books on the people who read them. There are elements of 84 Charing Cross Road, The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society and others here – and Bivald neatly makes reference to them with a lovely light touch to let you know that she knows what she's doing. She does this very cleverly and subtly with other books, too; some time after finishing the book I suddenly realised that her early references to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre weren't coincidental, for example. It's beautifully done.

The book is extremely readable – for which translator Alice Menzies deserves immense credit, too, because she has done a superb job. I found myself utterly captivated, quite often laughing out loud (especially later in the book where humour based on established characters we now know well really comes into its own) and also enjoying both the insights into character and the occasional bit of homespun wisdom, like, "I think that life and sorrow go together like farmers and rain: without a little, nothing will grow."

I'm not that easily charmed these days but I found this book a complete delight. I can recommend it very warmly.

(I received an ARC via Netgalley.)

This was such a heartwarming and enjoyable read!!! Once I started this book I was captivated by Sara and the small little town of Broken Wheel, Iowa!

Sara traveled all the way from Sweden to finally come face to face with her long time pen pal, Amy. The two of them had exchanged letters initially based on their mutual love of books, but eventually they wrote about their everyday lives. Upon Sara's arrival she is informed that Amy has very recently passed away!! Strangely enough Amy had informed the townspeople of Sara's pending visit and has made sure that everyone welcome her, she also insisted Sara stay at her house. At first Sara thinks staying at a recently deceased pen pal's home may not be the best idea, but at the encouragement from the townspeople she reluctantly agrees to stay.

Broken Wheel never ever has visitors. The entire town seems to be falling apart at the seams and has become a shell of what it once was. The town council has made it their mission to try and convince Sara to stay. Sara had always thought of herself as plain, ordinary and nothing special, so she is a little surprised when the locals go out of their way to accommodate her. Throughout the book it becomes plainly obvious that Sara isn't ordinary at all, she is extraordinary, and ends up flourishing in little old town of Broken Wheel, Iowa!! The town is so kind and welcoming to her, and I love the way Sara decides to repay their kindness!

I loved what Katarina Bivald has created for us in The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend! I thought it was perfect how the story was told in present day, but also including the letters that Amy had written Sara throughout the years to give us the reader their entire backstory. Through Sara's eyes we get to see the people and places Amy had talked about in those letters. All of the amazing characters add so much to this already rich storyline. It seemed to me that Sara was Amy's farewell gift to the town and people she so dearly loved. This is a complete 5 star book for me and I am looking forward to reading more Katarina Bivald books in the future!! If you are looking for an entertaining book that just makes your heart happy, then definitely 1-click this book!!!

I want to thank Katarina Bivald, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing us this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet book. Easy to read, easy to love. You just want to be friends with Sara and be on the receiving end of one of her book recommendations.

I enjoyed this book - I'm a fan of books about books and, even though I could have done without the romance element, I would happily recommend it.

Quite simply I loved this book. Beautifully written, wonderful concept and brilliantly defined characters. Broken Wheel sounds, and is a remote rural community buried deep in Iowa, at risk of disappearing altogether until Sara comes along and brings books into everyone's' lives with her sunshine-yellow painted bookshop. This novel will leave every reader feeling happier about the world and truly deserves the widest readership possible so go out and get yourself a copy today.

This is a charming story about the power of books and community. When Sara arrives from Sweden, expecting to stay with her book-loving penfriend Amy, she finds that Amy has died, leaving behind her a sad small-town community in a dying town in Iowa. As Sara finds her place in Amy’s house, with Amy’s books, and opens a bookshop, the town gradually transforms, with the subtle help of the books Sara finds for each of them. In return, as the time draws near for Sara to return to Sweden, the town becomes a matchmaker. This is a book for book lovers, and for readers who enjoyed "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

I enjoyed this book as pure escapism. The main character, Sara, travels from Sweden to meet her elderly pen pal, who has since passed away. Upon arriving in Broken Wheel, the towns people embrace her, help her start a book store, and fix her up with a handsome man - despite her lack of social graces and severe introversion. This is really every book lover's fantasy. While I struggled to suspend my disbelief, this book is charmingly written and just a lovely story. It would be charming for readers of Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Wow, I loved this gentle, charming story, so much that I read it in one sitting. A great first novel from an author to watch.

Amy, a book lover, lives in Broken Wheel, Iowa. Sara is in Sweden and the two women will strike a friendship over land and ocean, about books at first, about life and everything with time. When the bookstore where Sara was working closes, it seems the most natural thing to visit the much older Amy. But when Sara, after a long trip gets to Hope, the neighbor town, she learns Amy has just died.
What to do now? just go back? Sara still wants to learn more about Amy, and when Amy's friends and neighbors tell her to stay a while in Amy's house, she finally accepts. Not to feel useless, she works and organizes Amy's books, a lot of them. She decides to give some to people matching the book, and before she knows, she has turned Amy's house into a library and a bookstore. Even people form Hope come and ask for books!
So far, Sara has only loved books. Her stay in Broken Wheel makes her discover people, some very unusual, some just plainly normal, and of course, somewhere along, love.
The story in itself has been used a lot before, but Bivald spices it up with the characters living in Broken Wheels or around. Some gays, some lovers, an alcoholic, et al. Add an age long rivalry between Broken Wheels and Hope, and top it with Sara's own discovery of love. The resulting mixture is charming, pleasant to read and a bit surreal.
It must be noted that people are the same, anywhere in the world. The author had never been in the US before writing this book, and still, she creates a very believable small American village. Morality, deep inside, the USA and Europe are very much alike.

More like 4,5*, actually.

This is a book about books. Therefore, this book is amazing for everyone that loves books, especially classics. I fall in that category and I loved all the references, though sometimes they got a bit spoiler-y.

Sara’s life is fully dedicated to books. She works in a bookstore by day and reads by night. It’s good, and she’s happy, until the bookstore goes bankrupt. Suddenly she doesn’t know what to do with her life anymore, so she decides to take a break to visit her pen pal in Broken Wheel, Iowa. But things don’t exactly go as planned..

This is not a book full of action. That said, it is not boring at all! The story follows a quiet, dying town that is woken up when a tourist arrives and the reader learns about many well-written and realistic characters. The light and funny writing style makes it a very enjoyable beach-read!
The only aspect of this book that I didn’t enjoy as much is the romantic element. That’s just my opinion though, most people would actually like that and so this book definitely deserves its 4,5 stars!
And can Sara recommend me a book, please?

This is a really sweet read.

The Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend was everything that the book reviews I had read previously had promised it would be. A sweet novel about a bookworm finally venturing out into the world she had only dreamt about, only for it not to go exactly according to plan. This book is about more than just Sara though. It is about a town that is dying and the people who refuse to give up on it. Being Aussie and having no idea what small towns are really like, this book was everything that I imagined small towns really are; close knit and all up in each others business. Which, if what I read is correct, is fantastically written seeing as the author has never been to a small town in the US.
The inhabitance of Broken Wheel and their interactions with Sara make this book funny, warm and sweet. I liked getting to know a bit about each of them and I love how Sara's appearance in their town gives them some hope.
I think my only . . . non-complimentary thing to say about this book is that I found it a little too hard to connect with the characters. I found that there was so much being said about their lives and about their history and their lives that I felt a little disconnected from them. I knew a lot about them but there was still a slight disconnect there. They fell a little flat to me.

What happens when an avowed reader, perhaps living inside her books instead of taking chances to live her own life uproots herself on a grand adventure? Sara is that bookworm, always retreating to books and stories, but now, she’s wondering just what might be beyond the pages. Her pen-pal, Amy, from the far away Broken Wheel Iowa just may be a safer option.

So, Sara packs up and leaves Sweden for Iowa, only to find her friend has just been buried. What follows is Sara’s slow transition from outsider to member of the community as she introduces the people of Broken Wheel to the wonders that can be found in the pages of a book.

Slowly unfurling, Bivald introduces us to the town and townsfolk in a combination of interactions and revelations from the woman’s long correspondence. While not a barn-burner of a story, the imagery and relatability of each character shines through, all of us who love to hide in a good book when life is overwhelming will find many common and familiar themes. Using prose that is both imaginative and emotional, you are drawn into the friendship and the importance it occupied in both women’s lives. As Sara finds comfort and camaraderie in the town, she also learns to overcome her own fears and trepidations about life and the choices, realizing that sometimes endings just are, not always just what you want.

A lovely story that captures emotions and feelings about reading that go no small distance in explaining the need that readers, voracious readers, have for their book time. A slow grower that packs several emotional ups and downs throughout, ends with a satisfying sigh and plenty of warm feelings.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend was unexpectedly delightful. While I'm always wary of "books for book people" this one had enough entertaining twists and different character perspectives to keep it entertaining.

Recently unemployed Sara has never left Sweden. Her family are uninterested, she has few friends and no love life. Not that she minds, she simply enjoys the adventures of others in books. When she buys a novel from an elderly American lady online, their correspondence and shared love of literature develop into friendship. With nothing going for her at home Sara packs her bags and heads to Broken Wheel, Iowa to visit her pen-pal, only to discover on arrival that Amy has died. Alone and unsure what to do Sara discovers that Broken Wheel is not the idyllic country town of Amy’s letters, but rather an unhappy place that seems to have given up hope. Determined to do something to repay the kindness of the town’s few remaining inhabitants Sara opens a book store, sure she can find ‘a person for every book. And a book for every person’. She quickly realises that she needs Broken Wheel as much as Broken Wheel needs her.

This sweet, whimsical story will resonate well with lovers of chick-lit and bibliophiles alike. Filled with likeable characters, from the recovering alcoholic George who discovers Bridget Jones’ Diary, to staunch, church-going Caroline, who is surprised by her enjoyment of gay erotica. But it is Sara’s development from someone who plays a secondary role in their own life to a valued and much loved member of a community that is the real heart of this story. Sure to be enjoyed in book clubs everywhere.

Sara from Sweden is so naive and loveable. No wonder the community so readily adopts her. Just the perfect amount of intrigue and romance. Unique yet typical characters make small town life seem so appealing. I'd travel miles to shop at her bookstore.

This was such a fun read! Book lovers will love all the book talk and the way Sara tries to get a book into the hands of all who live in the small midwestern town. Really a feel good book that I will recommend.

I love books about books. This book is especially wonderful with its heroines, a Swedish girl and her elderly correspondent. As the girl, Sara, writes, "Books are meant to be better than reality," a thought near and dear to my heart. Bivald's text refers to other books constantly, from Jane Austen to Harper Lee, she ranges far and wide in creating a home in the world of books, a home both literary and very, very personal. And although when Sara turns to Amy, arriving in this small town of Broken Wheel, from Sweden, Amy is very much with her as she opens a small bookshop (another fantasy I cherish!). And the book is filled with wonderful characters. Much as I hate "heartwarming" as praise, this book warms the heart in genuinely lively ways, and the mind (with all its literary references and clever writing) as well. And this stranger from far away will heal this broken town with her books and her love of them.
What more could you want?

A lovely easy-read of metafiction (a book about books). The writer uses this book to drop in all her philosophy about reading, using mainstream reads that most general readers will relate to. This makes it an entirely quotable book, a great one for Twitter. For instance "as long as she has money and books, nothing could be a catastrophe". It is real and honest about reading and other books - their power, theire ability to transport you, how they hold memories. Really this book has two functions - not just to be a great story in itself but also stand as a review of the author's other favourite books.

Broken Wheel is a world that just needs someone to introduce books into. Books = magic. The opening chapter is fantastic, like a book version of The Third Man - in just a few pages you have an entire (and believable) scenario: an interesting character (bookish Sara), a mystery (where is Amy her host?), a strange foreign situation (Sara is now stuck in another country). I love the multi-narratives, and the blend of romance, thoughtfulness, secrets, transformation and community spirit make a lovely little read.

If you like this, try the TV series 'Once Upon a Time' or 'Framed' by Frank Cottrell Boyce (the same premise but with art not books), or Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (for a phantom main character you never meet)

Imagine planning a trip to visit a friend and arriving at her house just as the funeral guests are leaving. Actually, I can't imagine what that would be like, and I'm grateful never to have had such an experience. But that is exactly how the story of Sara's visit to Broken Wheel begins. She has been pen pals with Amy (a resident of the town), and they have planned this visit, but Amy dies before Sara arrives. Now Sara is at loose ends. The bookshop she worked in back home in Sweden has closed, so she is between jobs. She is not particularly close to her sister and her parents were not wild about the idea of the trip. She has no really close friends or romantic ties to anyone back home, which was what had freed her to plan a 2-month visit with Amy in the first place. So she decides to stay for a while and spend some time in this town that she feels she already knows through Amy's letters. And the book lover in her comes out as she becomes acquainted with the townsfolk. She begins finding books for each of them: Grace, the fiercely independent woman with the gun below the counter of her diner; May and Gertrude, the older women who spend their time drinking coffee in the diner; Andy, the owner of the local bar; George, the town's reformed drunk; etc.

I've seen blurbs comparing this book to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but I have not read that title, so I can't say if those comparisons are accurate. I've also seen it compared to The Storied Life of A J Fikry, which I have read. That is a fair comparison, although the Fikry book had critiques of classic books in it, and the Broken Wheel story depends more on quotes from books or references to books. But both show a deep love of books and an understanding that "There's always a person for every book. And a book for very person." As Sara says, "They're meant to be better than reality. Bigger, funnier, more beautiful, more tragic, more romantic."

The story contains Amy's character through her letters to Sara, which precede each chapter and help us to know the people of Broken Wheel as Amy did. And Sara's idea to bring books to the townspeople is a carryover of her friendship with Amy and their common love of books. "She might not quite be a part of the town, but she had become a part of its history. And she swore to herself that she would force books on them before she was done here." Amy's nephew Tom sees why the friendship grew between the two women and advises Sara, "if you're going to get this lot to read, you're going to need to be more cunning."

The writing is so easy to read; it just flows along and before you know it, hours have gone by and the book is done. You find yourself sitting there and thinking of the characters as if they were real people that you might run into if you went out to the store. There is heartache, friendship, a bit of romance, humor, and lots of books - all in all a very good mix. Whether you enjoy books that have you laughing out loud, or stories where you may need to reach for a tissue, there is some of both in these pages. You may even want to dive right back in and read it again, just to figure out the answer to a question that comes up in the story, "What is it with this town?" Until you read it, you'll never know - and that would be a shame.

Thanks to NetGalley for the wonderful opportunity to read this book! I would definitely have not wanted to miss this one.

If you love books, this story is for you. Or maybe if you don't love books even, because this book is all about the magic of books and how books can transform lives.

Sara is a lonely girl in Sweden who works at a bookstore and has thousands of books but really no friends. She develops a pen pal relationship with Amy, an elderly woman in Broken Wheel, Iowa. We learn more about their relationship with Amy's letters sprinkled in among the chapters. Amy also sends American books to Sara that she wants her to read. We learn about Amy's opinions this way - upon sending To Kill a Mockingbird, Amy states that terrorism as we Americans think about it (Muslim people sending airplanes into buildings) is scarier in the form of people masquerading as good and then putting on the KKK hood.

Amy invites Sara to come to Iowa for a vacation to talk about books. When Sara arrives, she finds out that Amy has just died. The town is nothing like she imagined - a one stoplight town with all hope gone to the bigger city of Hope an hour away. However, the townspeople take responsibility for Sara and the fun begins.

Without spoiling any more of this delightful book, this is one that will definitely make you feel good. I kept a list of books that were discussed as ones to read in the future! A real gem.

Sometimes you just need to take a break from the thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, fantasy, and nonfiction books to just read a cozy, feel-good book. That is exactly what my plan was when I requested Katrina Bivald's Readers Of Broken Wheel Recommended: A Novel and that is exactly what I got!
This book is a mix of narrative and letters exchanged between Sara and her (now diseased) friend Amy. Bivald does a phenomenal job describing the town with its quirky, big-hearted, but opinionated residents. The character descriptions in this book are so vivid that it made me feel like I was a resident of Broken Wheel also. It's so full of charming, lovable characters.

Broken Wheel is a town on it's last leg. It is a town that is holding on to all it has known to save it from dying. The residents have their issues and quirks, but Sara feels she must somehow contribute to this town full of residents who have, for some reason, welcomed her with open arms. They don't allow her to pay for anything. Rent, groceries, etc. are all offered up free of charge. She decides to give back with what she knows best- books! She opens a bookstore of sort.

Sara is on a visa so she is not allowed to make money. She decides to open an exchange bookstore- a library for the town. She is determined to find a book that is a perfect fit for everyone, yet at the same time introduce them to a genre that is a bit out of their comfort zone. She has a huge love of books and her contagious book love spills over to the residents.

There are a few twists and turns that were surprising and made it easy to keep reading. Any good book needs a bit of mystery, adventure and a plot twist! I don't want to give too much away. If you need a relaxing, easy to follow, feel good, quick read, you need to pick this book up!

What a fun, quirky read.! Sara is better with books than people but she decides to come to Broken Wheel to visit a friend she has only communicated with via letters. An unforeseen situation occurs and Sara becomes very important to the crazy cast of characters in town. It was fun with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Anyone who loves books will love this one.

Sara is a reader. She lives in Sweden, has worked in a bookstore, and met a lady through a book purchase that she corresponded with in snail mail. Amy had sent her books to read that taught her more about people in the states and how much she could learn from reading. Sara decides to visit Amy at her invitation and sets out to meet this wonderful older woman who is now her friend.

Sourcebooks Landmark and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 1st.

She finds Broken Wheel is an almost vacant town. There is a diner and not much else. She waits patiently for Amy to come and get her. After all, she has her book and can read contently anywhere. After a while, a lady who has bought groceries tells her to go in the diner and ask about her there. The lady in the diner tells her Amy has died...

George, who is a sober drunk, drives her to the house Amy owned and the reception at the house after the funeral. Sara knows no one, isn't sure what to do, and is overwhelmed by Amy's death. They tell her she can use the house, Amy would have wanted it that way.

Sara knows a lot about the people in the town because Amy told her about them. She learns most everybody in town just bartered goods. She also finds out there's a vacant building there that Amy owned. She decides to start a bookshop and sell Amy's books. Sounds good, but the people of the town aren't readers. She decides to teach them to love books. That's only fair because they have something to teach her: all about love.

This is a sweet story with lots of books, meddlers and several side stories that add to an enjoyable story. Sara does find love, so all ends well.

Two book lovers, Amy from Broken Wheel, Iowa and Sara from Sweden, have corresponded for years. When Sara finally agrees to visit, many surprises await her in Broken Wheel. This novel is a perfect choice for book aficionados!

Sara, from Sweden, has a penpal and fellow booklover in Amy, from Broken Wheel, Iowa. Amy invites Sara to come visit her small town so they can meet in person. Broken Wheel doesn't have much to look forward to anymore since the town has gone the way of most small towns and died. But the residents that are left take care of one another. When Sara arrives she hides herself behind her books, as she usually does, because it is safer in the stories than out actually living life. But once she is taken to Amy's house and discovers she has passed away she doesn't know what to do. Her big trip to America seems ruined and she will just have to go back home to Sweden. But the town's residents take care of her and aim to keep her entertained since that is what Amy would've wanted.

Before long, Sara starts sharing her love of books with the town and the residents fall in love with her. Not only do they want to keep her there as a part of their town but she wants to stay as well. The town's residents have become not only her friends but a part of her family.

This story was very enjoyable and a light story to read during the cold winter months. The story will warm your heart with the way they treat the new arrival to town and take her as one of their own.

I was given an advanced ecopy through NetGalley from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald is a book that my fellow serialreaders would understand the best. It's a story of a reader who gets to live her own personal romance-novel-like life.

Sara travels from Sweden to a little town in America to meet her pen pal/fellow book lover, with whom she has exchanged letters and books for last two years, only to arrive on Amy's funeral.

Amy has told about her to a town people, so they quickly settle her in Amy's house, get her food, drinks, chauffeur, boyfriend candidate. Its all good and all so confusing and Sara wants to pay them somehow back.

So she uses Amy's books, her husbands old shop and gives them a bookshop. At firs nobody comes, then they start to visit, Sara starts to give everybody a book, she thinks is just right for that person ... and this little town that was almost dead still before Sara arrived, starts to live. Their neighboring town Hope gets the news about a bookshop and they come to take a look, and then Broken Wheel people also start to come and show that they are also interested in reading, and then they organize book sale and town fair and dance and ...

Sara has come just for two months and time is running out, but she does not want to go back to Sweden where nothing is waiting for her, and this little town also does not to lose its new young heart.

This book is filled with books, with unbelievable and interesting characters, witty jokes and fascinating love story.

Absolutely wonderful book for book lovers!

Sara travels from Sweden to small town Iowa to visit her pen pal Amy only to find out that Amy has died. As the town of Broken Wheel grieves, they nurture “the tourist” Sara and in turn, Sara loves the broken town. While books and stories to unite the charming characters, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is really about hope and belonging.

For me, this novel was an unexpected surprise. It is not plot-driven, but like sitting with a friend over tea as the relationship steeps. It requires patience. Investing in the people of Broken Wheel pays off, making them feel like friends. I did not expect to find such delight in small town Iowa. I would love to bring together the people of Broken Wheel with those in Stars Hollow and Pistoulet. I'd love to sit with them all and have tea.

Love it! Sweet, feel good story. Loved all the characters and the same town concept. Want to move to Broken Wheel.

Fitted in perfectly as my holiday read - fun.

3,5 starsI want to say that this was one of the sweetest books I read this year. I know sweet doesn’t really cut it when talking about books. But it is the word that pops into my head time and time again when I think about this book.
I have a kind of love hate with this book. I can’t help but love it because well it’s about books. The whole book is centred around other books. How they make you feel, how they can help you through hard times. How books can bring people together and chance their lives. As a huge booklover, how could I not love this book. And I adored all the little titbit information we got about writers, publishers and bookstores. The main character in this book is Sara, a lonely girl who hides behind her books. The only real friend she has is Amy, an older woman who lives in America. They write each other long letters and swap books that have a significant meaning to them. Sara might seems like a timid girl, but I actually think she is quite strong. She gets on a plane all on her own to stay with someone she only met on paper. I actually know that some people might think this a bit weird. But I myself have a pen pal and we have been writing to one another for many years. I would meet her in a blink of an eye if the opportunity presented itself. So yes, I think Sara is a very brave woman. She really explores her own boundaries and you see her grow throughout the book. She really starts to belong and love the little town of Broken Wheel. I also liked to other characters in the book. They are all a little stereotype, but at the same time quite realistic. Their backgrounds were thoroughly explored, what gave me the feeling that I really got to know and understand their actions. But at the same time the relationships between the characters seemed at times very weak. The only one I truly connected with were Caroline and Joey. I loved their storylines and was really invested in them. But the main love story in this novel feels so forced. I understand that the author wants to keep the “will it happen or not” feeling in the story. But it fell flat just because she brought the attraction down to almost nothing. How I am supposed to believe in this love when the main players had zero connection? Another point of irritation were the letters from Amy that are imbedded into the story every few chapters. I admit they were insightful and you learned a lot about the town and its inhabitants, but I just couldn’t see why a girl like Sara would love the quite dull letters of Amy. Here you have these two woman who share their whole lives with each other and I felt no ties between them. And why doesn’t Amy ever talk about Sara in her letters. It’s all about her, the town and her past. In normal communication between pen pals you talk about each other’s life. But not so with Amy and Sara. It’s all about Amy. Maybe it was done because we needed to learn more about Broken Wheel. But all in all it felt unrealistic and again a bit forced.
And actually that is next to the word sweet, exactly the second word that I would use to describe this novel. Forced…. The story had a lot of potential and I had a lovely time reading it. But it also lacked that je ne sais quoi to be truly memorable.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Netgalley. This did not influence my review.

I’m a sucker for novels about books and book lovers. If there is an epistolary component to the novel, even better. So I was excited to get hold of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. This novel contains all the necessary elements. There is a protagonist who works in/owns a bookstore and who is more comfortable in fictional worlds than the real one. She has read widely and so much that she can match the perfect book to sometimes unlikely readers with uncanny success. There are a host of quirky secondary characters with their own problems who are, initially, not readers. However, when introduced to the protagonist’s world view, they find their own lives are enriched, even if their problems are not necessarily solved. And there is a love interest who appreciates the protagonist on her own terms.

The protagonist, Sara Lindqvist, is a young Swedish woman who worked as a clerk in a small bookstore until it closed. She had struck up a correspondence and book exchange with an older American woman, Amy, who lived in the tiny town of Broken Wheel, Iowa. Unbeknownst to Sara, Amy was quite ill. Amy invited Sara to visit, and finding herself with nothing else pressing to do, Sara decides she needs an adventure. She will go to Broken Wheel and meet her friend, as well as all the people Amy has told her so much about. However, when Sara reaches Broken Wheel, she is shocked and dismayed to learn that Amy has just died.

The townspeople rally around their visitor, knowing that this is what the much beloved Amy would want. Sara finds herself lodged and fed, visited by Amy’s friends, and comforted by Amy’s vast collection of books. But Sara needs something to do. When she learns that no one else in Broken Wheel reads, she decides to open a bookstore, even though that is technically a violation of the provisions of her visa.

As she slowly becomes part of the community, she is drawn to Tom, a rather withdrawn and world-weary man who, being handsome and single, is a source of interest to the busybodies of Broken Wheel. They have already decided to pair him with Sara. This causes them both a good deal of embarrassment. Nevertheless, something clicks between them.

Sara is such a sweet character, despite her initial lack of social graces, that the town falls in love with her, with her store, and eventually, with reading. But tragedy is looming: Sara’s visa is about to expire. Can the town find a way to keep her?

Initially published in 2013 in Swedish and translated by Alice Menzies, the novel starts a bit slowly and clunkily, which is something I’ve found in a couple of contemporary translations. But it doesn’t take long for the story to catch hold. (I stayed up way too late on a work night to finish it!) It doesn’t seem very true-to-life; the characters are more types than real individuals, but it has a lovely fairy-tale quality to it. The small town inhabitants are salt-of-the-earth people. Even the outsiders who play the roles of bad guys are not so bad. Conflict comes in the form of the slow death of small town America and the disappearing habit of reading. Rediscovering the joy of books highlights the best qualities in these neighborly folks, and helps to breathe life back into Broken Wheel. For all fans of books about books, this is highly recommended.

Sara and Amy are pen-pals whose love of books helped to develop a friendship much deeper than just letters. Sara, a bookseller in Sweden, and Amy, an avid reader in small-town Iowa, have one thing in common, their shared love of reading. Amy invites Sara to visit Broken Wheel, Iowa and Sara accepts. It would be a nice vacation for Sara and a chance for them to further bond over books. Only once Sara arrived she discovered that Amy has passed away. Her grief is deep, but Amy's friends and family welcome her to Broken Wheel with open arms. Amy's nephew, the handsome Tom, allows Sara to stay in Amy's home and Sara finds it easy to be with Tom. But, even with the town's kindness and generosity, it doesn't take long for Amy to realize that Broken Wheel is, well, broken. The small town is a breath away from being another casualty of urbanization. There are empty schools, foreclosed homes, and abandoned store fronts. Sara opens a bookstore as a way to honor her friend's memory and while it sparks a flame in the community, is it enough to revive the little community?

I grew up in a small Iowa town surrounded by communities not unlike Broken Wheel, Iowa. I remember about 25 years ago, a Big Box store was poking around the area looking for a place to build a new store. All of the talking heads said that whatever community was lucky enough to "get" the store will be the community that survives. They were right. My hometown got "the" Big Box store and the communities around it have all become Broken Wheels. Full of empty store-fronts and abandoned homes. Having said that, I loved experiencing Iowa from a newcomer's eye. Sara's observations were astute and charming at the same time. Broken Wheel was so foreign to Sara that it was interesting to watch how she integrated herself into the community and it primarily came when she opened the bookstore. The community obviously took to her, for it was them who plotted a way to keep Sara in Broken Wheel as her Visa was running out. The bookstore was fun, too. I loved how she categorized the books into labels that people would find easier to search by - like Chick Lit. OH and speaking of Chick Lit, the author (via Sara) gave a nice commentary on good Chick Lit versus bad Chick Lit - I found myself practically fist-pumping in agreement. That was just one of the few literary observations I found myself agreeing with throughout the book. There were so many references to so many books I lost track, but finding a title mentioned that I had read almost felt like finding an Easter egg. It made for a fun experience.

Bottom line - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend incorporated two of my loves - reading and Iowa. The author did a great job at depicting a small Iowa town and intertwining books as important to me as my home state. A great read for any small town girl or lover of books.

Details: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald Pages: 400 Publisher: Sourcebooks Publication Date: 1/19/2016 Buy it Here!

I loved this book! A feel-good page turner. The literary theme makes this a special read.

This was such a fun, cute read. Sara is a bookworm from Sweden who has decided to come to America to meet her pen pal, Amy. Out of the entire United States, this adventure leads her to a tiny, run down town in rural Iowa. And her pen pal is dead. Welcome to America!

Sara decides to go ahead and stay for her visit, and the townspeople do their best to make her feel welcome, including having her stay in Amy's house - staying in a strange country, in a dead woman's house? Sounds like VRBO gone bad.

Sara decides to open a bookstore with Amy's large collection of books from home. Not really sure what kind of bookstore it was, but she seemed to have every book that could be sold. Although, I don't recall her ever selling one - which is fine, because it seemed kind of weird to sell a dead woman's belongings.

But anyway, Sara gets to know all of the townspeople, and they are an odd bunch. But she meets Tom, the requisite hot single guy in Broken Wheel, along with the crusty diner owner, the churchgoing lady, the gay bar owners, the bisexual young man who migrates to Broken Wheel (why is anyone's guess), along with a host of other misfits.

One thing that I didn't like was that there were too many characters with not enough storylines, so at times, I couldn't remember who they were or why I should care.

I also didn't buy Caroline's storyline. It was way too sharp of a turn for that character - it was not even remotely believable.

But overall, it was a great little weekend book.

What could be better than settling down on a cold grey January day and reading a lighthearted, fluffy romance novel?
Settling down on a cold grey January day and reading a lighthearted, fluffy romance novel ABOUT BOOKS of course!

The book opens with Sara, a 28 year old book shop assistant from Sweden, arriving in the small town of Broken Wheel in Iowa. She has left Sweden for the first time ever to visit Amy, an elderly resident of Broken Wheel, with whom she has developed a close pen pal relationship based around their mutual love of books. She has high hopes for the visit and is therefore stopped in her tracks somewhat when, upon arriving at Amy’s house, she walks in to Amy’s wake. Unsure of what to do, Sara accepts the townspeople’s offer to stay as it ‘was what Amy wanted’.
The more time she spends there, the more the kindness of the townspeople bothers her- she never has to pay for food, they have hired someone to drive her around etc. She is also bothered by the fact that Amy seems to have been the only person in town to have ever even cracked open a book!
She eventually comes up with the plan of opening a town bookshop with Amy’s vast book collection, with the proceeds going to the town. Sara prides herself on finding the right book for everyone, finding that one ‘gateway’ book that will open the doors to a reading journey for everyone. These journeys not only change the town but also Sara herself.

This was a very enjoyable fluffy book. It was not making any attempt to be high literature and was perfectly content to have a slightly ridiculous plot, slightly predictable characters, and a fairly obvious romance. And this was fine, the focus was never really on the plot or the characters or the romance, it was always on Amy and Sara’s love of books and how that love of books helps them to relate to people. The whole story is an ode to the power of books to heal, to connect, to enlighten, to educate, to delight, to shock, and to transform. As a Book Eater, this is a message I can absolutely relate to! I spent a fair portion of the book eagerly adding Sara and Amy’s recommendations to my TBR list and found myself on several occasions wondering what books I would choose for the characters!

If I didn’t have such a love of books, would I have enjoyed it quite so much? Perhaps not. The characters were predictable and generally two dimensional (the exception being the Amy we get to know through the flashback letters), the plot really was a bit ridiculous and the book itself was somewhat overlong. I wonder if it has lost something in the translation from Swedish.

3 bites for The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by by Katarina Bivald Sourcebooks Landmark, 2016 Fiction; 400 pgs Source: NetGalley

This book has gotten quite a few mixed reviews. I happened to really like it. I loved the bookish references, could completely relate to the main character, Sara, and had such a fun time visiting with and getting to know the people of Broken Wheel. It is a light-hearted read, often funny, and a bit on the sentimental side.

I think my favorite scene in the novel was when the entire town stood outside the bookshop watching Sara read. For over five hours. Sara had not even noticed. Have you ever been in a reading trance like that, so lost in a book you block out everything around you? I have. I'm not sure it's been for over 5 hours, but still, I have been there.

My only beef with the novel, really, is the fact that if you just happen to not know much of anything about Jane Eyre, well, Bivald spoils the book nearly in its entirety. My husband says it does not matter--given the book is 168 old. (Do spoilers have an expiration date?). She has a lot to say about Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe too, but that didn't bother me quite as much.

I loved the town people of Broken Wheel from outcast Grace to the recovering alcoholic George, the proper-get-things-done Caroline to Andy and Carl, the local bar owners. I liked Tom too, his perseverance and stoicism. Amy was perhaps my favorite character who we only get to know through letters. (How I miss my pen palling days!) The way everyone came together to help each other, for each other, and to make Sara feel welcome was heartwarming--the way I wish it could be in the real world. Could the characters have been better fleshed out? Certainly, but this wasn't something that bothered me as I read. I simply found myself caught up in this improbable and yet delightful story.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a tribute to reading and readers and also to friendship and the strength of community. While maybe too idyllic at times, even with their various troubles, some of which were quite serious (a dying community, lack of jobs, poverty, alcoholism), I did not mind. I found Bivald's novel to be an enjoyable read--not too serious, funny, and a book that I finished with a big smile on my face.

A positively delightful, witty, and heartwarming story that reinforces the bond readers can share with each other. Katarina Bivald captivates her readers with this tale of one woman and the town that embraces her. Simply stated. This book, though a bit kooky at times, is a refreshing, smart, and a must for any book lover!

I love this book. I absolutely love every character, description, and page. The reasons why I think this book are great can be filtered down to three main reasons. First you have two women who form a bond over their love of books. Their letters to each other are filled with such familiarity, though they have never met. The tidbits about their lives, along with their discussions of books, makes the reader feel as these two have known each other for much longer than they have.

Secondly, you have Sara. This character is such a breath of fresh air, not only to me as the reader, but to the small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa that she visits. After the loss of Amy, it is clear to see that the town needs something to embrace and hold onto. Could that be Sara? Is it possibly that a quirky girl from Sweden make a place whole again? Just as the people that she meets, you will not be able to turn away from Sara. Her unbridled love of books and the way that so desperately wants to share it with others is so bewitching. In her mind (and sometimes with others), she calls upon past authors and characters that act as her security blanket. Books are not just something you read. They are something that becomes a part of you. This is what she gives to the people of Broken Wheel.

Finally you have the town of Broken Wheel itself. The people there are so…well…they are great. You have your basic small town crazies along with those who have seen the rise and fall of a place that they call home. Caroline, Grace, Tom, and George become part of your extended family as you flip through the pages of this book. There is nothing more that I love in a book than characters. I am talking about real characters that you feel you can drive into a place and meet. And in this book, Broken Wheel is filled with them.

I must take a moment and talk about the author Katarina Bivald. Her writing is that perfect mix of dialog and description. She allows you inside Sara’s head just long enough for her to be interrupted by one of the crazy musings of the people around her. It is this balance of the internal versus the external dialog that really made me love this book. On top of that, you have the letters. The letters from Amy are sprinkled through the book. For me, they were almost as if Amy was watching over Sara as well as the reader. We got a glimpse into the mind of a woman that we never meet.

You can say all the words to describe this book. Charming. Heartwarming. Witty. Funny. Fresh. Smart. A delightful read. Feel-good story. But what you can’t do is truly describe the experience of reading such a uniquely enjoyable book. I am a book nerd. I love all forms of literature. I enjoy taking strolls down the aisles of my local bookstores as well as clicking through website pages of suggested reads. So, for me, this book is an a real gift. I thank the author for letting me visit Broken Wheel and I have no doubt that, as with my other literary favorites, I will be coming back again.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a book I couldn't put down once I started reading. The opening pages hooked me by making me wonder what I would do if I found myself stranded in a small town in another country. Then I wondered what I would do if I found out that not only was I in a strange place but the person I was visiting but had never met before had passed away shortly before my arrival. The more I thought about it I saw just how possible Sara's situation was, especially considering I talk to people I've never met every day, and some of them live in countries I've never been. The more I develop these global friendships, the more I can see how maybe someday I or they would take the opportunity to get on a plane to meet up in person. I've traveled around the world my entire life, so why not?

The rest of the story is full of familiar faces. Having lived in an extremely small town in Wisconsin at one point in my life, I recognized each of the characters living in Broken Wheel. That's not to say they were 2D stock characters out of a sitcom. There was more to each of them than the stereotypes they represent at the beginning of the story. What I am saying is that anyone familiar with Small Town America will find the book to be comforting. While complex issues are well represented throughout the story, they're brought up in a way that isn't jarring or unsettling the way that Literary or Speculative Fiction can be. The author tells a somewhat light-hearted story while at the same time showing that there is diversity in even the smallest of towns, even if it doesn't seem that way at first glance.

I can easily see The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend being adapted to film. I don't know how I feel about that, though, simply because I think Hollywood would beat it into the shape of a Rom Com and end up losing a lot of what makes this book so enjoyable. However, it's worth reading, especially if you loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin or if you just need a comfort read to relax into on a snowy or rainy day. I will be adding this to my go-to books for when life gets to be too much.

This book was so incredibly heartwarming. It centers around a young woman named Sara who has befriended an elderly woman named Amy. Both women keep in contact by means of letters, and both have a strong love for books. I loved the strong bond that the women develop over time. It was refreshing to see the letters throughout the book itself. I will say that within this book there are so many spoilers to other well known books! I found myself getting recommendations for other reads from Amy and Sara! I adored the town of Broken Wheel! I loved how everyone is so tight knit. There are no secrets in this town! Everyone knows everyones business. Sadly we find out very early in the book (and even on the back of the book through the synopsis) that there is never a face to face meet up for Amy and Sara. This was pretty disappointing, since this was something that both characters were looking forward to. Amy, plays a vital role not only in her own town, but in the lives of everyone she meets. Amy touched and affected so many people throughout this book. I will say that there are so many characters that are introduced!! I found myself getting a little confused about which character had which problem. I also felt that near the 75% mark the book kept dragging on. But the questions that I had were answered. Everyone's story was wrapped up towards the end of this book. Book lovers would enjoy this story, and people who have a great love for reading in general would be interested in this. The characters are very relatable and idealistic. I would recommend this book to all those who have a soft spot for a good book.

http://www.saharsblog.com/review/book-review-the-readers-of-broken-wheel-recommend-by-katarina-bivald/

If you enjoy books, I think this one will really speak to you. I hate to use the word adorable, because when I see it describing something, I think of it as being little and not always of consequence. But this book is adorable. And I mean that in the best way. It’s full of warm fuzzies, and makes me want to find a small town like Broken Wheel.

Katarina Bivald has to be a lover of books, and it feels as if this novel was written with other bookworms in mind. There is even a chapter about smelling books, which I just did earlier today when some new ones came into my place of work. Bivald dropped various titles and authors throughout, and it was a delight to see which ones I’ve read. I’m sure there were some other clues she left within the pages, that I was totally oblivious to, since I’ve not read every book under the sun.
This novel would be a great read for book clubs, especially if each person were to write down every literary reference that they came across.

Besides Sara’s love for books, we also get to know the various residents of the town. In a short time, Bivald writes well developed characters, that had me rooting for them. The letters that Amy had sent to Sara also helped to find out more about the characters, in a fun way.

I really enjoyed this book, and hope that Bivald continues on the stories of the town’s people. If you enjoy books about love, redemption and small towns fighting to survive, then you need to read this book.

According to Sara, the heroine of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Swedish author Katarina Bivald, books are “meant to be better than reality… Bigger, funnier, more beautiful, more tragic, more romantic.” And with this wonderfully charming novel, Bivald sets out to prove that point.

Sara, shy, plain, and thin but with beautiful eyes, has never been outside Sweden. Instead, she lives inside her books. She has an American pen pal, Amy, an older American woman who also loves books. Amy has invited Sara to come to Broken Wheel, Iowa for a visit. Sara has put it off but, when the bookstore she works for downsizes, she decides to take Amy up on her offer. Sadly, when she arrives to this small town that has clearly seen better days, she discovers that Amy has died. Sara feels like she should leave but Amy’s friends insist she stay even installing her in Amy’s home. Sara soon discovers that Broken Wheel has three things in abundance: corn, quirky characters, and friendships.

The Readers of Broken Wheel is a heartwarming story about the importance of community and finding your place in the world. And, yes, Broken Wheel and its characters are all those things that Sara and Bivald claim books are meant to be - funnier, more romantic, more beautiful, and even a bit more tragic than real life – but then, perhaps more than anything, this is a book about books and, with all of its bookish references, it makes for a very satisfying and fun read.

If I tell you this book is quaint in the most lovely of ways, will that make sense to you? Because it is. Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend is... wholesome? in some indefinable way that calls to some nostalgic, small-town warmth and hope that just seems to imbue some books. (Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is another one of those books, for me.) The kind of feeling that, when you examine it outside of the book, can feel hokey or corny, but somehow - just within the pages of that particular book, in that particular place, with those particular people - it feels special and sacred and possible.

I've never lived in a small town, and I assume that I would hate it - I don't do gossip all that well, and I've never been good at fitting in comfortably. Socially awkward nerds thrive in cities, is my guess. Because, at the very least, nobody will notice how uncomfortable I am, if the crowd is big enough. But books like Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend make me long for small town living in a completely unrealistic way: Honestly, the townspeople in this story can't mind their own business for three seconds, and that would drive me nuts in real life, but somehow I don't find their meddling overbearing and unwelcome, in the context of the world that Katarina Bivald has managed to create. (Even when I did find them overbearing in the story, I was not annoyed by it: It felt natural & even kind, in a way that actual interfering, real world people never would.)

So: We've got reluctant world traveler, and basically pretty sheltered Sara, from Sweden, who winds up in Broken Wheel at the behest of her Iowan pen-pal, Amy. Only Amy hadn't met her at the station as promised, and she'd had to accept a stranger's lift into the tiny town. And Broken Wheel - population 637 - is tiny, make no mistake. Not that Amy hadn't told her that, it's just that the town and its inhabitants had seemed almost mythical under Amy's capable storytelling hands: Sara had had no difficulty picturing Miss Annie and her bike-bookmobile, or the biblically bossy Caroline as she bustled around town organizing church sales, or the three 'young people' Amy had claimed as her own - now all grown-adults, - busily bumping into each other, or Amy, every now and then, with a congenial smile and the ease of long acquaintance. But the stark reality that greets her is something else: Three cross streets, a diner where the waitress tells her her best bet is to turn and go back where she came from, a silent man sitting down the counter who's pressed into givign her a ride to Amy's house and - most shocking of all - the fact that Sara has arrived just past time for Amy's funeral.

Facing Broken Wheel without her friend is definitely not what Sara had planned, especially not once Caroline and the other townspeople decide she's meant to not only stay in Broken Wheel, but at Amy's house. As she settles in, and explores the town, and meets more people, and gets to know Amy's beloved town through her own eyes, Sara is suddenly facing a lot more adventure then she bargained for. When a character notes, less than a quarter of the way through the book that "Broken Wheel is dying," you can't help but agree with him. And wonder what the heck the rest of the book will be about, if that happens. Fortunately, the author does a great job of making you CARE what happens to Broken Wheel and its inhabitants.

Here's part of what makes this book so charming - Sara is a true bibliophile. Like calls to like - it's how Sara and Amy initially bonded, over books - and it's how the author hooked this book-loving reader/reviewer. As a self-confessed book pusher myself, how could I resist a character who insists "Whether they knew it or not, they needed books. ... And she swore to herself that she would force books on them before she was done here." So when Sara opens a bookstore with Amy's books and uses them as a means to connect with the community, she has my wholehearted support - especially when she starts unorthodoxically categorizing the books into shelves like "Warning: Unhappy Ending!", "Short but Sweet", "Gay Erotica" (at a towns-person's suggestion), "Smalltown Life", & "Feel Good Reads".

As a confirmed, life-long, (multiple library) card carrying bibliophile, Sara - and the author's - conspicuous love of reading and faith in readers is my catnip. It's obvious that the author loves books as much as I do, and - to be honest - even if the book wasn't very good otherwise, that might be enough for me. ("Can you smell it? The scent of new books. Unread adventuresBooks are magic: Fight me if you think I'm wrong. . Friends you haven't met yet, hours of magical escapism awaiting you.") But luckily, there was so much more here - Sara's (and my) bibliophilia aside, the book was full of warmth and humor, and characters that you wanted to 'win' - for whatever measure of winning applied to them. You wanted them to find love, or hope, or laughter; to learn to be open, or to forgive, or to forget: You see how the bravery of one person infects and impacts the entire town, and you can't help but cheer them all on.

Of course, the fact that I got to add to my To Be Read Mountain, based on Sara's suggestions, was also a plus. But the idea that a person could just pick up from where they are, and start over in a new place is not just a romantic ideal in this story - it's the true challenge and strength of both Sara and Broken Wheel. The fact that Bivald doesn't gloss over the hard work and terrifying fear that is required to do such a thing, that she is capable of making you see the fierce struggle Sara goes through, is a real benefit of her storytelling style.
"Help me, she thought. Don't let me be one of the minor characters." Sara laments to herself as she battles through one particularly trying night. Have no fear, Sara, your author has done you right - you're the heroine, the star, the center, of this particular book, no doubt.

(My copy was provided through NetGalley, but please consider buying your own.)

I always appreciate a small town story with books at the center. I think this is a lovely read.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a sugary sweet story that was a little too predictable for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters nor was I rooting for them in any way throughout the story.... but it was a cute story.

I like the idea of a complete stranger from another country pulling together the small town and helping the residents who were quickly losing hope. I just wish there were a little more twists and turns so I didn't see every plot line coming from a mile away.

I especially love all the talk of books and how Sara shares books with the town. I think that's what saved the book from being a total dud for me. Overall it was an enjoyable read, I just feel it had potential to be a much better story.

I recommend this one for anyone who loves light and fluffy chic-lit.

I just loved this book on so many levels. The reading pace was easy, the writing infused with an enjoyable sense of humor and the story, progressively involving me - so much that I never wanted the book to end. This book is about growing friendships, the ability of a person to change an entire town and its residents, the love they slowly but steadily feel for this foreigner who arrives under strange circumstances and the dynamics of various relationships within the book. The book had such a cozy feel to it that I am pretty sure I'll read it again. I especially liked the pointers for a reading group at the end of the book. I would love to read more from this author. What an intriguing concept to base a story on! Thank you!

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald is a book that begs you and dares you to not love books. It is, in fact, a book about love: love of books and love of people, and how the two can intertwine to create and change the world we live in.

Sara is a 24 year old bookshop employee who has an epistolary friendship with Amy, an older book-loving lady who lives in Broken Wheel, Iowa. After years of sending each other books and learning about each other, Sara decides to visit - but on her arrival in Broken Wheel, she discovers that Amy has passed away. Despite that, the townspeople insist that Sara must stay in Amy's house as previously arranged. Told through the various voices of Sara and the Broken Wheel residents, we discover that despite the sleepiness and dreariness of this little town, people and words can transform and illuminate even the most broken of us.

All of this is sounding deeply profound, but The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is not that kind of book. It's lighthearted, funny, and cosy. Sara and the townspeople start the book as almost caricatures - all stiff and stuck in their own sleepy ways. Sara, in particular, is shy and plain, someone who has never been seen as a genius and never wanted to be spectacular. In fact, the oddest thing about her is probably her friendship with Amy.

It's such a pleasure, though, watching her open up to the town, and vice-versa. Even though the general concept of the book treads on familiar territory, like life, it is the characters who make Broken Wheel rise above and beyond. There's Andy, the gay bartender who moved back to Broken Wheel from Chicago with his incredibly handsome boyfriend Carl. There's George, a recovering alcoholic who becomes Sara's chauffeur, and is mourning the fact that his ex-wife took his daughter away from him. There's Caroline, the stiff church lady who gets stuff done, but has never really let go of herself in years. There's John, the convenience store owner who always had a yen for Amy. And then there's Tom, Amy's nephew, who doesn't read, doesn't like reading, but nevertheless has an inexplicable rapport with Sara that she's never felt.

And beyond all that...there is Sara and Amy's boundless love of books: the feeling, the smell of them, and how important those worlds are to us. I found myself nodding and highlighting so many passages in this book, because The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend GETS us readers and bloggers. This is a book that does not hesitate to talk about book sniffing, crying over fictional characters, and rejoicing in perfect passages. It celebrates the transformative nature of books and other people.

If you're a book lover or a lover of books about all kinds of love, this is the book for you.
Bonuses:
[image]No Book Shaming: One of the things I adored most about this book was how much Bivald didn't judge books. Bridget Jones' Diary was mentioned in the same breath as Shakespeare. Goethe in the same breath as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. John Green and The Hunger Games along with Oscar Wilde. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommends loves all of them equally. [clearboth]

[image]Quotable Quotes: You know that thing I said about highlighting passages? Here are a few for you: [clearright]
"It must have been a frightening realization: so many books she would never get to pick up, so many stories that would happen without her, so many authors she would never get to discover."

"The real crime of these [book] lists isn't that they leave deserving books off them, but that they make people see fantastic literary adventures as obligations."

“Books or people, you ask. It's a difficult choice, I've got to say. I don't know whether people mean more than books - they're definitely not nicer or funnier or more comforting ... but still, however much I twist and turn the question, I've got to opt for people in the long run. I hope you don't lose all confidence in me now that I've admitted that. I can't for the life of me explain why I have the bad sense to prefer people. If you went purely by numbers, then books would win hands down. I've loved maybe a handful of people in my entire life, compared with tens or maybe even hundreds of books (and here I'm counting only those books I've really loved, the kind that make you happy just to look at them, that make you smile regardless of what else is happening in your life, that you always turn back to like an old friend and can remember exactly where you first "met" them - I'm sure you know just what I'm talking about). But that handful of people you love ... they're surely worth just as much as all those books.”

“It was funny, she thought, how often we stuck to the safe path in life, pulling on blinders and keeping our eyes to the ground, doing our best not to look at the fantastic view. Without seeing the heights we had reached, the opportunities actually awaiting us out there; without realizing we should just jump and fly, at least for a moment.”

Book Theme Song: Enchanted by Taylor Swift

I was listening to this while reading, and the country feel of it, along with the lyrics, just made it feel like the perfect book to describe Sara's story in Broken Wheel:
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you

This is me praying that This was the very first page Not where the story line ends My thoughts will echo your name Until I see you again These are the words I held back As I was leaving too soon I was enchanted to meet you

The Final Word If you are looking for the most charming, small-town, delightful book about reading and love, this is your book. Read when cozied up beside a fire, with a mug of tea and a throw blanket, and let your faith in words - and humanity - be restored. (less)

An absolute love letter to both friendship and readership. A must for all collections. Bivald is going to be a huge name in the Book Clun scene.

This was an absolutely lovely book. Lovely, I say!

I enjoyed everything about it. The unique plot line, the supporting cast of characters, the twists and turns and delicate rolls it wove... All while telling it's story. I will most definitely be back for more from this author!

The Premise

Sara is a Swedish bookworm, a woman without a future now that the bookstore where she worked has closed. At loose ends, she decides to take her American pen pal up on her offer of a place to stay. And this is how Sara ends up in Broken Wheel, Iowa.

But her pen pal has died just days before Sara's arrival. It seems the whole town of Broken Wheel is expecting Sara, even if they don't know what to make of her. And no one understands why she would want to stay in Broken Wheel, a town off the the highway with a huge inferiority complex. One of those small towns in middle America that is dying a slow death.

Enter Sara, a book worm, uncomfortable with the town's generosity. Unsure of how to repay the town, she opens a sort of used bookstore, of which there seems to be a dearth in this part of Iowa. Suddenly people from the neighboring town with a flourishing industry are heading to Broken Wheel in search of reading material.

With a little love and a lot of pluck, Sara just might put Broken Wheel back on the map.

My Thoughts

This normally wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I was in the mood for something sweet. And I'm glad I read it.

Slightly reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (with some real references to the book and Tawana!), this book is down-homey and very Americana-ish. The most amazing thing is that is was written by a Swedish author and translated. She gets middle America!!!

It's not deep literature, but it is a wonderful read. The best part about it is the obvious love of literature the characters have, or come to have. So many book references, and so much reverence and love for books. Sara's life revolves around books, and I can only be jealous of the life she builds in Broken Wheel.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is fun and sweet, and a great break in the middle of winter. Perfect for lighter times. Great for book clubs. Chick lit to it's core. Fun, funny, and heartwarming.

I give it 4 stars. It radiates book love, and it's a lot of fun. A quick weekend read.

Pages: 400 Genre: Chic-lit, Woman Literary Fiction Rating 3.75-4 Original Edition in Swedish

Review A book about book lovers by a book lover. The passion about books that's being shared by the main character (Sara) is somewhere so relatable. Since this book is about books, there are so many spoilers about all the other books.

Sara meets her pen pal based in Iowa Amy and fewer incidents take place, which leads her to have a book shop based in Iowa.
The environment shared in this book is so fluffy and relatable and funny but also, it discusses some serious issues and serious relations which balance it as a great book. It's such a feel-good.

Recommended to everyone who's a sucker for a happy-teary-ending.

Readers love to read books about books.This book is written by a booklover for booklovers. Reading it will rekindle a love of reading, remind you of the community that books can create, and give you a whole new list of books you need to read. I don't know how an author in Sweden could write a book about a small town in Iowa, but she accomplished it by including the spirit of family, community, friendship, and helpfulness that make our small Iowa towns so wonderful.

Amy Harris and Sara Lindqvist have struck up a relationship through letters. Amy is a resident of Broken Wheel, Iowa, and Sara a resident of Sweden. After many letters and sharing their favorite books with each other, Amy asks Sara to visit. When Sara arrives she finds out that her pen pal has died in the space of a letter and a journey across the ocean. Sara is left standing on Main Street in Broken Wheel, unsure of where to go or what to do. Like any small town, the residents come together to make Sara feel comfortable and welcome her to their community in Amy's honor. Amy was a much loved and honored resident and has requested that Sara be well-taken care of. Sara moves into Amy's home and decides to open a bookstore in Broken Wheel using Amy's much-loved books. For a community that didn't read and only had a bar, a diner, and a church, many of the residents thought she was crazy. But, when Sara starts encouraging reading with even the toughest residents, a love of books is the least amazing thing that happens. Sara transforms the town from "black and white to a technicolor bathed in sunlight".

I loved the variety of characters that lived in Broken Wheel. Many of them were easily envisioned into my own community of residents and I could imagine us taking in a visitor like Sara in much the same way. Amy's letters to Sara are spread throughout the story giving us the history of the many residents of Broken Wheel. We read of their struggles and triumphs and Sara feels like she knows them all when she arrives based on Amy's descriptions. I think my favorite character was George, a recluse who became an alcoholic after his wife and daughter left him. He still talks to his daughter every day....in his mind. Sara's visit brings him out of his home as he is assigned as her driver since she doesn't have a license. My heart softened for George and I was rooting for a happy ending for him. Even though some of the side stories Bivald creates with the other characters become a bit rambling at times, you appreciate the friendships and community she is trying to create in the mind of the reader.

The author even used local news events to add to her story, including the immigration raid in Postville. But, if she was trying to write about a specific area, she needed to check the locations of some of her towns. Even though some were fictional, she mentioned Spencer, Cedar Rapids, and Cedar County as if they were all close together, with the fictional towns of Broken Wheel and Hope in between.

Sara was determined to get every resident of Broken Wheel reading. She believed strongly that there is always a person for every book. and a book for every person. Amy's letters to Sara were a lifeline and now Amy's books were a lifeline to Sara and the residents of Broken Wheel. This book is for readers who love quirky characters, a whimsical story, and the small-town coziness that Iowans create for visitors, as well as the communal love of a great story.

Favorite Quotes:

"Home?" Sara said. She couldn't go back now. She'd just learned how to use the gas stove, for God's sake.

"This is Iowa. It might be miles to the nearest neighbor, but that doesn't mean that news doesn't spread."

Many thanks to Netgalley.com for sending me an advanced digital copy of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald in return for my honest review.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is the most improbable but heartwarming story that I have read in a long time. It is a story that you wish could actually happen. Despite the implausibility, the novel made me feel good, and with so many works of fiction focusing on the gritty, dark side of life, it was nice for a change to read about a small town coming together rather than being pulled apart. I really enjoyed it.

Two pen pals, Amy, an elderly woman from Broken Wheel, Iowa and Sara, much younger from Sweden, befriend one another through their love of books and reading. They arrange for Sara to visit Amy in Broken Wheel, but unfortunately Amy passes away immediately prior to Sara's arrival (not a spoiler). Although Broken Wheel is not how Sara pictured it, the quirky residents take care of her and Sara begins to feel more at home in Broken Wheel than she ever did in Sweden. Sara's genuine kindness has a rippling effect, not only revitalizing the town but touching the hearts of those that live in the community.

Highly recommended. A very enjoyable read.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

* Received from NetGalley for review.

5/5 gnomes

Dear The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. Look at you, just look at you. You my grand book are just so flipping charming. Your settings, characters, the way the story unfolds, are all just so darn entertaining. I didn’t expect to get drawn into this book like I did but I just couldn’t stop reading.

The setting is so well done. It really feels like this town could exist. Broken Wheel really does feel like a character in the story. The book would have been a completely different beast without this town.

I like how the book is set up too. It has multiple points of view and you only meet one character through the letters she wrote before she died and the people she knew. This structure makes it so you really care about all of these characters and makes you book feel more alive.

Sara is like the ultimate bookworm. She goes from Sweden all the way to Iowa just to meet her pen pal. When she gets there though things are definitely not what she expected.

Getting to know the people and the town is a lot of fun. I love how important Sara and her books become to the town.

If you love reading/books and an in depth look at some truly unique characters, then this might just be the perfect story for you.

This is great. I love this book. A book about readers and reading? Yes please. I am going to chose this for my book club choice and recommend it to my sister. It doesn't get better than that from me

When I was a sophomore in college, I discovered a small mom and pop run bookshop where there were bargain books in bins on the wrap-around-porch, and inside the shop had tall mismatched bookshelves, with piles of books in all directions. The bookshop had an earthly smell—the unique scent that all booklovers know so well. This bookshop was one of my favorite places on earth and these are the type of bookshops that become the backbone of a book lover’s paradise. Where many lives are lived, and countless places are travelled. Books are a uniquely portable magic, and this magic is captured in Katarina Bivald’s The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.

In Bivald’s sweet and tender story, Sara Lindqvist is a shy and reclusive bookworm who travels to small town Broken Wheel, Iowa from Sweden to spend a few months with her long time pen pal, Amy Harris. But when Amy suddenly dies while Sara is en route, she finds herself being taken care of by the town’s quirky inhabitants. To repay the decaying town for their genuine kindness, she decides to open up a small bookshop. This action slowly revamps the quiet town and its townsfolk, showing the unique magic that books possess.

Sara’s custom book recommendations to the people of Broken Wheel slowly alters their lives. The casual reader may disregard this book too quickly because nothing really seems to be happening, plot-wise, but blink and you’ll miss the slow transformation Broken Wheel makes. This story is a commentary on how books can change you. Sarah’s decision to recommend to gay erotica to a secretly gay member of the community, isn’t just her tailoring a book to his needs, it’s her way of finding books for him that show him that his life is his own, and he should live it in the way he wants.

Aside from Sara, the other main character is Amy Harris. Although Amy is dead throughout the novel, she comes to life in the letters that she had written to Sara. These letters tell Sara and the readers all about Broken Wheel, its residents and their stories. Despite that fact that she is not physically present, she is part of the story throughout the book.

This book has tons of great secondary characters. Broken Wheel is a small town, and you get a sense of the community with the vivid presence of each minor character. One of the most memorable scenes has to be when Sara is completely engrossed in a book that outside her bookshop a small crowd begins to form, observing her read a book. Despite the fact that there was a crowd of people, it read as an intimate experience because as a reader, I had come to know all the other townsfolk so well. This aspect plays out well throughout the story, especially when the townsfolk conspire to bring Sara and Tom, her love interest, together.

Though this book was very lengthy, and at times the story seemed to drag on, it was worth it to continue reading and find all the redeeming qualities in the end. A story that can be greatly appreciated by bookworms, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a feel good story about the many ways in which books, and the small book stores that house them, can change our lives.

This was an endearingly lovely, romantic read. It is a perfect chick-lit title for fans of books and reading, like me. Yes, the book is a bit cozy and unrealistic at times, but at its heart, it is a great story.
I would recommend "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" for fans of romance, chick-lit, and feel good books. It's a must read for book and bookstore lovers and anyone who is interested in mid-west small town living. It probably won't appeal to skeptics or action/drama readers, but I found it to be a delightful tale that kept me interested to the very end.

What starts out as a correspondence between book lovers, turns into a journey for Sara, a young woman from Sweden. Sara and Amy have exchanged letters and books. Sara leaves Sweden to visit Amy, only to have the misfortune of arriving at the tail end of Amy's funeral. Now what? Sara decides to stay in Broken Wheel, and open just what the town doesn't know it needs: a bookstore. As the town gets to know Sara, they get to know the world of books, and they begin to reconnect.

Very cute book. I would defiantly recommend for all book lovers .

Sourcebooks Landmark is the Publisher behind Katarina Bivald's book The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.... I am sure they are well aware they have a jewel of an author on their hands. I was fully prepared for an easy breezy, chick lit book that I would plow through and enjoy but not be blown away by.

I was not fully prepared for just how quickly I would plow through this novel and then regret it because I already missed this cast of quirky, flawed, hilarious, and unique characters that populate the one stop light town of Broken Wheel Iowa.

I adored this story so much I never once thought it not plausible that a girl from Sweden would come to the US by herself to stay with an elderly lady with whom she has been corresponding about books over the course of two in the United States. I didn't blink eye ( or roll both eyes) when she continued to stay on in this lady's house after learning of her untimely death upon her arrival.

If you love fun quirky characters and most of all BOOKS - I really think you will enjoy this charming story. I love all the book and author references and more than once I found myself Google the authors she mentioned and have purchased two books based on these mentions.

Grab your favorite fuzzy blanket, find your favorite reading spot and tell the hubby and kids to beat it because you are about to give yourself a treat as you are introduced to Amy and see how an outsider and of course books can be so much and such different things to different people but can also bring people together.

Please, if you are waffling about purchasing this title I implore you to click the link below to purchase from Amazon or go to your favorite bookseller. You will not regret a dime spent or minute spent in this whimsical town in Iowa.

Thank You Sourcebooks Landmark, Netgalley, and Katarina Bivald for the copy in exchange for this review.

A fantastic book that seems to be written by a book lover, for book lovers. Sara is a real gem and definitely a character than readers can relate to, as well as look up to! I enjoyed the community spirit of Broken Wheel and loved how they all took Sara under their wing. A great read!

THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMENDis filled with twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved this story from beginning to end. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen. Katrina Bivald had me and my emotions all over the place. I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author!