Inspired by the temporary shuttering of Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, City of Books charmingly explores a bibliophile's fantasy: moving into a bookstore to stop it from closing.
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I just finished City of Books by Nicole Meier audiobook - Narrator Cindy Kay and here are my musings.
Jo Waterstone is a bibliophile. She knows what you should read next and has Bruebaker's books running like a well oiled machine. She loves the place like it's home. When the owner suffers a massive stroke, his vulture kids want the book store closed permanently.
As she stands there wondering how she can close a place that her boss and mentor loved, she decides that one of her employees is right. They should take a stand and not leave the bookstore and protest the injustice of a town treasure being closed.
As her and a few staff barricade themselves into the store, their online orders soar. This bookstore is beloved by many and Jo hopes that once Mr Bruebaker comes to, that he will be glad she saved his store. After seeing the good, the bad and the ugly of what they are doing, Jo sees something she can't unsee and takes a rest to help someone that undo all the things they are doing inside the store but it also makes Jo see that there are more important things than just the store.
This is based on an event that actually happened and it sent me down another rabbit hole.... I love books that do that. Cindy Kay might just be one of my new favorite narrators. She completely nailed this book.
Each character has a different reason for being there. Jo because she is doing this for the owner. It all brings the best side out of all the employees and Jo starts to see more about who they are than she ever really knew before. When she lets in a homeless woman and her child, it changes everything for her. She sees there is more to the world than her own life in the book stacks.
It was whimsically beautiful and a delightful story of humanity, the good and the bad. The pace was a tad slow. I felt like it could have moved forward a little quicker and added more when they finally left the bookstore. That would have been great but I really enjoyed the book.
It was such a cozy romance and well earned it's 4 stars
Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamcapemedia for my gifted ALC
