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Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop
The author of It’s Me They Follow chronicles the improbable true story of how she left an abusive past to build a bookshop that survived the Covid pandemic and become an international sensation.
Jeannine Cook always thought she’d open a bookshop in her old age. Raised by a blind librarian, books were integral to her life, and she expected she would eventually write one as well. Instead, Jeannine found herself a burnt-out workaholic with three jobs and no time to read or write, feeling like she hadn't fulfilled her purpose.
In her journal, Jeannine began an imaginary dialogue with Harriet Tubman, “Q&As” she dubbed Conversations with Harriett. Jeannine wondered how Harriet became a “wade through waist-high water in the type of woman—and how she could become one too.
On February 1, 2020, Jeannine fulfilled her dream and opened a bookstore in Philadelphia which she named after her hero and inspiration, Harriet Tubman. Harriett’s Bookshop would be a place to celebrate women authors, artists, and activists. While the name was ironic—Harriet could neither read nor write—it was also fitting. The City of Brotherly love was one of Harriet's first stops to freedom on the Underground Railroad. But in only six weeks, Jeannine would be forced to shut the shop’s doors when Covid turned the world upside down—not knowing whether her dream would survive.
Five years later, this small independent bookshop is thriving, with satellite stores in unconventional places, from movie theaters to horse trailers. Despite global death and destruction, book bans, the downward spiral in readership, the lack of physical customers, AI, and more, Jeannine's shops have survived. Shut Up & Read is her story—the story of the little bookseller who could, and of the woman who has been the driving force behind it all.
Jeannine Cook always thought she’d open a bookshop in her old age. Raised by a blind librarian, books were integral to her life, and she expected she would eventually write one as well. Instead, Jeannine found herself a burnt-out workaholic with three jobs and no time to read or write, feeling like she hadn't fulfilled her purpose.
In her journal, Jeannine began an imaginary dialogue with Harriet Tubman, “Q&As” she dubbed Conversations with Harriett. Jeannine wondered how Harriet became a “wade through waist-high water in the type of woman—and how she could become one too.
On February 1, 2020, Jeannine fulfilled her dream and opened a bookstore in Philadelphia which she named after her hero and inspiration, Harriet Tubman. Harriett’s Bookshop would be a place to celebrate women authors, artists, and activists. While the name was ironic—Harriet could neither read nor write—it was also fitting. The City of Brotherly love was one of Harriet's first stops to freedom on the Underground Railroad. But in only six weeks, Jeannine would be forced to shut the shop’s doors when Covid turned the world upside down—not knowing whether her dream would survive.
Five years later, this small independent bookshop is thriving, with satellite stores in unconventional places, from movie theaters to horse trailers. Despite global death and destruction, book bans, the downward spiral in readership, the lack of physical customers, AI, and more, Jeannine's shops have survived. Shut Up & Read is her story—the story of the little bookseller who could, and of the woman who has been the driving force behind it all.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 29, 2026
What a joy to read this very inspiring story. No matter the obstacles and there were many, she never gave up.
March 10, 2026
Is this collected essays or something? There are a lot of repeated bits that feel like that. And I never really felt like I got my hands on the creation of the bookshop, or the shape of the author's life. Some inspiring bits here and there but not what I was expecting.
March 19, 2026
Shut Up and Read: A Memoir from Harriett’s Bookshop by Jeannine A. Cook reminded me that bookstores are never just bookstores. At their best, they are sanctuary. They are meeting place. They are testimony. They are a way for people to find themselves, each other, and the words they need to keep going.
What I loved most about this memoir was learning about Cook’s life through the building of Harriett’s Bookshop, her advocacy, her vision, her pain, her persistence, and the deeply personal journey that shaped the space she created. You can feel that this bookshop was born out of longing, purpose, and a refusal to let the world make small what was always meant to be expansive.
One line that stayed with me is:
“I realize now that part of building the bookshop is me seeking to build a home for those who need one again and again.”
And truly, that is the spirit of this whole book.
This memoir reminded me that hosting events, making space for conversation, and putting the right books into the right hands at the right time is sacred work. That kind of work changes people. It affirms them. It can even help save them. Shut Up and Read feels like a testimony to that truth.
If you love bookstores, literary community, and memoirs about building something meaningful against the odds, this one is worth your time. It is tender, visionary, and deeply rooted in the power of books to make a way out of no way.
For the people who believe books can hold us.
For the people doing community work through stories.
For the ones trying to build something bigger than themselves.
This one will speak to you.
What I loved most about this memoir was learning about Cook’s life through the building of Harriett’s Bookshop, her advocacy, her vision, her pain, her persistence, and the deeply personal journey that shaped the space she created. You can feel that this bookshop was born out of longing, purpose, and a refusal to let the world make small what was always meant to be expansive.
One line that stayed with me is:
“I realize now that part of building the bookshop is me seeking to build a home for those who need one again and again.”
And truly, that is the spirit of this whole book.
This memoir reminded me that hosting events, making space for conversation, and putting the right books into the right hands at the right time is sacred work. That kind of work changes people. It affirms them. It can even help save them. Shut Up and Read feels like a testimony to that truth.
If you love bookstores, literary community, and memoirs about building something meaningful against the odds, this one is worth your time. It is tender, visionary, and deeply rooted in the power of books to make a way out of no way.
For the people who believe books can hold us.
For the people doing community work through stories.
For the ones trying to build something bigger than themselves.
This one will speak to you.
March 14, 2026
Quick, delightful memoir and peek into the life of a Philadelphia indie bookseller.
May 8, 2026
The Pros:
- This is an unapologetically earnest book; you can tell how passionate Cook is by the way she writes about her community and her bookish ventures!
- I’m impressed by Cook’s vulnerability. She’s incredibly open about spirituality, family/relationship struggles, the financial reality of owning a bookstore, and more.
- She touches on a very wide variety of topics and, even though the book is short, she ensures that every area she covers is given the respect it deserves.
- Cook is a fascinating person to read about. Her voice is so distinct and I loved learning about all of the ways she shows up for her community—and how the community shows up for her!
- Some of the descriptions of her relationship with her father, Lazarus, made me tear up. She describes things so matter-of-factly, but she manages to capture the bittersweet humor of life so well. I definitely want to read the book she writes about her mother when the time comes!
The Cons:
There’s really only one big one that kind of threw off my whole experience: Shut Up and Read feels so disjointed. Although there is technically an overarching narrative, we jump back and forth from topic to topic without a clear order or reason a lot. There’s also a lot of repetition, which is only emphasized by the fact that it’s a short book.
I found that there were many times where I would be drawn in to a certain description or event, and then right as I started to really fall into it, Cook moved onto something else. It was hard to let myself sink into the book because we shifted so much sometimes.
- This is an unapologetically earnest book; you can tell how passionate Cook is by the way she writes about her community and her bookish ventures!
- I’m impressed by Cook’s vulnerability. She’s incredibly open about spirituality, family/relationship struggles, the financial reality of owning a bookstore, and more.
- She touches on a very wide variety of topics and, even though the book is short, she ensures that every area she covers is given the respect it deserves.
- Cook is a fascinating person to read about. Her voice is so distinct and I loved learning about all of the ways she shows up for her community—and how the community shows up for her!
- Some of the descriptions of her relationship with her father, Lazarus, made me tear up. She describes things so matter-of-factly, but she manages to capture the bittersweet humor of life so well. I definitely want to read the book she writes about her mother when the time comes!
The Cons:
There’s really only one big one that kind of threw off my whole experience: Shut Up and Read feels so disjointed. Although there is technically an overarching narrative, we jump back and forth from topic to topic without a clear order or reason a lot. There’s also a lot of repetition, which is only emphasized by the fact that it’s a short book.
I found that there were many times where I would be drawn in to a certain description or event, and then right as I started to really fall into it, Cook moved onto something else. It was hard to let myself sink into the book because we shifted so much sometimes.
March 31, 2026
I read this book after reading someone else's review and because I loved the title and the cover. From the first to last page, the author pulls you in with her wit, passion for books, author's, writing, and unique vision for starting bookstores in the States and also in Paris. I like her activism and loved the stories about her dad and her interesting friends. Reading this book may inspire you to write.
March 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC of Shut Up and Read by Jeannine Cook. I loved the premise and the glimpse into bookstore life, but the memoir felt a bit scattered at times. I found myself wishing for a stronger focus on the bookshop itself, though it still offers an honest and personal perspective, seeing as it is a memoir.
March 21, 2026
I think the prose was beautiful and the author is doing such wide-ranging and important work but this book felt soo discombobulated. I agree with others it would’ve been great as a set of short stories instead. Lots of unanswered questions where we were thrown into these interesting scenarios — her struggling to afford making it through college, living in Paris, opening the bookstore — without full context of WHY or HOW. The chapter reading a news article was the most informative one for obvious reasons but wish it had a stronger editor throughout!
April 15, 2026
I needed to sit down.
I needed to be quiet.
I needed to read.
Instead, I was trying to edit a book while the internet was going crazy—ignoring that still, quiet voice telling me to pause… to do something I hadn’t done in a while.
Be still.
Be silent.
Just read.
The signs were there, but I kept moving—like those words weren’t meant for me. Like I didn’t need them. Like I could outrun the message.
But I couldn’t.
So I finally sat down.
I searched for a space—somewhere I could breathe, learn, and let the silence wrap itself around me. I needed it to calm the storm that had been building all day.
“Sit still. Be calm.”
The instruction was simple.
But I didn’t listen.
And now—frustration.
Because the truth is, I didn’t just need to read words on a page. I needed to be reminded:
Big dreams do come true.
But only if you believe in yourself.
If you don’t… those dreams start to look like unfinished conversations with yourself.
The kind where you already know the answer.
The kind that whispers:
You got this.
You already know what to do.
And sometimes… what you need to do is simple:
Be quiet.
And read.
Read the room.
Read your life.
Listen to your own voice—the one that can get loud, the one that tries to lead you, even when you resist it.
“Shut up and read” is more than a command.
It’s a mirror.
It’s you, looking inward.
It’s you recognizing that even in moments when giving up feels close… there are still people waiting to hear your voice.
But first—you have to pour into yourself.
You have to be still.
You have to stay the course.
So I put my phone down.
And I returned to the journey.
Reading.
Grounding.
Listening.
I am grateful—to the ancestors, and to Jeannine Cook for the vision, for the courage to listen, and for the strength to follow direction even when it’s hard.
Even when it’s exhausting.
Even when challenges show up uninvited.
Still—she continues.
Still—she fights.
And that kind of resilience… it lights the way for all of us.
So I remind myself:
Keep pushing.
Keep fighting.
Your work is not done.
Wonderful reminder from this Author!
I needed to be quiet.
I needed to read.
Instead, I was trying to edit a book while the internet was going crazy—ignoring that still, quiet voice telling me to pause… to do something I hadn’t done in a while.
Be still.
Be silent.
Just read.
The signs were there, but I kept moving—like those words weren’t meant for me. Like I didn’t need them. Like I could outrun the message.
But I couldn’t.
So I finally sat down.
I searched for a space—somewhere I could breathe, learn, and let the silence wrap itself around me. I needed it to calm the storm that had been building all day.
“Sit still. Be calm.”
The instruction was simple.
But I didn’t listen.
And now—frustration.
Because the truth is, I didn’t just need to read words on a page. I needed to be reminded:
Big dreams do come true.
But only if you believe in yourself.
If you don’t… those dreams start to look like unfinished conversations with yourself.
The kind where you already know the answer.
The kind that whispers:
You got this.
You already know what to do.
And sometimes… what you need to do is simple:
Be quiet.
And read.
Read the room.
Read your life.
Listen to your own voice—the one that can get loud, the one that tries to lead you, even when you resist it.
“Shut up and read” is more than a command.
It’s a mirror.
It’s you, looking inward.
It’s you recognizing that even in moments when giving up feels close… there are still people waiting to hear your voice.
But first—you have to pour into yourself.
You have to be still.
You have to stay the course.
So I put my phone down.
And I returned to the journey.
Reading.
Grounding.
Listening.
I am grateful—to the ancestors, and to Jeannine Cook for the vision, for the courage to listen, and for the strength to follow direction even when it’s hard.
Even when it’s exhausting.
Even when challenges show up uninvited.
Still—she continues.
Still—she fights.
And that kind of resilience… it lights the way for all of us.
So I remind myself:
Keep pushing.
Keep fighting.
Your work is not done.
Wonderful reminder from this Author!
March 29, 2026
Jeannine A. Cook tells the story of her independent bookstore in Philadelphia. In 2020, despite COVID, her love of words and her commitment to serve her community resulted in a shop that became a haven and a home for ideas. The name, Harriett's Bookshop, was inspired by Harriet Tuman who Cook looks to as a mentor and spiritual guide. Josephine Baker is another hero who Cook looks to for guidance and inspiration.
Cook's writing is delightful. Her story is inspiring. Throughout her tale, she weaves episodes from her life that create a tapestry that is beautiful. It is easy to see how her shop must be more than just a place to buy books. It is a cultural center and place to expand minds. I love the idea of shopkeeping as activism. And don't be fooled, this is Jeannine A. Cook's memoir. Her family struggles and personal tragedies are all here. She even manages to open a satellite store in Paris!
This book is full of emotion, drama, spirit, humor, love, and so much more. It could have easily been a novel, but it's the true story of the author making Philadelphia and the world a better place, one book at a time. I suppose it's also a "how to", Ms. Cook is obviously a clever businesswoman and there is much to learn from her about life, the human spirit, and how to run a bookshop! This is a really good book - check it out.
Cook's writing is delightful. Her story is inspiring. Throughout her tale, she weaves episodes from her life that create a tapestry that is beautiful. It is easy to see how her shop must be more than just a place to buy books. It is a cultural center and place to expand minds. I love the idea of shopkeeping as activism. And don't be fooled, this is Jeannine A. Cook's memoir. Her family struggles and personal tragedies are all here. She even manages to open a satellite store in Paris!
This book is full of emotion, drama, spirit, humor, love, and so much more. It could have easily been a novel, but it's the true story of the author making Philadelphia and the world a better place, one book at a time. I suppose it's also a "how to", Ms. Cook is obviously a clever businesswoman and there is much to learn from her about life, the human spirit, and how to run a bookshop! This is a really good book - check it out.
March 16, 2026
I enjoyed this memoir. I honestly knew nothing about her and I loved learning about her bookshop and all the other community activism she does. So inspiring.
I did find the book jumped around a lot so at times I found it hard to follow.
4/5 stars
I did find the book jumped around a lot so at times I found it hard to follow.
4/5 stars
May 12, 2026
Wow! What an inspiring life! A beautiful look at life, family, hopes and dreams, history, ancestry, legacy.
May 19, 2026
Fast and great read. Got a few book recommendations from it too. Someone mentioned the audio is a must listen and I agree.
April 18, 2026
I feel like I have a better sense of who Cook is than what her story is. Her personality shines through strong, but the organization felt disjointed. Maybe if it had been spit into sections based on her guides, Harriet, Ida, and Josephine, then the bouncing timeline would have seemed more deliberate
May 7, 2026
There's magic in these pages.
March 13, 2026
Listen to the audiobook. Narration was excellent. I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that were impactful and made you think ……..and then there were parts that seemed to ramble on and completely lost me.
March 16, 2026
I first became acquainted with Ms Cook during the pandemic when I read her single post on a social media platform indicating that she was in her bookstore one day and had not received any book sales and her fear of having to shut down her bookstore. As a result of that post gaining national attention ,people began to go to the store as well as purchase merchandise on line. The outpouring of support was aspiring. I was intrigued. I personally purchased a book and I went to the sister bookstore in Haddonfield NJ to support that as well. Because I believe in community bookstore. Especially Black Owned bookstores.
So when I had the opportunity to read her memoir I was ecstatic. Her memoir did not disappoint. the book was an easy read full of details of her life and her love for books and the importance of spreading the love of knowledge with many people.
Her work and love of her community is aspiring. And community for her is a action word. In her memoir we are taking behind the scenes of her opening not one but two bookstores. And the trials and tribulations that ensued as a result. Her riding on horseback to deliver books to people during the pandemic, her traveling to Paris to complete her book. and the friends she met to help her along her journey, her organizing a event to take underserved youth in Philadelphia to take a trip abroad to Paris. Her relationship with her father and her health concerns. At the end of reading her memoir I was not only intrigued but I was in awe. And you can see for Jeannine A. Cook: Community is an action word.
So when I had the opportunity to read her memoir I was ecstatic. Her memoir did not disappoint. the book was an easy read full of details of her life and her love for books and the importance of spreading the love of knowledge with many people.
Her work and love of her community is aspiring. And community for her is a action word. In her memoir we are taking behind the scenes of her opening not one but two bookstores. And the trials and tribulations that ensued as a result. Her riding on horseback to deliver books to people during the pandemic, her traveling to Paris to complete her book. and the friends she met to help her along her journey, her organizing a event to take underserved youth in Philadelphia to take a trip abroad to Paris. Her relationship with her father and her health concerns. At the end of reading her memoir I was not only intrigued but I was in awe. And you can see for Jeannine A. Cook: Community is an action word.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Like her heroines, Harriett Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker, Jeannine A. Cook is a visionary, rebel, community builder, activist, and complex Black woman. Listing the roles she fills—writer, shopkeeper, mentor—doesn’t begin to encompass the breadth and depth of her life and all the people she impacts. From a young age, people saw Jeanine’s creativity and potential, she’s learned to believe it herself.
"Shut Up and Read" is a love letter to books and writers and Cook’s adopted city of Philadelphia. She shares four months of her life in 2024 when she was writing her novel, buying the building that houses her bookstore, dealing with an chronic illness, traveling between Paris and Philadelphia, worrying about her father’s health, preparing to interview an author, and spending time with sister-friends, sometimes doing all of those tasks in the same day.
Cook invites us into her life and shares enough for us to want to know more but never too much. Her writing is electric, raw, honest, and poetic. This astute, expertly-written memoir flows and stays with you.
Any reader who has ever dreamed of owning a bookstore or making an impact on their community will find insight and hope from Jeannine’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad/HarperCollins for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#netgalley #shutupandread
"Shut Up and Read" is a love letter to books and writers and Cook’s adopted city of Philadelphia. She shares four months of her life in 2024 when she was writing her novel, buying the building that houses her bookstore, dealing with an chronic illness, traveling between Paris and Philadelphia, worrying about her father’s health, preparing to interview an author, and spending time with sister-friends, sometimes doing all of those tasks in the same day.
Cook invites us into her life and shares enough for us to want to know more but never too much. Her writing is electric, raw, honest, and poetic. This astute, expertly-written memoir flows and stays with you.
Any reader who has ever dreamed of owning a bookstore or making an impact on their community will find insight and hope from Jeannine’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amistad/HarperCollins for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
#netgalley #shutupandread
March 14, 2026
If you need a memoir about a fearless and inspiring woman, as she brings not one, but three black female-owned indie bookstores to life, then this should absolutely be your next read. She self narrates the audiobook which I can’t recommend enough! I loved hearing her story with her own voice!
Not only is this an incredible accomplishment on its own, but she did this all while battling a chronic illness, actively participating in bettering her community, being called to activism, writing her own novel, traveling between Philadelphia and Paris, and being challenged to keep her business in tact during COVID.
The mentors along the way both, past and present, historical and personal, are a beautiful touch to her journey. Jeannine derived her bookstore names from three of her own heroines: Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker. Similarly to their trailblazing legacies, Jeannine stands on her own as a woman all should know about and learn from. She creates her own path as a true visionary and activist-often found marching alongside the George Floyd & Breonna Taylor protestors, handing out books; as a mentor-inspiring her youth conductors as future community leaders; and always fighting for herself, and the black community.
Her passion of making reading and black stories accessible while supporting independent bookstore owners translates throughout her novel. Her family and personal friendships are also major themes that add a poignant touch to her journey throughout. At the heart of this beautifully crafted and raw memoir, is a story about the power of books that shape us, the mentors who inspire us, and the woman who believed in herself to not only make her own dreams come true but continues to make a positive impact on her community and the people around her.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Jeannine A. Cook
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 10, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir • Nonfiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (6h 2m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Author
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒.𝟓
{ rounded up to 5 on GR }
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A great memoir on audio about an inspirational woman!
✨Thank you @librofm @amistadbooks for my free ALC 🎧 Happy pub week! 🎉
Quotes can be found on my instagram review post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DV05JV4lN...
Not only is this an incredible accomplishment on its own, but she did this all while battling a chronic illness, actively participating in bettering her community, being called to activism, writing her own novel, traveling between Philadelphia and Paris, and being challenged to keep her business in tact during COVID.
The mentors along the way both, past and present, historical and personal, are a beautiful touch to her journey. Jeannine derived her bookstore names from three of her own heroines: Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, and Josephine Baker. Similarly to their trailblazing legacies, Jeannine stands on her own as a woman all should know about and learn from. She creates her own path as a true visionary and activist-often found marching alongside the George Floyd & Breonna Taylor protestors, handing out books; as a mentor-inspiring her youth conductors as future community leaders; and always fighting for herself, and the black community.
Her passion of making reading and black stories accessible while supporting independent bookstore owners translates throughout her novel. Her family and personal friendships are also major themes that add a poignant touch to her journey throughout. At the heart of this beautifully crafted and raw memoir, is a story about the power of books that shape us, the mentors who inspire us, and the woman who believed in herself to not only make her own dreams come true but continues to make a positive impact on her community and the people around her.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Jeannine A. Cook
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: March 10, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Memoir • Nonfiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Audio (6h 2m) 🎧
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: Author
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★☆ 𝟒.𝟓
{ rounded up to 5 on GR }
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A great memoir on audio about an inspirational woman!
✨Thank you @librofm @amistadbooks for my free ALC 🎧 Happy pub week! 🎉
Quotes can be found on my instagram review post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DV05JV4lN...
April 26, 2026
I love books about books and bookstores and Jeannine A. Cook’s voice shines throughout this one! What really stayed with me is just how determined her journey feels. I went into this not knowing anything about her, and came out completely invested in her story and what she’s built.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley, and this ended up being such a meaningful read. There’s nothing overly polished about it, in a good way. It’s like a conversation with her! You feel every setback, every risk, and every small win along the way. Opening a bookstore right before a global shutdown is one thing, but finding ways to keep going and even grow from that? That’s something else entirely.
What I appreciated most is how rooted the story is in purpose. This isn’t just about running a business, it’s about creating space, uplifting voices, and staying connected to something bigger than yourself. The inspiration she draws from Harriet Tubman and other figures adds depth without ever feeling forced.
Definitely recommend, especially the audiobook, since hearing it in her own voice adds another level of connection.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley, and this ended up being such a meaningful read. There’s nothing overly polished about it, in a good way. It’s like a conversation with her! You feel every setback, every risk, and every small win along the way. Opening a bookstore right before a global shutdown is one thing, but finding ways to keep going and even grow from that? That’s something else entirely.
What I appreciated most is how rooted the story is in purpose. This isn’t just about running a business, it’s about creating space, uplifting voices, and staying connected to something bigger than yourself. The inspiration she draws from Harriet Tubman and other figures adds depth without ever feeling forced.
Definitely recommend, especially the audiobook, since hearing it in her own voice adds another level of connection.
May 10, 2026
This memoir felt like none other I have ever read - it was not linear and it felt like it barely scratched the surface, in a good way. Although this is billed as a memior it could easily have been placed in the business section because it is a masterclass on the joys and challenges of being an entrepreneur. She speaks about her love of books, vision as a bookseller, and opening (and closing) Harriett's Bookshop in the early days of the pandemic. When speaking about herself as a writer, she gets most vulnerable and discusses her family especially her relationship with her father, her travels to Paris, friendships, her health and abusive romantic relationships. I can see other parts of this memoir being published to explore her childhood, her mother, relationship with her sisters, her grandparents, and so much more. I highly recommend this memoir especially to writers, entrepreneurs, or anyone balancing their dreams and the realities of a world trying to take it from them. Highly recommended.
March 10, 2026
In this memoir we follow Jeannine's journey of accomplishing her dream of opening Harriett's Bookshop in Philadelphia. Low and behold a few weeks after opening this bookshop on February 1, 2020, the covid pandemic hit, forcing the doors of Harriett's to close. Hope was not lost and Jeannine found creative ways to keep her book store alive despite the challenges while expanding her reach.
I absolutely adored Jeannie's tenacity to see things through. She encountered all the right people to push her forward and achieve her dreams. It's amazing how beneficial it was to have a community that really poured into Jeanine and she continues to pour into others forming her own overground Underground Railroad.
With Harriet Tubman and the ancestors as her guiding lights, Jeanine has turned her love of books into a legacy of literature for all to share in.
Read this if you like stories that are inspiring that are rooted in community, purpose, and activism.
I absolutely adored Jeannie's tenacity to see things through. She encountered all the right people to push her forward and achieve her dreams. It's amazing how beneficial it was to have a community that really poured into Jeanine and she continues to pour into others forming her own overground Underground Railroad.
With Harriet Tubman and the ancestors as her guiding lights, Jeanine has turned her love of books into a legacy of literature for all to share in.
Read this if you like stories that are inspiring that are rooted in community, purpose, and activism.
April 27, 2026
Ever google your name to see what comes up? I found a bookseller in Philadelphia with my name (or do I have hers?). So when I saw she had a autobiography out, this librarian on the West coast just had to read about the bookseller in the East.
Rather than a chronological view of her life, Cook jumps from one time period to another, concentrating on how she has created several community involved bookstores, the important programs she started, a trip to Paris to write a romance books, and how she has met lots and lots of fascinating people in her bookstores' communities. Her personality and voice come through loud and clear, and make you feel like you're on an adventure with an amazing friend. Success for Jeannine Cook is not making money (though making ends meet is nice), but in creating change in her community - change for the better - and raising up many who would not otherwise have much opportunity. A very worthwhile experience.
Rather than a chronological view of her life, Cook jumps from one time period to another, concentrating on how she has created several community involved bookstores, the important programs she started, a trip to Paris to write a romance books, and how she has met lots and lots of fascinating people in her bookstores' communities. Her personality and voice come through loud and clear, and make you feel like you're on an adventure with an amazing friend. Success for Jeannine Cook is not making money (though making ends meet is nice), but in creating change in her community - change for the better - and raising up many who would not otherwise have much opportunity. A very worthwhile experience.
May 12, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley and Amistad Books for this ARC of Shut Up and Read.
This was an inspiring read about Jeannine Cook's efforts to open bookstores in the Philadelphia area that celebrates and brings together authors, artists, and the local communities. Cook concentrates on how the ideas involving the bookstores and including the community came to her, how visiting Paris inspired her, and doing this all while she is working on completing a novel. One of the more moving memories from the book is how Cook continues to celebrate and center women authors, artists, and community while navigating the challenges that come with family members with delicate health issues.
This was an inspiring read, especially having followed Harriett's Bookshop on social media and seeing Cook's activism in real time.
This was an inspiring read about Jeannine Cook's efforts to open bookstores in the Philadelphia area that celebrates and brings together authors, artists, and the local communities. Cook concentrates on how the ideas involving the bookstores and including the community came to her, how visiting Paris inspired her, and doing this all while she is working on completing a novel. One of the more moving memories from the book is how Cook continues to celebrate and center women authors, artists, and community while navigating the challenges that come with family members with delicate health issues.
This was an inspiring read, especially having followed Harriett's Bookshop on social media and seeing Cook's activism in real time.
Did Not Finish
March 28, 2026Made it through 10 chapters, so almost 20%. This isn’t the book for me. I found the author profoundly disorganized; it’s not just the short chapters that jump around from topic to topic—she couldn’t even seem to stay focused on the stated topic of a chapter before she started running off to chase tangents in ways that kept making me wonder “wait, what are we doing here, now…?” Felt very “I don’t know how to write a memoir so I’ll just write down some essays in stream-of-consciousness format—and then not edit.”
Additionally, her narration of the audiobook feels very much like she’s just reading from a script instead of speaking in her own words, which feels like a weird achievement for… a memoir… 😅
Additionally, her narration of the audiobook feels very much like she’s just reading from a script instead of speaking in her own words, which feels like a weird achievement for… a memoir… 😅
May 3, 2026
I commend Jeannine for her accomplishments. Opening the bookstores, providing opportunities that didn't otherwise exist, and stretching herself thin to do so is highly commendable. But she is not a writer. It was difficult to read this book and a number of times I thought I should just put it down, but I kept going. I feel like she was trying to hit a certain number of words, as she repeatedly talked about while writing her first book. There was too much filler, for example two chapters were written by other people- one a transcript of an interview and another an essay written by a young man.
The only reason I am not giving this book a one star is because of what Jeanine actually accomplished
The only reason I am not giving this book a one star is because of what Jeanine actually accomplished
April 11, 2026
This is such an interesting and engaging memoir, with mythical/fantastical and hyperbolic elements. It’s sort of like Zami: A New Spelling of My Name meets Fierce Femmes & Notorious Liars meets Well-Read Black Girl.
I will say there are a few details that seem off (not in the mythical way, but like her saying it was the summer of 2021 and also the height of Covid and the George Floyd protests were happening). And it’s never my favorite thing to hear about writers who are struggling to write. But it is really gripping and moving (I teared up in moments). I love all the mentions of literary godmothers and historical ancestors/guides.
I will say there are a few details that seem off (not in the mythical way, but like her saying it was the summer of 2021 and also the height of Covid and the George Floyd protests were happening). And it’s never my favorite thing to hear about writers who are struggling to write. But it is really gripping and moving (I teared up in moments). I love all the mentions of literary godmothers and historical ancestors/guides.
Review of advance copy
One of the things that stood out to me the most while listening to Shut Up and Read was the incredible devotion to the community that Jeannine possessed. She does not gloss over the struggles of being an independent bookstore owner but rather tenaciously seeks out ways to establish her bookstores as cornerstones of the communities they are located in, communities that I grew up (very) close to. What I would not have given to have had Harriett's or Ida's established when I was growing up!
Jeannine draws from a strong connection to women trailblazers in her past and we are treated to her thoughts through the process of writing a novel and opening two bookstores by way of her letters to these phenomenal women. She takes that same sense of connection as well as the belief that literacy has the power to change lives and channels it into the communities around her bookshops.
Shut Up and Read is an incredibly impactful and inspiring read that I highly recommend for every lover of books, literacy, and community.
Thank you to @amistadbooks and @LibroFM for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
Jeannine draws from a strong connection to women trailblazers in her past and we are treated to her thoughts through the process of writing a novel and opening two bookstores by way of her letters to these phenomenal women. She takes that same sense of connection as well as the belief that literacy has the power to change lives and channels it into the communities around her bookshops.
Shut Up and Read is an incredibly impactful and inspiring read that I highly recommend for every lover of books, literacy, and community.
Thank you to @amistadbooks and @LibroFM for the gifted audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.
April 24, 2026
This felt like it was written because of a book advance. The structure is all over the place and the sense that there was so much more Jeannine could say but was purposely or lazily leaving out. If you’re looking for a linear story & insight into her building up independent bookshops, you won’t find it. Her acknowledgments refer to children, who are never mentioned. An unimportant nitpick? How many times she says dad in conversations w him. Very disappointing overall, I was so excited to read this. If not for short chapters, would have DNF’d.
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