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Никой освен теб
Има книги, които просто прочиташ. Има и такива, които остават с теб завинаги.
Алис винаги е искала да бъде писателка. Талантът ѝ е безспорен, но думите ѝ дълго остават предпазливи, дистанцирани – докато една лична трагедия не разбива сърцето ѝ и от тази болка не ражда забележителен дебютен роман. Ала веднъж публикувана, книгата вече принадлежи не на автора си, а на читателите – и този роман намира пътя си към различни хора в преломни моменти от живота им.
Всеки от тях прочита уж същата книга. Ала всеки открива различна истина. Историите им се преплитат почти неуловимо и разкриват колко неочаквано и красиво книгите могат да променят живота ни — и колко дълбоко сме свързани помежду си дори когато не го осъзнаваме. Защото точно това правят книгите: отвеждат ни там, където не сме знаели, че трябва да отидем.
Романът „Никой освен теб“ е искрена възхвала на художествената литература и нейната тиха, но несломима сила да променя живота ни и да ни свързва с другите.
Алис винаги е искала да бъде писателка. Талантът ѝ е безспорен, но думите ѝ дълго остават предпазливи, дистанцирани – докато една лична трагедия не разбива сърцето ѝ и от тази болка не ражда забележителен дебютен роман. Ала веднъж публикувана, книгата вече принадлежи не на автора си, а на читателите – и този роман намира пътя си към различни хора в преломни моменти от живота им.
Всеки от тях прочита уж същата книга. Ала всеки открива различна истина. Историите им се преплитат почти неуловимо и разкриват колко неочаквано и красиво книгите могат да променят живота ни — и колко дълбоко сме свързани помежду си дори когато не го осъзнаваме. Защото точно това правят книгите: отвеждат ни там, където не сме знаели, че трябва да отидем.
Романът „Никой освен теб“ е искрена възхвала на художествената литература и нейната тиха, но несломима сила да променя живота ни и да ни свързва с другите.
236 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
About the author
Erica Bauermeister
21 books3,004 followersErica Bauermeister is the NYT bestselling author of five novels -- The Scent Keeper (a Reese's Book Club pick), The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, The Lost Art of Mixing, and a new novel, No Two Persons, due out in May of 2023. She has also written a memoir, House Lessons: Renovating a Life and is the co-author of two readers' guides: 500 Great Books by Women and Let's Hear It For the Girls. She currently lives in Port Townsend, Wa with her husband and 238 wild deer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,116 reviews
February 28, 2023
Finally. FINALLY!!
After a bit of a book slump, I picked up this book, and I KNEW from the FIRST chapter, that I had found the kind of immersive read that had been elusive the past few weeks. One that would be filled with “highlight worthy” passages, one that I would not want to put down.
“ONE book, NINE readers, TEN changed lives”
The book will pass from the hands of the WRITER to the ASSISTANT and then make its way, over the years, to the ACTOR, the ARTIST, the DIVER, the TEENAGER, the BOOKSELLER, the CARETAKER, the COORDINATOR, and the AGENT.
Written almost like a collection of vignettes, each about 20-30 minutes in length, we start by meeting the writer, Alice, as she creates her debut novel, THEO, a story that has taken FIVE years, and 40, 458 SAVES, to complete.
Now, she just needs someone to say, “YES”.
After, many rejections, it’s hook, the FIRST NINE WORDS, which Alice insisted on keeping, will speak to an assistant who is reading through queries and manuscripts, searching for the needle in the haystack-“a story that would take the familiar and turn it into something profoundly new”.
“Theo” will now find his way into the hands of many…
Each of the following chapters is like a beautifully wrapped gift box. 🎁
I couldn’t wait to open the next story to see what each new reader would discover when he or she opened the pages of “Theo”.
A few of these readers have a cameo appearance in another chapter, but many of the readers will never meet another-although the story does come full circle in a very clever way in the end.
I am so glad that THIS unique story, “No Two Persons” has found its way into my hands. It will be on MY FAVORITES list for 2023!
AND, it’s now AVAILABLE!!
This was a buddy read with DeAnn! Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional insights!
Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
After a bit of a book slump, I picked up this book, and I KNEW from the FIRST chapter, that I had found the kind of immersive read that had been elusive the past few weeks. One that would be filled with “highlight worthy” passages, one that I would not want to put down.
“ONE book, NINE readers, TEN changed lives”
The book will pass from the hands of the WRITER to the ASSISTANT and then make its way, over the years, to the ACTOR, the ARTIST, the DIVER, the TEENAGER, the BOOKSELLER, the CARETAKER, the COORDINATOR, and the AGENT.
Written almost like a collection of vignettes, each about 20-30 minutes in length, we start by meeting the writer, Alice, as she creates her debut novel, THEO, a story that has taken FIVE years, and 40, 458 SAVES, to complete.
Now, she just needs someone to say, “YES”.
After, many rejections, it’s hook, the FIRST NINE WORDS, which Alice insisted on keeping, will speak to an assistant who is reading through queries and manuscripts, searching for the needle in the haystack-“a story that would take the familiar and turn it into something profoundly new”.
“Theo” will now find his way into the hands of many…
Each of the following chapters is like a beautifully wrapped gift box. 🎁
I couldn’t wait to open the next story to see what each new reader would discover when he or she opened the pages of “Theo”.
A few of these readers have a cameo appearance in another chapter, but many of the readers will never meet another-although the story does come full circle in a very clever way in the end.
I am so glad that THIS unique story, “No Two Persons” has found its way into my hands. It will be on MY FAVORITES list for 2023!
AND, it’s now AVAILABLE!!
This was a buddy read with DeAnn! Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional insights!
Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
March 30, 2023
“I think each story has its own life. In the beginning, it lives in the writer’s mind, and it grows and changes while it’s there. Changes the writer, too, I’d bet.” He smiled at her, then continued. “At some point it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a story about a book, “Theo” written by Alice Wein. It is also the story of the twenty-five-year-old author, Alice, who has poured her heart and soul into her debut novel. It is also the story of nine people who read her book – or rather, a collection of stories each of which features someone who has read “Theo” and the difference it has made in their lives - a literary agent and her assistant who is also a new mother, an actor turned audiobook narrator, a homeless teenager, a professional diver who tests his own boundaries, an artist seeking inspiration from the world around her, a bookseller who embarks on a personal relationship only to find it less than fulfilling, a coordinator who works in the movie business and a widower in his sixties grieving the recent loss of his wife - people from different walk of life, in different stages in life, facing his/her/their own set of challenges. While I wouldn’t call these stories interconnected in the true sense of the term, they are connected by a common thread – “Theo” by Alice Wein.
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is a special book. Beautifully written, intimate and thought-provoking with characters who are real and relatable, these stories made me think of some of the books that I have loved and the stories that have stayed with me through the years – the books that came to me at the very right moment and left an indelible impact. Overall, this is an emotional read that I would not hesitate to recommend. I believe this book would appeal to those fond of character-driven short stories.
“No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.” -The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860
Like all books, this one will touch us in different ways. But I am confident that all of us who love to read would agree that books are much more than a hobby for us – they are our friends, our refuge, our sanctuary - they teach us, they make us cry, they make us smile, give us perspective and so much more. It is this sentiment that the author expresses so beautifully through this novel.
“Maybe not consciously, but that was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go.”
Many thanks to author Erica Bauermeister, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 13, 2023
When writing a review or leaving a comment on a review, I’ve often voiced the sentiment that “no two people read the same book”, and/or “no book is for everyone”.
This book takes that sentiment and runs with it, highlighting the life of Alice, the author of the book Theo, along with 9 people who read her book.
This is a book of short stories, with each chapter highlighting a different character who is wounded and broken. The stories often end abruptly, which short stories tend to do. They were fine, but I prefer a bit more depth, humor, and/or tension than these stories provided.
For those of us who are readers, the power of the written word comes as no surprise. It’s not a unique idea that every reader takes away something different from each book they read. We each bring our own life experiences and perspectives to each book we read. So, I didn’t find anything new or fresh in developing this premise and there isn't enough character development among the nine to make me care.
I enjoyed the first story about Alice, the author of Theo, but then the book lost steam. It took me a long while to get through it and I wasn’t drawn to pick it up.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce, do check out her review and see what she thought.
I didn’t love this book as much as many of my GR friends, which simply proves the point that no two people read the same book.
· I received a digital copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book takes that sentiment and runs with it, highlighting the life of Alice, the author of the book Theo, along with 9 people who read her book.
This is a book of short stories, with each chapter highlighting a different character who is wounded and broken. The stories often end abruptly, which short stories tend to do. They were fine, but I prefer a bit more depth, humor, and/or tension than these stories provided.
For those of us who are readers, the power of the written word comes as no surprise. It’s not a unique idea that every reader takes away something different from each book they read. We each bring our own life experiences and perspectives to each book we read. So, I didn’t find anything new or fresh in developing this premise and there isn't enough character development among the nine to make me care.
I enjoyed the first story about Alice, the author of Theo, but then the book lost steam. It took me a long while to get through it and I wasn’t drawn to pick it up.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce, do check out her review and see what she thought.
I didn’t love this book as much as many of my GR friends, which simply proves the point that no two people read the same book.
· I received a digital copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 1, 2023
My favorite book of 2023
And...My Book Challenge of 800 books for the year met!
Have you ever walked in to a book, and wondered, how does this person know me so well? Did this person secretly come into my life and follow me around without my knowing it?
I barely got into the book, and I am greeted with these words… on page 7 of the paperback version.
“I live in their world when I am writing” the author (character) said to the class. “I’m going to make my own worlds,” Alice told her brother.”
Alice is our first protagonist. She wants to be a writer. And she is determined, even if this is not the quest her parents want for her. And no, my destiny isn’t to be a writer. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. And I did fulfill my quest.
What I like is the vision that the author felt, and that Alice could see it, too...for herself. That is what I connected to, as well. That is why those words above meant something to me.
And it didn’t stop there. On page 10…
“When she had to go out in the real world, she watched for what people didn’t know they were telling you. She noted a hand playing with a necklace. An eyebrow, as an interrogative or a dismissal. The way little kids’ shoulders would turtle up near their ears when a bully was near. She listened…to the pauses. The falter. The emotional floods of surprise or warmth or anger.”
So much of what Alice did, she did to collect for her stories. I would do the same thing, but for a different reason. I was being an observer. So, I could be a better teacher, counselor, facilitator. The skills that served me in my life.
One character, her teacher Professor Roberts, shares…
“If you think about it, every story – is grounded in things we already know, and every book is about questions that have already been asked.”
In other words, we most likely already know the answers to life. We just need to pay attention. Observe. Be present in this moment. And I could truly appreciate that because I live a present moment life.
But…I was barely on page 12, how was I going to make it through this book, if all I was going to do was stop every few moments to contemplate all these thoughts that were being shared throughout these pages? Could I keep track without taking notes? Was I back in school again?
And then…I remembered.
This book isn’t about me.
It starts with Alice and the book in her head. After a tragic event. And how that book in her head finally becomes, “Theo.”
And how this book “Theo” will affect so many others who come to read it.
Just like the opening pages of this book, “No Two Persons” touched me. “Theo” reaches others in ways that matter.
“Wandering is a gift given only to the lost.” ‘Theo’s’ opening line.
“Did you write this for me?” She wondered. (The character, Lara, The Assistant.)
On page 50, the character, Lara, The Assistant who decided that this would be the book the publisher should publish, is thinking about the importance of reading to her child.
And…
“…how your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.”
“It’s like eating the best ice-cream cone of your life on a hot day, you want to eat it fast, but have it never end.”
Or the character Rowan, The Actor, as he does the audiobook of ‘Theo,’ reading the last line of the book, “All that matters is that we try.”
We meet more characters throughout the story, and find readers that are impacted by “Theo.”
And… We are witness to their transformation.
And all I can say is…Extraordinary writing Ms. Bauermeister. I was already a fan, But…
Now. I am completely Wowed.
And what I can say to all of you that are reading this review…
Be Wowed too. Put this one on your TBR list now.
And...My Book Challenge of 800 books for the year met!
Have you ever walked in to a book, and wondered, how does this person know me so well? Did this person secretly come into my life and follow me around without my knowing it?
I barely got into the book, and I am greeted with these words… on page 7 of the paperback version.
“I live in their world when I am writing” the author (character) said to the class. “I’m going to make my own worlds,” Alice told her brother.”
Alice is our first protagonist. She wants to be a writer. And she is determined, even if this is not the quest her parents want for her. And no, my destiny isn’t to be a writer. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. And I did fulfill my quest.
What I like is the vision that the author felt, and that Alice could see it, too...for herself. That is what I connected to, as well. That is why those words above meant something to me.
And it didn’t stop there. On page 10…
“When she had to go out in the real world, she watched for what people didn’t know they were telling you. She noted a hand playing with a necklace. An eyebrow, as an interrogative or a dismissal. The way little kids’ shoulders would turtle up near their ears when a bully was near. She listened…to the pauses. The falter. The emotional floods of surprise or warmth or anger.”
So much of what Alice did, she did to collect for her stories. I would do the same thing, but for a different reason. I was being an observer. So, I could be a better teacher, counselor, facilitator. The skills that served me in my life.
One character, her teacher Professor Roberts, shares…
“If you think about it, every story – is grounded in things we already know, and every book is about questions that have already been asked.”
In other words, we most likely already know the answers to life. We just need to pay attention. Observe. Be present in this moment. And I could truly appreciate that because I live a present moment life.
But…I was barely on page 12, how was I going to make it through this book, if all I was going to do was stop every few moments to contemplate all these thoughts that were being shared throughout these pages? Could I keep track without taking notes? Was I back in school again?
And then…I remembered.
This book isn’t about me.
It starts with Alice and the book in her head. After a tragic event. And how that book in her head finally becomes, “Theo.”
And how this book “Theo” will affect so many others who come to read it.
Just like the opening pages of this book, “No Two Persons” touched me. “Theo” reaches others in ways that matter.
“Wandering is a gift given only to the lost.” ‘Theo’s’ opening line.
“Did you write this for me?” She wondered. (The character, Lara, The Assistant.)
On page 50, the character, Lara, The Assistant who decided that this would be the book the publisher should publish, is thinking about the importance of reading to her child.
And…
“…how your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.”
“It’s like eating the best ice-cream cone of your life on a hot day, you want to eat it fast, but have it never end.”
Or the character Rowan, The Actor, as he does the audiobook of ‘Theo,’ reading the last line of the book, “All that matters is that we try.”
We meet more characters throughout the story, and find readers that are impacted by “Theo.”
And… We are witness to their transformation.
And all I can say is…Extraordinary writing Ms. Bauermeister. I was already a fan, But…
Now. I am completely Wowed.
And what I can say to all of you that are reading this review…
Be Wowed too. Put this one on your TBR list now.
February 9, 2023
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister is About a Book Within a Book!
Alice always knew she had a special book locked inside her just waiting to get out one day. She continues to keep it safely tucked away until two events take place in her young life.
The first event is a tragedy that rips Alice's heart out. She's raw with the pain and hole it leaves in her life.
The second event is when Alice meets someone who believes in her creative abilities to become a writer. This person mentors her and offers the final push she needs to find the words that make her story flow forth and take shape.
The result is Alice's debut novel titled Theo. Her book finds its way to nine different readers, some drawn to it more than others, but all are impacted by what they read, in different ways...
No Two Persons became my closest friend for a few days. I started each day with it, it was the last thing I saw each night, and it evoked deep emotions in me. Yep, I cried and seriously, who doesn't love reading about a book within a book?
The premise is original and the book is character-driven. Each chapter felt like a separate story and I connected to each character as I traveled story to story. I loved how some characters were intertwined with other stories giving an overall "small world" feel.
I thought No Two Persons was a fantastic book. What I loved the most were the emotions it stirred in me about memories I hadn't thought about for a very long time. As an emotional reader, that's the definition of a great book for me! I'm hoping to have many more books like this one in my 2023 reading year and I'll definitely be exploring Ms. Bauermeister's backlist. I highly recommend!
5 Original-Emotional-Character-driven Stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press, and Erica Bauermeister for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
Alice always knew she had a special book locked inside her just waiting to get out one day. She continues to keep it safely tucked away until two events take place in her young life.
The first event is a tragedy that rips Alice's heart out. She's raw with the pain and hole it leaves in her life.
The second event is when Alice meets someone who believes in her creative abilities to become a writer. This person mentors her and offers the final push she needs to find the words that make her story flow forth and take shape.
The result is Alice's debut novel titled Theo. Her book finds its way to nine different readers, some drawn to it more than others, but all are impacted by what they read, in different ways...
No Two Persons became my closest friend for a few days. I started each day with it, it was the last thing I saw each night, and it evoked deep emotions in me. Yep, I cried and seriously, who doesn't love reading about a book within a book?
The premise is original and the book is character-driven. Each chapter felt like a separate story and I connected to each character as I traveled story to story. I loved how some characters were intertwined with other stories giving an overall "small world" feel.
I thought No Two Persons was a fantastic book. What I loved the most were the emotions it stirred in me about memories I hadn't thought about for a very long time. As an emotional reader, that's the definition of a great book for me! I'm hoping to have many more books like this one in my 2023 reading year and I'll definitely be exploring Ms. Bauermeister's backlist. I highly recommend!
5 Original-Emotional-Character-driven Stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press, and Erica Bauermeister for an ARC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
June 17, 2023
4.5 stars, but I have to round up.
I thought this was going to be an obvious book telling me what I already know - that people are impacted differently by the books they read. However, I found this to be more . It’s about not just the impact of fictional stories, but about the inspiration for writing them, about how who we are as readers and how our life experiences influence how we feel about a novel.
Erica Bauermeister takes us into the lives of nine characters and it’s their life experiences that are front and center - emotional and heartbreaking in most of the cases. The common thread is the novel “Theo “ as it comes into their hands in various ways. Sometimes they connect with the novel because they can totally empathize and connect with Theo knowing his pain as their own , as does “The Diver”. Sometimes it’s the astute understanding that life’s “complicated” by a homeless young girl in “The Teenager”. These were my favorites along with “The Caretaker” about a grieving widower, who doesn’t read fiction, but is given the gift of seeing the book through his wife’s eyes.
The writer of the book within this book touched me with her inspiration, the love she had for her brother, the heartbreaking sadness of her dysfunctional family. I love knowing the author’s inspiration for a story. It makes it in many ways more meaningful to me. So of course, I was hoping to learn Bauermeister’s inspiration for this book. I was pleased that she reveals some of that in the Acknowledgments.
It’s easy to know and say that books affect people in different ways. But the reviews we write and the ratings we give don’t always reveal our deep connection as is reflected in these individual stories. This novel will make me wonder when I read a review what there might have been in someone’s life that made them love a story or not love a story or what about me that makes me love a story or not. I can’t quite give it a full 5 stars as with many collections, not every story is equal in impact, but I have to round up. I did appreciate that it’s the novel that is the thread that connects these characters, but also enjoyed the crossover of characters in a few of them, including the author of “Theo.”
I saw myself in these quotes and wanted to share them because I’m guessing many readers will see themselves as well:
“She had to know what happened. She had to know that the boy on the page, a young man now would be okay,”
“Something was coming. Nola could feel it. She wanted to stop reading, but she couldn’t, because she could tell that this was the moment that would rip the boy’s life into before and after….And Nola couldn’t stop reading because she couldn’t leave him there alone.”
“His life had no particular parallels to Theo’s; there was no someone else sees what I’ve been through moment and yet he couldn’t stop reading. He cared about this boy. He wanted him to get free.”
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through
Edelweiss and NetGalley.
I thought this was going to be an obvious book telling me what I already know - that people are impacted differently by the books they read. However, I found this to be more . It’s about not just the impact of fictional stories, but about the inspiration for writing them, about how who we are as readers and how our life experiences influence how we feel about a novel.
Erica Bauermeister takes us into the lives of nine characters and it’s their life experiences that are front and center - emotional and heartbreaking in most of the cases. The common thread is the novel “Theo “ as it comes into their hands in various ways. Sometimes they connect with the novel because they can totally empathize and connect with Theo knowing his pain as their own , as does “The Diver”. Sometimes it’s the astute understanding that life’s “complicated” by a homeless young girl in “The Teenager”. These were my favorites along with “The Caretaker” about a grieving widower, who doesn’t read fiction, but is given the gift of seeing the book through his wife’s eyes.
The writer of the book within this book touched me with her inspiration, the love she had for her brother, the heartbreaking sadness of her dysfunctional family. I love knowing the author’s inspiration for a story. It makes it in many ways more meaningful to me. So of course, I was hoping to learn Bauermeister’s inspiration for this book. I was pleased that she reveals some of that in the Acknowledgments.
It’s easy to know and say that books affect people in different ways. But the reviews we write and the ratings we give don’t always reveal our deep connection as is reflected in these individual stories. This novel will make me wonder when I read a review what there might have been in someone’s life that made them love a story or not love a story or what about me that makes me love a story or not. I can’t quite give it a full 5 stars as with many collections, not every story is equal in impact, but I have to round up. I did appreciate that it’s the novel that is the thread that connects these characters, but also enjoyed the crossover of characters in a few of them, including the author of “Theo.”
I saw myself in these quotes and wanted to share them because I’m guessing many readers will see themselves as well:
“She had to know what happened. She had to know that the boy on the page, a young man now would be okay,”
“Something was coming. Nola could feel it. She wanted to stop reading, but she couldn’t, because she could tell that this was the moment that would rip the boy’s life into before and after….And Nola couldn’t stop reading because she couldn’t leave him there alone.”
“His life had no particular parallels to Theo’s; there was no someone else sees what I’ve been through moment and yet he couldn’t stop reading. He cared about this boy. He wanted him to get free.”
I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through
Edelweiss and NetGalley.
December 13, 2022
“No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture”. - The Writings of Madame Swetchine, 1860.
What I loved about this unique story, is that it wasn’t necessarily a story from start to finish- but a story of ten different characters whose lives were all affected differently just by the writing and reading of one particular book called “Theo”.
We have ten characters, with one being Alice Wein, who is the writer of the book. We hear her story first, and from there her book gets written and the lands into the hands of Lara, Rowan, Miranda, Tyler, Nola, Kit, William, Juliet, and Madeline.
I loved reading about each of these characters and was so emotionally connected to each one. It amazes me the power that words can hold over people, especially in a book. Books touch each person so differently. Through this story we are able to see how one book was able to change just these few characters lives. It really makes you stop and think- especially when you are a book lover such as I am.
I also love the title of the book and the opening line that I used in this review. No Two Persons is fitting because no two persons ever read the same book. While I love this book and many others, there’s plenty of my book friends who probably won’t like this book as much as I do and they haven’t liked many others that I have liked and vice versa. This book was a true eye opener and I loved every page! I highly recommend reading this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this fantastic book that I had the pleasure of reading and providing an honest review.
Publication date: May 2, 2023
Book available today: 5/2/23 🥳
What I loved about this unique story, is that it wasn’t necessarily a story from start to finish- but a story of ten different characters whose lives were all affected differently just by the writing and reading of one particular book called “Theo”.
We have ten characters, with one being Alice Wein, who is the writer of the book. We hear her story first, and from there her book gets written and the lands into the hands of Lara, Rowan, Miranda, Tyler, Nola, Kit, William, Juliet, and Madeline.
I loved reading about each of these characters and was so emotionally connected to each one. It amazes me the power that words can hold over people, especially in a book. Books touch each person so differently. Through this story we are able to see how one book was able to change just these few characters lives. It really makes you stop and think- especially when you are a book lover such as I am.
I also love the title of the book and the opening line that I used in this review. No Two Persons is fitting because no two persons ever read the same book. While I love this book and many others, there’s plenty of my book friends who probably won’t like this book as much as I do and they haven’t liked many others that I have liked and vice versa. This book was a true eye opener and I loved every page! I highly recommend reading this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this fantastic book that I had the pleasure of reading and providing an honest review.
Publication date: May 2, 2023
Book available today: 5/2/23 🥳
April 28, 2023
Engaging book for book lovers that shows how one book can connect with different people in so many ways.
Alice knows that she wants to be a writer. She eventually is inspired to write the book Theo and that book reaches into the lives of many other people, affecting each of them significantly, and yet profoundly differently. Thus reflecting the title quote and theme of this novel, Edmund Wilson's words: No two persons ever read the same book.
As a book lover myself, I really resonated with these characters and how Alice's book touched their lives. I listened to this as an audiobook and the full cast performance was captivating. The characters came to life with the different narrators and I highly recommend the audio version.
Some of the stories definitely touched me more than others, but I think that is to be expected. This is a lovely, encouraging book that will draw readers to various characters and their stories depending on their own life situations.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Alice knows that she wants to be a writer. She eventually is inspired to write the book Theo and that book reaches into the lives of many other people, affecting each of them significantly, and yet profoundly differently. Thus reflecting the title quote and theme of this novel, Edmund Wilson's words: No two persons ever read the same book.
As a book lover myself, I really resonated with these characters and how Alice's book touched their lives. I listened to this as an audiobook and the full cast performance was captivating. The characters came to life with the different narrators and I highly recommend the audio version.
Some of the stories definitely touched me more than others, but I think that is to be expected. This is a lovely, encouraging book that will draw readers to various characters and their stories depending on their own life situations.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
April 8, 2023
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.”― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
It is true, no two persons reads the same book. We got into them with our own histories, our own points of view and are own interests. What one person loves, another may not. In this book, there is one book and it changes many lives. Alice has always wanted to be a writer. She has always written but it is only when something happens that she writes her debut novel titled "Theo". Her book will not only change her life but it will change the lives of nine readers who read it.
“No two persons ever read the same book.”- Edmund Wilson
This was a beautifully written book that tells the story of each person who reads Alice's book and the impact the book has on them. This is something that all book lovers can relate. We have all read a book that moved us, that spoke to us, that was there at the right time and felt as if it was written for you at that time in your life. There are beauty in the words and in the connections.
Each of the characters in this book have something going on in their lives. They are struggling and dealing with their individual issues. None of them read the same book when they find themselves reading "Theo"
I enjoyed and connected to the concept of this book. Very original, very moving and very well done.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
It is true, no two persons reads the same book. We got into them with our own histories, our own points of view and are own interests. What one person loves, another may not. In this book, there is one book and it changes many lives. Alice has always wanted to be a writer. She has always written but it is only when something happens that she writes her debut novel titled "Theo". Her book will not only change her life but it will change the lives of nine readers who read it.
“No two persons ever read the same book.”- Edmund Wilson
This was a beautifully written book that tells the story of each person who reads Alice's book and the impact the book has on them. This is something that all book lovers can relate. We have all read a book that moved us, that spoke to us, that was there at the right time and felt as if it was written for you at that time in your life. There are beauty in the words and in the connections.
Each of the characters in this book have something going on in their lives. They are struggling and dealing with their individual issues. None of them read the same book when they find themselves reading "Theo"
I enjoyed and connected to the concept of this book. Very original, very moving and very well done.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 24, 2023
No Two Persons is a very unique book. When I read the blurb, I knew I had to read it and was lucky enough to be granted an advanced review copy. I was captivated by the first chapter about young Alice and the book she was writing, and I knew I was onto something good. I subsequently became flummoxed as Alice wasn’t in chapter 2 or chapter 3. Where was she? I missed her! I then reread the blurb and was reminded that this book has many chapters, each with a different protagonist. The commonality amongst them is that they all read Alice’s book, and each one is profoundly affected in a starkly different way by what they read.
The various characters are all so different and each is beautifully written. There is a publisher, a manuscript reader looking for the next great novel, a bookstore employee, a free diver, an intimacy coordinator (who knew these existed?), an actor cum audiobook narrator, a woman who studies “leap seconds”, a widower who takes a job to oversee a ghost town in the dead of winter, an artist, a homeless teen girl. Each one is struggling. Each one in some way ends up with a copy of Alice’s book. Each one finds what they need to move on to a changed and better life. And the beauty of it? No two persons read the book in the same way.
This novel is intricate, far-reaching, full of depth, and inspiring. I loved the way the characters would at times come together in the different chapters. There is a poignant final chapter and an heart-warming epilogue with Alice. There is also an interesting Author’s Note that you don’t want to miss. Overall, I was very impressed with this book. I would even call it a masterpiece, and I rarely do that. I strongly recommend No Two Persons for all book lovers interested in a rewarding reading experience.
Thank you, Ms. Bauermeister. I will be following your work closely.
Thanks also to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
The various characters are all so different and each is beautifully written. There is a publisher, a manuscript reader looking for the next great novel, a bookstore employee, a free diver, an intimacy coordinator (who knew these existed?), an actor cum audiobook narrator, a woman who studies “leap seconds”, a widower who takes a job to oversee a ghost town in the dead of winter, an artist, a homeless teen girl. Each one is struggling. Each one in some way ends up with a copy of Alice’s book. Each one finds what they need to move on to a changed and better life. And the beauty of it? No two persons read the book in the same way.
This novel is intricate, far-reaching, full of depth, and inspiring. I loved the way the characters would at times come together in the different chapters. There is a poignant final chapter and an heart-warming epilogue with Alice. There is also an interesting Author’s Note that you don’t want to miss. Overall, I was very impressed with this book. I would even call it a masterpiece, and I rarely do that. I strongly recommend No Two Persons for all book lovers interested in a rewarding reading experience.
Thank you, Ms. Bauermeister. I will be following your work closely.
Thanks also to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
April 8, 2023
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This is a story about a book and the ten different people who read it and how it impacts them all differently over a ten-year period. It was profound how the book uniquely moved each of the readers. This was such a beautiful story and I loved the fact each character is connected to each other, and the book, in some small way. I loved getting to know each character and how the book touched their life in a multitude of ways.
As an avid reader, the book spoke to me. The premise was such an intriguing one and was executed flawlessly. Every voice was clear and concise and the author did a wonderful job doing so. Do not let the long chapters fool you. I usually dislike long chapters but they work here and they flew by as I was absorbed into each story giving the reader an in-depth look into each individual character. The writing is lyrical in a simplistic way that flows beautifully and before you know it, it is complete in a very satisfying way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
This is a story about a book and the ten different people who read it and how it impacts them all differently over a ten-year period. It was profound how the book uniquely moved each of the readers. This was such a beautiful story and I loved the fact each character is connected to each other, and the book, in some small way. I loved getting to know each character and how the book touched their life in a multitude of ways.
As an avid reader, the book spoke to me. The premise was such an intriguing one and was executed flawlessly. Every voice was clear and concise and the author did a wonderful job doing so. Do not let the long chapters fool you. I usually dislike long chapters but they work here and they flew by as I was absorbed into each story giving the reader an in-depth look into each individual character. The writing is lyrical in a simplistic way that flows beautifully and before you know it, it is complete in a very satisfying way.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
January 25, 2023
’No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same pictures.’ - THE WRITINGS OF MADAME SWETCHINE, 1860
This begins in Maine, 2010, as Alice is somewhere in the stages of writing a book, one that she’s been writing for over five years. Many changes in the story have taken place since she wrote that first line, as though the book was the creator, writing the story itself. She is ‘barely twenty-five,’ young in years, perhaps, but with an old soul. A young woman who keeps mostly to herself, avoiding people’s eyes, as if she thought they could read her thoughts. When she was younger, an author came to her class and told them that when she was writing that she lived inside the world of the characters while she was writing their story. It was something that stayed with her, and she knew she wanted to create worlds of her own someday.
This story follows the lives of Alice, the book she writes, the people that it touches, and the way that it affects them. Each one seems profoundly impacted by the story, although each are in different stages of their lives, have different struggles or personal emotional or physical pain they face. Somehow reading this book changes how they view their lives, and how they could have done, or could do, something different.
A beautiful story that literally brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me of the importance of books in our lives, and the power of stories.
Pub Date: 02 May 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press
July 3, 2023
This is the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club July 2023 selection and a 2023 Summer Reading Guide Minimalist Pick.
“No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.” These words frame the story for Bauermeister’s new novel in linked short stories about how a debut novel changes the lives of eleven people. First we meet Alice, an aspiring writer who struggles for years before finally completing her novel Theo. Then we meet the publisher’s assistant who plucks it from the slush pile, the out-of-work actor chosen to narrate the audiobook (perhaps my favorite story), the teenager who finds the book while she hides her homelessness, and more readers who subsequently stumble upon it at just the right time. A testament to the invisible threads that tie us together, and the power of books and reading.
“No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture.” These words frame the story for Bauermeister’s new novel in linked short stories about how a debut novel changes the lives of eleven people. First we meet Alice, an aspiring writer who struggles for years before finally completing her novel Theo. Then we meet the publisher’s assistant who plucks it from the slush pile, the out-of-work actor chosen to narrate the audiobook (perhaps my favorite story), the teenager who finds the book while she hides her homelessness, and more readers who subsequently stumble upon it at just the right time. A testament to the invisible threads that tie us together, and the power of books and reading.
May 3, 2023
3.5 There is a book for every reader but every reader won't feel the same about any given book. I'm sure like myself you've read a book given four or five stars by your friends and wondered whether you were reading the same book. This book highlights how the same book was received by different readers. A book written by a young woman who wanted to create a new and different world for her brother.
We meet many different readers and read their stories on the effect this book had. As with books of short stories I thought some were more developed than others. In many cases I felt I didn't get enough to form an attachment. I did though, admire the premise of the book, and liked that some of the characters walked through scenes of others.
I did enjoy the narration though I couldn't help but wonder if I would have connected better with the written word.
We meet many different readers and read their stories on the effect this book had. As with books of short stories I thought some were more developed than others. In many cases I felt I didn't get enough to form an attachment. I did though, admire the premise of the book, and liked that some of the characters walked through scenes of others.
I did enjoy the narration though I couldn't help but wonder if I would have connected better with the written word.
May 5, 2023
Well. This was a very solid 4 stars all along, until I got to the end. The last story, "The Agent" sent it soaring up to 5 and the epilogue only reinforced that feeling. It left me in the classic "I love this book so much" pose, with the book in my lap and me staring at the wall for a few minutes.
This is a book about the readers of a book titled "Theo". The first chapter is about the author writing the book, and succeeding chapters are short stories about the people who read the book (or dont) and how it affects them. Put like that, it doesn't sound too interesting, but that's just part of the whole, because it's really about connections, in a Six Degrees of Separation kind of way. How books give us what we need when we need it sometimes, how one book can lead to another, can help us understand the world, deal with grief or confusion, make us better people. Yes, that's a lot for one book to do, but we all read different versions of a book because of who we are or where we are in our lives.
"Picking up a book was a decision: I'm going to go away. The exciting possibility: I may not come back the same." Exactly.
This book made me think of one of my favorite books, Howard's End, and Forster's insistence to "only connect". That's why we read, to connect with authors and characters and words on a page. It made me think of Kent Haruf and Wendell Berry, not because of similarities in style or substance, but because we feel so connected to their world when we read them. Bauermeister gets that, and her way of connecting these stories and characters to each other in unknown ways is nothing short of brilliant.
Heartily recommended to book lovers everywhere.
This is a book about the readers of a book titled "Theo". The first chapter is about the author writing the book, and succeeding chapters are short stories about the people who read the book (or dont) and how it affects them. Put like that, it doesn't sound too interesting, but that's just part of the whole, because it's really about connections, in a Six Degrees of Separation kind of way. How books give us what we need when we need it sometimes, how one book can lead to another, can help us understand the world, deal with grief or confusion, make us better people. Yes, that's a lot for one book to do, but we all read different versions of a book because of who we are or where we are in our lives.
"Picking up a book was a decision: I'm going to go away. The exciting possibility: I may not come back the same." Exactly.
This book made me think of one of my favorite books, Howard's End, and Forster's insistence to "only connect". That's why we read, to connect with authors and characters and words on a page. It made me think of Kent Haruf and Wendell Berry, not because of similarities in style or substance, but because we feel so connected to their world when we read them. Bauermeister gets that, and her way of connecting these stories and characters to each other in unknown ways is nothing short of brilliant.
Heartily recommended to book lovers everywhere.
May 15, 2023
I loved No Two Persons, a story about how one writer’s words, through her debut novel, impacts 9 different readers. We follow the story of a book’s inception, its publication, and its impact on readers, near and far, across multiple years. I enjoyed some of the stories a little more than others, but still really enjoyed them all, together creating a very worthwhile journey.
“She also didn’t think about it because she actually was reading, and it was magical, leaving her life for an hour, going someplace else.”
The writing is excellent, there are so many things throughout this book that will resonate with readers. No Two Persons encompasses part of what I love so much about reading – That one book can be “the” book for some readers and every reader can take away something different from the same story, that’s not “the same” story for everyone. This was my first book by Erica Bauermeister and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
“She also didn’t think about it because she actually was reading, and it was magical, leaving her life for an hour, going someplace else.”
The writing is excellent, there are so many things throughout this book that will resonate with readers. No Two Persons encompasses part of what I love so much about reading – That one book can be “the” book for some readers and every reader can take away something different from the same story, that’s not “the same” story for everyone. This was my first book by Erica Bauermeister and I can’t wait to read more of her work.
April 23, 2023
Insanely and happily pogo-sticking through pages!
Wow! Wow! Wow! A fantastic book! I’m still reeling! This gem is threatening to edge out my favorite book of the year (or at least it’s a tie), and it’s for sure going on my all-time favorites shelf.
This book has a book within it called Theo, which comes into the hands of 9 people from all sorts of worlds—there’s a writer and agent, and there’s also a deep-sea diver, a homeless teenager, an intimacy coordinator (!), an actor who gets a pigment disease. This reads like a collection of short stories, with the book Theo at the center. Each character is so well-drawn, so rich—these are fabulous character studies! Theo comes at pivotal points in their lives (or creates a pivotal point), and I was completely invested in each character. Occasionally the characters’ lives cross, and I just loved that. And throughout the book, you get little snippets of the plot and gist of Theo, and you understand just why the book affects each of these people. I couldn’t wait to pick this little puppy up each day.
It’s an incredibly clever idea, and I bow to the creativity of the author. I’m bouncing high on my pogo stick through the pages of Theo, this little book within a book, and as I land on each page, I puncture it with my stick and change all the periods to exclamation points. And you know how much I love my exclamation points!!! So now I, too, am affected by Theo! Sigh, I will try to move on from my gush, which keeps seeping out of me without control.
Oh did this book get me thinking! It sent me down memory lane. I remember the pivotal moment when my best friend’s mother shoved a paperback into my 15-year-old hands, and I discovered that reading did not mean Moby Dick. The big sizzle sizzle when I realized there was a whole secret world of readers, sticking their heads into books and coming up for air, not just with their mind, but also with their heart and soul all enriched and dizzy and happy. It made me think of funny book moments, like when I spotted a small spider walking over my sheets when I had just finished Nutshell. My head was on the pillow right next to it! Eek! (I got up out of bed so fast!!! I have repressed the rest of the story, lol! Did I find it and slaughter it? I don’t remember!)
And it made me think of how no two people read the same book. How I’ve shoved a cherished book into the hands of a best friend who then reads the book (or horrors, abandons it!) and thinks I’m nuts. I just love thinking about how some books grab us, some don’t, and it’s just all so personal. Of course, it depends on our mood, the time when we read it—so many factors affect our reaction to a book.
And we see a book from the writer’s point of view, an agent’s, a bookseller. We get little glimpses into writers’ thoughts on their craft. Stuff I just gobbled up.
I did a ton of highlighting. Here’s a sampling of what grabbed me. I have an advance copy of the book, so I don’t want to show a lot, in case the quotes change by publication date. It’s killing me not to add 10 pages of quotes!
“It was basic marketing—give readers what they don’t get or can’t have in regular life. A safe brush with evil. A flaming romance. Certainty.”
“But you could learn so much more, keeping your gaze down. Just as well for Alice, who had never liked meeting people’s eyes. It always felt like looking into a jam-packed closet—or opening the door to your own.”
“When she had to go out in the real world, she watched for what people didn’t know they were telling you.”
“Loved the chemical change that could happen when a story started to lift off a page, or a writer turned a small detail into an insight that shimmered.”
“Your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.”
“…in high school they always said if you wanted to get the girl, you should read the book she was carrying around.”
“If you think you deserve to be eaten, how do you leave the ocean?”
I have one small beef, and I can’t for the life of me think of why the author would throw this comment into the book: she said this one guy was thinking of his smelly old-lady babysitters. It seems like a random comment, not something that will help us understand him. Having been an old-lady babysitter, needless to say, this did not sit well with me. Just as I was trying to recuperate from that ageist comment, she mentions it AGAIN a few pages later!! What???? Once was bad enough!
Despite that whine, I can’t dare give this book anything but 5 stars. I’m going to shove this book into all the hands I can find, but I have to be cool and realize to some, this won’t be their nirvana. It sure was mine.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Publication date: May 2, 2023
Wow! Wow! Wow! A fantastic book! I’m still reeling! This gem is threatening to edge out my favorite book of the year (or at least it’s a tie), and it’s for sure going on my all-time favorites shelf.
This book has a book within it called Theo, which comes into the hands of 9 people from all sorts of worlds—there’s a writer and agent, and there’s also a deep-sea diver, a homeless teenager, an intimacy coordinator (!), an actor who gets a pigment disease. This reads like a collection of short stories, with the book Theo at the center. Each character is so well-drawn, so rich—these are fabulous character studies! Theo comes at pivotal points in their lives (or creates a pivotal point), and I was completely invested in each character. Occasionally the characters’ lives cross, and I just loved that. And throughout the book, you get little snippets of the plot and gist of Theo, and you understand just why the book affects each of these people. I couldn’t wait to pick this little puppy up each day.
It’s an incredibly clever idea, and I bow to the creativity of the author. I’m bouncing high on my pogo stick through the pages of Theo, this little book within a book, and as I land on each page, I puncture it with my stick and change all the periods to exclamation points. And you know how much I love my exclamation points!!! So now I, too, am affected by Theo! Sigh, I will try to move on from my gush, which keeps seeping out of me without control.
Oh did this book get me thinking! It sent me down memory lane. I remember the pivotal moment when my best friend’s mother shoved a paperback into my 15-year-old hands, and I discovered that reading did not mean Moby Dick. The big sizzle sizzle when I realized there was a whole secret world of readers, sticking their heads into books and coming up for air, not just with their mind, but also with their heart and soul all enriched and dizzy and happy. It made me think of funny book moments, like when I spotted a small spider walking over my sheets when I had just finished Nutshell. My head was on the pillow right next to it! Eek! (I got up out of bed so fast!!! I have repressed the rest of the story, lol! Did I find it and slaughter it? I don’t remember!)
And it made me think of how no two people read the same book. How I’ve shoved a cherished book into the hands of a best friend who then reads the book (or horrors, abandons it!) and thinks I’m nuts. I just love thinking about how some books grab us, some don’t, and it’s just all so personal. Of course, it depends on our mood, the time when we read it—so many factors affect our reaction to a book.
And we see a book from the writer’s point of view, an agent’s, a bookseller. We get little glimpses into writers’ thoughts on their craft. Stuff I just gobbled up.
I did a ton of highlighting. Here’s a sampling of what grabbed me. I have an advance copy of the book, so I don’t want to show a lot, in case the quotes change by publication date. It’s killing me not to add 10 pages of quotes!
“It was basic marketing—give readers what they don’t get or can’t have in regular life. A safe brush with evil. A flaming romance. Certainty.”
“But you could learn so much more, keeping your gaze down. Just as well for Alice, who had never liked meeting people’s eyes. It always felt like looking into a jam-packed closet—or opening the door to your own.”
“When she had to go out in the real world, she watched for what people didn’t know they were telling you.”
“Loved the chemical change that could happen when a story started to lift off a page, or a writer turned a small detail into an insight that shimmered.”
“Your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.”
“…in high school they always said if you wanted to get the girl, you should read the book she was carrying around.”
“If you think you deserve to be eaten, how do you leave the ocean?”
I have one small beef, and I can’t for the life of me think of why the author would throw this comment into the book: she said this one guy was thinking of his smelly old-lady babysitters. It seems like a random comment, not something that will help us understand him. Having been an old-lady babysitter, needless to say, this did not sit well with me. Just as I was trying to recuperate from that ageist comment, she mentions it AGAIN a few pages later!! What???? Once was bad enough!
Despite that whine, I can’t dare give this book anything but 5 stars. I’m going to shove this book into all the hands I can find, but I have to be cool and realize to some, this won’t be their nirvana. It sure was mine.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
Publication date: May 2, 2023
June 7, 2023
Ahhhhhh, there’s nothing quite like a book so obviously written for readers. And what better subject matter could there be than a book about a book? This composite novel allows you to experience Theo from the eyes of The Writer, The Assistant, The Actor, The Artist, The Diver, The Teenager, The Bookseller, The Caretaker, The Coordinator and The Agent. It’s certainly one of the best things to have come out of the pandemic and since I was late to this party and did not have an advanced copy, I am allowed to let the book do the rest of the talking . . . .
Your first read of an extraordinary book is something you can only experience once.
Getting an advance copy felt like someone telling him a secret while still holding a finger to their lips. The experience made more exciting by its exclusivity.
He could feel the story, opening inside him.
Her mother used to tell her that books were like a giant neighborhood where every family was different, and every door was open.
No matter how good a book is, someone will hate it, and they’re likely to tell you. But as long as that book is only in your head, it is still perfect.
Highly Recommended.
May 2, 2023
Happy Publication Day to this great book!
Sometimes I read out of my genre comfort zones (horror and thriller) and am so glad I did. This is one of those times! I have all the warm fuzzies you get after reading a well-written book with a compelling storyline and believable characters you want to pull out of the pages and hug. This book had it all.
The premise is the many people's lives a book touches once it leaves the author's hands. No two people will receive the story in the same way. Each person pulls from the story what they need at the time they are reading it. Several characters' lives were touched throughout the book, as was mine. I'm adding this to my list of books I'd love to read again at some point just to revisit with the characters.
No Two Persons earned five brilliant stars from me!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sometimes I read out of my genre comfort zones (horror and thriller) and am so glad I did. This is one of those times! I have all the warm fuzzies you get after reading a well-written book with a compelling storyline and believable characters you want to pull out of the pages and hug. This book had it all.
The premise is the many people's lives a book touches once it leaves the author's hands. No two people will receive the story in the same way. Each person pulls from the story what they need at the time they are reading it. Several characters' lives were touched throughout the book, as was mine. I'm adding this to my list of books I'd love to read again at some point just to revisit with the characters.
No Two Persons earned five brilliant stars from me!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 3, 2023
4.5 stars rounded down. “Books speak to specific people for specific reasons, and it has everything to do with where they are in their lives". Very well done story about Alice, who finally gets her novel (“Theo") published due to her opening words & some of the readers whose lives it affected. Really loved the format, how each chapter was almost its own short story - easy to read & so very clever! Loved how their stories met in natural ways also. This is a very character-driven & nuanced read & enjoyed how different & moving it is!
January 2, 2023
We’ve all heard stories of how books have changed people’s lives, whisking them away from horrible life situations, providing insight, and hope – in some cases, charting new paths or even saving lives.
Over the years, as I’ve considered my own relationship with books – which have sustained, entertained and educated me – I’ve often thought, a bit wistfully, that my book experiences haven’t been that grandiose.
But this wonderful novel made me think again. Books (even the audio variety) impact us in so many different ways, and I am a better person for having had them as companions for so many years. I know this. This is the power of story. They’ve stretched me, opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, moved me to tears, angered me – brought out emotion that leads to empathy. This book illustrates so many unexpected ways – subtle and not so subtle – that books can touch us (many that I’d not considered).
Readers and writers, alike (anyone who loves words and that special relationship that comes only with reading a good book)… you will adore this novel. It was the absolute best way for me to start the year: with a love story about reading and the glorious and lasting power of words.
The author does an incredible job of threading these characters together in the end, as well – and introduces readers to some fascinating job occupations. I thoroughly enjoyed the literary metaphors that applied to life in all of its messy glory. I’d love to hear if others had the same metaphorical take I did on the last scene!
A few wonderful tidbits:
His idea of a nap was a semicolon at best, never a full stop; a paragraph break.
Oh god, Nola thought. All those fictional lives she had opened herself to, taking on their experiences, their emotions, like the good octopus she was – and the one story she had refused was her mother’s.
“At some point, it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”
P.S. As I analyzed my relationship with books, it was fun to think back to those Scholastic take-home, newspapery order forms in elementary school (and my parents’ unending support to “buy WHATEVER you want.”) It was delightful to think about my reaction to Beverly Cleary’s books – and my JOY when she wrote back to me in the third grade. Perhaps those early influences with her books painted my career in the writing field? I know my reading experiences, now, continue to nurture understanding and hope.
Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, First Reads and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Over the years, as I’ve considered my own relationship with books – which have sustained, entertained and educated me – I’ve often thought, a bit wistfully, that my book experiences haven’t been that grandiose.
But this wonderful novel made me think again. Books (even the audio variety) impact us in so many different ways, and I am a better person for having had them as companions for so many years. I know this. This is the power of story. They’ve stretched me, opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, moved me to tears, angered me – brought out emotion that leads to empathy. This book illustrates so many unexpected ways – subtle and not so subtle – that books can touch us (many that I’d not considered).
Readers and writers, alike (anyone who loves words and that special relationship that comes only with reading a good book)… you will adore this novel. It was the absolute best way for me to start the year: with a love story about reading and the glorious and lasting power of words.
The author does an incredible job of threading these characters together in the end, as well – and introduces readers to some fascinating job occupations. I thoroughly enjoyed the literary metaphors that applied to life in all of its messy glory. I’d love to hear if others had the same metaphorical take I did on the last scene!
A few wonderful tidbits:
His idea of a nap was a semicolon at best, never a full stop; a paragraph break.
Oh god, Nola thought. All those fictional lives she had opened herself to, taking on their experiences, their emotions, like the good octopus she was – and the one story she had refused was her mother’s.
“At some point, it’s written down, and that’s the book readers hold in their hands. But the story isn’t done, because it goes on to live in the readers’ heads, in a way that’s particular to each of them. We’re all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first.”
P.S. As I analyzed my relationship with books, it was fun to think back to those Scholastic take-home, newspapery order forms in elementary school (and my parents’ unending support to “buy WHATEVER you want.”) It was delightful to think about my reaction to Beverly Cleary’s books – and my JOY when she wrote back to me in the third grade. Perhaps those early influences with her books painted my career in the writing field? I know my reading experiences, now, continue to nurture understanding and hope.
Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, First Reads and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2023
The unique interesting format—began to wear thin with me after awhile.
There was some decent storytelling in ‘parts’
but I found the writing to be very basic — not too much depth —- the freshness was in the structure (flaws with it too though), but not in the stories IMO.
It may be me — I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.
I’ve outgrown many of the new release books — yet I may not be ready for more abstract advance reading.
As Shel Silverstein said, “I’m looking for my missing piece”.
3 - 3.5 rating — not awful - just not ecstatic either.
There was some decent storytelling in ‘parts’
but I found the writing to be very basic — not too much depth —- the freshness was in the structure (flaws with it too though), but not in the stories IMO.
It may be me — I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.
I’ve outgrown many of the new release books — yet I may not be ready for more abstract advance reading.
As Shel Silverstein said, “I’m looking for my missing piece”.
3 - 3.5 rating — not awful - just not ecstatic either.
June 7, 2023
Just a brief note…
5 stars because I absolutely loved the writing. It was immensely satisfying.
I could feel the author’s passion.
I could hear her heartbeat.
In this book, through a collection of short stories, the author explores the impact one book can have on numerous readers. Here the characters have only one thing in common: a single book.
The stories starts in 2010 and finishes in 2019.
Is not that kind of a book where you will love all the characters or meet memorable ones.
Also, there is a lot of sadness within the pages. Fortunately I love drama.
And I was completely enthralled by its simplicity and its structure.
March 29, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
As the story begins, a young woman("the writer") sets out to write a novel. In the subsequent chapters we meet different people from different walks of life that encounter the book over different time periods. They are the assistant, agent, actor, artist, teenager, diver, bookseller, caretaker, and coordinator.
It's a fairly straightforward storyline but I have an inkling that it's not going to be one of the books that stick out in my year end review. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters in particular,but I did appreciate the insightful look at the book publishing world. Those were my favorite parts of the novel.
The title is inspired by the 19th century quote by Edmund Wilson No two persons ever read the same book.” Unlike many of my fellow reviewers, it didn't quite move emotional mountains or stir my reader's soul. It's just a nice book.
Expected Publication Date 02/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 28/03/23
As the story begins, a young woman("the writer") sets out to write a novel. In the subsequent chapters we meet different people from different walks of life that encounter the book over different time periods. They are the assistant, agent, actor, artist, teenager, diver, bookseller, caretaker, and coordinator.
It's a fairly straightforward storyline but I have an inkling that it's not going to be one of the books that stick out in my year end review. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters in particular,but I did appreciate the insightful look at the book publishing world. Those were my favorite parts of the novel.
The title is inspired by the 19th century quote by Edmund Wilson No two persons ever read the same book.” Unlike many of my fellow reviewers, it didn't quite move emotional mountains or stir my reader's soul. It's just a nice book.
Expected Publication Date 02/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 28/03/23
July 21, 2022
This review will be short only because Bauermeister's book left me speechless:
"As perfect a depiction of the power of story as one could ever find, or need."
"As perfect a depiction of the power of story as one could ever find, or need."
March 11, 2023
A book about a book, for book lovers and everyone else. I adore books that are creatively crafted, and this is definitely one of them. There are several things that I loved most about this book:
1. It has such an ingenious plot. Each chapter is a story about a different person, and a book called Theo is weaved into all the different character's lives.
2. Each chapter is cleverly thought out and executed. At first, I couldn't figure out why the chapters were dated, but everything eventually became clear as the story unfolded.
3. The writing contained so much depth of feeling. It felt like each chapter was saying, "Hi! Do you want to hear my story?" And I most certainly did!
Finally, this novel demonstrates how the right book will ultimately reach out to the right person at the right time and what a great impact books can have on our lives. It was most definitely the right book for me!
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. Pub date: May 2, 2023.
1. It has such an ingenious plot. Each chapter is a story about a different person, and a book called Theo is weaved into all the different character's lives.
2. Each chapter is cleverly thought out and executed. At first, I couldn't figure out why the chapters were dated, but everything eventually became clear as the story unfolded.
3. The writing contained so much depth of feeling. It felt like each chapter was saying, "Hi! Do you want to hear my story?" And I most certainly did!
Finally, this novel demonstrates how the right book will ultimately reach out to the right person at the right time and what a great impact books can have on our lives. It was most definitely the right book for me!
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book. Pub date: May 2, 2023.
September 18, 2026
In a Nutshell: A contemporary composite novel. One plot comprising multiple short stories. Character-oriented. Poignant, mellow, touching. An ode to books and everything bookish. After a long time, I had a soul-satisfying read. Definitely recommended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
One of my favourite bookish quotes is “No two persons ever read the same book”. The novel takes inspiration from this quote both in its title and in its content. The result is a mesmerising journey about how books can change lives.
Bookish Yays:
📚 The structure – one book, one author, nine potential readers, ten individual stories, one connecting thread. The perfect composite novel. (This cannot be called a collection of interconnected short stories as there are no direct interconnections across the characters.)
📚 The nine characters. People of various backgrounds, personalities, and life situations. Each so intricately carved that they all feel equally known to us. Most are isolated in some way or the other, but they also have family/friend connections that help us see them better.
📚 The cleverness in the choice of the nine characters. Many are connected to the publishing world, but not all. Many are readers, but not all. Many read ‘Theo’, but not all. And yet all of their lives are impacted by the book. The variety of their individual experiences with the book makes things even more interesting. I also love that the book focusses more on their individual arcs than on establishing interrelationships with the other driving characters.
📚 The completeness of each individual’s narrative. Each arc is treated like an independent plot, so it is like reading a short story with a proper start-middle-finish. The finish might not be a HEA, but it is never abrupt or dangling. Every ending left me longing to know what happened next in the best way possible.
📚 ‘Theo’, the book written by Alice and the thread tying the whole plot together. Whatever glimpses I got of ‘Theo’ made me regret that this wasn’t a story-within-a-story. I’d have loved to read ‘Theo’ the novel. The star of this story is not Alice but ‘Theo’.
📚 The ode to reading. My cup overfloweth with emotions! Such luscious descriptions of how books and writing help us escape painful reality that this avid reader was mesmerised!
📚 The insights into a bookish world we rarely see, coming from publicists, literary agents, and audiobook narrators. I've never seen the process of writing and audiobook-narrating described so realistically and beautifully!
📚 The quotes. The insights. The learnings! If I had had the physical copy, I would have highlighted so many lines!
📚 The emotions in some of the individual narratives. It’s always an amazing feeling when we can identify with characters and their struggles. I kept nodding or shaking my head at them.
📚 The ending. And the epilogue. Perfection!
📚 The author’s note, listing her inspiration for many of the stories. I am always amazed by how creative some authors are in taking mundane ideas and turning them into something memorable.
📚 The cover. For a book about books and readers, this cover art is the best way of demonstrating how we dive into books differently.
Bookish Okays:
📖 The writing is obviously character-oriented, so the pacing is on the slower side. But I loved the individual narratives so much that I didn’t even feel any frustration.
📖 Given that the book comprises nine individuals’ stories, we have nine lengthy chapters, one per character. Plus, each character’s arc ends with their chapter. So every chapter is like a fresh story from some other character. Readers who prefer shorter chapters and compounded storytelling might not enjoy this. I’m an avid reader of story collections, so this point didn’t bother me much. Just as in short story collections, some stories go better than others. But there’s not a single boring story!
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 8 hrs 55 min, is narrated by nine narrators, one voicing each character. This is such a brilliant decision! Macmillan Audio really is among the best audiobook producers.
The audiobook has a special final section containing an interview between the author and one of the narrators. This was the icing on the cake! I loved how both these talented individuals reveal some inside titbits about their work in this interview.
I absolutely enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to everyone. Audio newbies might like to try immersion reading, with the audio playing in your ears and the book in front of your eyes, so that you can keep track of the characters if needed.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It isn't the only composite novel I have read, but it is definitely among the best ones. The bookish snippets in each character’s narrative just add to the experience.
Definitely recommended. This should ideally work for most people who are passionate about books, but it might help if you enjoy character-oriented writing and short story collections.
4.5 stars, happy to round up for the audio version.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing the DRC of “No Two Persons” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
2010. Maine. Twenty-five-year-old Alice has always wanted to be a writer. But as she is inching towards her dream, a family tragedy throws her off her charted course. Her college professor encourages her to pour her emotions into writing. The result is a book that ends up finding its way to multiple people, and in many cases, altering at least a part of their lives directly or indirectly.
This is a composite novel, where each chapter comes to us from a specific character’s point of view. We thus get nine stories written in the third-person perspective of various individuals, with the epilogue coming a full circle.
One of my favourite bookish quotes is “No two persons ever read the same book”. The novel takes inspiration from this quote both in its title and in its content. The result is a mesmerising journey about how books can change lives.
Bookish Yays:
📚 The structure – one book, one author, nine potential readers, ten individual stories, one connecting thread. The perfect composite novel. (This cannot be called a collection of interconnected short stories as there are no direct interconnections across the characters.)
📚 The nine characters. People of various backgrounds, personalities, and life situations. Each so intricately carved that they all feel equally known to us. Most are isolated in some way or the other, but they also have family/friend connections that help us see them better.
📚 The cleverness in the choice of the nine characters. Many are connected to the publishing world, but not all. Many are readers, but not all. Many read ‘Theo’, but not all. And yet all of their lives are impacted by the book. The variety of their individual experiences with the book makes things even more interesting. I also love that the book focusses more on their individual arcs than on establishing interrelationships with the other driving characters.
📚 The completeness of each individual’s narrative. Each arc is treated like an independent plot, so it is like reading a short story with a proper start-middle-finish. The finish might not be a HEA, but it is never abrupt or dangling. Every ending left me longing to know what happened next in the best way possible.
📚 ‘Theo’, the book written by Alice and the thread tying the whole plot together. Whatever glimpses I got of ‘Theo’ made me regret that this wasn’t a story-within-a-story. I’d have loved to read ‘Theo’ the novel. The star of this story is not Alice but ‘Theo’.
📚 The ode to reading. My cup overfloweth with emotions! Such luscious descriptions of how books and writing help us escape painful reality that this avid reader was mesmerised!
📚 The insights into a bookish world we rarely see, coming from publicists, literary agents, and audiobook narrators. I've never seen the process of writing and audiobook-narrating described so realistically and beautifully!
📚 The quotes. The insights. The learnings! If I had had the physical copy, I would have highlighted so many lines!
📚 The emotions in some of the individual narratives. It’s always an amazing feeling when we can identify with characters and their struggles. I kept nodding or shaking my head at them.
📚 The ending. And the epilogue. Perfection!
📚 The author’s note, listing her inspiration for many of the stories. I am always amazed by how creative some authors are in taking mundane ideas and turning them into something memorable.
📚 The cover. For a book about books and readers, this cover art is the best way of demonstrating how we dive into books differently.
Bookish Okays:
📖 The writing is obviously character-oriented, so the pacing is on the slower side. But I loved the individual narratives so much that I didn’t even feel any frustration.
📖 Given that the book comprises nine individuals’ stories, we have nine lengthy chapters, one per character. Plus, each character’s arc ends with their chapter. So every chapter is like a fresh story from some other character. Readers who prefer shorter chapters and compounded storytelling might not enjoy this. I’m an avid reader of story collections, so this point didn’t bother me much. Just as in short story collections, some stories go better than others. But there’s not a single boring story!
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 8 hrs 55 min, is narrated by nine narrators, one voicing each character. This is such a brilliant decision! Macmillan Audio really is among the best audiobook producers.
The audiobook has a special final section containing an interview between the author and one of the narrators. This was the icing on the cake! I loved how both these talented individuals reveal some inside titbits about their work in this interview.
I absolutely enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to everyone. Audio newbies might like to try immersion reading, with the audio playing in your ears and the book in front of your eyes, so that you can keep track of the characters if needed.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book. It isn't the only composite novel I have read, but it is definitely among the best ones. The bookish snippets in each character’s narrative just add to the experience.
Definitely recommended. This should ideally work for most people who are passionate about books, but it might help if you enjoy character-oriented writing and short story collections.
4.5 stars, happy to round up for the audio version.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing the DRC of “No Two Persons” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
July 3, 2023
4.5 🔖🔖🔖🔖
“Books spoke to specific people for specific reasons, and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives.”
Where I’ve been lately? Slumplandia. It’s a horrible place. Highly not recommended. Books don’t speak to you there.
Then along came this treasure trove of words on paper. I don’t know if I’m back to normal but this gave me respite and hope I’m not a lost cause. This book gets me; gets us. I’d be very surprised if you don’t find yourself in the pages having some moments.
“But no, he would not listen to the book, because something told Juliet that he wouldn’t get what she was getting out of it, and his not getting it would absolutely wreck hers.
Picking up a book was a decision: I’m going to go away. The exciting possibility: I may not come back the same.
It was a quiet ending…leaving Juliet in the darkened bedroom, not wanting it to be over, wondering what to do next.
All she wanted was to be in that story, with that voice, and never leave. Maybe she should go back to the beginning, start again.”
“Books spoke to specific people for specific reasons, and it had everything to do with where they were in their lives.”
Where I’ve been lately? Slumplandia. It’s a horrible place. Highly not recommended. Books don’t speak to you there.
Then along came this treasure trove of words on paper. I don’t know if I’m back to normal but this gave me respite and hope I’m not a lost cause. This book gets me; gets us. I’d be very surprised if you don’t find yourself in the pages having some moments.
“But no, he would not listen to the book, because something told Juliet that he wouldn’t get what she was getting out of it, and his not getting it would absolutely wreck hers.
Picking up a book was a decision: I’m going to go away. The exciting possibility: I may not come back the same.
It was a quiet ending…leaving Juliet in the darkened bedroom, not wanting it to be over, wondering what to do next.
All she wanted was to be in that story, with that voice, and never leave. Maybe she should go back to the beginning, start again.”
August 6, 2022
I just didn’t enjoy this story. In my opinion, this plot was a mess, had very few characters I liked, and I wouldn’t want to be friends with any of them. I did like the premise that Alice was able to write and sell her book, “Theo”. And, yes, I understood the book was the common denominator between all characters introduced in the story whether they read the book, or not. I didn’t understand how the book helped them, except the artist, who used it in her sculpture! Toward the end, the plot got weird, then weirder, and then, it sort of came back full circle, and the ending was sad. I felt completely bummed.
I received an unedited arc from a Goodreads Giveaway and St. Martin’s Press. This is my honest opinion.
I received an unedited arc from a Goodreads Giveaway and St. Martin’s Press. This is my honest opinion.
May 23, 2023
The book is a collection of linked stories. The first one features a young woman named Alice Wein and the novel she creates. It is inspired by her love for her older brother and is entitled "Theo".
From then on, "Theo" has a life of its own. "Theo" appears in each successive short story in fascinating ways. The characters all regard it differently. For example, Rowan is a handsome actor in Hollywood who plays leading male roles. His career gets derailed when he develops a noticeable skin ailment. After a period of depression, Rowan realizes that he can use his acting talent in narrating audio books. "Theo" is one of the books he narrates.
My favorite story concerns a homeless teenage girl named Nola. She is living in a gardening shed on the grounds of her high school. "Theo" has a special meaning to her, also. There is a surprise concerning her English teacher and the school's grounds keeper which touched me. Nola learns that she has more in common with them than she thought.
In a different story, an artist fashions a life-sized statue, using recycled household items and hardware. Impulsively, she tears out the pages of a book to adorn the statue with wings. The book is "Theo" - a gift from her mother which she has not read.
I enjoyed reading about how Alice Wein's novel took flight. The real author behind it all is Erica Bauermeister. Thanks Ms. B., for an entertaining and imaginative read!
Note to other readers: I was confused at first while reading the book. The chapters are traditional looking, with no indication that these are separate stories. The stories often have no link to each other, except for the novel "Theo". Every so often, a character will appear in more than one story.
From then on, "Theo" has a life of its own. "Theo" appears in each successive short story in fascinating ways. The characters all regard it differently. For example, Rowan is a handsome actor in Hollywood who plays leading male roles. His career gets derailed when he develops a noticeable skin ailment. After a period of depression, Rowan realizes that he can use his acting talent in narrating audio books. "Theo" is one of the books he narrates.
My favorite story concerns a homeless teenage girl named Nola. She is living in a gardening shed on the grounds of her high school. "Theo" has a special meaning to her, also. There is a surprise concerning her English teacher and the school's grounds keeper which touched me. Nola learns that she has more in common with them than she thought.
In a different story, an artist fashions a life-sized statue, using recycled household items and hardware. Impulsively, she tears out the pages of a book to adorn the statue with wings. The book is "Theo" - a gift from her mother which she has not read.
I enjoyed reading about how Alice Wein's novel took flight. The real author behind it all is Erica Bauermeister. Thanks Ms. B., for an entertaining and imaginative read!
Note to other readers: I was confused at first while reading the book. The chapters are traditional looking, with no indication that these are separate stories. The stories often have no link to each other, except for the novel "Theo". Every so often, a character will appear in more than one story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,116 reviews