What do you think?
Rate this book
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A memoir
In this inspiring, delightful memoir, a young woman decides to escape the daily grind and turn her “what if” fantasy into a reality, only to find work—and a man—she loves in one fell swoop, all in a secondhand bookstore in a quaint Scottish town.Jessica Fox was an ambitious twenty-six-year-old filmmaker, but she was stuck in a rut and couldn’t take it anymore. Living in Hollywood and working a high-stress job at NASA, she was seized by a moment of inspiration one night and typed “second hand bookshop Scotland” into Google. She clicked on the first link she saw. A month later, she crossed the Atlantic to the west coast of Scotland, and knocked on the door of the bookshop she would be calling home for the next year…
The rollercoaster journey that ensued—involving Scottish Hanukkah, a swoon-worthy love story, yoga on Galloway’s West Coast, and a waxing that Jessica will never forget—would both break and mend her heart. It would also teach her that before we can write our own stories, we must have the courage to travel the path less taken.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could change the course of your life, Jessica’s charming story will entertain, enlighten, and inspire you to begin your own journey of self-discovery.
The rollercoaster journey that ensued—involving Scottish Hanukkah, a swoon-worthy love story, yoga on Galloway’s West Coast, and a waxing that Jessica will never forget—would both break and mend her heart. It would also teach her that before we can write our own stories, we must have the courage to travel the path less taken.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could change the course of your life, Jessica’s charming story will entertain, enlighten, and inspire you to begin your own journey of self-discovery.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2012
40 people are currently reading
1585 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
March 11, 2014
Changed my review to one star. If I could rate it zero stars, I probably would. "Euan/Shaun" made a point of commenting on my review, and I take it back, he's not only passive-aggressive, but bat-shit crazy to boot. I see he's since deleted some of his more asinine and quite frankly, RUDE comments (perhaps he realized that when you put yourself in the public eye, people are going to comment?) But here's a synopsis of the remaining comments. (I've since blocked him because as much fun as getting non-stop messages throughout an entire weekend is, I think I'll pass on receiving any further.
- First of all, he started by posting that he was in fact "Euan/Shaun" and wished myself and another reviewer "the best of luck in our future relationships".
- To which I replied: "That's not creepy at all..."
- He then asked if I thought it was really creepy, and said he didn't intend it to be.
- Autumn: "It is a titch, yeah."
- Shaun Bythell: "Really? Why?
It's rare that you get to see what people genuinely think of you, and I appreciate the opportunity to see that. You can't change the things people don't like about you unless you're aware of them.
Anyway, my apologies if you found that creepy. It genuinely was not meant to be."
(So far so good, he's being civil, we're having a grown-up discussion.)
- Autumn: "Oh no doubt about that. You exhibit some of the most human traits of all.
That being said, allowing yourself to be in the book (and very thinly disguised at that) kind of opens you up to this kind of criticism and commentary. It goes with the territory. It is creepy (and rather narcissistic) that you are actively searching out said criticism and commenting on it.
In any event, I can't genuinely comment on what I think of you, because I genuinely don't know you. What I know of you could be a caricature altogether. However, your Facebook posts are funny in a curmudgeonly way that I find amusing, and your bookshop is something to be envied indeed. I'm just not sure that you'd be my type or that you are the type of fellow I should ever date. Actually, scratch that, that makes you exactly my type."
(Because naturally, I'm drawn to assholes. Fatal flaw.)
- Autumn: "It just dawned on me that this whole thread probably started with an insomnia-induced google search. Not a good thing, my dear fellow. That shit'll keep you up for hours."
- Shaun Bythell: "Very occasionally I'll google the title of Jessica's book out of curiosity, and primarily to defend her from any vindictive comments which may have been made about her. If you honestly think that's creepy and narcissistic, then I'm happy to sell you a dictionary so that you can look up those words.
I have no problem with you slating the book - of course you are entitled to your opinion - but I do object to personal attacks, particularly if they're anonymous. Jessica has been subjected to some extremely unpleasant abuse online as a consequence of putting her head above the parapet. Your review does not fall into that category and at least has the decency to be thoughtful and informed, for which I'm grateful.
As for your opinion of me (based on the book), I think my attempts to explain my earlier comments are best expressed by Robert Burns, who wrote;
'O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion'
So, I can now see myself as you see me. Let's hope it will free me from mony a blunder.
As for dating, you appear to be a Golden Retriever. Not my type."
(A reasonable, if snarky response. Until I noticed on his profile he had just joined Goodreads THAT DAY and had done nothing but comment on reviews of Miss Fox's book all day. He was literally sitting there bitching to people who gave a negative review and complimenting people who gave the book a good review. Slightly obsessive, and yes, creepy.)
So being a feminist (and I did gather from reading the book that Miss Fox was also an independent and self-sufficient woman) I asked:
- Autumn: "Did Jessica ask you to "defend" her?
Let me re-iterate my point again, you tell your story, you make it public, you are opening yourself up to commentary. That's just how it works. Trolling Goodreads reviews of her book to "defend" Jessica seems like a desperate attempt to vindicate yourself because you aren't given that opportunity anywhere else.
And perhaps I should be the one selling you a dictionary. My name, age, and location are all in my goodreads profile. I'd hardly call that anonymous."
-Shaun Bythell: "No, Jessica did not ask me to 'defend' her. In fact, she has no idea that I'm doing this but as her partner and friend, I would feel I'd failed her if I didn't do so. If you think that I'm doing this to vindicate myself, then you are wrong.
Frankly, I don't care what you think of me, but I hope that you are aware that sometimes your comments on this site are about real people, and what you say may well have an impact on them, and the people around them. I thought that we'd reached a level of respect for each other's opinions and was looking forward to signing off this discussion with mutual respect and dignity."
(This after commenting on how pathetic and hilarious my opinion is. Funny how THOSE comments disappeared!)
-Shaun Bythell: "Did I accuse you of posting anonymously? No.
Did I thank you for your 'thoughtful and informed' review? Yes.
Did you pretty much ignore what I said and go straight into accusing me of making 'a desperate attempt to vindicate yourself because you aren't given that opportunity anywhere else'? Yes.
I hope you never find yourself standing in my shoes, attempting to reason with someone like you.
Goodbye, Autumn."
(Why he felt it necessary to "reason" with me in the first place is anyone's guess.)
(Insert more deleted comments about how hilarious and pathetic I am again. And how I'm a "stalker" because I checked out his bookshop's facebook page. Because no one else who read the book, watched the NUMEROUS television interviews and read the NUMEROUS print interviews would do that... interesting though how all he does on said facebook page is bitch about customers and beg his friends to write good reviews about the bookshop on travel websites. Funny how being an asshole leads to negative reviews.)
-Autumn: "Joining Goodreads solely to troll reviews of a book you didn't even write does strike me as desperate and pathetic, yes. So now please let me amend my earlier judgement of you being merely passive-aggressive, to batshit crazy. Do you think I'm the only one who checked out your Facebook page? Really?! You were all over the news for eff's sake! Next time you want to tell YOUR side of the story, quit whining on Goodreads, grow a pair, and write the bloody book yourself!"
(Insert comment about my terrible punctuation and how he can help me with it in the future.)
-Autumn Fox "Ouch. I'm reeling. I really am."
(Now I'm getting pissed off because not only is he posting jerk comments on here, I'm getting private messages as well.)
-Autumn: "But hey, maybe this is a good venue for you to find another cute girl wiling to give up her life so you can walk all over her? Most people just use okcupid or match.com but whatever floats your boat, as they say."
(Insert comment again about how pathetic I am and that he can't stop laughing at me and my comments.)
-Autumn: "Glad to amuse you. Even pathetic people need entertainment in their sad, sorry lives. Good luck to you Shaun/Euan."
(At this point he starts desperately leaving comments such as "Autumn? Autumn are you there?" and "I was just joking!" and "Hello? You still there?")
And when I don't reply, Mr. Last-Word-Freak ends with this zinger. Because calling people pathetic is "civil":
-Shaun Bythell: "You're 100% right, Autumn. Thank you for being a ray of sunshine in my sad, sorry life. I wish we could have ended on a civil note, but that choice was yours."
***So let this be a lesson to you writers out there, if someone writes a negative review of your book, (or a book you play a major part in, and agreed to do so) it's ok to ask for constructive feedback. Cyber-stalking a reviewer on Goodreads is really, REALLY creepy. And Miss Fox, if you're reading this, I hope to god you've moved on from "Euan/Shawn", you really don't strike me as the type of person who needs a man to "defend" you.
If anyone's interested, here's my original review:
Aka: "He's Just Not That Into You, But Please, Compromise Your Self Worth and Dignity By Giving in to Every Passive Aggressive Gesture or Sound He Doles Out."
My friend sent me an article about Jessica Fox about a year ago. It was so inspiring! I too, could make my bookstore dream a reality! When I heard she had written a book about her experience I had to get my hands on it! And as soon as I did, I noticed the subtitle, "A Real-Life Scottish Fairy Tale". Umm... Ok.
First of all, the title, while catchy, has nothing to do with the book. Yes, Miss Fox briefly worked at NASA, but not in any sort of scientific capacity, she was hired on as a "storyteller". (A more cushy, invented, and unnecessary job could not be dreamed up.) She starts the book off by listing the aboved mentioned "three things" and then no reference to rockets is made ever again. Off to a confusing start...
The more I read, the more I realized that this wasn't about someone's love of books, and their dream and the fruition of owning their own bookshop as the article I had read many moons ago implied, this was a love story. In fact, from what I can tell after reading this book, Miss Fox has virtually no investment in the Book Shop whatsoever. She just showed up one day and decided to move in with the owner. (Whose name is Shaun Bythell, but is inexplicably called "Euan" in the book, I'm assuming to sound more romantically Scottish? Did the author believe that her readers don't have the capacity to use google? Or don't remember all of the subsequent interviews with herself and Shaun after her book deal was announced?)
In any event, while Euan/Shaun has his moments, he mostly just comes across as selfish and passive-aggressive. He rarely shows any interest in the author, cuts down the attempts she makes to add some cheer to his life, continuously teases/insults her for her Americanisms, doesn't even acknowledge the fact that she flew across the world to be with him, sees other women during their time apart, admits that he doesn't know what he wants and then Ta-Da! Shows up on her doorstep in Boston the next day! Obviously confirming her deluded belief that he's a swell guy. Honestly, the fact that this book had nothing to do with books irked me at first, but her relationship with this fellow irked me even more. I felt like a friend watching another friend crash & burn in a crappy relationship, but unable to talk any sense into them.
Other than that there were a surprising amount of editing errors. I'm still trying to figure out how "the fall" (ha ha! We call it "autumn" here, you stupid American!) occurs directly after November 28th. I'm quite certain the seasons aren't reversed in Britain, but it's been several years since I've been there, and so many things can change...
In any event, a disappointment! So much for kindred spirits!
I will give Miss Fox credit though for her descriptive writing skills - she definitely writes with a film-maker's eye. But at some points that can become far too obvious and gimmicky - for example, in her imaginary interactions with Herman Melville. I honestly had no idea why he suddenly popped up out of nowhere - maybe I glossed over reading some part of the book where she described a large affinity for him? I do think her writing would be better suited to the screen and would be curious to see some of her film work.
- First of all, he started by posting that he was in fact "Euan/Shaun" and wished myself and another reviewer "the best of luck in our future relationships".
- To which I replied: "That's not creepy at all..."
- He then asked if I thought it was really creepy, and said he didn't intend it to be.
- Autumn: "It is a titch, yeah."
- Shaun Bythell: "Really? Why?
It's rare that you get to see what people genuinely think of you, and I appreciate the opportunity to see that. You can't change the things people don't like about you unless you're aware of them.
Anyway, my apologies if you found that creepy. It genuinely was not meant to be."
(So far so good, he's being civil, we're having a grown-up discussion.)
- Autumn: "Oh no doubt about that. You exhibit some of the most human traits of all.
That being said, allowing yourself to be in the book (and very thinly disguised at that) kind of opens you up to this kind of criticism and commentary. It goes with the territory. It is creepy (and rather narcissistic) that you are actively searching out said criticism and commenting on it.
In any event, I can't genuinely comment on what I think of you, because I genuinely don't know you. What I know of you could be a caricature altogether. However, your Facebook posts are funny in a curmudgeonly way that I find amusing, and your bookshop is something to be envied indeed. I'm just not sure that you'd be my type or that you are the type of fellow I should ever date. Actually, scratch that, that makes you exactly my type."
(Because naturally, I'm drawn to assholes. Fatal flaw.)
- Autumn: "It just dawned on me that this whole thread probably started with an insomnia-induced google search. Not a good thing, my dear fellow. That shit'll keep you up for hours."
- Shaun Bythell: "Very occasionally I'll google the title of Jessica's book out of curiosity, and primarily to defend her from any vindictive comments which may have been made about her. If you honestly think that's creepy and narcissistic, then I'm happy to sell you a dictionary so that you can look up those words.
I have no problem with you slating the book - of course you are entitled to your opinion - but I do object to personal attacks, particularly if they're anonymous. Jessica has been subjected to some extremely unpleasant abuse online as a consequence of putting her head above the parapet. Your review does not fall into that category and at least has the decency to be thoughtful and informed, for which I'm grateful.
As for your opinion of me (based on the book), I think my attempts to explain my earlier comments are best expressed by Robert Burns, who wrote;
'O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion'
So, I can now see myself as you see me. Let's hope it will free me from mony a blunder.
As for dating, you appear to be a Golden Retriever. Not my type."
(A reasonable, if snarky response. Until I noticed on his profile he had just joined Goodreads THAT DAY and had done nothing but comment on reviews of Miss Fox's book all day. He was literally sitting there bitching to people who gave a negative review and complimenting people who gave the book a good review. Slightly obsessive, and yes, creepy.)
So being a feminist (and I did gather from reading the book that Miss Fox was also an independent and self-sufficient woman) I asked:
- Autumn: "Did Jessica ask you to "defend" her?
Let me re-iterate my point again, you tell your story, you make it public, you are opening yourself up to commentary. That's just how it works. Trolling Goodreads reviews of her book to "defend" Jessica seems like a desperate attempt to vindicate yourself because you aren't given that opportunity anywhere else.
And perhaps I should be the one selling you a dictionary. My name, age, and location are all in my goodreads profile. I'd hardly call that anonymous."
-Shaun Bythell: "No, Jessica did not ask me to 'defend' her. In fact, she has no idea that I'm doing this but as her partner and friend, I would feel I'd failed her if I didn't do so. If you think that I'm doing this to vindicate myself, then you are wrong.
Frankly, I don't care what you think of me, but I hope that you are aware that sometimes your comments on this site are about real people, and what you say may well have an impact on them, and the people around them. I thought that we'd reached a level of respect for each other's opinions and was looking forward to signing off this discussion with mutual respect and dignity."
(This after commenting on how pathetic and hilarious my opinion is. Funny how THOSE comments disappeared!)
-Shaun Bythell: "Did I accuse you of posting anonymously? No.
Did I thank you for your 'thoughtful and informed' review? Yes.
Did you pretty much ignore what I said and go straight into accusing me of making 'a desperate attempt to vindicate yourself because you aren't given that opportunity anywhere else'? Yes.
I hope you never find yourself standing in my shoes, attempting to reason with someone like you.
Goodbye, Autumn."
(Why he felt it necessary to "reason" with me in the first place is anyone's guess.)
(Insert more deleted comments about how hilarious and pathetic I am again. And how I'm a "stalker" because I checked out his bookshop's facebook page. Because no one else who read the book, watched the NUMEROUS television interviews and read the NUMEROUS print interviews would do that... interesting though how all he does on said facebook page is bitch about customers and beg his friends to write good reviews about the bookshop on travel websites. Funny how being an asshole leads to negative reviews.)
-Autumn: "Joining Goodreads solely to troll reviews of a book you didn't even write does strike me as desperate and pathetic, yes. So now please let me amend my earlier judgement of you being merely passive-aggressive, to batshit crazy. Do you think I'm the only one who checked out your Facebook page? Really?! You were all over the news for eff's sake! Next time you want to tell YOUR side of the story, quit whining on Goodreads, grow a pair, and write the bloody book yourself!"
(Insert comment about my terrible punctuation and how he can help me with it in the future.)
-Autumn Fox "Ouch. I'm reeling. I really am."
(Now I'm getting pissed off because not only is he posting jerk comments on here, I'm getting private messages as well.)
-Autumn: "But hey, maybe this is a good venue for you to find another cute girl wiling to give up her life so you can walk all over her? Most people just use okcupid or match.com but whatever floats your boat, as they say."
(Insert comment again about how pathetic I am and that he can't stop laughing at me and my comments.)
-Autumn: "Glad to amuse you. Even pathetic people need entertainment in their sad, sorry lives. Good luck to you Shaun/Euan."
(At this point he starts desperately leaving comments such as "Autumn? Autumn are you there?" and "I was just joking!" and "Hello? You still there?")
And when I don't reply, Mr. Last-Word-Freak ends with this zinger. Because calling people pathetic is "civil":
-Shaun Bythell: "You're 100% right, Autumn. Thank you for being a ray of sunshine in my sad, sorry life. I wish we could have ended on a civil note, but that choice was yours."
***So let this be a lesson to you writers out there, if someone writes a negative review of your book, (or a book you play a major part in, and agreed to do so) it's ok to ask for constructive feedback. Cyber-stalking a reviewer on Goodreads is really, REALLY creepy. And Miss Fox, if you're reading this, I hope to god you've moved on from "Euan/Shawn", you really don't strike me as the type of person who needs a man to "defend" you.
If anyone's interested, here's my original review:
Aka: "He's Just Not That Into You, But Please, Compromise Your Self Worth and Dignity By Giving in to Every Passive Aggressive Gesture or Sound He Doles Out."
My friend sent me an article about Jessica Fox about a year ago. It was so inspiring! I too, could make my bookstore dream a reality! When I heard she had written a book about her experience I had to get my hands on it! And as soon as I did, I noticed the subtitle, "A Real-Life Scottish Fairy Tale". Umm... Ok.
First of all, the title, while catchy, has nothing to do with the book. Yes, Miss Fox briefly worked at NASA, but not in any sort of scientific capacity, she was hired on as a "storyteller". (A more cushy, invented, and unnecessary job could not be dreamed up.) She starts the book off by listing the aboved mentioned "three things" and then no reference to rockets is made ever again. Off to a confusing start...
The more I read, the more I realized that this wasn't about someone's love of books, and their dream and the fruition of owning their own bookshop as the article I had read many moons ago implied, this was a love story. In fact, from what I can tell after reading this book, Miss Fox has virtually no investment in the Book Shop whatsoever. She just showed up one day and decided to move in with the owner. (Whose name is Shaun Bythell, but is inexplicably called "Euan" in the book, I'm assuming to sound more romantically Scottish? Did the author believe that her readers don't have the capacity to use google? Or don't remember all of the subsequent interviews with herself and Shaun after her book deal was announced?)
In any event, while Euan/Shaun has his moments, he mostly just comes across as selfish and passive-aggressive. He rarely shows any interest in the author, cuts down the attempts she makes to add some cheer to his life, continuously teases/insults her for her Americanisms, doesn't even acknowledge the fact that she flew across the world to be with him, sees other women during their time apart, admits that he doesn't know what he wants and then Ta-Da! Shows up on her doorstep in Boston the next day! Obviously confirming her deluded belief that he's a swell guy. Honestly, the fact that this book had nothing to do with books irked me at first, but her relationship with this fellow irked me even more. I felt like a friend watching another friend crash & burn in a crappy relationship, but unable to talk any sense into them.
Other than that there were a surprising amount of editing errors. I'm still trying to figure out how "the fall" (ha ha! We call it "autumn" here, you stupid American!) occurs directly after November 28th. I'm quite certain the seasons aren't reversed in Britain, but it's been several years since I've been there, and so many things can change...
In any event, a disappointment! So much for kindred spirits!
I will give Miss Fox credit though for her descriptive writing skills - she definitely writes with a film-maker's eye. But at some points that can become far too obvious and gimmicky - for example, in her imaginary interactions with Herman Melville. I honestly had no idea why he suddenly popped up out of nowhere - maybe I glossed over reading some part of the book where she described a large affinity for him? I do think her writing would be better suited to the screen and would be curious to see some of her film work.
December 31, 2018
I wanted to love this book. The idea of it was so compelling, and much of it took place in a book store - what could go wrong? Plenty. There was a point in the book when I stopped cheering for the author. I wanted her to suck it up and stop clinging for life to “Euan” (actually Shaun).
Then in an act of true as*holery (a made up, yet appropriate, word) he invited two of his ex-girlfriends to dinner at their home on Scotland. One of the women thought she was arriving to a party with only Euan and was prepared for a hot date. Neither had any clue that he was living with an American woman in a “serious” relationship.
What kind of creep does that??!!!
Euan’s passive-aggressive “dithering” was not adorable, it was cruel. As frustrating as he was in the whole book, Jessica’s whinging and pining for him was just sad.
Then in an act of true as*holery (a made up, yet appropriate, word) he invited two of his ex-girlfriends to dinner at their home on Scotland. One of the women thought she was arriving to a party with only Euan and was prepared for a hot date. Neither had any clue that he was living with an American woman in a “serious” relationship.
What kind of creep does that??!!!
Euan’s passive-aggressive “dithering” was not adorable, it was cruel. As frustrating as he was in the whole book, Jessica’s whinging and pining for him was just sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2021
This is a memoir about the beginning of the author's relationship with the author of The Diary of a Bookseller. Disappointingly, there was hardly anything about books and the book shop (not enough to justify putting this on my "bookishness" shelf) and far, far, too much about the ins and outs of the "fairy tale" relationship. I found this tiresome.
September 9, 2022
I started and stopped this book for nearly 5 months. And the only reason I eventually finished it is because I hate not finishing books.
Maybe I just expected more—a better reason to move to Scotland, a stronger female protagonist (sorry), or just better writing. After the third time I saw “cubicle” written as “cubical”, I wanted to scratch my eyes out. Plus, the obvious American using as many blatant British terms just made me role my eyes.
Maybe it made me incredibly angry because I’m an immigrant living in the US for over a decade and there’s never been a single easy part to getting a visa or getting used to different cultures or changing my british spellings to more American spellings even after being in the states for that long.
This book made me think I’d never make it through a book in 2020. Thankfully, I realized fairly soon it was just that this book was awful.
Maybe I just expected more—a better reason to move to Scotland, a stronger female protagonist (sorry), or just better writing. After the third time I saw “cubicle” written as “cubical”, I wanted to scratch my eyes out. Plus, the obvious American using as many blatant British terms just made me role my eyes.
Maybe it made me incredibly angry because I’m an immigrant living in the US for over a decade and there’s never been a single easy part to getting a visa or getting used to different cultures or changing my british spellings to more American spellings even after being in the states for that long.
This book made me think I’d never make it through a book in 2020. Thankfully, I realized fairly soon it was just that this book was awful.
June 27, 2020
Searched this one out because I'd just read Diary of, and Confessions of, a Bookseller and thought it would be interesting to read about Jessica's experiences. Instead, I found the whole book a slog and the narrator whiny and self-absorbed. I can't even work out what she saw in Euan, as he is painted as a cold, distant boor. Not exactly the love story claimed on the front cover
January 8, 2015
I cam across Jessica's story from The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell
Talking of the BookTown Wigtown in Scotland, she makes a reference to Jessica and mentions that it's another story in Three Things you Need to Know About Rockets.
I was intrigued and off I went on an enchanting story.
Because that's what this book is, enchanting.
The story of a young, accomplished women, having a thought and going for it. So very few of us have the courage to follow our dreams but she did.
It reminded me of reading Eat, Pray, Love
Just swap the heat of Bali for the cool frost of Scotland, the spirit of an Ashram for the peace of a bookshop and the indulgence of Italy, for chocolate and haggis.
This seems a lot more down to earth than the for-mentioned book and I was moved by Jessica's inner thoughts and the way she looks at life.
She describes Wigtown and Galloway in such wonder that you can't help but fall in love with it.
The story itself, follows her from LA to Scotland. To a Bookshop in a little town, a welcoming community and a life change she didn't see coming. With each chapter starting with a quote from a book, followed by where that book is placed in the shop. It has encouraged me to read even more books.
I couldn't put it down, taken in by Jessica's honesty and earnest to find some calm in her life.
It's right on my favorite bookshelf, where it will live with it's equals, I recommend it to anyone who likes, romance, adventure, books, life stories and enchanting places.
Talking of the BookTown Wigtown in Scotland, she makes a reference to Jessica and mentions that it's another story in Three Things you Need to Know About Rockets.
I was intrigued and off I went on an enchanting story.
Because that's what this book is, enchanting.
The story of a young, accomplished women, having a thought and going for it. So very few of us have the courage to follow our dreams but she did.
It reminded me of reading Eat, Pray, Love
Just swap the heat of Bali for the cool frost of Scotland, the spirit of an Ashram for the peace of a bookshop and the indulgence of Italy, for chocolate and haggis.
This seems a lot more down to earth than the for-mentioned book and I was moved by Jessica's inner thoughts and the way she looks at life.
She describes Wigtown and Galloway in such wonder that you can't help but fall in love with it.
The story itself, follows her from LA to Scotland. To a Bookshop in a little town, a welcoming community and a life change she didn't see coming. With each chapter starting with a quote from a book, followed by where that book is placed in the shop. It has encouraged me to read even more books.
I couldn't put it down, taken in by Jessica's honesty and earnest to find some calm in her life.
It's right on my favorite bookshelf, where it will live with it's equals, I recommend it to anyone who likes, romance, adventure, books, life stories and enchanting places.
October 6, 2013
In this book Jessica leaves the states (and her job at NASA) for a wonderful romantic fairy tale of a life in Scotland, living in a used bookstore. Wow... I would love that! It leads you into a wonderfully written romance, that is funny and a just a joy to read! It really made me want to visit Scotland, and renewed my dream of owning a used bookstore.
Really good book!
I was really lucky to have won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway! Aren't I lucky?
Really good book!
I was really lucky to have won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway! Aren't I lucky?
September 4, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. The idea of leaving everything behind and starting a new life in a remote, small town in Scotland...sounds lovely and romantic. However, I found the protagonist (Jessica) to be completely insufferable. Being that this is essentially a romance story, you should want Jessica and the love interest (Euan) to live happily ever after. But, I found myself rooting for Euan...to see how selfish, demanding, and insecure she really was, and to realize that all of her emotional baggage and drama wasn't worth it. It seemed like Jessica wanted to live her life as in a fairy tale.
October 25, 2019
Man I read these related books way out of order, first I read Confessions of a Bookseller published in 2019, then i read this book published in 2012, next I plan to read The Diary of a Bookseller published in 2017.
Well I really liked the first two that I read so I'll be going back to The Bookshop, Wigtown for the 2nd book.
Well I really liked the first two that I read so I'll be going back to The Bookshop, Wigtown for the 2nd book.
December 11, 2018
This started out as a four star read, but the further into it I got, the less I liked it. I feel guilty about putting a rating like this on someone's real life, but meh, I'll get over it. This book was a slog.
February 12, 2019
I came for the bookstore and Scotland and the descriptions there of were , to be fair, lovely as was the narrative style.... I did not, however, come for the Scottish version of He’s Just Not That Into You ( look, I realize he clearly cared but “fairy tale” or even “love story” it was not) sorry.
June 26, 2018
Perhaps it's wrong to leave negative reviews of a memoir, certainly there is a degree of bravery in sharing your life like this, but my god this was an exasperating read. I hope that what was on the pages was an unfaltering representation of the reality because this was a book about a whiny immature woman who opens with such stunts as leaving all her furniture on the street for people to take when she moves from Boston to L.A (I could tell from this she was a spoiled rich girl long before she admitted to it), spends the L.A chapters harping on about how famous and elite her Hollywood friends are, daydreams about leaving her career 'working' in a bookshop in a way that involves nothing but sitting behind the counters and reading all day (so a vanity business or a failing one), takes off for a month and then seems surprised that she's been made redundant from her job, goes back to Scotland and spends some time being almost entirely dependant on a man and getting upset whenever his life doesn't revolve around her, leaves him and then is depressed about it despite the fact she's only actually known him a few months, then is furious that he's getting on with his life without her after she left (she throws a tantrum and smashes up a room like a badly behaved three year old), constantly and obnoxiously name drops her high brow reading habits throughout the book even when they add nothing to the narrative, and is generally irritating, naive and self-absorbed.
There were some moments of lovely prose but my favourite part of this book's narrative was when she got deported and repeatedly refused visa applications which I thought was good justice for the fact she shamelessly illegally uses her mobile phone while driving in an earlier chapter.
Needed more about rockets and for the narrator to try approaching life as a grown woman instead of a spoilt child who never thought through the potential consequences of her actions but sulked whenever things didn't go her way.
There were some moments of lovely prose but my favourite part of this book's narrative was when she got deported and repeatedly refused visa applications which I thought was good justice for the fact she shamelessly illegally uses her mobile phone while driving in an earlier chapter.
Needed more about rockets and for the narrator to try approaching life as a grown woman instead of a spoilt child who never thought through the potential consequences of her actions but sulked whenever things didn't go her way.
February 16, 2015
Kinda ruined this book for myself by doing research and finding the real "Euan" - after that all the hoards of women after him and the romantic image sort of fell flat.I hear he's from the Bernard Black school of book shop owners so not really buying the portrait paid here.. Authoress is really pretty.. guess there mustn't have been much to choose from in Wigtown..
February 13, 2019
It was okay. It wasn't exactly a rom-com, but the descriptions of scotland were lovely. Honestly, I got sort of frustrated with the characters. They are human, to be sure, but ***spoilers below**
Euan is kind of an aloof jerk, and Jessica comes across as whiny, and I found myself being irritated with her. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood for this, but I don't know if I'd recommend this.
Euan is kind of an aloof jerk, and Jessica comes across as whiny, and I found myself being irritated with her. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood for this, but I don't know if I'd recommend this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2022
Jessica A. Fox is a very talented writer. I hope we can read more of her works.
December 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and the return to Wigtown and The Bookshop in this story told from Jessica’s perspective.
Would love to visit someday.
Would love to visit someday.
September 11, 2015
Overall a short but enjoyable travel memoir. I generally enjoy these types of books and find them particularly inspiring when the author does something a bit different.
Jessica Fox certainly does something a bit different. She leaves her life in Hollywood, and her work with NASA, to live in a small Scottish town. She volunteers in a book shop. She reflects on her life. All great.
So why only a 3/5 rating? Well I didn't like Jessica's writing style. Both her dialogue and what happens throughout the book gets very repetitive. Oh and I didn't like Euan!
Euan is Jessica's love interest and they do (or did? I've no idea if they're still together?) not suit each other. She was fairly needy and wanted constant confirmation that she was beautiful, loved, that he still wanted her around etc. Whilst Euan just pottered along, not saying much, and dithering about EVERYTHING. Both were equally frustrating to me as the reader.
Another reason for the low rating was the lack of pictures. I thought memoirs, especially travel ones, had pictures. I wanted to see what everyone looked like. What the little town looked like. What her LA home looked like. But nope all we get is one picture and it's of Jessica outside a book shop. Which I'm assuming is the one she worked in?
Oh and at one point Jessica is talking about her ancestry. She says "my family on both sides is Jewish from Eastern Europe" and then goes on to say her mother was born in Germany. I'm 99.9% sure that Germany is not in Eastern Europe, but Western Europe. Maybe I just don't understand how North Americans decide on how they're going to describe their ancestry? I mean how far back do they go? And which countries does she mean when she says "Eastern Europe"?
But apart from those few niggles it was a very nice and relaxing read. And at one point Jessica talks about everyone having their own personal "Holy Grail". She made a wonderful point that "it's the impulse that gets you up off the couch and propels the journey". That the thing you originally wanted is, in the end, "most likely not going to make the current you feel fulfilled".
I couldn't agree more with this. Life and journeys change you. Live in the moment and enjoy what's happening to you right now. Try not to spend all your time fantasising about your future. Because that future might not be what you want once you get there.
So basically this memoir is a good read. Perfect as a "holiday" read really. Though you will end up wanting to visit Scotland. Or at least find yourself looking at all the gorgeous pictures on google images!
http://stayinguptillmorning.blogspot....
May 3, 2017
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. It's too bad this author didn't pick up a dictionary while she was in that bookstore because I could hardly continue reading after seeing how she misused the word "cubical" (it's an adjective, not a noun, dear). Nevertheless I forged ahead, trying to get past the purple prose, the gaps in the text where presumably a word was supposed to be, the lack of commas, but I can't bear it any longer. Everything is adorable and glorious and warm and glowing and cozy and misty and OMG excuse me while I go vomit. Everyone introduced in this book was obnoxious. She just strings together bizarre little vignettes with little to no connection. Stories just peter out after going...nowhere. There is no cohesive timeline. One paragraph she states how she has to go home a week after the festival; next thing you know she is saying the festival will be ending soon and then she will only have weeks left after that before going home. Whatever.
This author comes across as either incredibly immature or just plain dumb, or maybe just a combination of both.
This author comes across as either incredibly immature or just plain dumb, or maybe just a combination of both.
November 16, 2022
I have very few genres that I don't like, but I've realized that modern memoir is definitely one of them. This is the latest encounter and all have been disappointments. I really thought I would rip through this and connect with it - no and NO. I finished it because it was a gift from a friend. I will end up re-gifting at a book club swap around Christmas. I'm not going to rip this book to shreds because this is a person's life and experience, not a novel. But it was exactly like reading some of my old angsty diary entries and the whole book was more cringe-worthy than swoon-worthy.
January 11, 2017
I read this book after I had met the author who welcomed me and my husband to The Open Book, a co-op/airbnb opportunity in Wigtown, Scotland. Jessica is now the development director of the Wigtown Book Festival, and her book provided a wonderful background to the people and places that we were experiencing in the moment. I really liked the book, especially the theme of following your dreams no matter how far-fetched they might seem. It's the only way to see if you can make them come true.
July 4, 2019
I REALLY wanted to love this book. I just got back from Scotland, where we visited Wigtown. This book seemed like the perfect read after getting home. I couldn't stand the author's voice... pretentious, self-important, whiny and attention-seeking. Euan is not only decidedly unromantic but also kind of a jerk.
I'm really, really disappointed.
I'm really, really disappointed.
November 13, 2019
Started reading enthusiastically because of the connection to The Diary and Confessions of a Bookseller, both of which I enjoyed enormously. Was intriqued for the first half until it degenerated into a self-indulgent slog. Kept going but frankly, completely lost interest. Good writing and she sounds like a nice person but the navel-gazing is too intense.
April 17, 2014
I understand this was memoir, and based in real-life so I don't want to put it down, too terribly much. ....BUT, the first part of the book was a fun, quick read... the remainder of the book, I found hard to finish... I grew a bit bored. But hey, real life is boring sometimes ;)
May 31, 2016
highs and lows. The author's angst ridden inner dialogue was tedious at times and primarily served to expand what could have been an excellent 250 page book to a bloated almost 400 page one.
December 29, 2019
American woman meets Scottish bookstore owner in famous Scottish book centre, Wigtown. Book nerds will love this one.
June 2, 2013
The quirky path that is taken.
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets by Jessica Fox is a new book being published in July. It is a memoir about Jessica as she chooses a new path in her life. She left a job at NASA in California and moved all the way to Scotland to a used bookstore and found love. Sometimes you need to find a new path, especially when new visions surround you.
Memoirs are books that are written as a narrative containing personal observations. They are intended to be true and honest reflections while in many cases they are actually self-absorbing. Not in this case! While the book does chronicle Jessica’s search for a new path, it does not grandstand or overwhelm the reader with all the things that she did, as many do. Jessica has managed to balance herself between an honest recount and a reflective narrative.
The story was quirky, heartwarming and romantic. There is a huge cultural divide between the west coast of Scotland and the west coast of California. Jessica manages to bridge the divide pretty well during her first visit. However, once she left she realized that she loved the owner of The Book Store and the town of Wigtown. Luckily, the love was reciprocated. But twists in the path for them, both personal and governmental do intercede in their relationship.
Jessica’s story reads quickly. I found myself wishing for a positive conclusion, but not feeling secure in its existence. The language, feelings and descriptions make the book more interesting. Each chapter begins with a thoughtful quote that in some way enhances the chapter. Often Jessica is having a heart to heart with Melville, just to round out the importance of following one’s heart.
An ARC of this book was given to me in exchange for my honest review by Book Browse.
Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets by Jessica Fox is a new book being published in July. It is a memoir about Jessica as she chooses a new path in her life. She left a job at NASA in California and moved all the way to Scotland to a used bookstore and found love. Sometimes you need to find a new path, especially when new visions surround you.
Memoirs are books that are written as a narrative containing personal observations. They are intended to be true and honest reflections while in many cases they are actually self-absorbing. Not in this case! While the book does chronicle Jessica’s search for a new path, it does not grandstand or overwhelm the reader with all the things that she did, as many do. Jessica has managed to balance herself between an honest recount and a reflective narrative.
The story was quirky, heartwarming and romantic. There is a huge cultural divide between the west coast of Scotland and the west coast of California. Jessica manages to bridge the divide pretty well during her first visit. However, once she left she realized that she loved the owner of The Book Store and the town of Wigtown. Luckily, the love was reciprocated. But twists in the path for them, both personal and governmental do intercede in their relationship.
Jessica’s story reads quickly. I found myself wishing for a positive conclusion, but not feeling secure in its existence. The language, feelings and descriptions make the book more interesting. Each chapter begins with a thoughtful quote that in some way enhances the chapter. Often Jessica is having a heart to heart with Melville, just to round out the importance of following one’s heart.
An ARC of this book was given to me in exchange for my honest review by Book Browse.
June 10, 2013
It takes a special kind of person to pack up a life and move across the country. I for one am not that kind of person, I crave routine and just moving to a town 15 miles away from my birthplace was more than traumatic enough for me. I envy someone that has the guts to move across the world (and especially for a guy).
Jessica Fox has the kind of spirit and life that makes for good storytelling (unlife my safe and predictable life). Unfortunately, I could not really relate to her because of the fact that we are complete opposites. While reading her story I would find myself forgetting that the story was not fiction. It came across that way to me many times. I also has some issues with Jessica and Euan's relationship but I am not going to knit-pick about those because if they seem to make it work, than they must be on the same page and are good with the status quo and it is not like I am the relationship guru and have all the answers. Everyone handles relationships differently.
In all the book was interesting enough to keep me reading however, I don't know that if Jessica Fox were to write another memoir, I would end up reading it. I do feel that if she were to branch out into fiction, I would most likely pick up that instead.
Jessica Fox has the kind of spirit and life that makes for good storytelling (unlife my safe and predictable life). Unfortunately, I could not really relate to her because of the fact that we are complete opposites. While reading her story I would find myself forgetting that the story was not fiction. It came across that way to me many times. I also has some issues with Jessica and Euan's relationship but I am not going to knit-pick about those because if they seem to make it work, than they must be on the same page and are good with the status quo and it is not like I am the relationship guru and have all the answers. Everyone handles relationships differently.
In all the book was interesting enough to keep me reading however, I don't know that if Jessica Fox were to write another memoir, I would end up reading it. I do feel that if she were to branch out into fiction, I would most likely pick up that instead.
March 16, 2014
Jessica Fox deserves an 'A' for her effort in creating this book. This would probably be a 'goodread' for someone like my niece, a young woman in her early twenties getting ready to go to Europe for education and adventure. I enjoyed the author's link/reference to Joseph Campbell, specifically 'The Hero's Journey' and how Herman Melville would show himself to her at key points in her own journey. Her use of 'relative' quotes from author's books within the bookstore in her book at the beginning of each chapter is a thoughtful add. The author certainly had me engaged in her story and read the book in just a few days. The cover photo's infinite regress quality, showing her book in the bookstore window as I simultaneously have the book in my hand, is a great idea as it adds to the timeless aspect of myth and storytelling and how each of us has our own tale to tell.
September 23, 2017
I found this true story, about a girl from Boston who visits the tiny town of Wigtown, Scotland, to work in a used book store, when I was a girl from Boston, visiting Wigtown, Scotland, and working in a used book store.
I was visiting Wigtown, volunteering for a week to run The Open Book, and staying in the flat above it. This book was in the flat, because The Open Book and the flat belonged to Jessica Fox, the author.
I didn't have a parallel experience to the one in this book, but it was a great read, and I loved knowing who the townspeople she talked about were, and seeing the places she described in my own memories and pictures. Would I have loved the book as much if I hadn't met Jessica, Euan, and Deirdre only a couple of weeks before? Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to ask someone else for an unbiased review to get an answer to that. :)
I was visiting Wigtown, volunteering for a week to run The Open Book, and staying in the flat above it. This book was in the flat, because The Open Book and the flat belonged to Jessica Fox, the author.
I didn't have a parallel experience to the one in this book, but it was a great read, and I loved knowing who the townspeople she talked about were, and seeing the places she described in my own memories and pictures. Would I have loved the book as much if I hadn't met Jessica, Euan, and Deirdre only a couple of weeks before? Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to ask someone else for an unbiased review to get an answer to that. :)
August 4, 2013
This is the tale of an American working for NASA who crashes and burns (sorry, couldn't resist) and ends up taking time out at a bookshop in Scotland. There, she and the owner fall in love and she now divides her time between the US and Scotland. The reason I picked this up was because she ended up in Wigtown, Scotland's National Booktown, which is a place I want to visit someday. A quick and easy read, enjoyable enough but it reads rather like a fairytale so there was a huge part of me wondering if she'd made it up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews