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Jean Perdu #1.5
The Little Village of Book Lovers
A young woman with the extraordinary power to bring soulmates together searches for her own true love in this tender, lyrical standalone novel inspired by the “bona fide international hit” ( The New York Times Book Review ) The Little Paris Bookshop
In Nina George’s New York Times bestseller The Little Paris Bookshop, beloved literary apothecary Jean Perdu is inspired to create a floating bookstore after reading a seminal pseudonymous novel about a young woman with a remarkable gift. The Little Village of Book Lovers is that novel.
“Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”
In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.
As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.
As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?
In Nina George’s New York Times bestseller The Little Paris Bookshop, beloved literary apothecary Jean Perdu is inspired to create a floating bookstore after reading a seminal pseudonymous novel about a young woman with a remarkable gift. The Little Village of Book Lovers is that novel.
“Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”
In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.
As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.
As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2019
895 people are currently reading
31040 people want to read
About the author
Nina George
72 books2,345 followersENG (for German Bio please scroll down).
Born 1973 in Bielefeld, Germany, Nina George is a prize-winning and bestselling author (“Das Lavendelzimmer” – “The Little Paris Bookshop”) and freelance journalist since 1992, who has published 26 books (novels, mysteries and non-fiction) as well as over hundred short stories and more than 600 columns. George has worked as a cop reporter, columnist and managing editor for a wide range of publications, including Hamburger Abendblatt, Die Welt, Der Hamburger, “politik und kultur” as well as TV Movie and Federwelt. Georges writes also under three pen-names, for ex “Jean Bagnol”, a double-andronym for provence-based mystery novels.
In 2012 and 2013 she won the DeLiA and the Glauser-Prize. In 2013 she had her first bestselling book “Das Lavendelzimmer”, translated in 27 langues and sold more than 500.000 copies.
In November 2011, Nina George established the “JA zum Urheberrecht” (YES on Author’s Rights) initiative, which supports the rights of authors, artists and entertainers and is dedicated to resolving issues within the literary community as well as establishing fair and practical rights-license models for the web-distribution. 14 writers’ associations and 27 publishing partners have since joined the JA…-Initiative. George supports the “Initiative Urheberrecht” (Author’s Rights Initiative—www.urheber.info) as well as the “gib 8 aufs Wort”-campaign of the VG Wort.
In August 2014 George initiated the Amazon-protest in Germany www.fairer-buchmarkt.de, where overs 2000 germanspeaking authors – Nobelprizewinnig Elfriede Jelinek or Bestsellingauthor Nele Neuhaus – sign an open letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, protesting against the banned-book-methods of the giant retailer in the Hachette/Bonnier-dispute.
In 2015 George is the founder of the Initiative Fairer Buchmarkt e.V., which supports questions of law in daily business of authors – for ex in contracts, fees or author’s rights and e-Business.
George is Member to PEN, Das Syndikat (association of German-language crime writers), the Association of German Authors (VS), the Hamburg Authors’ Association (HAV), BücherFrauen (Women in Publishing), the IACW/AIEP (International Association of Crime Writers), the GEDOK (Association of female artists in Germany), PRO QUOTE and Lean In. Nina George sits on the board of the Three Seas Writers’ and Translaters’ Council (TSWTC), whose members come from 16 different countries.
Nina George teaches writing at Literaturbüro Unna, Alsterdamm Kunstschule, Wilhelmsburger Honigfabrik, where she coaches young people, adults and professional authors.
George also moderates (bilingual) readings and works as a speaker.
www.nina-george.com
find me also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/NinaGeorge.S...
www.ninageorge.de
DE
Die mehrfach ausgezeichnete Publizistin Nina George, geboren 1973, veröffentlichte bisher 23 Romane, Krimis, Science-Thriller sowie ca. 88 Kurzgeschichten und über 500 Kolumnen.
Ihr Pseudonym Anne West gehört zu den erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Erotika-Autorinnen.
Für ihren Roman Die Mondspielerin wurde George mit der DeLiA 2011, dem Literaturpreis für den besten Liebesroman des Jahres, ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Wendekrimi Das Licht von Dahme war George 2010 für den Friedrich-Glauser-Preis nominiert. Sie gewann ihn 2012 mit dem in Nigeria angesiedeltem Fußballkrimi „Das Spiel ihres Lebens“.
George gründete 2011 die Initiative „JA zum Urheberrecht“, mit der sie sich aktiv für die Rechte aller Kreativarbeiter und Kulturschaffenden gegen die Mentalität der Gratiskultur im Internet einsetzt.
Sie ist Mitglied im Syndikat, den Mörderischen Schwestern sowie des Verbands deutscher Schriftsteller.
Nina George lebt im Hamburger Grindelviertel.
Born 1973 in Bielefeld, Germany, Nina George is a prize-winning and bestselling author (“Das Lavendelzimmer” – “The Little Paris Bookshop”) and freelance journalist since 1992, who has published 26 books (novels, mysteries and non-fiction) as well as over hundred short stories and more than 600 columns. George has worked as a cop reporter, columnist and managing editor for a wide range of publications, including Hamburger Abendblatt, Die Welt, Der Hamburger, “politik und kultur” as well as TV Movie and Federwelt. Georges writes also under three pen-names, for ex “Jean Bagnol”, a double-andronym for provence-based mystery novels.
In 2012 and 2013 she won the DeLiA and the Glauser-Prize. In 2013 she had her first bestselling book “Das Lavendelzimmer”, translated in 27 langues and sold more than 500.000 copies.
In November 2011, Nina George established the “JA zum Urheberrecht” (YES on Author’s Rights) initiative, which supports the rights of authors, artists and entertainers and is dedicated to resolving issues within the literary community as well as establishing fair and practical rights-license models for the web-distribution. 14 writers’ associations and 27 publishing partners have since joined the JA…-Initiative. George supports the “Initiative Urheberrecht” (Author’s Rights Initiative—www.urheber.info) as well as the “gib 8 aufs Wort”-campaign of the VG Wort.
In August 2014 George initiated the Amazon-protest in Germany www.fairer-buchmarkt.de, where overs 2000 germanspeaking authors – Nobelprizewinnig Elfriede Jelinek or Bestsellingauthor Nele Neuhaus – sign an open letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, protesting against the banned-book-methods of the giant retailer in the Hachette/Bonnier-dispute.
In 2015 George is the founder of the Initiative Fairer Buchmarkt e.V., which supports questions of law in daily business of authors – for ex in contracts, fees or author’s rights and e-Business.
George is Member to PEN, Das Syndikat (association of German-language crime writers), the Association of German Authors (VS), the Hamburg Authors’ Association (HAV), BücherFrauen (Women in Publishing), the IACW/AIEP (International Association of Crime Writers), the GEDOK (Association of female artists in Germany), PRO QUOTE and Lean In. Nina George sits on the board of the Three Seas Writers’ and Translaters’ Council (TSWTC), whose members come from 16 different countries.
Nina George teaches writing at Literaturbüro Unna, Alsterdamm Kunstschule, Wilhelmsburger Honigfabrik, where she coaches young people, adults and professional authors.
George also moderates (bilingual) readings and works as a speaker.
www.nina-george.com
find me also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/NinaGeorge.S...
www.ninageorge.de
DE
Die mehrfach ausgezeichnete Publizistin Nina George, geboren 1973, veröffentlichte bisher 23 Romane, Krimis, Science-Thriller sowie ca. 88 Kurzgeschichten und über 500 Kolumnen.
Ihr Pseudonym Anne West gehört zu den erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Erotika-Autorinnen.
Für ihren Roman Die Mondspielerin wurde George mit der DeLiA 2011, dem Literaturpreis für den besten Liebesroman des Jahres, ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Wendekrimi Das Licht von Dahme war George 2010 für den Friedrich-Glauser-Preis nominiert. Sie gewann ihn 2012 mit dem in Nigeria angesiedeltem Fußballkrimi „Das Spiel ihres Lebens“.
George gründete 2011 die Initiative „JA zum Urheberrecht“, mit der sie sich aktiv für die Rechte aller Kreativarbeiter und Kulturschaffenden gegen die Mentalität der Gratiskultur im Internet einsetzt.
Sie ist Mitglied im Syndikat, den Mörderischen Schwestern sowie des Verbands deutscher Schriftsteller.
Nina George lebt im Hamburger Grindelviertel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,046 reviews
July 30, 2023
“Hearts, you see, are like beautiful, perfectly glazed earthenware cups at first, but over the years they get cracked and nicked. Hearts break once, twice, repeatedly, and each time you do your best to put them back together again, trying to live with the wounds, patching them up with hope and tears.”
The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George is a beautifully- penned novel that revolves around family, friendship, love and the transformative power of books.
As the story begins we meet orphaned infant Marie-Jeanne who finds a family with bric-a-brac dealer and deliveryman Francis Meurienne and his wife Elsa the Valley of Nyons in the 1960s, both of whom care for her deeply though Elsa isn’t too expressive of her emotions. As an infant Marie-Jeanne has a strange encounter with Love, that leaves her with a special gift – the ability to see how Love impacts the people around her, the “glow” that is evident in those touched by Love – a gift that initially confuses her because others cannot see what she sees and eventually as she grows up has her concerned when she cannot see the same “glow” on herself.
“Falling in love is when two people can’t stop looking at each other. Being in love is when two people look in the same direction. Being beyond love is when there is no one to look out for you.”
Encouraged by her curiosity about writers and books, her foster father thinks of starting a bookmobile service – a venture Marie-Jeanne enthusiastically participates in, enabling her to interact with residents of the neighboring towns in Nyons. Her love for books and her perceptiveness of love enables her to study those she believes have been touched by Love or are waiting to find their significant other. The narrative follows Marie-Jeanne as she uses her gift and love for books to not only encourage children, men and women from Nyons to develop an interest in reading and thereby explore different ways of life but also to bring people together. She hopes to find a special someone in her own life, but is happy to be helping others, combining her matchmaking skills with her knowledge of books.
“Books are the last great alchemy of our age. They create, transform, and vanquish time, death, and fear. They create invisible realities. They are the silent doors through which we walk to find ourselves.”
With elements of magical realism, a cast of interesting characters and a unique narrative structure (told from the perspectives of Love , Fate and an eight-hundred-year-old Olive Tree), this book is a treat for bibliophiles and romantics alike. This is a slower-paced novel and does require a bit of patience but the story, the beautiful passages, the literary references and the underlying message cast a spell on me and I found myself rereading certain segments time and time again. A running theme in this novel is books can bring people together. This isn’t a plot-driven novel but one that explores love in its various manifestations – family, friendship, romantic love, empathy and kindness. A running theme in this novel is books can bring people together. Overall, this is an enchanting read that will leave you with a smile on your face and happiness in your heart.
Though this novel is tied to The Old Paris Bookshop, it can be read as a standalone. I loved the Author’s Postface where she discusses the connection between the two books and her motivation for writing this novel.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the much–appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George is a beautifully- penned novel that revolves around family, friendship, love and the transformative power of books.
As the story begins we meet orphaned infant Marie-Jeanne who finds a family with bric-a-brac dealer and deliveryman Francis Meurienne and his wife Elsa the Valley of Nyons in the 1960s, both of whom care for her deeply though Elsa isn’t too expressive of her emotions. As an infant Marie-Jeanne has a strange encounter with Love, that leaves her with a special gift – the ability to see how Love impacts the people around her, the “glow” that is evident in those touched by Love – a gift that initially confuses her because others cannot see what she sees and eventually as she grows up has her concerned when she cannot see the same “glow” on herself.
“Falling in love is when two people can’t stop looking at each other. Being in love is when two people look in the same direction. Being beyond love is when there is no one to look out for you.”
Encouraged by her curiosity about writers and books, her foster father thinks of starting a bookmobile service – a venture Marie-Jeanne enthusiastically participates in, enabling her to interact with residents of the neighboring towns in Nyons. Her love for books and her perceptiveness of love enables her to study those she believes have been touched by Love or are waiting to find their significant other. The narrative follows Marie-Jeanne as she uses her gift and love for books to not only encourage children, men and women from Nyons to develop an interest in reading and thereby explore different ways of life but also to bring people together. She hopes to find a special someone in her own life, but is happy to be helping others, combining her matchmaking skills with her knowledge of books.
“Books are the last great alchemy of our age. They create, transform, and vanquish time, death, and fear. They create invisible realities. They are the silent doors through which we walk to find ourselves.”
With elements of magical realism, a cast of interesting characters and a unique narrative structure (told from the perspectives of Love , Fate and an eight-hundred-year-old Olive Tree), this book is a treat for bibliophiles and romantics alike. This is a slower-paced novel and does require a bit of patience but the story, the beautiful passages, the literary references and the underlying message cast a spell on me and I found myself rereading certain segments time and time again. A running theme in this novel is books can bring people together. This isn’t a plot-driven novel but one that explores love in its various manifestations – family, friendship, romantic love, empathy and kindness. A running theme in this novel is books can bring people together. Overall, this is an enchanting read that will leave you with a smile on your face and happiness in your heart.
Though this novel is tied to The Old Paris Bookshop, it can be read as a standalone. I loved the Author’s Postface where she discusses the connection between the two books and her motivation for writing this novel.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the much–appreciated digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
August 30, 2023
With so many twists and turns in life, we all need to be reminded of what true love looks like. Found in the most unlikely of places, The Little Village of Book Lovers reminds us of the magic and whimsy that accompanies true love.
Whether it be friendships, parents to their children, or couples - everyone's hearts will be warmed by this sweet tale!!
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
**Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Whether it be friendships, parents to their children, or couples - everyone's hearts will be warmed by this sweet tale!!
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
**Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
May 22, 2023
I picked this book up because I enjoyed The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Although I didn't like this quite as much, it was still a good story and is somewhat of a sequel or at least had a tie-in to The Little Paris Bookshop.
Description:
“Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”
In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.
As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.
As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?
My Thoughts:
This was atmospheric and I think was reaching for magical in the writing. It was narrated by Love, and had characters like Death, Logic, Chance, Fate, Wonder and Time. It also had a very old olive true dispensing wisdom. I found the first half of the book rather slow and it didn't really get my interest until halfway through. I enjoyed the story of Marie-Jeanne and how she tried to help others find love through delivering books. Also, I enjoyed how reading books changed the community. The concept of the "bookabus" was fun.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. this book will be published on July 25, 2023.
Description:
“Everyone knows me, but none can see me. I’m that thing you call love.”
In a little town in the south of France in the 1960s, a dazzling encounter with Love itself changes the life of infant orphan Marie-Jeanne forever.
As a girl, Marie-Jeanne realizes that she can see the marks Love has left on the people around her—tiny glowing lights on the faces and hands that shimmer more brightly when the one meant for them is near. Before long, Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true loves together in her village.
As she grows up, Marie-Jeanne helps her foster father, Francis, begin a mobile library that travels throughout the many small mountain towns in the region of Nyons. She finds herself bringing soulmates together every place they go—and there are always books that play a pivotal role in that quest. However, the only person that Marie-Jeanne can’t seem to find a soulmate for is herself. She has no glow of her own, though she waits and waits for it to appear. Everyone must have a soulmate, surely—but will Marie-Jeanne be able to recognize hers when Love finally comes her way?
My Thoughts:
This was atmospheric and I think was reaching for magical in the writing. It was narrated by Love, and had characters like Death, Logic, Chance, Fate, Wonder and Time. It also had a very old olive true dispensing wisdom. I found the first half of the book rather slow and it didn't really get my interest until halfway through. I enjoyed the story of Marie-Jeanne and how she tried to help others find love through delivering books. Also, I enjoyed how reading books changed the community. The concept of the "bookabus" was fun.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. this book will be published on July 25, 2023.
May 30, 2024
This is a book about bibliophiles and a girl with a magical sight, sprinkled with some romance, set in a village in south of France in the 1960s.
I admit the first few chapters were quite slow and I struggled to hold my attention. However, once the key characters were introduced and the plot was set and evolved, I couldn’t stop reading. The book made me laugh and smile, reminding me of the many reasons why I love reading and reminiscing of the early days of being in new relationships and falling in love.
I loved “The Little Paris Bookshop” and enjoyed Nina George’s lyrical writing. “The Little Village of Book Lovers” is delightfully charming.
Many thanks for the copy I received in a Goodreads giveaway. Publication date: July 2023.
I admit the first few chapters were quite slow and I struggled to hold my attention. However, once the key characters were introduced and the plot was set and evolved, I couldn’t stop reading. The book made me laugh and smile, reminding me of the many reasons why I love reading and reminiscing of the early days of being in new relationships and falling in love.
I loved “The Little Paris Bookshop” and enjoyed Nina George’s lyrical writing. “The Little Village of Book Lovers” is delightfully charming.
Many thanks for the copy I received in a Goodreads giveaway. Publication date: July 2023.
December 2, 2022
Lai gan pirms daudziem gadiem biju pilnīgā sajūsmā par Ninas Georges grāmatu Lavandu istaba, ar šo grāmatu es krietni pacīnījos. Droši vien nebija īstais brīdis tai (bet pasaki to bibliotēkā, kurā tu kavē nodošanas termiņu!). Nepārprotiet - šī ir burvīga grāmata, ļoti iedvesmojoša un uzmundrinoša, un kura var noderēt kā labas zāles, kad nepieciešama pozitīvisma deva un jāatjauno ticība mīlestības spēkam. Bet man šoreiz tā besīja, ka es redzu metodes un to, ko tā grāmata mēģina darīt! Diezgan nopietni pretojos tās mēģinājumiem mani pavilkt. Līdz beigām jau atslābinājos pietiekami, lai varētu arī izbaudīt. Šī noteikti labi noderētu tiem, kuri grib rakstīt par mīlestību, bet īsti nesanāk. Padomiņam. Kā uzrakstīt tikai vienā teikumā tā, ka ir.
“Laime nenozīmē būt laimīgam.”
“Grāmatas kādu padara par ceļotāju laikā, tēlu pārveidotāju, ķermeņu mijēju, domu lasītāju un nemirstīgo; tātad grāmatas ir pēdējā atlikusī lielā mūslaiku alķīmija.”
“Mīlestība ir kā māja. Mājā viss būtu jālieto, nekas nav jāapsedz vai jātaupa. Tikai tas dzīvo, kurš arī mīlestību apdzīvo visā pilnībā un nebaidās ne no kādas istabas, ne durvīm. Gan strīdēties, gan viens otram maigi pieskarties, abi ir vienlīdz svarīgi; turēties vienam pie otra un arī atkal atgrūsties. Vajadzīgs, lai tiek izmantota patiešām katra mīlestības istaba. Citādi tajās iemājo rēgi un smakas. Novārtā atstātas telpas un mājas var kļūt ļaunprātīgas un smirdošas...”
“Laime nenozīmē būt laimīgam.”
“Grāmatas kādu padara par ceļotāju laikā, tēlu pārveidotāju, ķermeņu mijēju, domu lasītāju un nemirstīgo; tātad grāmatas ir pēdējā atlikusī lielā mūslaiku alķīmija.”
“Mīlestība ir kā māja. Mājā viss būtu jālieto, nekas nav jāapsedz vai jātaupa. Tikai tas dzīvo, kurš arī mīlestību apdzīvo visā pilnībā un nebaidās ne no kādas istabas, ne durvīm. Gan strīdēties, gan viens otram maigi pieskarties, abi ir vienlīdz svarīgi; turēties vienam pie otra un arī atkal atgrūsties. Vajadzīgs, lai tiek izmantota patiešām katra mīlestības istaba. Citādi tajās iemājo rēgi un smakas. Novārtā atstātas telpas un mājas var kļūt ļaunprātīgas un smirdošas...”
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March 29, 2023Every new book holds the excitement of possibilities; the opportunity to evoke emotion or to open our eyes and hearts to new ideas and learning, as well as take us on an adventure. This is how I feel when I start each new book. As a lover of books, I was sure that a book with the words Book Lovers in the title would definitely be the right book for me. However, it ended up being a DNF @ 50%, which is extremely rare for me.
The story begins narrated by Love, much like The Book Thief was narrated by Death. Marie-Jeanne lives in a small town in France with her foster parents. She's a precocious little girl who sees Love where others don't. Her foster father, Francis, starts a mobile library, while being faced with much dissension and distrust from people who fear that books will adversely change their lives and the lives of their families. I honestly don't know what happens after that.
The narrative is very poetic in its delivery and almost lyrical at times in its descriptions. That's not what stopped me. I persisted until halfway through, but the story dragged and did not contain enough to draw me in further or hold my interest. Many other readers may love this book. Unfortunately, it did not strike a chord with me, and I regret that I cannot give a complete review or rating to a book that I did not finish.
I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for my honest opinion.
The story begins narrated by Love, much like The Book Thief was narrated by Death. Marie-Jeanne lives in a small town in France with her foster parents. She's a precocious little girl who sees Love where others don't. Her foster father, Francis, starts a mobile library, while being faced with much dissension and distrust from people who fear that books will adversely change their lives and the lives of their families. I honestly don't know what happens after that.
The narrative is very poetic in its delivery and almost lyrical at times in its descriptions. That's not what stopped me. I persisted until halfway through, but the story dragged and did not contain enough to draw me in further or hold my interest. Many other readers may love this book. Unfortunately, it did not strike a chord with me, and I regret that I cannot give a complete review or rating to a book that I did not finish.
I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for my honest opinion.
January 16, 2023
Eleventy billion stars!!! Truth...I was 75% sure that I wasn't going to like this or make it to the end. After all, it's a book narrated by Love, Fate, Death and an Olive Tree (and others). I prefer my reading to be something I don't have to think about. I don't want to have to figure out symbolism, or examine my existentialism, or get in touch with my inner self. So why would I pick up a book I was almost certain I wouldn't care for? Well, occasionally I like to pretend I'm a much deeper and aware individual and this was my chance. I'd give it 25-30 pages and then I could roll my eyes and say "ahhhh, at least I tried". Well butter my butt and call me biscuit. From the first page, I was smitten. 25-30 pages in and my heart was smiling and my soul was sighing, and I knew I had found a treasure. I not only was going to finish a book narrated by Love, an Olive Tree et al, but I was moved beyond words. Dear Madame George, in the conclusion of your book you claim not to know much of anything about love, but we are going to have to just agree to disagree. Love is right here, in these pages. It is beautiful and ugly and simple and complicated, and I shall carry this book with me forever.
January 6, 2021
Για μένα το καλύτερο της ως τώρα από όσα έχω διαβάσει (και έχω διαβάσει όλα όσα κυκλοφορούν στα ελληνικά). Αρχικά μου άρεσε το στοιχείο που συνδέει το Μικρό παριζιάνικο βιβλιοπωλείο με αυτό το βιβλίο.Τα φώτα του Νότου αν θυμάστε , έχει σημαντικό ρόλο σαν βιβλίο στο Μικρό παριζιάνικο βιβλιοπωλείο και η Nina George δίνει ζωή σε αυτή τη λογοτεχνική α��αφορά της.
Πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο για τον έρωτα, και πράγματι ο Έρωτας πρωταγωνιστεί καθώς μας διηγείται την ιστορία του παρατηρώντας τους ανθρώπους, νιώθοντας τις αδυναμίες τους.Οι ήρωες του βιβλίου είναι πληθωρικοί, είναι έντονοι και όλα είναι πληθωρικά και έντονα στα κείμενα της George.
Χρώματα, γεύσεις, αισθήματα, στιγμές όλα μπλέκονται μεταξύ ρεαλισμού και σουρεαλισμού σαν ένα ρομαντικό ποίημα που τελικά μιλάει για την ίδια τη ζωή.
Η George αναπτύσσει στο κείμενο της τη μοναξιά του έρωτα αλλά και την δύναμη του.
Το βιβλίο είναι ζεστό σαν λιακάδα, γλυκό σαν μελωμένο φρούτο και γεμάτο αληθινούς, ζωντανούς ανθρώπους.
Αξίζει να το διαβάσετε!
Πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο για τον έρωτα, και πράγματι ο Έρωτας πρωταγωνιστεί καθώς μας διηγείται την ιστορία του παρατηρώντας τους ανθρώπους, νιώθοντας τις αδυναμίες τους.Οι ήρωες του βιβλίου είναι πληθωρικοί, είναι έντονοι και όλα είναι πληθωρικά και έντονα στα κείμενα της George.
Χρώματα, γεύσεις, αισθήματα, στιγμές όλα μπλέκονται μεταξύ ρεαλισμού και σουρεαλισμού σαν ένα ρομαντικό ποίημα που τελικά μιλάει για την ίδια τη ζωή.
Η George αναπτύσσει στο κείμενο της τη μοναξιά του έρωτα αλλά και την δύναμη του.
Το βιβλίο είναι ζεστό σαν λιακάδα, γλυκό σαν μελωμένο φρούτο και γεμάτο αληθινούς, ζωντανούς ανθρώπους.
Αξίζει να το διαβάσετε!
July 23, 2023
• BOOKSTAGRAM •
The beginning of this book is slightly confusing and I feel this would be a great audiobook listen as a lot of the names/words are in Italian and I know I am 117% butchering the pronunciations.
The story revolves around a special girl names Marie Jeanne who is somewhat mythical and can see glowing hands, face, head etc on people around her but no one else can. There’s this magical olive tree that also gives wisdom to her. The book is a lot about the unseen factors in life that determine our decisions like: love, death, friendship, jealousy, passion, fear, hate, etc.
Throughout the course of the book Marie is connecting others together in the form of love but delivered by books via the “bookabus.” The big question is, is if Marie ever finds love on her own or if she is just destined to be the one helping everyone else find love.
If you liked this—read this:
🟣 The librarianist by Patrick deWitt
🟣 The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
🟣 Mr. Penumbras 24 hour bookstore by Robin Sloan
🟣 The storied life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Read if you like:
🔸 book about books
🔸 France backdrop
🔸 intertwining relationships
🔸 magical realism
The beginning of this book is slightly confusing and I feel this would be a great audiobook listen as a lot of the names/words are in Italian and I know I am 117% butchering the pronunciations.
The story revolves around a special girl names Marie Jeanne who is somewhat mythical and can see glowing hands, face, head etc on people around her but no one else can. There’s this magical olive tree that also gives wisdom to her. The book is a lot about the unseen factors in life that determine our decisions like: love, death, friendship, jealousy, passion, fear, hate, etc.
Throughout the course of the book Marie is connecting others together in the form of love but delivered by books via the “bookabus.” The big question is, is if Marie ever finds love on her own or if she is just destined to be the one helping everyone else find love.
If you liked this—read this:
🟣 The librarianist by Patrick deWitt
🟣 The shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
🟣 Mr. Penumbras 24 hour bookstore by Robin Sloan
🟣 The storied life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Read if you like:
🔸 book about books
🔸 France backdrop
🔸 intertwining relationships
🔸 magical realism
Read
August 19, 2023This had all the right ingredients for a great read.
I struggled with the POV and felt there wasn't enough to hold my attention.
I normally love this author's work....
Sadly, I DNF'd at 40%
I struggled with the POV and felt there wasn't enough to hold my attention.
I normally love this author's work....
Sadly, I DNF'd at 40%
August 23, 2023
3.5 stars
The second book that I reviewed on my blog when I started it back in 2015 was The Little Paris Bookshop, also by Nina George. I adored the story of Jean Perdu who ran a bookshop from his restored barge and stated the book was masterful and memorable, which I can confirm eight years on the story most certainly is memorable.
So when I heard that author Nina George had written a book that connects back to The Little Paris Bookshop, a kind of prequel I had to read it.
This story features Marie-Jeanne who has a gift. Her gift is using books to bring soul-mates together via her father’s travelling library, though she can’t seem to find a soul-mate for herself.
I have such a fondness for the first book that I jumped into this one presuming I was going to love it just as much but I found this story quite heavy going. I struggled with the slow pace and that it takes a long time to actually get the story moving. Artists and poets will probably love this book for its whimsical wordy passages that cross into the magical/fantasy world. We have characters such as death and time, etc who interact and show their hands now and again and the story itself is narrated by love.
The Little French Village of Book Lovers is by no means a bad book. It is intriguing and has some amazing quotable sentences and makes you think. It just took me quite a long time to read it as I had to go back over parts to fully understand them, especially in the first half of the book. I also struggled to connect with Marie-Jeanne who doesn’t come across favourably. However, I can see this being a big hit with readers and book groups who will have a lot to talk about and analyse.
The second book that I reviewed on my blog when I started it back in 2015 was The Little Paris Bookshop, also by Nina George. I adored the story of Jean Perdu who ran a bookshop from his restored barge and stated the book was masterful and memorable, which I can confirm eight years on the story most certainly is memorable.
So when I heard that author Nina George had written a book that connects back to The Little Paris Bookshop, a kind of prequel I had to read it.
This story features Marie-Jeanne who has a gift. Her gift is using books to bring soul-mates together via her father’s travelling library, though she can’t seem to find a soul-mate for herself.
I have such a fondness for the first book that I jumped into this one presuming I was going to love it just as much but I found this story quite heavy going. I struggled with the slow pace and that it takes a long time to actually get the story moving. Artists and poets will probably love this book for its whimsical wordy passages that cross into the magical/fantasy world. We have characters such as death and time, etc who interact and show their hands now and again and the story itself is narrated by love.
The Little French Village of Book Lovers is by no means a bad book. It is intriguing and has some amazing quotable sentences and makes you think. It just took me quite a long time to read it as I had to go back over parts to fully understand them, especially in the first half of the book. I also struggled to connect with Marie-Jeanne who doesn’t come across favourably. However, I can see this being a big hit with readers and book groups who will have a lot to talk about and analyse.
April 16, 2022
Ich liebe Nina Georges Worte
April 21, 2023
The Little Village of Book Lovers
I have read hundreds of books in my half-century on this planet. This is the first one I ever recall wanting to restart as soon as I finished. The prose is lyrical, magical and filled with words. I didn’t want this book to end.
It is referenced as a sequel to the 2013 “The Little Paris Bookshop”. The two novels aren’t literally connected, but there is an explanation given as to their relationship. (Think of it as a “post-credits” scene. Don’t leave early!)
I refuse to discuss the plot. That is because I don’t want to short-change anyone of even one word of this experience. If I had to explain it, I would say it is part Jane Austen’s “Emma” and Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, with part of Aesop thrown in for good measure. It defies genre.
This was written for those who voraciously devour vocabulary. Those who love the lexicon. Those who examine the evolution (or devolution) of language. The word “alchemy” is mentioned frequently, with substantive reason. I found myself taking photos of paragraphs, hoarding them until the July publication date. (I will be buying two copies of this book upon release - one for me and one to pass to a friend.)
I read this book slowly. The chapter titles are expansive and hysterical. It is a book to be savored. While reading, I felt as if I was in a library with tall shelves (ladder included), endless food, an exorbitant bathroom and ubiquitous candles which never closed. Nina George is now firmly on my “must read” list.
If I had to describe the book in one word it would be “charming”. Or maybe “entrancing”. Or “wistful”. Maybe “dreamy”. But then again, I don’t really have the words to describe it. As you can see from this review! But it did (at least temporarily) restore my faith in humanity and touch of hope. Those two things are in scarce supply these days.
Thank you beyond words to NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I fully expect this to be the best book I read in 2023. July cannot arrive soon enough so that I can discuss this with others!
I have read hundreds of books in my half-century on this planet. This is the first one I ever recall wanting to restart as soon as I finished. The prose is lyrical, magical and filled with words. I didn’t want this book to end.
It is referenced as a sequel to the 2013 “The Little Paris Bookshop”. The two novels aren’t literally connected, but there is an explanation given as to their relationship. (Think of it as a “post-credits” scene. Don’t leave early!)
I refuse to discuss the plot. That is because I don’t want to short-change anyone of even one word of this experience. If I had to explain it, I would say it is part Jane Austen’s “Emma” and Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, with part of Aesop thrown in for good measure. It defies genre.
This was written for those who voraciously devour vocabulary. Those who love the lexicon. Those who examine the evolution (or devolution) of language. The word “alchemy” is mentioned frequently, with substantive reason. I found myself taking photos of paragraphs, hoarding them until the July publication date. (I will be buying two copies of this book upon release - one for me and one to pass to a friend.)
I read this book slowly. The chapter titles are expansive and hysterical. It is a book to be savored. While reading, I felt as if I was in a library with tall shelves (ladder included), endless food, an exorbitant bathroom and ubiquitous candles which never closed. Nina George is now firmly on my “must read” list.
If I had to describe the book in one word it would be “charming”. Or maybe “entrancing”. Or “wistful”. Maybe “dreamy”. But then again, I don’t really have the words to describe it. As you can see from this review! But it did (at least temporarily) restore my faith in humanity and touch of hope. Those two things are in scarce supply these days.
Thank you beyond words to NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC. I fully expect this to be the best book I read in 2023. July cannot arrive soon enough so that I can discuss this with others!
August 22, 2023
A book told from the perspective of Love, along with her lesser comrades, Logic, Fate, etc.
This was a slow starter, but it did get better, once I could keep all the characters straight! Magically written, with a lot of hope!
This was a slow starter, but it did get better, once I could keep all the characters straight! Magically written, with a lot of hope!
May 15, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published July 25, 2023.
This book was confusing and disjointed. Marie-Jeanne has a unique ability to see Love in other people. She uses this when she tries to match books to the person. That was the part I was interested in. But there are other virtues (that appear capitalized like characters) that show up. There is a talking Olive Tree. And there are really long run-on sentences.
This was a slow, confusing and painful read and not at all what I was expecting. Sadly I cannot recommend it.
This book was confusing and disjointed. Marie-Jeanne has a unique ability to see Love in other people. She uses this when she tries to match books to the person. That was the part I was interested in. But there are other virtues (that appear capitalized like characters) that show up. There is a talking Olive Tree. And there are really long run-on sentences.
This was a slow, confusing and painful read and not at all what I was expecting. Sadly I cannot recommend it.
August 19, 2023
I wanted to like this. I liked parts of it, but it struggled to keep my attention.
July 28, 2023
In Nina George’s previous book, The Little Paris Bookshop, a beautiful story about a man who decides to open a bookstore which is on a boat and floats to the towns along its route and all the interesting characters that are met on its journey. The premise of the story was that the main character had read a story about a gifted girl, and suddenly got the idea for his floating bookstore.
Well, now Nina George has written the book which inspired the floating bookstore in the previous story. The Little Village of Book Lovers is the tale which the main character read, and it is magically beautiful, the writing poetic, the plot enchanting, imaginative and heartwarming.
The tale begins when a little baby is suddenly orphaned as fate would have it. Her name, Marie Jeanne. This was during the 1960’s in a small town in France. She is watched over by love and fate. When she is discovered by a worker named Francis, he and his wife Elsa decide to raise her. They know somehow, she is special. Unbeknownst to them as Marie Jeanne begins to grow, she somehow is able to see people’s glows. She doesn’t yet understand why. And for some reason, she herself does not glow.
Then her foster father has the idea to create a mobile library which travels by van throughout the area. Elsa has her concerns as Francis mortgages everything they own to make this happen. As Marie Jeanne begins to grow up, and travel with Francis in the mobile library which soon becomes popular, she realizes what her talent is to be used for. She is somehow able to match people’s glows by how they look and what they read.
The older she gets, the more she sees how she is able to make people happy as she matches them, and their enjoyment as how books play such an important role. But Marie Jeanne is unable to find her own soulmate it seems. She has never seen a glow from anyone for her. But she accepts her fate on love and just relishes what she is able to accomplish.
But as she knows, fate and love are her friends. They’ve taken care of her all her life. She wonders…if she asks, will they grant her the ability to find her own soulmate? It’s then that love and fate who adore Marie Jeanne must make a decision. But how can they let her go?
The Little Village of Book Lovers is a wonderful story filled with extraordinarily imaginative characters all who feel they must somehow accept loneliness for the rest of their lives, but through the magic of a young girl and books their destiny changed.
Thank you #NetGalley #RandomHouse/BallentineBooks #NinaGeorge #TheLittleVillageofBookLovers for the advanced copy.
Well, now Nina George has written the book which inspired the floating bookstore in the previous story. The Little Village of Book Lovers is the tale which the main character read, and it is magically beautiful, the writing poetic, the plot enchanting, imaginative and heartwarming.
The tale begins when a little baby is suddenly orphaned as fate would have it. Her name, Marie Jeanne. This was during the 1960’s in a small town in France. She is watched over by love and fate. When she is discovered by a worker named Francis, he and his wife Elsa decide to raise her. They know somehow, she is special. Unbeknownst to them as Marie Jeanne begins to grow, she somehow is able to see people’s glows. She doesn’t yet understand why. And for some reason, she herself does not glow.
Then her foster father has the idea to create a mobile library which travels by van throughout the area. Elsa has her concerns as Francis mortgages everything they own to make this happen. As Marie Jeanne begins to grow up, and travel with Francis in the mobile library which soon becomes popular, she realizes what her talent is to be used for. She is somehow able to match people’s glows by how they look and what they read.
The older she gets, the more she sees how she is able to make people happy as she matches them, and their enjoyment as how books play such an important role. But Marie Jeanne is unable to find her own soulmate it seems. She has never seen a glow from anyone for her. But she accepts her fate on love and just relishes what she is able to accomplish.
But as she knows, fate and love are her friends. They’ve taken care of her all her life. She wonders…if she asks, will they grant her the ability to find her own soulmate? It’s then that love and fate who adore Marie Jeanne must make a decision. But how can they let her go?
The Little Village of Book Lovers is a wonderful story filled with extraordinarily imaginative characters all who feel they must somehow accept loneliness for the rest of their lives, but through the magic of a young girl and books their destiny changed.
Thank you #NetGalley #RandomHouse/BallentineBooks #NinaGeorge #TheLittleVillageofBookLovers for the advanced copy.
July 23, 2023
⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞
I loved the French setting! This is an elegant story about the love of books and an extraordinary gift to bring soulmates together, set in a small French village. The book is narrated by ‘Love’ itself (and others) and also features an olive tree offering wisdom.
Marie-Jeanne is a gifted little orphaned girl who can see magical things, glowing lights on the hands and faces of people around her, she can see love! Her foster father Francis, second hand dealer and delivery man sets up a new business, a mobile library which offers comfort for the heartbroken and lonely souls. As Marie Jeanne grows older she helps her father with the mobile library.
The story delivers magical realism and bibliophiles will love it for all the references to literary greats! Marie-Jeanne discovers she has a remarkable gift for magical matchmaking but will she herself find love?
If you have a love of the classics you’ll relate to and enjoy all the book references throughout the story. A wonderful treasure for lovers of lyrical prose.
Publication Date 18 July 2023
Publisher Michael Joseph
Thank you so much Penguin Books Australia for sending me a copy of the book
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞
I loved the French setting! This is an elegant story about the love of books and an extraordinary gift to bring soulmates together, set in a small French village. The book is narrated by ‘Love’ itself (and others) and also features an olive tree offering wisdom.
Marie-Jeanne is a gifted little orphaned girl who can see magical things, glowing lights on the hands and faces of people around her, she can see love! Her foster father Francis, second hand dealer and delivery man sets up a new business, a mobile library which offers comfort for the heartbroken and lonely souls. As Marie Jeanne grows older she helps her father with the mobile library.
The story delivers magical realism and bibliophiles will love it for all the references to literary greats! Marie-Jeanne discovers she has a remarkable gift for magical matchmaking but will she herself find love?
If you have a love of the classics you’ll relate to and enjoy all the book references throughout the story. A wonderful treasure for lovers of lyrical prose.
Publication Date 18 July 2023
Publisher Michael Joseph
Thank you so much Penguin Books Australia for sending me a copy of the book
April 10, 2024
A charming change of pace from heavier literary books about books - this one starts you out with a narrator that will have you smiling and wanting to scoot closer . . . .and you should - Love has been personi-deified for your reading pleasure. From Love (Himself) a reader is provided handy asides, wry observations, promising predictions and his own personal confessions. Through him you meet the characters of this tale (some of whom were hinted at or had tell-us-more-begging cameos in the author's previous book - which I will now hunt down and read!) and a gifted darling who has a talent like no other. Be ready for other personi-deifications, as well.
If you are missing France, want to be reminded of old great reads, or need to freshen up on the wisdom of olive trees. . .you should pack your picnic basket with a baguette, cheese of your choice, and grapes in some form and settle under a likely tree dappled through with sunshine, to read of unlikely but thoroughly satisfying for life love-meets.
*A sincere thank you to Nina George, Random House - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheLittleVillageofBookLovers #NetGalley
If you are missing France, want to be reminded of old great reads, or need to freshen up on the wisdom of olive trees. . .you should pack your picnic basket with a baguette, cheese of your choice, and grapes in some form and settle under a likely tree dappled through with sunshine, to read of unlikely but thoroughly satisfying for life love-meets.
*A sincere thank you to Nina George, Random House - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheLittleVillageofBookLovers #NetGalley
January 20, 2024
I would love to live in The Little Village of Book Lovers. It sounded like such a charming place, brimming with big personalities, saturated in gorgeous landscapes, and containing a surprisingly robust literary scene. And Love, of course. Love is so wonderfully present in this little village. This is the kind of magical realism that I love, where the magical element is mostly emotional but definitely still magical. What an absolutely charming story.
Confession time: I thought this book sounded overly saccharine. While I love books about books, the description of this one sounded like it would pull a bait-and-switch on me. I’ve lost count of the number of books that present themselves as a love letter to books, only to drop the very element that attracted me in the first place as soon as the plot kicks in. I always feel cheated.
Thankfully, that’s not at all what happened in The Little Village of Book Lovers. The love and importance of books permeated this story all the way through. On top of that, it’s actually a book about a book within another book about books - The Little Paris Bookshop, which I’ve not yet read but cannot wait to remedy. There were so many wise and beautiful things said about books and stories within the pages of this one. I highlighted so much in my Kindle copy, and I had to immediately order a physical edition, so that I can repeat the process there. Here’s an example:
Beautiful, isn’t it? For some reason, this book doesn’t have the best of ratings. I’m not sure why, because I thought it was just lovely. Maybe bordering on saccharine, but I thought it toed that line well. The plot never dragged, even if it was light in places. However, those portions felt necessary to weaving the setting and the atmosphere tightly around the reader, and the atmosphere is what made the tale so magical. And then there are the characters.
As I stated above, these characters are brimming with personality. Marie-Jeanne, our main character, is pretty wonderful. She gets an interesting start in life, wrapping her fist around the finger of Love personified while still an infant. This surprising contact with Love shifts her entire life, letting her see Love’s mark on others, which no one but Love itself is supposed to be able to see. Marie-Jeanne is an orphan raised by a childless couple, Elsa and Frances. Elsa is terrified of love, and that fear has made her hard. Frances is balances that out with his softness. When he gets the idea to start a mobile library through their surrounding area, life throughout the village and beyond is never the same.
I loved Marie-Jeanne’s thirst for books, and her unique outlook on life. I loved the elaborate descriptions of the secondary characters, and how this mobile library impacted them. I loved seeing these people change and soften and grow over the course of the story. And I love that the story is narrated by Love, who is unable to look away from the little human that gripped Love in her fist.
The Little Village of Book Lovers is a story I can see myself returning again and again, whenever I need some comfort or to be reminded of the magic held within the covers of a book. And I can’t wait to read more of Nina George’s work. She has a beautiful way with words, and it’s obvious that she absolutely adore books. I feel like I found a kindred spirit.
Confession time: I thought this book sounded overly saccharine. While I love books about books, the description of this one sounded like it would pull a bait-and-switch on me. I’ve lost count of the number of books that present themselves as a love letter to books, only to drop the very element that attracted me in the first place as soon as the plot kicks in. I always feel cheated.
Thankfully, that’s not at all what happened in The Little Village of Book Lovers. The love and importance of books permeated this story all the way through. On top of that, it’s actually a book about a book within another book about books - The Little Paris Bookshop, which I’ve not yet read but cannot wait to remedy. There were so many wise and beautiful things said about books and stories within the pages of this one. I highlighted so much in my Kindle copy, and I had to immediately order a physical edition, so that I can repeat the process there. Here’s an example:
“Books turn people into time travelers, shape shifters, body switchers, mind readers, and immortals, and therefore books are the last great alchemy of our age.”
Beautiful, isn’t it? For some reason, this book doesn’t have the best of ratings. I’m not sure why, because I thought it was just lovely. Maybe bordering on saccharine, but I thought it toed that line well. The plot never dragged, even if it was light in places. However, those portions felt necessary to weaving the setting and the atmosphere tightly around the reader, and the atmosphere is what made the tale so magical. And then there are the characters.
As I stated above, these characters are brimming with personality. Marie-Jeanne, our main character, is pretty wonderful. She gets an interesting start in life, wrapping her fist around the finger of Love personified while still an infant. This surprising contact with Love shifts her entire life, letting her see Love’s mark on others, which no one but Love itself is supposed to be able to see. Marie-Jeanne is an orphan raised by a childless couple, Elsa and Frances. Elsa is terrified of love, and that fear has made her hard. Frances is balances that out with his softness. When he gets the idea to start a mobile library through their surrounding area, life throughout the village and beyond is never the same.
I loved Marie-Jeanne’s thirst for books, and her unique outlook on life. I loved the elaborate descriptions of the secondary characters, and how this mobile library impacted them. I loved seeing these people change and soften and grow over the course of the story. And I love that the story is narrated by Love, who is unable to look away from the little human that gripped Love in her fist.
The Little Village of Book Lovers is a story I can see myself returning again and again, whenever I need some comfort or to be reminded of the magic held within the covers of a book. And I can’t wait to read more of Nina George’s work. She has a beautiful way with words, and it’s obvious that she absolutely adore books. I feel like I found a kindred spirit.
arc-reviewed
January 12, 2023The Little Village of Book Lovers is one that I was highly anticipating. I could not wait to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with the story. I gave up halfway through. It might have just gone over my head. There were some very beautiful quotable moments. Which makes me believe a different reader would enjoy this story.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House
Publishing Group - Ballantine for this lovely arc.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House
Publishing Group - Ballantine for this lovely arc.
September 1, 2019
4,5 Sterne
"So gesehen waren Bücher die letzte alte Magie: Sie ließen die verschwiegenen Wirklichkeiten sichtbar werden."
Ein poetisches Märchen über Bücher und die Liebe. Bisweilen nicht ganz ohne ein wenig Kitschalarm, aber insgesamt konnte zumindest ich mich dem Charme der Geschichte und Nina Georges zauberhaften Worten nicht entziehen. Definitiv ein Wohlfühlbuch.
"So gesehen waren Bücher die letzte alte Magie: Sie ließen die verschwiegenen Wirklichkeiten sichtbar werden."
Ein poetisches Märchen über Bücher und die Liebe. Bisweilen nicht ganz ohne ein wenig Kitschalarm, aber insgesamt konnte zumindest ich mich dem Charme der Geschichte und Nina Georges zauberhaften Worten nicht entziehen. Definitiv ein Wohlfühlbuch.
February 7, 2021
8 de 10*
Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
September 25, 2023
I would give this book 0 stars if I could. I honestly have no idea what it’s about. Book club book. Haley is no longer allowed to pick books.
Read
November 8, 2023This was my very first DNF book. I’m sorry I tried.. 50 pages in and it didn’t get any better. I just couldn’t grasp the concept sorry..
July 1, 2023
Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
A stunning cover, the allusion bibliophiles will dominate and a whimsical thread interlaced set the scene for a clever read.
A French setting and references to literary greats add dimensions and provoke thought.
Love is powerful phenomenon whether it be between people, animals or passions.
It fulfils and rewards.
Marie Jeanne was orphaned as a child and life saving fate intervened.
As a child she started to see a glow around people when they were near their unknown love.
The magic of matchmaking left her wondering when she herself would find love.
Later in life she helped and worked with her foster dad in his mobile library.
A portable solution that enabled remote villages the chance to indulge in literature and connect with others.
A reminder of many classic and very popular books litter the pages as the people indulge and enhance their life of reading.
Translated into English and dozens of other languages this will engage a world wide audience and reiterate the joy of joy of reading.
Whimsical tangents are common, some resonating while others left me pondering.
A reading journey I enjoyed and love the idea that books allow an alchemy.
Lavender seeds and a delicious lavender infused soap were gifted and so appreciated and they will serve as a reminder why I love reading.
A stunning cover, the allusion bibliophiles will dominate and a whimsical thread interlaced set the scene for a clever read.
A French setting and references to literary greats add dimensions and provoke thought.
Love is powerful phenomenon whether it be between people, animals or passions.
It fulfils and rewards.
Marie Jeanne was orphaned as a child and life saving fate intervened.
As a child she started to see a glow around people when they were near their unknown love.
The magic of matchmaking left her wondering when she herself would find love.
Later in life she helped and worked with her foster dad in his mobile library.
A portable solution that enabled remote villages the chance to indulge in literature and connect with others.
A reminder of many classic and very popular books litter the pages as the people indulge and enhance their life of reading.
Translated into English and dozens of other languages this will engage a world wide audience and reiterate the joy of joy of reading.
Whimsical tangents are common, some resonating while others left me pondering.
A reading journey I enjoyed and love the idea that books allow an alchemy.
Lavender seeds and a delicious lavender infused soap were gifted and so appreciated and they will serve as a reminder why I love reading.
October 28, 2023
This book at first moved a little slow for me, and took me a bit to feel absorbed in the story. But then wonderful sentences about books and their power began to appear, lines like this one that captured my heart: "books teach us many things, including persistence"...she pulled out Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain---"you get the feeling that some of the sentences in this book last longer than a lifetime..after you've made it through, no other challenges in life will seem quite so daunting". I love books that love books! Other sentences and segments about the power of language and words kept occurring as the story unfolded.
The story is about a young girl, Marie-Jeanne, who in 1960's France, is living in a small village in the mountains with her adopted parents. Marie-Jeanne and her father, Francis, are in the process of developing a mobile library that will bring books to the many small towns near theirs, towns that have little access to books and libraries. Marie-Jeanne is also described as having been "touched" by Love as an infant--Love being a character, even though an invisible one, in this book. This is a second major story line in this novel, the story of how Marie-Jeanne sees the capacity for love between two people, and helps to bring them together, sometimes using the power of books to do so.
This was a sweet and charming book, and one I think I will reread in the future. My thanks to the Goodreads-Giveaways program, to the publisher Ballantine Books, and the author, for the copy of this book I was given.
The story is about a young girl, Marie-Jeanne, who in 1960's France, is living in a small village in the mountains with her adopted parents. Marie-Jeanne and her father, Francis, are in the process of developing a mobile library that will bring books to the many small towns near theirs, towns that have little access to books and libraries. Marie-Jeanne is also described as having been "touched" by Love as an infant--Love being a character, even though an invisible one, in this book. This is a second major story line in this novel, the story of how Marie-Jeanne sees the capacity for love between two people, and helps to bring them together, sometimes using the power of books to do so.
This was a sweet and charming book, and one I think I will reread in the future. My thanks to the Goodreads-Giveaways program, to the publisher Ballantine Books, and the author, for the copy of this book I was given.
December 9, 2021
Na het succes van haar roman ‘De boekenapotheek aan de Seine’ bleef Nina George vragen van lezers krijgen over het fictieve boek ‘Zuiderlichten’, omdat dat zoveel indruk maakte op het hoofdpersonage, een verhaal over de verschillende vormen van liefde. Ze beloofde dat dit ooit een echt boek zou worden en nu is het zover: iedereen kan genieten van ‘Zuiderlichten’.
Francis Meurienne, verzamelaar van oude spullen en brocantehandelaar, begint in 1968 de Mobiele bibliotheek Philis in de omgeving van Nyons, tussen vier bergen in de Provence. Het was een idee van zijn pleegdochter Marie-Jeanne en Francis staat op de markten in de grotere dorpen en rijdt daarnaast naar de afgelegen dorpen en boerderijen om boeken af te leveren en weer op te halen.
De eerste weken stuit hij vooral op veel scepsis, maar langzamerhand beginnen alle streekbewoners te ontdooien, krijgt de kracht van de boeken hen te pakken en breidt het team van de bibliotheek zich uit. Zo krijgt Marie-Jeanne ook een nieuwe bondgenoot met wie ze een plan smeedt om mensen bij elkaar te brengen.
Want Marie-Jeanne heeft een bijzondere gave: ze ziet wie er voor elkaar bestemd zijn, ze ziet hun dwaallichtjes die met elkaar verbonden zijn. Onzichtbare tekens waarmee ze gemerkt zijn, die bedoeld zijn om elkaar te vinden. Met de Liefde als verteller, die aan Marie-Jeanne toebehoort sinds ze Haar als baby stevig vastgreep met haar kleine knuistjes, kijk je mee in de levens van de personages en zie je hoe de bibliobus die soms ingewikkelde levens langzaamaan verandert, verzacht en met elkaar verbindt, hoe de boeken voor nieuwe inzichten en een verbreding van de horizon zorgen. Maar zal Marie-Jeanne ooit zelf ware liefde vinden?
Dit is een verhaal over verbinding, vriendschappen, de kracht en magie van verhalen, ontwikkeling, moed, symboliek, geheimen en over liefde. Vooral over liefde, in alle verschijningsvormen. Over liefde voor je partner en voor familie, voor de gemeenschap, voor boeken en verhalen. Over hoe verschillende mensen op verschillende manieren liefhebben en soms moeite hebben om die liefde te uiten.
Dit is geen boek vol wendingen of intense gebeurtenissen, het is vooral een rustig en poëtisch, soms haast filosofisch verhaal met een bijzonder vertelperspectief. Een verhaal vol mooie verwijzingen, overpeinzingen over het leven, een verhaal over een zoektocht en over voorzichtige antwoorden. Een bijzonder boek dat tot leven komt wanneer je er de tijd voor neemt!
3.5⭐️
Francis Meurienne, verzamelaar van oude spullen en brocantehandelaar, begint in 1968 de Mobiele bibliotheek Philis in de omgeving van Nyons, tussen vier bergen in de Provence. Het was een idee van zijn pleegdochter Marie-Jeanne en Francis staat op de markten in de grotere dorpen en rijdt daarnaast naar de afgelegen dorpen en boerderijen om boeken af te leveren en weer op te halen.
De eerste weken stuit hij vooral op veel scepsis, maar langzamerhand beginnen alle streekbewoners te ontdooien, krijgt de kracht van de boeken hen te pakken en breidt het team van de bibliotheek zich uit. Zo krijgt Marie-Jeanne ook een nieuwe bondgenoot met wie ze een plan smeedt om mensen bij elkaar te brengen.
Want Marie-Jeanne heeft een bijzondere gave: ze ziet wie er voor elkaar bestemd zijn, ze ziet hun dwaallichtjes die met elkaar verbonden zijn. Onzichtbare tekens waarmee ze gemerkt zijn, die bedoeld zijn om elkaar te vinden. Met de Liefde als verteller, die aan Marie-Jeanne toebehoort sinds ze Haar als baby stevig vastgreep met haar kleine knuistjes, kijk je mee in de levens van de personages en zie je hoe de bibliobus die soms ingewikkelde levens langzaamaan verandert, verzacht en met elkaar verbindt, hoe de boeken voor nieuwe inzichten en een verbreding van de horizon zorgen. Maar zal Marie-Jeanne ooit zelf ware liefde vinden?
Dit is een verhaal over verbinding, vriendschappen, de kracht en magie van verhalen, ontwikkeling, moed, symboliek, geheimen en over liefde. Vooral over liefde, in alle verschijningsvormen. Over liefde voor je partner en voor familie, voor de gemeenschap, voor boeken en verhalen. Over hoe verschillende mensen op verschillende manieren liefhebben en soms moeite hebben om die liefde te uiten.
Dit is geen boek vol wendingen of intense gebeurtenissen, het is vooral een rustig en poëtisch, soms haast filosofisch verhaal met een bijzonder vertelperspectief. Een verhaal vol mooie verwijzingen, overpeinzingen over het leven, een verhaal over een zoektocht en over voorzichtige antwoorden. Een bijzonder boek dat tot leven komt wanneer je er de tijd voor neemt!
3.5⭐️
August 3, 2023
~~But which novel should she memorize? Every time she thought she'd found her favorite book, she would open the next one and liked it even better.~~Marie-Jeanne, The Little Village of Book Lovers.
3.5 stars rounded up because of this paragraph that sums my literary heart up perfectly!!
A very sweet book about love and kindness and BOOKS......this clever novel with lots of quirky characters gave me my French fix as the author does an excellent job of transporting me to southern France (on the border of Italy) with the food, wine and La Dolce Vita vibes. All of the literary references put it over the top. This is not as good as The Little Paris Bookshop but it is lyrical and lovely just the same. I highly recommend.......especially if you love books about books like I do!
3.5 stars rounded up because of this paragraph that sums my literary heart up perfectly!!
A very sweet book about love and kindness and BOOKS......this clever novel with lots of quirky characters gave me my French fix as the author does an excellent job of transporting me to southern France (on the border of Italy) with the food, wine and La Dolce Vita vibes. All of the literary references put it over the top. This is not as good as The Little Paris Bookshop but it is lyrical and lovely just the same. I highly recommend.......especially if you love books about books like I do!
May 31, 2023
United States Publication: July 25, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
In a small town in France, a young girl is growing up having been touched by Love. She's able to see Love on (literally on their physical bodies) others and help bring them together. Her foster father, an entrepreneur at heart, finally lands on the most successful idea he's ever had - a mobile library and Marie-Jeanne (the young lady) helps him introduce the wonders of reading to their small community. As she grows older, she combines the wonders of reading with the wonder of Love she can see on others.
I'm going to attempt to be diplomatic. What was this book? It felt very disjointed as if George had two ideas and attempted to combine them. Where was her editor? How did this book reach publication as is? It was, well, awful. And I'm so dismayed to say that. The personification of Love was painful to read, truly painful. I found myself grimacing a lot during the parts that Love was speaking. The gift of seeing Love on people and a mobile library becoming a main attraction in a rural area are not two ideas that came together well, in my opinion. George attempted to weave them together but the result was frustrating for this reader. I am still, days after finishing it, frustrated by the whole book. I probably should have abandoned it, and had it not been an ARC, I most likely would have but I was giving it a chance all the way to the very last word. And I kind of regret that I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.
In a small town in France, a young girl is growing up having been touched by Love. She's able to see Love on (literally on their physical bodies) others and help bring them together. Her foster father, an entrepreneur at heart, finally lands on the most successful idea he's ever had - a mobile library and Marie-Jeanne (the young lady) helps him introduce the wonders of reading to their small community. As she grows older, she combines the wonders of reading with the wonder of Love she can see on others.
I'm going to attempt to be diplomatic. What was this book? It felt very disjointed as if George had two ideas and attempted to combine them. Where was her editor? How did this book reach publication as is? It was, well, awful. And I'm so dismayed to say that. The personification of Love was painful to read, truly painful. I found myself grimacing a lot during the parts that Love was speaking. The gift of seeing Love on people and a mobile library becoming a main attraction in a rural area are not two ideas that came together well, in my opinion. George attempted to weave them together but the result was frustrating for this reader. I am still, days after finishing it, frustrated by the whole book. I probably should have abandoned it, and had it not been an ARC, I most likely would have but I was giving it a chance all the way to the very last word. And I kind of regret that I did.
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