Found in a Bookshop: The perfect Autumn read - heart-warming and unforgettable

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In this follow up to The Lost for Words Bookshop (4 stars), it's been a few years since Loveday has inherited the bookshop, and she's facing a new challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet again Stephanie Butland has hit upon a wonderful idea and has created some lovely characters in these vignettes, all of whom have a different issue. George and Rosemary are a delightful couple and their lifelong love warms your heart Loveday is a fabulous quirky character and I enjoy the introduction of Kelly and Madison who are very likeable too.

Basically, didn’t realise it was set during the pandemic, which is why it’s important to read the blurb! I will say that I really enjoyed the characters, both major and minor, they were well rounded and had great little stories all of their own. (There’s also a previous book that I’m going to have to go and read now)The book is of course also about Covid and the losses which so many people faced. If you were one of those people this may not be the book for you. Suddenly it's clear to Loveday that she and her team can do something useful in a crisis. They can recommend books to help with the situations their customers find themselves in: fear, boredom, loneliness, the desire for laughter and escape. Yes, this novel is set during the first few months of the Covid pandemic, but don't let that stop you from reading it, especially if you enjoyed the first in the series as much as I did. Found in a Bookshop is an ode to readers everywhere, and I loved all of the book references and how books brought people together even with social distancing in place. With no in-person sales allowed, Loveday, and employee, Kelly, must figure out how to keep their beloved bookshop afloat so they start a "book prescription service!" Feeling lonely? Read this and this. Feeling scared? Read that and that. As requests begin to pour in, what follows is a lovely and heartwarming story full of love, empathy, and the best of humanity. I read this book in one sitting, it made me smile and made me wipe a tear from my eye too' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I like the concept of the book, as book lovers we already know the joy of reading and the idea of prescribing books as a form of medicine or a remedy is a good one. To lose yourself in a book is a marvellous thing especially at a time such as Covid. My only negative is that it is perhaps a bit repetitive with the letters and the book lists as my enjoyment lies in the characters that you follow through.

Who doesn’t love a book about a bookshop? I loved this book, I really enjoyed the interwoven stories ranging from books and pandemics to escaping previous lives and relationships. On the whole I found this book to be an uplifting read but there were times I had to put it down and take a moment, thanks to a couple of heart-shattering moments. This mix of experiences is what made Found in a Bookshop such a compelling read for me. I also really enjoyed the use of letters within the narrative, finding that they pulled me into the individual stories and I was completely invested in even the most minor of characters. I have read "Lost for Words" several times and loved it. The poignancy of characters and story was phenomenal and it will forever be one of my favourite books. There was some uplifting takeaway from the book and I did enjoy all the prescriptions of books for each character I even wrote some down that I would like to try. I loved spending time with Rosemary and George, they really felt similar to my parents.This book is set around the Pandemic, so starts in 2020, although no specific dates are mentioned. If you still feel about shaky around the subject of Covid, this book might not be for you. I know I couldn’t have listened to it if it had been published earlier, so the timing has been perfect for me. There is something extra special to spend time with a character that you really loved. Loveday is one of my heart stay characters and she definitely doesn’t disappoint in Found in a Bookshop. This was a fantastic audiobook and just as good as the first book set in the Lost for Words Bookshop in York in England. I absolutely loved the first book and was never expecting a follow up when I listened to it in 2018. It was one of my favourites that year, so it was great to catch up with Loveday and Nathan again even though it’s been 5 years. I loved the premise for Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland. An idea borne from a customer’s letter to the Lost For Words bookshop, requesting books, Loveday and Kelly set up a book pharmacy. The idea is a success and they soon receive many letters from people requesting books to help them with the challenges they are facing during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. Kelly and Loveday use their knowledge and love of books to suggest novels that may help and comfort their customers.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as they are hopeful stories and of course there are the book prescriptions themselves, which I loved hearing as Loveday or Kelly responded to the customers. In between chapters the author writes lovingly about books and reading, helping to lighten the mood when there had been dark moments. I met Loveday in the previous book “ Lost For Words” and was captivated by her. I love stories about overcoming adversity and that was Loveday in the previous book.

This item contains adult content

I really liked the characters Rosemary and George. I loved the concept of getting books as part of mental health and how they can help us through rough times.

What a lovely book - so assured and gentle, full of compassion and replete with astute observations of human nature and behaviour' Carys Bray I come from Whitby and know York very well and there were countless mistakes regarding both places which really annoyed me and prevented me believing that’s where they were supposed to be.

Stephanie's stories are thoughtful and warm, written with much humour, and most importantly care. I'd recommend them to anyone, and especially those recovering from a broken heart' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ At times there is humour although not as much as in the last book which is understandable given the serious nature of the times. It’s very moving and poignant with some heartbreak and it’s thought provoking too. Along the journey there is kindness and thoughtfulness, there are situations that arise that overcome preconceptions and finding commonality along with plenty of honesty. Her writing is utterly engaging and this book truly moved me. Compassionate, unusual, original and full of wonderful characters' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ The perfect book to curl up with . . . It's heartwarming, emotional and full of kindness. A lovely and life-affirming novel' Sara Nisha Adams Found in a Bookshop is the follow up to Lost for Words, but it can be read as a standalone novel as Butland subtly fills you in on Loveday’s history throughout the book. Lost for Words has made it to my TBR pile and I look forward to reading it.