Cover Image: The Littlest Library

The Littlest Library

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Member Reviews

The Littlest Library felt like a much-needed medicine in these times. It is cute, fun and has every little thing that makes us happy: friendship, love and feeling of belonging. I love the setting and the house and the library, of course! An adorable read.

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This is such a sweet and lovely read. It is lighthearted and heartwarming and is a perfect read if you don't want anything too taxing.
As an ex-librarian I could relate to Jess and her job. It is very sad that a lot of Libraries have closed down due to cuts. I definitely miss working with books so I admired Jess for setting up the Phone bax library, especially with her own books. I love reading books that feature books and libraries.
My books are very precious to me, and I don't think that I could be as altruistic as she was in lending out my own books. I had mixed feelings however about her Grandmother's messages in the books. On one hand, apart from my textbooks I don't like writing in books. On the other hand, the messages gave comfort to Jess, as well as the people who borrowed the books.
I don't think that this is a Romantic novel as such. I thought that it was more about Jess, starting anew and finding out what it was that she wanted to do with next her life. Friendship and community was a bigger theme than romance in my opinion.
I Live in a reasonably rural, countryside area.I have seen a few red telephone boxes that have been repurposed as a libraries. This book has inspired me to visit them after Lockdown, and maybe even donate some of my own books too.
I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the second book that I have read and enjoyed by Poppy Alexander. I will definitely be looking out for more books by her in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

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honestly anything with library in the title or blurb gets my attention straight away. i don’t usually read romance; i find it too soppy. but oh my god was this a beautiful read. it was lighthearted and it didn’t focus on the romance but the friendship within the village. i honestly spent the whole book rooting for jess and her happiness. it was such a fantastic book, i loved it!

thank you to netgalley and orion books for the advanced copy of this book.

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Any person who loves books is bound to love this story about a village community that gets a small, unique library thanks to a collection of books in which the heroine's late grandmother highlighted inspiring quotes or added personal comments, and to the old telephone box that sort of came with the house she (Jess, the heroine) bought on an impulse. I haven't even used a library for years (French ones don't have the English books I want to read, anyway) and I've always thought that scribbling in a book was terribly wrong, but I still liked what was done with that in the story, how meaningful the books became to the people who borrowed them. I also liked the new friendships that Jess found in the village, and of course a little romance never hurts.

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A lovely gentle book, about finding yourself, and bringing a community together.

Jess is a rather unassuming character, she is lacking in confidence, and is rather set in her ways and has what to others at least would be described as a rather small life, very few friends, doesn't do that much. Then she loses her job and her grandmother Mimi dies and she ends up taking a long drive, and finds a house in a small village she can't resist purchasing.

Which is the catalyst for everything in her life changing and I loved seeing Jess evolve over the course of the book. Her character development is gradual but perhaps all the more realistic for it. She unintentionally ends up as the hub of her new community, after setting up a small library in the telephone box outside her new home.

From that she starts to make friends, has a crush on someone although isn't sure whether she is brave enough to pursue romance, and starts to really feel quite happy. It's not plain sailing at all, but I absolutely loved how she and the books get into the community, and the way she is pivotal to loads of positive changes in the villagers.

I really enjoyed the writing and the sentiments of the story. It's just an all around pleasurable book to enjoy. and I found myself wishing I could be part of the community there myself.

Thank you to Orion and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

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sometimes you don’t want to read something heavy and this book is absolutely perfect for it. A lighthearted but heartwarming read that makes you utterly fall in love with Jess and her journey

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Please see LoveReading.co.uk for the full review of The Littlest Library. It has been chosen as a Liz Robinson Pick of the Month.

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Jess Metcalf is perfectly happy with her quiet, predictable life - it's just the way she likes it. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, her life is turned upside-down.
Packing up her grandmother's books, she moves to a tiny cottage in a charming country village. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the owner of an old red telephone box, too - and she soon turns it into the littlest library around!
It's not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their magic - somehow, they seem to be bringing the villagers together once more...
Maybe it's finally time for Jess to follow her heart and find a place to call home?
Wow! This is one of the most uplifting heart warming stories I have read in a while. Jess inherits the maintenance of a defunk telephone box when buying her 'perfect home'. Coupled with a grumpy neighbour, eccentric geriatrics this book holds the readers attention and is incredibly engaging! Great characters, beautiful story I absolutely loved it!

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A lovely warm story of loss, friendships, community and romance set in the gorgeous village of Middlemas. Jess moves into Ivy Cottage, a slightly run down cottage after her grandmother dies and Jess loses her job at the local library. With her she brings ten boxes of her grandmother’s books which, after the local community meeting, she uses to fill the unused telephone box at the front of her home (which it turns out is her responsibility), into the village library. Gradually the library gains popularity and starts the process of bringing the community spirit back into the village and with it, Jess finds herself with a whole group of loyal and fun friends, as well as catching the eye of her neighbour, a single father with a twelve year old daughter and an ex wife who won’t take no for an answer!
Fun, warm and beautiful descriptions. I loved it.

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Jess unfortunately looses her gran and her job, making her happy predictable life change, which she doesn’t want to happen. When she moves she finds she also has a cute little red phone box in which she also owns, which is perfect for a little library! What a great way to get the community together, a lovely feel good read.

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Gosh what a lovely read. You felt for the main character Jess and Maisie. The village sounded perfect. I loved the use of books to pass on postive messages.. Mimi sounded a brilliant grandmother. The phone box sounded my kind of heaven. A fab read

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I loved this. A novel that made me smile, cry a little and want to hug the main character and someone else in the book.... Poppy Alexander you have written a cute tale about a library I SO want to visit. It's full of warmth and great characters and I just love the messaged of how books bring joy and a sense of community.

Wonderful.

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Jess embarks on a new adventure, completely shaking her whole lift upside down after the tragic loss of her beloved grandma Mimi. On a chance road trip, Jess stumbles across the beautiful village of Middlemass and makes the snap decision to purchase a slightly unloved picture postcard cottage.

After a short while of living in this small village, Jess embarks on transforming a unused phone box (which is situated on her land) into a tiny library using the books her grandma left her. She very quickly makes firm friendships and brings the community together through their love of literature.

This is such a lovely book about friendship, love and community spirit. It completely transported me to the picturesque village of Middlemass, so much so, I want to live there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for letting me read this ebook.

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It's fair to say that the majority of us don't want to rock the life 'boat' too much. As long as we have everything we need to continue, comfortably, it's just easier to continue, isn't it?
This is Jess. Living her life as she always has, with her librarian job, and her home with her beloved grandma.
She's had enough boat rocking, early on in life, so the smooth-sailing suits her fine.
Until her grandma passes away, leaving her alone in the world. Then her job goes.
She realises that its time to take the wheel, herself, and steer her life in a new, unknown direction
She ends up selling their home, and moving to a small village, buying a quaint, but ramshackle cottage, and setting into the close-knit community.
Here, she meets several locals and finds that a solitary phonebox, officially on her land, ends up binding her to the community, more than she could ever think possible.
Creating the Littlest Library in that red phone box ends up being something she is most proud of, but it's not until she's on the brink of losing it, and her new, near-idyllic life, that she realises that its time to embrace the new direction her life 'boat' has veered towards.
What a truly lovely story.
Jess is a dear woman, who has had her fair share of grief, and I was cheering for her, the whole way through the story. Her collection of books, which was actually curated by her grandma, ends up in the hands of many, bringing the joy only books can, but it was the little veiled messages that I loved. Pencilled in notes, and highlighted passages, that her grandma had marked in some of the books, that were only brought to her attention by the readers, as they borrow books, reading into the messages as if they were left for them, but in reality, for Jess.
And, of course, there is the romantic tension. Jess never envisioned herself settling down, so meeting a man so soon after arriving in the village doesn't even register on her radar... but, as will happen, she does meet someone, Someone with enough of their own baggage. Easier to steer clear... but that would be boring, wouldn't it?
I loved the other characters, from Hannah, the long-distance best friend, to Diana and Mungo, the eccentric members of the parish council, and Becky, a surrogate best friend. Oh, and, obviously, Aidan. bat-counting, tree surgeon, single dad, Aidan. That man.
All I know is that I want to find a little red phone box and turn it into a library... I'm quite possibly moving to that small village, soon... what are the odds?
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A truly amazing read.

They say that good things come in small packages, that definitely can be said about this book.

The books that Jess had and put in the Littlest Library touched so many lives, even though Mimi, her grandmother was not around, she still managed to help Jess deal with her grief and find a new direction her new life.

Those messages that Mimi left in the books were meant for Jess to find, even though she found them through someone law through each book.

I absolutely as drawn into the lives of each character in the village. Hoping there’s another book soon to continue the story on Poppy Alexander.

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Five of the biggest stars forThe Littlest Library! This book has all the right ingredients for the current time: a picturesque village, books destined to end up in the right hands and a parish Council at odds with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with Jess and her phone box full of books.

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A wonderful story of feeling hopeless and at odds with the world. Unexpectedly who knew that driving down the wrong road to miss the roadworks would lead you to your dream home, life and even a man. I loved the bonus of when buying a cottage you also buy an old telephone box that eventually becomes a library. That brings more than the pleasure of reading. A must read

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I was always going to love a book with the title 'The Littlest Library', and this didn't disappoint. I loved reading about Jess's relocation to the country, the work she does on the cottage and its garden, the two kittens, bats, oh, and the telephone box library of course. I loved the fact that Mimi is a character in the book despite being dead, and the fact the messages she wrote in her books helped other people. As for the romance - very gentle. Loved the supporting characters. I do think the scenario with Aidan's daughter and how the mother was behaving, was not new. I've read books with similar plotlines recently. But other than that I really enjoyed this book. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Come in to this wonderfully amazing book, be transported to the wonderful village of Middlemass in Devon, and read all about the incredible Jess. Very sadly, Jess has recently lost her much loved and adored grandmother Mimi who she misses immensely. Jess has also, due to funding cuts, like many libraries lost her job when her local library closed. Not only did Jess lose the job she loved, but she also lost her connection with people and books, talking about them, recommending books, and chatting about them all day long with those who also had a love of reading. Jess absolutely adores reading and has so many cherished memories of reading with her grandmother and books they both loved and shared together. Jess sells the home she shared with her grandmother Mimi as she feels she needs a fresh start and Mimi always taught her to be brave and challenge herself. When Jess goes out one day, she takes what she thinks is a wrong turn in the road but it was the best turn she could have ever made and turned her life into the best ever! She discovers an absolutely gem of a cottage for sale (despite the bats and mice!) which comes with a telephone box. Jess snaps up Ivy cottage and her new life begins! She turns the house into a home, she transforms the telephone box into a wonderful library where she very bravely places all her treasured books that Mimi left for her (and later discovering so many wonderful messages in the books which help Jess move forward). Jess becomes so involved in the community, making new friends and getting involved in all the local events and becoming a star with her phone box library which changed her life! Jess starts a new job working with the local schools as a librarian, organising events and doing everything she loves with books. Everyone loves Jess, she makes great friends with the super Diana and Beth and I loved the way her relationship with Aiden and his daughter Maisie developed. I was rooting for them to get together from the start!

Jess is such a courageous lady who deserves the best. It is not easy to start a new life in a completely different village where you do not know anyone but Jess did it! Life in Middlemass is perfect for Jess and was the best wrong turn she could have ever made. Middlemass is where she belongs - it is her home, her future, her job, it is where her friends and support is. Her phone box library is going to be the most visited phone box in the UK!

Such a magical story. Absolutely brilliant book, loved it so much. Will definitely read it again and again! Thank you for such a magnificent read. An enormous 5 stars!

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This was a nice easy read and although it was fairly predictable it felt safe and was something I was happy to get lost in on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I thought the characters were fun and interesting and they setting was perfectly described for me to be able to picture everyone going about their day.

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