Cover Image: The Littlest Library

The Littlest Library

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I know Im late with this so will review straight onto Amazon etc and, maybe for my newspaper column. J'OB

Was this review helpful?

Great escapist fiction. Jess looks for a new beginning. Her new home comes with a telephone box. Jess decides to use it to start a small library, however this is not welcomed by everyone in the village...

Was this review helpful?

A lovely read about love, family and books. I loved the relationship between Jess and her grandmother, Mimi. To have shared so much through books - it seemed very fitting for Jess to continue with this theme. The new friendships Jess makes in her new home with Diana and Becky were wonderful, and the littlest library was a brilliant magnet for drawing people together in the Village.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book, but it didn't have me overly gripped. It was a real feel good book though and the characters were so cute and funny. I love telephone box library's as well, it's such a good community. Middlemas seemed they needed this to bring the community together and Jess' new cottage sounds absolutely amazing, despite the bats. Though after a couple of chapters about the bats, they weren't mentioned much again so I thought this part was a bit un needed.

Was this review helpful?

Who can resist a library and especially one in a telephone box and so who could resist a whole book about one.

Jess is content with her life, she dare not hope for anything else because if she does it will be taken away from her. Having lost her parents at an early age, she grew up with Mimi her wonderful grandmother, but now Mimi has gone and Jess has lost her job in the local library she is all alone in the world.

Jess decides to up sticks and move to a ramshackle cottage in a country village, bringing all the important things with her from the past, including boxes of her Grandmother’s books.

What she doesn’t realise that along with the cottage comes a little red telephone box and Jess decides that it would make a lovely little library and give a place for her grandmothers books and share the joy of reading.

As the library opens, everyone local from the village comes to sue, borrowing books they once loved, once shared with a loved one and ones that are new to them. Each borrower becomes drawn back to the library and Jess starts to make friends with some of the eccentric locals. Everyone likes Jess to their heart, but for Aidan she is somewhat of a nuisance, from the very first point she met him. What is worse, is they are now neighbours? Not a good start to Jess’s new life in the country.

With Jess looking to the future after some rather false starts in life, she thinks that this village might be the place to put down roots, but when the library might have to close and her job prospects don’t look good, let alone her love life. It seems that Jess was only passing through his village?

This is my first Poppy Alexander novel, but won’t be my last. A very gentle quiet tale about people finding their true selves, whether that be Jess or many of the other characters within the novel. It has a great sense of place and a community feel and just the sort of book you need to give you that lovely warm feeling!

Was this review helpful?

Wow!!! I loved this book. It’s nearly my dream come true. Although parts are sad, I loved the fact that books are the main focus in this book. This book just holds you and catapults you to a perfect place. Definitely one to read.

Was this review helpful?

The Littlest Library follows Jess Metcalfe. When she loses her grandma and librarian job within months of each other, she spontaneously decides to buy a cottage and move to a different village. Outside the cottage just so happens to be a red telephone box, which she turns into the littlest library. The book follows Jess and she settles in to the community and finds a new home.

While I liked the setting and community aspect of this novel, I found Jess to be a bit of a one-dimensional character (the kind you want to shake to tell them to get their act together). I also thought that the romance felt staged - like of course she would fall for the single dad across the road. It definitely needed more development and chemistry. Overall, if you're a fan of community-focused books set in the English countryside, you will probably enjoy The Littlest Library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC - all opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely, feel good book that had me hooked.

Jess loses her beloved Gran Mimi and her job and is unsure where life is leading. She arrives in a village and before she knows it, she's bought a property complete with an old phone box. Being a librarian previously, she decides to put her books in the phone box, after some basic renovations from helpful handyman neighbour Aidan. The Littlest Library becomes a hit with the local community.

I really enjoyed Jess's story and loved the community spirit of the villagers. There was even a bit of romance thrown in too. Overall, a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read, in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

What a wonderful book this turned out to be. The characters became people I knew, the setting was as familiar as my village. When an author can do this and really draw you in the book becomes so special. There is nothing not to love about this book.

Was this review helpful?

This is a lovely book, quintessentially British, and perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons or holidays in a cozy cottage or by the pool. Beautifully written and especially suitable for librarians who will enjoy the many references with regards to the industry (I found them somewhat repetitive as a non-librarian though). The reason why I didn't enjoy the book more was that I didn't think the love interest was particularly desirable apart from his looks and some of his behaviour and background raised a few red flags for me.

Was this review helpful?

Such a lovely read.
Following the death of her grandmother who brought her up, librarian Poppy moves to a small Devon village. The cottage she buys also comes with a long disused telephone box. As she turns the telephone box into the littlest library, she starts to make friends and wonder if she could stay in the village for ever.
This book is an absolute must for anyone who love books and believes in the power of libraries to help people. The characters are likeable and engaging, there are lovely sub-plots, gorgeous garden descriptions. All you could want for a charming read about village life, and love.

Was this review helpful?

This library may be little, but there's nothing small about the punch this delightful book delivers on so many levels. I loved the story of Jess and her voyage of discovery after suffering terrible loss in her childhood and further heartache at the start of the book.
Her fresh start — a move to the village of Middlemass — introduces us to a wonderful cast of characters, all beautifully drawn and completely believable.
There are some incredibly poignant lines: 'Jess allowed her grief at the loss to surface only in tiny increments. It was like a caged animal liable to consume her if she gave it too much freedom.' And there are also some very funny ones: 'What have you done with Isla and Angus?' 'Had them adopted. It was all very quick because I didn't want to give the new parents time for second thoughts. I think I got away with it.'
There is romance, drama and a genuine sense of community; of people pulling together during difficult times. And — of course — there are books.
'There was a book to cure every ill and solve every problem. That was what Mimi had always thought.' The Littlest Library certainly cheered me up! Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Having read The Telephone Box Library by Rachel Lucas last year, I did wonder how similar or different this book would be.

There are some similarities but thankfully not too much. Jess is quiet soul who suddenly finds herself moving away from her home town of 30 years to a pretty village in Devon. I enjoyed how her and her grandmother's love of books was woven into the story, a mini book club within the story.

A good mix of characters, romance and a reminder that community spirit is important to the mental health of residents, even in a pretty village.

Was this review helpful?

A likeable, easy read about a main character, Jess who starts a new life in a village. She sets up a small community library. Some lovely descriptions, A sweet story but predictable.

Was this review helpful?

Such a cute, fun story. Lovely read set in the cutest village. I loved the idea of the little library.
Absorbing and a lovely read

Was this review helpful?

It may have been the littlest library but it was a big story! I want to live in Middlemass in a little cottage with all these wonderful people. Jess certainly took the right road when she found Ivy cottage. From making a heartfelt decision on her future Jess certainly finds community thrusted upon her when she is finds that buying the cottage comes with the responsilbility of providing a community purpose of an old red telephone box. From using her knowledge and store of books left by her grandmother, she becomes the heart and soul of the village whilst being befriended by some of the villagers. A heart warming tale, I didn't want to end. I especially loved the friendships that were created and that it didn't go down the boy and girl meet and fall in love immediately arc, it was about friendships, belonging and supporting each other. Thank you for letting me read this, I look forward to sharing this with my book club and other book loving friends.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this, I totally got lost in the beautiful village of Middlemas and I’m ready to move there. I do think the pacing was slightly off though, everything seemed to come together too quickly, and I hope there’s a sequel because it can’t just end there!!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Orion and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Jess loves her ordered little life but when her grandmother passes away and she's thrown in to confusion.

What a lovely, light and heartwarming book. I'd absolutely love to live in Middlemas and be able to visit the library! This, for me, was one of those books I wanted to finish but at the same time I didn't want it to be finished as I didn't want my time in the village to be at an end.

I really hope there are more books to come!

Was this review helpful?

This is such a gorgeous story that had me wanting more and more! It is the perfect bit of escapism and the setting of the village just sounded lovely.

A great cast of characters and of course the Library sounded like so much fun!

Was this review helpful?

A beautiful and heartwarming read!
Jess has recently lost her beloved Grandmother and her job at the local library. She finds herself alone and bereft. After a lifetime of playing it safe she takes a spontaneous drive in the countryside. She finds herself making a snap decision to buy an old cottage and starts a new life in small picturesque village. She also finds herself the owner of a red telephone box, she has with her the boxes of books from her grandmother and a duty to do something for the community with the telephone box. She turns it into the littlest library and it is a big hit with the community (well, most of the community)
Such an enjoyable read, although this is a story of loss it is also of finding your way. I loved how Jess’s Grandmother Mimi was at the centre of the story and how her books not only saved Jess but helped the whole community. An uplifting and heartwarming story of friendship, community spirit, a touch of romance and books, What’s not to love!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and Orion Publishing Group.

Was this review helpful?