The Door-to-Door Bookstore

Just as advertised, this novel is indeed perfect for fans of "A Man Called Ove".
The protagonist, Carl (or Book Walker), stubbornly clings to the things that make him happy: delivering books to his customers, all contained within a 2-mile radius of the city he lives in. Cue the unexpected appearance of an irresistible companion, and the upending of Carl's routine.
Getting to know the peripheral characters and the city through the protagonist's eyes was an experience not easily forgotten. Everyone is unique in their tastes and each faces a personal challenge that, while seemingly insurmountable, starts seeming more and more manageable the closer to the end we get.
As for the feelings evoked by this novel, the author masterfully wove in moments of sadness (that even moved me to tears), with elation that bubbled up like fizz in a shaken up bottle and even frustration.
The final chapter brings all events to a head. It seemed to me there was a bit of a jump between plans being forged and the actual implementation of these (I had to go back a few lines to make sure I had not missed something), but it nonetheless produced resolution and closure which, while by no means perfect, was realistic and extremely satisfying.

The charming international bestseller about an unlikely friendship between an elderly door-to-door bookseller and a nine-year-old girl that changes his life.

This book was a quaint, low-stakes novel about the MC and a young girl bringing the joy of reading to people in a small town. I would thoroughly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading and love books, but are maybe looking for a quiet read. Something they can read a little, put down and return to later.

The book itself is quite slow to start, which is definitely reflective of the life that the MC is living, but I found myself struggling to get into hit. The story would have definitely benefited from a slightly bigger 'hook' to engage the reader at the start, but the lovely characters and the pleasant pacing really kept me going as we went through the story.

This is one of those book you won't forget as you follow Carl and Schascha , root for them, and enjoy how simple things can talk to your heart.
Moving, poignant, and life affirming.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This tale of a bookseller and his small handful of very special customers, and the nine- (almost ten!-) year-old girl who helps them all band together to help one another, has a love for books flowing through every line. Full of quirky characters who will quickly find their way into your heart (even the cat), and beautifully written, this will go down as one of my favourite books ever.

Poignant and uplifting, it's truly a book for book-lovers everywhere.

One comment about the cover art: although I love the illustration - why the bicycle? Not once is a bike mentioned in the book - Carl carries his book deliveries in a rucksack. And if the book describes him as always wearing olive green overalls, why does he look like a station master out of Thomas the Tank Engine on the cover?

Thanks to the author, publisher, Netgalley - and not least the translator for bringing this book into such gorgeous English. (Because translating that wordplay can't have been easy!)

Truly a book made for book lovers.
This was such a heart-warming, wonderful little read that'll appeal to anyone who understands what it means to fall in love with stories, and especially to fall in love with the world once you become more present in the story of your own life. I loved this.
If you enjoyed titles such as THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY and A MAN CALLED OVE, you're very likely going to adore this.

Carl has worked for the same bookstore for a long time which is now run by the owner's daughter. Carl likes to hand deliver the books but she thinks this is a waste of time. He's built a rapport with his readers and selects the books he thinks they need to read. On his deliveries, he meets a 9-year-old girl who is fascinated with his habit and comes along with him. This is a really beautiful, heartwarming read and I loved it! It's quite an unusual story and so well written.

A book about a bookstore is always going to be a winner in my eyes and this stunning book was a clear winner!

Carl is completely content with his simple life, lovingly wrapping and delivering books on foot. Everyone has their own story and when you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, you imagine it instead, writing your own stories for those characters, in your head.

Nine year old Scascha, lonely and with more knowledge and insight than belies her age, decides to join Carl, despite his protestations; “You walk alone and I’ll walk alone next to you”. Scasha isn’t afraid of the truth and as she draws out the real people behind Carl’s cast of characters, they are drawn together to support each other in ways none of them knew they needed.

The characters were so well fleshed out and I loved them all. I could feel all of their anxiety, preconceptions and fear gradually easing as, bit by bit, Scasha opened the door to their souls and her knowing innocence gave them permission to be their true, authentic selves.

A balm for my soul.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a lovely story! Carl has spent all his life in a book store initially owned by his friend Gustav; but times are changing. Every evening Carl walks the city, hand delivering books to his customers, books they have requested. He is occasionally accompanied by a stray cat, who he names 'Dog'. Then one day he is joined by a young girl, Schascha, who starts to disrupt his routine, but possibly for the better.

Meanwhile his job at the store is in jeopardy - Gustav's daughter doesn't like his way of working, and he is only there on sufferance. Carl is an old man, he doesn't like change, how will he weather all the changes?

The book talks about reading and books in an amazing way. My favourite quote 'Every person needs different books. Because what one person loves with all their heart, might leave another completely cold.' Its sad and uplifting and amusing, I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters were so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

Carl Christian Kollhoff  is an elderly man who delivers books to special customers in the evenings, making his way through the nooks and alleys of his city. He enjoys doing this, and in a way, considers these customers friends of a kind.

At the age of 72 , Carl provides an essential service to people like this, not least because of the care he invests in finding the perfect book for each person. But when he suddenly loses his job, Carl find himself in the unenviable position of questioning his fundamental values and his place in the world.

It takes the intervention of a bossy 9 year old girl, and some creative thinking - not to mention what "could be the start of a beautiful friendship" (Casablanca) - for Carl to regain his balance in the scheme of things.

This is such an adorable, feel-good story, it is hard to think of anyone who wouldn't like it - even if it's not the type of book they would normally go for. Anyway, like many others, I loved this, and and I think that if you're willing to give it a try, you might love it too!

He may be well into his 70s, but delivering books to people in the town is what Carl enjoys the most. Then he meets a young girl, who starts to accompany him on his rounds. His peaceful existence is turned upside down...

This is a delightful book, which will be loved by anyone who enjoyed 'The hundred year old man', or 'A man called Ove'. Appealing characters, lovely descriptions - in all, a charming read.

Beautiful novel about books and friendship I really enjoyed immersing myself in the world of these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Carl is a very special sort of bookseller. His customers trust him to choose books for them based on what he knows they will like. For some he even delivers the books within the city that he hasn't stepped out of in decades. He gives each of these customers a literary name that he feels suits them. One day he finds he isn't alone on his evening deliveries, a small girl has joined him. He does his best to shirk her, much preferring to walk alone than company but she persists and badgers him so he agrees to “ just this once” as long as she behaves. Schascha being only ten years old, of course has different ideas on what behaving means and begins talking to his customers, something Carl only does in very small doses. To his surprise they like Schascha and want her to return.

This is such a beautiful story for any bibliophile. It's one that speaks our language and takes us through the whys and wherefores of reading. Are you a fish, a hare or a tortoise? (relates to type of reading speed). I couldn’t help but love many of the characters especially Carl and Schascha- the name being a story in itself. A book that gets us and wraps its comforting arms around the reader in our own wonderful world of books. A rare gem of a read I truly enjoyed.
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A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

Carl is very particular about his job delivering books, he carefully wraps them up and has a predetermined route through the city that never changes. His customers know he will be able to recommend the perfect book for their needs and have been relying on him for years. This doesn't appear to go down very well with the new owner of the bookshop, Sabine, who inherited the City Gate bookshop from her father. She wants change and is trying to sweep away the old days which unfortunately includes Carl. Many changes are coming to Carl's life especially when he meets nine-year-old Schascha who refuses to leave his ordered life in peace. Charming but gentle story.

Read for the blog tour.

Loved the book, great characters and a reminder about the power of books.

I will be busy recommending the book

A beautiful story for any book-lover.
Central to the book were Carl and Schasha; an elderly man whose love for books had driven every aspect of his life, and a determined little girl who will be as memorable to me as Lyra from Northern Lights and Liesel from The Book Thief.
Carl delivers books to people, whose lives depend on his visits. The wider cast of characters, as they are introduced are also utterly memorable, each with their own moving stories.
The relationships between all these characters was simply heart warming and like all uplifting books demonstrated the absolute necessity for love and friendship in every person's life.
The book has a fairy tale quality about it too, which was like slipping into a bedtime story every time I picked it back up.
Gorgeous. Thoroughly recommend,

A brilliant book about simplicity and reading. I loved the pace, the way the story unfolded with each turn of the page, and the brilliant characters. Whilst not a book I will recommend to students, the idea of a door to door library is something I know will resonate with students.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible and moving book - it will definitely stay with me for a long time. Full of emotions that have you on your rollercoaster throughout filled with love, heartbreak, tears and cheers.

Following the story of an elderly man called Carl Christian Kollhoff who delivers books door to door in the evening with his own recommendations for the people he delivers to. On his rounds he meets a 9 year old girl called Schascha who insists on keeping him company when he does his delivery route.

This is honestly such a beautiful and heartwarming story. I cannot wait to read more by this author.