Jenny Colgan has never failed to make me smile, I’ve only read a couple of her novels but “The Bookshop on the Corner” made me so happy that as soon as I saw her name and a fun title on my library app I had to download the audiobook and begin. The novel was everything I could have wanted and more, funny, charming, happy, full of emotion and moments where you feel so in tune with the protagonist that it’s not even funny.
Katie is the ultimate relatable girl, she is trying her best to survive, thrive, support her friends and find love. She messes up, she does things that make you absolutely cringe, and that is real life. I think that’s what I love so much about Jenny’s books, she writes about the underdog, the girls who don’t have something particularly “special” about them, but in reality we all have something special about us.
Listening to Katie muddle through awkward situations, with the unconditional support only an amazing friend can provide is so relatable and loveable that you can’t help but want everything in the world for her, you can’t help but feel like you are friends with her.
I grew up in a small town, a town that was partially in a forest as it was founded as a logging town, I was surrounded by trees, trees and open spaces. The absolute calm and peace you feel when living in such a natural area has no comparison. I’ve lived in the city for more than half my life, my soul longs for the trees, I feel most at peace when I am surrounded by nature. I will always refer to that small town when anyone asks what my hometown is. It doesn’t matter that I moved in high school, it doesn’t matter that I will probably never be back for more than a visit as my career is not something that would thrive in a small town and I love the job and company I work for...it will always be home.
Watching the way Katie and her friend react to life in the tiny scottish town and how it pulls them in and makes them fall in love with it, well it reinforced my wish to visit scotland and made me want to shove my husband and son in the car and find a tiny town to hole up in for a week.
I really wish small towns weren’t so out of fashion. I live in what is considered a small town for California, but you know what it’s basically a mini city. I can walk a lot of places which is great but it definitely still has city vibes. That being said I am trying to embrace the multitude of small shops we have around here and really find that community vibe, there may be too many people to constantly see your neighbors at the grocery store because there’s only one (there’s probably 20 if you count all the small neighborhood stores in my current town). I feel like we need to pull our faces out of our phones, pull out a headphone, say good morning. Say hi to your neighbors, interact…..
When did it become scary when someone said hello to you or waved. Why is it no longer the normal thing to wave to strangers and say good morning to people you pass on the street? I feel like part of the reason we have so many mental health crises, so many people who feel so alone, is because we don’t take the moment to smile, because we’ve been trained and brought up to not smile or wave or say hello to a stranger because there are so many creeps out there. I will never understand why the world has come to this, why instead of holding creeps accountable, we bring up the next generation especially girls to interact less. Don’t say that, don’t wear that, don’t be too friendly. I understand it’s out of a want for us to be safe but in the same way we are taking away human interaction.
Anyway that’s my small rant. I want a world where it is normal to say good morning to everyone. A world where you’re so used to saying hello to your mailman (or woman) your neighbors, the bank teller, the grocer that they recognize you, a world where people actually interact with each other again, where you can sit and just enjoy the sunshine without needing a book or a phone in your face for people to not look at you like something is wrong with you. A world where we have genuine experiences again.
“Where Have All The Boys Gone” by Jenny Colgan
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Where_Have_All_the_Boys_Gone/9-6XDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
P.S. I also looked it up and yes Londond does actually have a shortage of men, which I am finding endlessly hilarious
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