What better place to be in the run up to Christmas than in a bookshop, in a Cotswold village. Surely you should be living your best life trying to find the right book for the right person as a gift.
For Simon and Nora this has been their life for a number of years, but it seems that this could be the last Christmas at the bookshop. They need to draw people in, stop them going to the chains, to the online stores and to offer that something different.
When an act of kindness takes on a whole new twist, they send out six different books, randomly to people and it just so happens that the books that land with these six very different people all have very different problems and the books strike a chord with them.
As we learn more about the recipients we also learn more about Simon and Nora and how the bookshop, leaky roof and all is the things that keeps them together and how they relish being part of a small community who appreciate the kindness from its residents.
If you want a book to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside then this is the book for you, the bonuses being it features a bookshop and some great reads as well which you could quite easily take away as recommendations if you have not read them already.
Very different feel for me than some Christmas books I have read and it deals with current issues; mental health, loneliness, separation, probably more highlighted at the moment during the current pandemic. But there was something almost magical contained with the pages of the book as if I was watching some film, it felt American, but I cannot put my finger on why whilst reading it. However, I discovered afterwards that the author was born in America. I wish I could pin down what it was, the book reminded me of the Christmas books I have read by Debbie Macomber and I think that is a closest comparison I am going to get.
A book that can start your festive reading off if you have not started yet.
Thanks to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read the book.
The Six Tales of Christmas is out now.
The Book Jotter 