Now Read This: “The Bookshop on the Corner” by Jenny Colgan

People always say they love books, but Nina Redmund in “The Bookshop on the Corner,” by Jenny Colgan, takes this love of literature to an extreme. Her books line the tables and floors, cover the rest of the furniture and run up the walls. And even though she knows that one wrong step will knock the entire collection into a massive heap, she won’t stop bringing home more.

When the libraries in Birmingham, England, begin shutting down, Nina tries to save as many books as she can fit into her little car. However, finding space in her home for these books isn’t Nina’s only problem; her library is also on the chopping block, and Nina — a traditional librarian whose experience helps her match people with the perfect book — is no longer needed.

With only three weeks left to find a new job, Nina becomes uncertain about her future until she remembers the one thing she always wanted to do — own a bookshop. Armed with nothing but a passion for reading and a Mini Metro overloaded with unwanted library books, Nina rushes off toward her new goal, which takes her out of her comfort zone and her country.

Jenny Colgan’s “The Bookshop on the Corner” centers on a character and situation that are both relatable and realistic. This story invites a cast of quirky characters — including a poetry-loving Latvian train conductor and a grumpy farmer with surprisingly smooth dance moves — to freely interact with each other, bringing out the best and worst traits of each personality. In this way, Nina’s journey becomes a delightful adventure with a bit of romance that readers will find worth following to the end.

If you like this book, other titles you may find enjoyable are “The Library at the Edge of the World,” by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, and “The Library of Lost and Found,” by Phaedra Patrick. In these stories, the main character’s passion for books leads to life-altering changes. If you like reading about books, then you shouldn’t miss out on these titles or Jenny Colgan’s “The Bookshop on the Corner,” which can all be found at the library.