The Bookstore

Esme, a British student with a scholarship to study art history at Columbia, discovers she’s pregnant and gets a job at a quirky secondhand bookshop. With some books I keep reading because I want to see a couple get together; this book I kept reading because I wanted to see Esme finally, properly, free of her awful boyfriend. He’s so awful that I would have found some of Esme’s choices -- and the book itself -- terribly frustrating, except I really liked the bookshop, the Owl, and Esme’s narration.

I liked Esme’s quotes and references and her enthusiasm and her observations, especially those about living in New York and about the Owl -- this is a story with a vivid sense of place. Her naivety and optimism is understandable -- show more she’s only in her early twenties, she’s facing something terrifyingly life-changing, her parents are an ocean away, and manipulative people can be hard to see clearly when you’re caught in their web. And while I wouldn’t have said that this -- unplanned pregnancy, awful boyfriend -- was something I wanted to read about, it was kind of fascinating to explore what that could be like.

There is a complicity in his eyes now that makes my heart soar. I know I will regret this. I know that worthy heroines in Regency romances never say yes when there is any doubt as to the state of the hero’s heart, but I am made of flesh, not words. I want to be with Mitchell. If I am with him, I can make him see that I am worth loving. Perhaps it is the other way round, and he doesn’t see yet that he is worth loving too. I can make him see that. And if it all goes wrong, I will suffer, but the suffering won’t be for the strangled impulse, the unlit lamp. I will light the lamp and burn myself on the flame. show less

Esme moves from England to New York to attend graduate school in art history at Columbia. She ends up pregnant by her significantly older (and much richer) boyfriend and must decide how to proceed with life given this unexpected development. The bookstore of the title is The Owl, an independent used bookstore where she takes a job and begins to find a family.

I passed this one up a few times thinking it was probably the sort of chick lit that I might enjoy a bit but wouldn't find terribly satisfying. When I finally did succumb, I found something much more substantive than I was expecting. Meyler explores the emotional realities of Esme's situation with a fair amount of depth, and Esme finds no easy, pat solutions. Esme was a compelling show more character, and so many of her observations and fears were familiar to me that reading about her was one of those joyful experiences full of "me too!" moments. The book is not without its flaws, not least of which is the character of Esme's boyfriend, who it is beyond me how she ever fell in love with or how the reader is ever meant to empathize with him in any way. He's described as kind of a privileged jerk who never-the-less is charming and somehow likeable. I have kind of a weak spot for that kind of fictional character, especially if there's some super-tragi-sad reason why said character is a jerk, so if this dude was charming, I would have liked him. I hated him. And what's worse, I couldn't figure out why Esme loved him. This bothered me throughout the book because it felt like a flaw in the crafting of the story--it's cool if I hate him, but I should get why the heroine doesn't. Thankfully, he was off-page much of the time. Worthwhile for the study of Esme, despite the perplexing boyfriend character. show less

This is the kind of modern novel that makes you want to thank the author for writing it...until there are just too many
Second Chance rejections.

Plot evolves smoothly, with unexpected nuances as books and music are introduced and NYC people join in.

As well, the characters reveal themselves slowly, situationally, as in real life and stand
apart from each other, both different and true in their perspectives.

Except for Mitchell.
Not only is there little explanation for his desultory character and declining mental state, but,
though readers do not expect a decent epiphany, there is nothing good going on except for Esme continuing to
be head over heels, over and over. Despite his repeated lies and truly yucky attempts at pseudo-seduction,
she show more persists in making him into what he obviously does not want to be.

It was astonishing that she continued to see him as a potential mate after the Anastasia episode.
She had no response, thinking or action, to Anastasia's warning.

This made little sense in a character that was otherwise developing inner strength
and allowed the story go on for too long too weakly without readers being able to understand
or trust her judgement. Would she want her child to act so passively?

If there is a sequel, please let Luke and Esme take some of her books and some great new books to Mrs.Kasperek
and give readers more of George! show less

I loved this book. Perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised since I love bookstores, but I was afraid to hope for too much. It is a bittersweet story of a young woman who eventually discovers that love is not a reason to sacrifice who you are inside. I found the narrative to be melodious yet real. There was a genuine quality to the story and to the main character, Esme, that is often missing in modern or chick lit. genre. Of course the story revolves around a bookstore. It is probably quite an ordinary used bookstore in NYC. I found it though to be a magical setting because of the people who work there. Their uniqueness and quirkiness reminded me of some 70's TV shows that were quite popular because of their eclectic casts; shows like Taxi, show more Cheers, and Barney Miller. They had a special chemistry that was extraordinary in drawing us into the plot and making us care about them. This is what the author has done in this book. I found myself falling for each of the people in and around the bookstore and wishing that I could meet them in person. Some people who reviewed the book appear to be put off by the author's use of first person in writing it, but I found it to be powerful in creating the feeling that I was a friend and part of the story.
If you enjoy books that tug on your heart, and particularly if you are a book and/or bookstore lover, you will probably enjoy this book as much as I did. I would recommend giving it a try.
I am very grateful to Gallery books and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book. It touched a special place in my heart, and I will be watching for more from Ms. Meyler. show less

When I saw the cover and title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. What reader doesn't love a bookstore, especially one with some personality and quirk.

Esme's life is in upheaval. She is British by nationality, in the U.S. on a student visa while she studies at Colombia, and is dating Mr. Old Money himself, Mitch van Leuven. He leaves her high and dry, before she can even tell him she is pregnant with his child. He later finds out, and Esme and Mitch begin to have a very frustrating and annoying relationship. At least in my opinion. I wanted to shake her sometimes for some of her bad choices or just for her naivete.

Esme is able to find a space of calm within the uncertainty of her life. She takes a job at The Owl bookstore to show more support herself after Mitch leaves her, and begins to carve out a niche of serenity for herself. The bookstore is open 24 hours, and Esme enjoys the rainy or cold nights, when her coworkers and customers gather inside, listen to Luke play the guitar, and talk about books or movies. Esme feels content and at peace during these moments, and the reader is lulled into the peace as well.

This book had a quiet feel about it, much like the feeling you get while looking for books in a library or a bookstore. You kind of zone out, in your own world, searching through the books, and the world falls away behind you. This book feels like that, if that makes any sense. The supporting characters brought the life to this story, the way I think they did to Esme's life. George with his organic health nut beliefs, musician Luke, who introduces Esme to music that has soul to it, they provide the variety and flavor to the book. I would have had the biggest crush on Luke had I been Esme!

I really liked this book. I would recommend reading it on a wild weather night, a night you want to snuggle down warm and tight, and be cozy for a while. show less

Esme is a grad student in an art history program at Columbia and on her own in NYC. With her family left behind in England, Esme has no support in the city, but soon learns to love the fast paced city life, the culture, and even the light that slants between the buildings. Without a job, Esme takes a position at her favorite used bookstore, the Owl, which is a book-lovers dream. Her new coworkers, who argue and debate about literature and history, soon embrace her as one of their own. On the surface, and in many ways, this book is quite lovely, descriptive, and heartwarming. It is exceedingly well-written and enjoyable to read. Unfortunately, plopped in the middle is the primary storyline, a predictable romance between Esme and show more Mitchell, involving an unwanted pregnancy. Mitchell is truly an ass without any redeeming characteristics, and brilliant and naive Esme is blind to his flaws. This continues for about 95% of the book, which makes for a painful and frustrating reading experience. Of course the conflict resolves eventually, but the ending is not sufficient to compensate for the suffering along the way. I loved Esme, her neighbor, her coworkers, and the homeless who help out at the Owl, but the juvenile chick-lit storyline was too predictable and unnecessary for my taste. show less

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the premise of it, I guess, but I had some hang-ups that prevent me from giving this book 4 stars.

For starters, I don't understand Esme and Mitchell's relationship at all. He treats her so horribly, and she quite literally worships the ground he walks on. I mean, has this girl never been in a relationship before? Has she never *seen* a functional relationship before? I can't even begin to wrap my brain around why she likes Mitchell, and that's really damaging to my sympathy. She's not a battered woman, she has friends and a (seemingly) good home-life, she's getting by financially, she's an *intelligent* girl working on her PhD... I just don't get it.

Second. What the show more hell, Mitchell? Mitchell is in serious need of some professional help. Like SERIOUS need. He is so dysfunctional I don't even know where to begin. Unfortunately, we see a lot of him being an ass in the first portion of the book, and it doesn't really seem like anything more than "wow, what a douche" until the last 50-ish pages of the book. I guess that redeemed him a little bit -- A SUPER TEENY TINY LITTLE BIT -- but... just wow. WOW. I can't even say it really redeems him -- it just explains it.

I will say that Mitchell's harshness and douchebaggery even made me gasp a few times, but all that really did was make me want to shake Esme that much harder for "loving" him. That's not love, babe. That is some seriously unhealthy high school infatuation. Granted, I suppose if I got knocked up I'd want to try to save whatever I had with the father, too, but I feel like there comes a point when you just have to say enough is enough. Esme couldn't do that. And I really hope for her sake and for the sake of poor little Georgie that she comes to that realization after the book's conclusion: you have to do what's right for you, not what's ideal, because, honestly, the ideal isn't real.

NOW. Things that worked really well for me:

Meyler uses a significant amount of imagery and constant references to art and artistic devices, which, if your book is in third person is fine. But this story is told in present (which is a little odd) first person. Because Esme is working on a PhD in art, this totally works and really adds to the beauty of the writing. I liked that a lot.

I also LOVED the atmosphere of the bookstore. If this was a bigger or more well-known retailer this would not have worked, but the smallness of it demanded these kinds of relationships. All of the employees knew each other, and the employees and the customers knew each other, and they all knew about each other's lives, and they had shut-ins together, and hosted holiday parties together (a party of misfits who fit together perfectly). That's really kind of my favorite part. It really made The Owl feel like a safe haven, which it needed to be for Emse. My only thought is that, considering it's smallness, it may have been a little too over-employed.

I feel like this is a book I'll better appreciate after I've had my own first pregnancy. I think there's a lot going on here that I just can't quite relate, too, and some things I might realistically feel different about having experience them myself and whatnot, but for now, 3 stars. Not bad, Miss Meyler. show less