From the Bookshelf of Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge…

A Novel Bookstore

Laurence Cossé,

Alison Anderson (Translator)

Why we're reading this: Originally written in French, and set in Paris (with mentions of other parts of France). It's not a typic…more
[close] Originally written in French, and set in Paris (with mentions of other parts of France). It's not a typical mystery but could probably fill that prompt, especially if you're not feeling genre.

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Apr 06, 2011 Lisa rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, books-about-books

What is a Good Book to you? This is the question that this novel is trying to answer. It is both a mystery and a romance in many senses of the words. First it is a love story for books and reading; for the unconditional love of simply escaping that reading can provide or the uncompromising love for books that feed both mind and soul. Who hasn't read a book that speaks to what you are feeling in that particular moment, what trials you face in your life, what joys you share magically with the char What is a Good Book to you? This is the question that this novel is trying to answer. It is both a mystery and a romance in many senses of the words. First it is a love story for books and reading; for the unconditional love of simply escaping that reading can provide or the uncompromising love for books that feed both mind and soul. Who hasn't read a book that speaks to what you are feeling in that particular moment, what trials you face in your life, what joys you share magically with the characters in books or otherwise read a book and felt changed by its message? It is also a love story between characters, both in the struggle to keep love alive in the day to day, and in the unrequited love that happens sometimes when you miss your chance to find that great love.
The mystery is centered around the opening of a book store in Paris called the Good Novel where only "good" books are sold. Someone is taking offense that certain books are not included in that store. Newspaper articles attacking the creators of the store soon escalate into more serious threats against the committee which chooses the books for the store. It is also a mystery to the reader of who is telling the story. At the beginning of the novel I feel as if the story is told in third person, but sometime as the investigation into the crimes begin the story is told from the perspective of Heffner (the detective investigating the case). To further confuse the reader the whole story is actually being recounted by another character who I never feel very connected to in the majority of the novel.
I liked the premise of this story, but the mystery is never completely solved to my satisfaction and seems to be simply a way of attacking media, publishing in general, and giving story to the debate of reading for pleasure or purpose. I cannot let the opportunity pass to add my own views to the debate. Reading has both of those purposes for me. Some days I may simply want to escape into someone else's life, find empathy for other people's circumstances, or learn something that I was previously unaware of. The best advise for this debate comes from this book "Read and let Read".
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Oct 27, 2011 Julianne Dunn rated it it was amazing

A very interesting concept about a bookstore that only has good novels. The opening of this bookstore creates two reactions: excitement and resentment. It is hardly surprising to see how people react when their favorite novels aren't available or how the authors react to not being included. I wish this place really existed. ...more

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