From the Bookshelf of Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

84, Charing Cross Road
by
Start date
February 14, 2016
Finish date
February 14, 2016
Discussion
2016 Challenge prompts

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Group Discussions About This Book

A book with a protagonist who has your occupation...
By Danah · 8 posts · 184 views
last updated Jan 27, 2017 08:22AM
The first book you see in a bookstore
By Juanita · 64 posts · 492 views
last updated Dec 29, 2016 04:24PM

What Members Thought

Astrid Lim
A very lovely book!!! The letters are the actual correspondence between Helene Hanff and the staff at bookstore in 84 Charing Cross Road. Beautiful, warm and funny letters from people who love books, and live for books. And this is a real proof that book people can befriend each other even if they haven't met.

The ending of this book is heartbreaking though. And make me long for the olden days where cozy bookstores and warm people still existed.
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Sarah
Aug 23, 2019 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
I can't remember how I came across this title and now don't know why I haven't read it earlier! On the surface it is an epistolary memoir between an American writer searching for books and a British bookseller who is sending them. Their correspondence covers almost 20 years, from a tightly rationed post-war London through the crowing of the Queen, and beyond.
Helene and Frank do talk about books, but their relationship is so much more than that, life changing wouldn't be an exaggeration. (view s
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Christine H
May 27, 2018 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Well, this was lovely. Do yourself a favor and sit down for 2 hours to read it. Useful things I did not realize until I had the book:
1.) It's incredibly short
2.) It's not fiction. These are real letters Hanff collected and published.
3.) 95% of the books discussed hold no interest for me, and that didn't detract in the slightest.

Sometimes Hanff would annoy me with her sass, but then I'd remember that she was a lady living on her own in NYC in 1949&c, and making a living as a writer. Sass. Earned.
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Chessa
I stumbled across this on the shelves at the library while looking for another book. I grabbed it because it was pretty slim, and I've been on the lookout for a book under 100 pages for the Book Riot Read Harder challenge - 97 pages! w00t! (Bonus: it was also published in 1970, which could also take care of the challenge, "read a book published the decade you were born.")

I had vaguely heard of this book, but had very little idea of what it was about and deliberately tried not to read about it be
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Nicole
Apr 03, 2010 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction, 2010
I used to refuse to read anything that wasn't written in novel format, but this story told in letters was so sweet and funny, I loved it! ...more
Melissa
Oct 17, 2011 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
A re-read almost 20 years later. Adore this sweet little bookish book.
Melissa Wiebe
Oct 14, 2017 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: nonfiction, 2017
A short book of letters. Was very charming.
Alida
Sep 17, 2007 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 2007
Teri G
Jul 26, 2009 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Margaret
Apr 02, 2012 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Booktart
Feb 28, 2013 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: reading
Meg
Mar 05, 2015 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Meg
Mar 10, 2015 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Maria
Nov 22, 2015 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Shelby
Nov 21, 2023 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: 2023-audiobooks
Mari
Jan 15, 2017 marked it as wishlist  ·  review of another edition
Paulette
Dec 12, 2018 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Susan
Mar 06, 2019 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Kathy
Jun 09, 2019 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Chelsea
Apr 19, 2021 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
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