July 2025 FBR - Main Buddy Read: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Welcome to the July "Main" Buddy Read!
starts 1-July-2025, ends 31-July-2025

As we enter July, we are excited to celebrate the vibrant spirit of Bastille Day with our Formal Buddy Read for this month! Bastille Day commemorates the fight for freedom and justice in revolutionary France. This month’s selections will take you on a thrilling journey through history, exploring the impact of literature and ideas in shaping society and inspiring change.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

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🚀 2025 (Impossible) Solar System Challenge: While there's no specific post count requirement, your participation should go beyond simple statements like "I liked the book." Quality of contribution matters more than quantity, so focus on crafting well-considered responses that add value to the discussion.

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

I finished this one a couple of days ago, and it gets 3.5 stars from me. I really enjoyed reading this it. Although it touched upon serious issues, it felt like a cozy, light read

Positives
- The author's note at the end. I loved that the characters in this book were real, and I liked the additional information provided in the author's note
- The atmosphere (in Paris, not Montana)
- It is a book about books, so of course I will appreciate the references to other books, the dewey numbers and just to reading in general
- The idea behind this book. What's not to like? Paris, I love. Books, I love. Libraries, I love. Historical fiction about WWII, one of my favorite genres.

Negatives
- The timeline in Montana. I wish it had been made more meaningful to the story, or just cut out completely. What this book should be about is "The Paris Library", not an overdone coming-of-age story of an overdramatic 14 year old. (view spoiler)[If the book had ended with a reunion between Odile and Margareth, or Odile and the library in the second timeline, then MAYBE I wouldn't have minded having two timelines. (hide spoiler)] Luckily, the majority of the chapters were in Paris, and Lily's chapters were quick to get through
- I had a hard time feeling emotionally attached to the characters. Sure, I liked them, but many of the friendships felt rushed and not very realistic. This resulted in me not feeling as much as I should have when (view spoiler)[Odile betrayed Margareth, or when she decided to leave Paris. (hide spoiler)]
- This is a minor thing, and maybe it's just me, but I found the first maybe 30-ish % of the book kind of boring and poorly written. I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I found that many of the paragraphs did not flow well together and jumped a lot from one thing to another. Also, I liked the dewey numbers scattered throughout the book, but I found it very overdone in the first few chapters. Ok, we get it, the MC knows all these numbers by heart

Overall, I liked this book, as it had an interesting story and a good setting, but I wish I could have been able to get more emotionally invested in it. It is a good book, but in the big sea of WWII historical fiction books, it doesn't stand out.

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it! 😊