Call number
Collection
Genres
Publication
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML: "A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now. Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life. Lovely!"â??Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?" There is a book for everything . . . Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about. In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother's charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relativeâ??not counting her scoundrel father. But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it's best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There's only one problemâ??Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she'll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief. After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather's request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works. To Natalie's surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop's walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.… (more)
User reviews
Natalie, who discovers she hates her job, suffers a tragedy and inherits her mother’s bookshop. Unfortunately, the building is falling down around her ears, she has no money because she quit her job and then discovers she DIDN’T inherit because her
This fun read also has a cute kid, an adorable cat, a rich author, a mystery treasure and lots of book allusions. What more could you want? Book lovers and romance readers alike will enjoy this charming book.
4 of 5 stars
Natalie, Blythe’s mother, did follow her dream, but at times her dream was at the expense of her daughter.
A tragedy left Natalie with her mother gone, her beloved grandfather to care for, and a bookshop that her mother left deep in
Since Natalie grew up with books, she wanted to try something else in her life instead of her successful, tedious job and took over the bookshop that had been in the family for three generations.
Natalie knew the ancient bookshop is where she should be, and she found more than books in this bookshop.
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP has the reader following Natalie with her decisions about the bookshop and her life.
You’ll fall in love with the bookshop and all the characters.
Who doesn’t love a book that has a bookshop in it?
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP is a sweet read focusing on family, life choices, and choosing what makes you happy.
If you need a feel good read, be sure to add this book to your must-read list for the summer.
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP has it all: love, books, and anything sweet and heartwarming that you can think of.
ENJOY when you read it. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Natalie discovers the book shop is in horrible financial woes. The historical building is in terrible shape and the book store is in debt. Plus, her grandfather has the beginnings of dementia. He refuses to sell the historical building because there is a hidden treasure lost in it somewhere (and yes there is…you MUST read this to find out what!)
I adore this book. I love everything about it. I love the quirkiness of the characters. The setting of the California Bay Area had me researching. I actually sent a text to a friend of mine who lives there and told him he had to go the the Tower Library Bar and take pictures. Oh…and the mystery of the hidden treasure and the book references. This is the perfect read for a bibliophile!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Great quote: “When tragedy strikes, I must remember to breathe until l get to the fun part again.”
Overall, I enjoyed this book and getting to know these characters! This is my 2nd book by this author and she is definitely going to be one of my go to's authors for this type of book. It felt like the perfect blend of romance and women's fiction all combined into one really good book. I think that readers that enjoy books featuring bookshops, those who enjoy a slow building romance, and those who enjoy women's fiction will really enjoy this book! I'm looking forward to diving more into this author's backlist after enjoying this one so much. Recommended!
Bottom Line: A really great summer read for book lovers!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. Honest thoughts are my own.
I also had a problem with the name of a cat, which I know sounds odd, but it was off-putting when it’s stated that the cat is named for Sylvia Beach not Sylvia Plath and it’s noted that presumably Sylvia Beach didn’t have mental issues. I just, I’m not sure what to make of that, are we saying that Sylvia Plath is less of a literary genius, less worthy of having a namesake, because she struggled and ultimately succumbed to her mental health issues? I just didn’t get why that aside needed to be there, why it couldn’t just be stated which Sylvia the cat is named for and left at that. It felt like a slight against the mentally unwell, I hope that wasn’t the intention, it probably wasn’t, but it unfortunately reads that way.
As for the romantic interests, it seemed pretty obvious which one Natalie would end up with and while he is a nice guy, I just didn’t find him all that appealing, which is a total personal preference thing, I’m sure there are other readers who will feel differently. However, the bigger issue for me with the romance was how long it took for Natalie to find out some basic information about this guy, it seemed highly implausible that it took that long to come up in conversation. Given previous relationships and family histories, they both had reason enough to be tentative about starting something, there didn’t need to be a convoluted misunderstanding between them.
I would have been happy to ditch Natalie’s romantic dilemmas and instead see her attempting to establish a connection with her father or better still see more of her day to day in the bookshop and dealing with customers, for me the best moments were the ones spent talking books and how to keep a brick and mortar store alive in the current climate. I would have welcomed a lot more of those scenes, especially if it led to wrapping things up in way that felt more earned and organic rather than a solution easily falling into place.
I also appreciated all the reference to real books and authors, and the strong sense of family. For once, I thought the epilogue was done well and it tied up all the loose ends leaving me feeling warm and fuzzy. Overall, "The Lost and Found Bookshop" was a charming read.
Once the story moves into part 2, it becomes a more enjoyable read. Natalie starts moving forward, Peach (sorry, I don’t care if you do look like a pirate, that nickname is ridiculous) starts working on the building and things move forward, albeit slowly. This is a sedately paced story, though there are intermittent moments that are fun, like when they find stuff hidden in a wall, or out in an old shed. The history of families, and of San Francisco, are threads that run through the book, woven through the plot, becoming pivotal to the resolution. I’ve only ever spent a day in San Francisco, but I swear the bookstore in this story was smack in the middle of our self-created walking tour, as I kept recognising landmarks and places the author dropped into the text, an occurrence I always enjoy.
Overall, an enjoyable read if you can get past the first part and like a general fiction sort of book. It has a happy ending and there’s a very small but potent romance that takes almost the entire book to develop. I’m not altogether sure Andrew’s altruism is entirely realistic; I’d like to believe it’s possible but given the pressure the author puts him and Natalie under, it’s sadly improbable. Still, I like books that show us our best possible selves (penchant for murder mysteries aside), so it didn’t really hinder my ability to buy into the story, although it did occur to me that by the end, around the clock security would probably be necessary to ward off the treasure hunters.
A young reader, Dorothy, makes Natalie appreciate books again, and her father, Peach is a handyman who helps out at the shop repairing the building.
Slowly, Natalie begins to find joy in life again
There are many surprising and unpredictable twists. In the end the book becomes a feel good story but is filled with what seem real insights about the value books can have in life and the way they can lead to self understanding and self discovery.
The book tells of the discovery of many unexpected treasurers including a rare old edition of Audubon.
As a lover of books and someone who more recently became fascinated by birds there was a lot to like in the story.
In many ways it is a fairy story with the handsome prince rescuing the maiden.
Oh and a great bookstore in an interesting neighborhood in San Francisco.
I read books and I know stuff
I loved the special bond between Natalie and her grandfather, grandie in this story about the lost and found bookshop. This is a book perfect for all book lovers.
Natalie gives up her career to help her grandie who has