Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.
Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.
From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.
I fell in love with Jenny Colgan’s books a few years ago, and The Bookshop on the Corner lives up to all my expectations. Nina Redmond is such a darling character! She’s who I want to be best friends with and talk to every day for the rest of my life. Oh, the bookish conversations we could have.
But Nina doesn’t start off in a very good place. The library she works at is closing and being consolidated into an I don’t know what, techy, hyped up, no book place? I didn’t even understand what the place was supposed to do, and neither did Nina. So she packs it all in and heads to Scotland. I mean, why not? And starts a book shop on wheels. Why not?
Now things get interesting. From finding and buying a humongous van, renting a cute little barn/cottage, and meeting some very interesting men while almost dying. This all sounds very exciting (and yes, some of it was very thrilling on the page), the story rolls out slowly like a stroll across the meadow, stopping to birth a baby lamb when needed.
The question of “what is romance?” is the thread that holds this story together. Along with a few snips of what is home, and where do I belong. The questions don’t always play nicely together, but in the end, they figure most of it out.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Fantasy:
Kraken and Lies by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland wraps up the loose ends from The Menagerie quite nicely, but not before a whole lot of excitement and a little bit of danger.
I learned A LOT about some magical creatures that were kind of new to me.
The personalities of the creatures really shine through in this book. They were hilarious and fun, and at times, a bit ridiculous.
About Kraken and Lies by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland
The Menagerie trilogy comes to a fantastic conclusion in Krakens and Lies, the third magical and mysterious adventure from Tui Sutherland (New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series) and Kari Sutherland. Young readers who love mythological creatures and series like Fablehaven, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Spirit Animals won’t want to miss the Menagerie.
Someone has been sabotaging the Menagerie, and Logan and Zoe are on the case. But their troubles only get worse when the basilisk escapes its enclosure and the merpeople go on strike—leaving the kraken to its own devices. The race is on to solve the mystery and save the Menagerie in this riveting, action-packed finale!
There is a lot going on in Kraken and Lies, the final book in The Menagerie trilogy, and things are wrapped up pretty nicely. No fancy bow to make it feel like “the end.” You know the characters are continuing on, and the authors let the reader know it (and leave it open for potentially more books at some point).
I didn’t feel as much of that building and growing of the characters in this book. And what developing there was, was really spurred by some sort of magical-type event. And the ultimate villains, I think they came out a little disappointing. They were more comical than bad, and I couldn’t really see them succeeding at much of anything. It made the stakes seem a little less high.
The trail of clues leading to these bad guys was laid quite nicely. Just enough information to keep everyone moving in the right direction. Not so much information that it felt rushed.
And the Kraken – he really stole the show several times. In fact, all the water creatures were amazing, and they played a big role in how the story played out. I loved this ending, and do hope that we get to revisit this world to check in on how everyone is doing.
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Middle Grade Fantasy:
Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland and Kari Sutherland features a little bit naughty dragon and a jury of magical creatures – and what more could you really want?
The book in The Menagerie series really takes a fantasy mystery feel and Zoe, Logan, and Blue try and prove that Scratch the dragon is innocent.
Another book full of all sorts of magical creatures – some that you might not have heard of before.
About Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the second exciting adventure in the Menagerie trilogy! Combining the magic of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and the charm and humor of Carl Hiaasen, The Menagerie #2: Dragon on Trial is perfect for young readers who love myths, fairy tales, and fantastic creatures.
Someone or something has murdered the goose who laid the golden eggs, and the evidence points to a dragon named Scratch. Zoe and Logan are back on the case—but this mystery won’t be that easy to solve….
Scratch, the dragon, is in trouble. He’s on trial for eating the Golden Goose. And while he’s quite happy she’s gone, he swears he didn’t do it. But all the signs point to him. Zoe doesn’t believe that Scratch would (or could) hurt the goose, so she rounds up Logan and Blue to prove he’s innocent.
Dragon on Trial was a delight. While I wish more of the clues had given me a chance to guess what happened before the kids did, I really enjoyed discovering right along with them. It’s quite a twisty journey, and they get to make a new and unexpected friend along the way.
Logan is starting to find his place in his small group of friends. And seeing him discover that feeling of belonging that he had been missing was more than just a little cool. Although I have no idea how they all manage to do “ALL THE THINGS” in the time span in the book. Time flies so fast and things just keep zipping right along.
