I bought this book because it was a book about books and that cover!
Here’s the blurb …
Twelve stories. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…
When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly, because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly, because Joe died five months ago…
The gift is simple – twelve carefully chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
And so begins a reading-inspired journey that takes Tilly around the world; from bustling sidewalks in New York and the tree-lined avenues of Paris to the tranquil Tuscan countryside and the white sands of Bali. With the help of the bookshop owner, Alfie, Tilly starts to discover who she is now, after Joe.
But can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?
Currently this is my favourite read of the year. I cried a bit – usually while reading Joe’s letters to Tilly, or when Tilly had a moment of grief. I bought some books – based on the recommendations at the start of each month, or even the books Joe selected for Tilly. I liked almost all of the characters – Harper, Tilly’s sister, annoyed me. The settings were great – Primrose Hill, Paris, New York, Tuscany, Bali, and a very welcoming book store (with a cat – more book stores should have a cat).
Some of my favourite quotes
I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being – Hafiz of Shiraz (from Shakespeare and Company in Paris)
The right book in the hands of the right person at exactly the right moment can change their life forever.
A review
I have ordered some of her other books.