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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend | Katarina Bivald
A New York Times BestsellerAmazon Best Book of the Month The International Bestseller An Indie Regional BestsellerA National Indie Bestseller #1 Indie Next Pick #2 LibraryReads PickOnce you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen...Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her book-loving pen pal. When she arrives, however, she finds Amy's funeral guests just leaving. The residents of Broken Wheel are happy to look after their bewildered visitorthere's not much else to do in a dying small town that's almost beyond repair. You certainly wouldn't open a bookstore. And definitely not with the tourist in change. You'd need a vacant storefront (Main Street is full of them), books (Amy's house is full of them), and...customers.The bookstore might be a little quirky. Then again, so is Sara. But Broken Wheel's own story might be more eccentric and surprising than she thoughts.A heartwarming reminder of why we are booklovers, this is a sweet, smart story about how books find us, change us, and connect us.
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LibraryCin
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Mehso-so

I listened to the audio and this was ok. Pretty slow moving and I did lose focus at points so didn‘t fully follow some of the townspeople‘s activities and even missed who some of the people were. The book references were fun, and it‘s a cute story

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staci.reads
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Pickpick

I loved this one. It's set in small town Iowa, so I definitely connected with the atmosphere, and I'm always a sucker for a story revolving around books and their power to connect people. It's a soft, sweet story about the love of people, communities, and reading ❤️. This was my October #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 5mo
59 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Susanita
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I wouldn‘t want to take over a bookstore from my pen pal who died right before I arrived from another country for a visit, but it would be fun to have a store of my own for a while. I‘d call it This and That Books. It would be somewhere in a medium sized city or the suburbs, maybe New York or California? I‘d sell new and old books, journals, bookmarks, tea, candles, etc. and would specialize in mysteries. Maybe foster a cat? #wondrouswednesday

Eggs Wow sorry for the loss of your friend ☹️ Love your book shop ideas 💡 10mo
Susanita @Eggs I‘m sorry it wasn‘t clear. The friend dies in the book, not my friend. I can‘t imagine though! 10mo
Eggs @Susanita Oh thank Heaven!!! 10mo
29 likes3 comments
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BriannaT
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Pickpick

Adding to the “books about books” section of my bookshelf. This was actually an ARC that someone donated to the library, and I got for $2. Never seen one before! Sara comes to Broken Wheel, Iowa, from Sweden to meet her elderly pen pal. She arrives on day of Amy‘s funeral, but the rest of the citizens of the small town don‘t want her to go. A bibliophile, Sara decides to open up a book store. While tropey at times, I‘m happy to add it to my shelf.

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julieclair
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🎶🎵On the third day of #12BooksOf2022 my book log gave to me… My favorite book of March 2022!
@Andrew65

BookBosomed1 That‘s a sweet book. 1y
Andrew65 Sounds great. 1y
melissajayne I read the book for a bookclub that I attend and really liked it. 1y
30 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Bellawether

It was, in many ways, her dream bookshop. Not least because all the books had already been read. Books that had already been read were the best.

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Bellawether

Never live your life according to the idiots‘ rules. Because they‘ll drag you down to their level, they‘ll win, and you‘ll have a damned awful time in the process

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julieclair
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Pickpick



This was a delightful story! Warm and funny and hopeful. And books played a central role. Right up my alley!

This was my #DoubleSpin for March.

The match with #FragileSprout may be a bit of a stretch for #Pantone2022 , since it's not the main cover color, but I thought the flourishes we're a perfect match.

Set in #Iowa for #RoadTripUSA2022, and is # 8 in my #22booksin22 TBR Reduction Mission!

@TheAromaofBooks @Clwojick @megnews @jb72

jb72 Awesome job! I‘ve been wanting to read that book. 2y
Clwojick Great match! 💚 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
13 likes4 comments
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behudd
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Bailedbailed

To be honest, I didn‘t get very far in this one before deciding not to finish. About a Scandinavian woman who travels to middle-of-nowhere Iowa to meet her book loving pen pal, I think it‘s one that at a different time could be a fun, easy read, but right now was just not that time for me. Originally written in Swedish, I could definitely be underselling this one. If you‘ve read it, let me know in the comments!

behudd @TheAromaofBooks this was my August #bookspin book 3y
BookNAround I should have loved this one but ended up really disappointed by it. 3y
TheAromaofBooks This one has gone off & on my list a few times because I see such mixed reviews! 😂 3y
32 likes3 comments
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cornfedwellread
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐💫 This book tells the story of a Swedish woman named Sara who comes to visit her pen pal, Amy, in the small town of Broken Wheel, IA. After arriving, she finds that Amy is dead. The plot follows Sara making a book store and becoming beloved by the town. Having grown up in small town IA myself, there were parts of the setting that felt unrealistic to me. The author did clearly do some research into Iowa geography, though.

Continued below 👇

cornfedwellread The story is light and sweet, but overall the pacing felt slow. I think I would have enjoyed this one more on audio. I liked getting to know the characters, but I think the plot could have been conveyed just as well in fewer pages. 3y
LiteraryinLawrence I totally agree. I remember thinking I would like this book a lot more than I actually did. 3y
cornfedwellread @LiteraryinLawrence It was somewhat what I expected. I thought I might find it a little more compelling. I honestly don't read many cozy books like this. I do like to listen to some "chick lit" books on audio, and I think this would have fit within that preference. It's definitely not bad and I can see how some people would really like it, I just like more drama in my reading. 3y
15 likes3 comments
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cornfedwellread
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I'm not a fan of the term ? "chick lit," but I agree with the sentiment! Give me all the Sophie Kinsella and keep away all the books edited and published by men who want to use stereotypes to sell books.

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Soubhiville
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Mehso-so

Pretty much what I expected, this book is kind of fluffy, even though it‘s got a sad tone too.

I enjoyed it as a light read, but I don‘t expect to retain much of it for long.

Small town Iowa, Sarah is visiting from Sweden. Circumstances lead to her opening a small bookstore and trying to help the townsfolk find a love of reading. There‘s romance as well. Cute but predictable.

#readingthestates2021 #Iowa

Bette Your picture gets me in the mood for spring. 👍❤️ 3y
SilversReviews I liked this book. 3y
AmyG What a lovely photo. ❤️ 3y
75 likes3 comments
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Erin.Elizabeth10
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Panpan

This book would have been a bail for me, but it was the book club pick (and I‘m super diligent about finishing all book club books), so I DID finish it! Overall, this was totally not my cup of tea, the plot felt unbelievable and there were way too many characters. About halfway through I just decided to kind of “let go” and then I enjoyed it more. There were definitely some funny parts. But overall, not for me.

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Heideschrampf
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Mehso-so

Finished this cozy read off my TBR late yesterday. I had hoped for a bit more flair to it, but at least it tried being progressive. The story is utterly illogical but who cares!? #12colohrsofchristmas

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Heideschrampf
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This is a fivefold #SelfieScavangerHunt sitting in my favorite reading spot in front of mum&dad‘s fireplace (which my dad has forbidden to light because it‘s too close to...) the christmas tree and festive light‘s with a mellow holiday feel-good book! +76 for #ReadNosedReindeer

Leftcoastzen I love your slippers! Cozy! 3y
Heideschrampf @Leftcoastzen they‘re my moms and i stole them ;) 3y
45 likes3 comments
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JacqMac
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Pickpick

I have been saving this book, because I knew I would love it. It‘s about a girl who loves books and the books she loves. And how she saves a small town with her book love. And how the town saves her. I had a dream that I opened my own bookshop and I called it The Book Bank. Like a food bank, but for people who are hungry for knowledge. I loved this book as much as I thought I would. Perfect comfort read.

Palimpsest What a lovely idea you have! I‘m definitely one that is “ hungry for knowledge”! 3y
Jas16 I haven‘t seen that cover before. Love it. 3y
RaimeyGallant This sounds fabulous and so does your dream. 3y
UglyOldBat Excellent idea! 3y
59 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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BookishGirl06
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Bailedbailed

I‘m gonna dnf this since I‘m not that into it unfortunately

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BookishGirl06
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What I‘m reading now 😊

75 likes1 stack add
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rebbyj
Pickpick

Fun fun fun!

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SilversReviews
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FEATURING: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katrina Bivald

Sara came to Broken Wheel, Iowa, ​from Sweden ​to meet her pen pal, Amy, but what she found when she arrived wasn't what she was expecting.

THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL is a gem and a book that is perfect for a change of pace as well as a treasure for any book lover.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/y384dwm7

@katarinabivald
@Sourcebooks

JacqMac I have had this one on my TBR for a long time. Great review! 3y
SilversReviews @JacqMac THANK YOU about my review. I really enjoyed the book. Thanks for your comment. 3y
38 likes2 comments
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JulietReads
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PurpleTulipGirl
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Pickpick

Miss Molly has been enjoying this quiet day, too.

Finished the tagged this afternoon. Sara travels to Broken Wheel only to learn her pen pal has died. She ends up staying in town and getting to know the people. Broken Wheel is a dying town, with little reason for anyone to stay, but Sara has more reason to stay than to go back home. And the town needs her, too, so they concoct to have her marry a local.

wanderinglynn What a cutie! ❤️🐶 4y
Bette Love Miss Molly. I enjoyed this book when I read it. ❤️👍 4y
29 likes3 comments
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PurpleTulipGirl
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#translated from Swedish

Newly unemployed Sara arrives, intending to spend 2 months with her pen pal, Amy, only to learn Amy has died. Sara finds herself staying in Amy‘s house and the subject of curiosity in a town of 630. One thing she knows: the people of Broken Wheel need books. And Amy had a lot of books.

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umbrellagirl

How could it be possible to have traveled thousands of miles and still be the same person when you arrived?

MayJasper Because you were unconscious 4y
kspenmoll @MayJasper Great response! 4y
MayJasper Yes, but after I wrote it I thought the question is probably rhetorical! 4y
umbrellagirl The character now finds herself with no friends and thirteen books. 4y
34 likes4 comments
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AprilMae
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This. This really burns my biscuit. For the love of all things, why would you put a tag on a readable page!!!! (I get it, you put it where people won't want to just rip it out because it will ruin the book, but ugh, come on!!!!) #petpeeve

CBee That is seriously uncool!!! And it looks like one of those super thick ones that could tear the page too 😳🙄 4y
megnews 😮 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage The secret to stickers on the outside is heating it with a hair dryer. Wonder if it would work inside ...? 4y
See All 7 Comments
Crazeedi This is ridiculous! Never saw this before. Btw-good book 4y
LibrarianRyan I had that recently too in a library graphic novel. I get the need but come on people. 4y
AprilMae @BarbaraTheBibliophage I got it off, just had to go slow. I've tried the hairdryer method on the outside, not the in... might have to try it next time! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @AprilMae Whatever works! Glad you got most of it off! 4y
29 likes7 comments
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Citra182
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I think I have the unpopular opinion of really liking this book. What I liked most about it was the atmosphere it created. I really felt I was in a quirky little town with all its eccentric residents each experiencing life in their own unique way. Reading this book - it felt like home: comfortable, warm, and kind of crazy.

annahenke I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was like a cozy, sweet hug. 4y
7 likes1 comment
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Victoria_Clyne
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Pickpick

This is one of those charming books full of quirky but lovable characters that warm the heart.

After exchanging letters (mostly about books) Sara travels from Sweden to a small town in Iowa, America to meet her pen pal Amy only to discover that she has past away. The town is on the verge of disappearing but the townfolk take Sara under their wings.

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Nute
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Mehso-so

A book about a bookstore: COOL
A book that mentions several other books: REALLY COOL
A book that spoils the plots of other books: NOT COOL
A book with two-dimensional characters: NO WAY COOL
A book with off-the-wall plausibility: MAY BE COOL BUT NEVER COULD BE COOL IF IT AIN‘T DONE COOL

Why did I read it? BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT A BOOKSTORE and like I said THAT‘S ALWAYS COOL!😎
Oh, also it was a book club selection so I had no choice.

LazyDays Yea, I couldn't get past the first 2 chapters. 4y
Coleen_Nieto @Nute my thoughts exactly! 4y
emtobiasz Yeah, I wanted to like this one more than I did, but ended up kind of 😒 4y
See All 10 Comments
Hooked_on_books Totally agree. This one was disappointing. 4y
Scochrane26 Love your review! 4y
TheSpineView Well I can delete this from my list! Great review! 4y
Nute @Bookishthoughts @Coleen_Nieto @emtobiasz @Hooked_on_books Happy to know that it‘s not just me, because my entire book club gave it the thumbs up and wondered if I‘d read the same book. I wasn‘t looking for depth, but I was looking for ‘something else‘ - a more fullness to the characters and story. It was too far fetched and flat. I wanted to care a lot more for a dying small town and its inhabitants! 4y
Nute @Scochrane26 Thank you!💕 4y
Nute @TheSpineView Thank you! There might be reasons that would cause you to enjoy this book. I did like the sentimentality related to the pull of a bookstore or library for a dedicated reader. I liked equating a great portion of happiness with reading. But after those points were made... Hmmm🤔 4y
lynneamch Yep. Having lived in Iowa for 30+ years, I found the audio version to be especially troublesome: the "aw, shucks" inaccurate accents emphasized the shallow stereotyped characterizations. A good premise gone awry. The letters held some interest for me. 4y
81 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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nichollinlove
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Pickpick

There's a quote on the cover of the book that absolutely nails my opinion of it.

"One of those books you want to live in for a little while."

An adorable, romantic comedy fiction. I loved the characters and I loved the antics. A feel good book for any season but fits the vibes of a Christmas Hallmark movie. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

UwannaPublishme One of my favorites, too! 🙌🏻 4y
30 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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nichollinlove
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Currently listening to this book and it's such a true statement!!

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Nute
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Book club reading on a Saturday morning before the family finds their way to the kitchen to inquire about breakfast.🥞🥓🍳
Just starting this book...it is a quaint story filled with small town living. I think that I‘m going like being here experiencing an old-fashioned sentiment.

SW-T Happy reading! 😊 4y
Nute @SW-T Thanks. This was on my bookshelves prior to my book club‘s decision to read it. Though I must have had some interest in reading it when purchased, I feel that it would have been a good long while before I got around to it. I‘m so happy when bookclub makes me read a book that I‘ve owned for years.😆 4y
SW-T Book club‘s are good motivators 😂 4y
75 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Devyn
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Mehso-so

A bit slow for my taste, but a great cast of characters. They were a bit frustrating at times and the plot felt a little too drawn out. I can see why it‘d be a favorite for people but just a 3/5 stars for me.

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Devyn
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On the subject of student reading lists: “The real crime of these lists isn‘t that they leave deserving books off them, but that they make people see fantastic literary adventures as obligations.”

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Devyn
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So far, so good. Only about 75 pages in but this is normally when I decide to DNF a book or not and I‘m definitely going to keep going. The characters are a little indistinguishable to me at this point so hopefully they sort themselves out in my head, but I‘m intrigued to see what Sara does to this little town!

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marlene_reader

Hewo~ I'm new here and I need to ask a favor to you... Pls recommend me books

In preference recommend books with a motivational or philosophical message

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rather_be_reading
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This sounds like such a cute bookstore book I had to buy it!!

AmberWB I really enjoyed this one! 5y
rather_be_reading @AmberWB yay cnt wait to get to it! 5y
Come-read-with-me @rather_be_reading knowing your superb taste in books I bought this and a enjoying it thoroughly! 🙌🏻 5y
rather_be_reading @Come-read-with-me haha omg i love to hear that!! 5y
65 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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SilversReviews
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Sara was determined to make the town of Broken Wheel a town of readers.

THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL is a gem and a book that is perfect for a change of pace as well as a treasure for any book lover.

I truly enjoyed the small town of Broken Wheel and its quirky, caring residents.

♥️ A favorite of 2015 for me. ♥️

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/y384dwm7

Areader2 I enjoyed this one too! 5y
SilversReviews @Areader2 It was such a lovely read. Glad to hear we both enjoyed this book. Thanks for commenting. 5y
Crazeedi I enjoyed this one 5y
See All 6 Comments
SilversReviews @Crazeedi Such a cute read - loved it. Thanks for commenting. 5y
Eggs Liked this one! 5y
SilversReviews @Eggs It was so good. Thanks for commenting. 5y
54 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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RobeyMemorial
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🐝Book Buzz🐝: Fun, light read--perfect for summer!

Tammy550 Loved this book 5y
9 likes7 stack adds1 comment
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rachaich
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Pickpick

Ah I liked this.
Not my usual type of book but thoroughly heart warming and romantic!
Now I need to move there!
It reminded me of A Man Called Ove and the others in that series.

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rachaich
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This was recommended on Litsy and I'm looking forward to starting this morning :)

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rachaich
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6 books for £1!!!! Then I'll have 12!
And so the to read pile grows...

TrishB Irresistible!! 5y
21 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

Like A Man Called Ove, this will live in your heart forever. Sara arrives in Broken Wheel from Sweden to visit Amy, who has just died. She stays, and looks to repay the townsfolk‘s kindness. She does it with books ❤️ Before long, she has changed the town, and they can‘t bear for her to leave. Shenanigans ensue🙂
This is about how books change people, relationships, & the world. And how everything changes when you change one thing.

Freespirit Sounds great😊 5y
38 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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SitsWithaBook
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Panpan

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. So much potential but the poor writing, the cast of ill defined, indistinguishable characters and omg book spoilers force me to pan this one. Ugh.

I did like Sarah and her reflections on reading but the wacky hijinks of the town were a bridge too far.

lynneamch Well said. Audio was even worse, with accents nowhere close to the Iowans I knew over 30 years. My two Iowa native friends who tried couldn't even finish it. Great premise gone awry. 5y
50 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
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This is the feeling I had the first time I was in Powell‘s 😓

Texreader Oh this is so poignant. 5y
Sweettartlaura @Texreader it‘s turning out to be that kind of book 😥 5y
29 likes2 comments
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luv2read1977
Pickpick

Good book club choice.

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Pickpick

A great rom-com story. If you need a happy read, this is a good one. Reminded me of Leap Year with Amy Adams and a mix of When You Were Sleeping and The Proposal with Sandra Bullock. 😊😊

rubyslippersreads I ❤️ that cover! 5y
UwannaPublishme One of my favorite books! 🙌🏻 5y
See All 6 Comments
xxjenadanxx I really enjoyed this one. 5y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders @xxjenadanxx a very enjoyable story for sure! 5y
40 likes6 comments
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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Enjoying sitting outside tonight! Still finding out what the readers of Broken Wheel are recommending while sipping on a Pelee Lighthouse Riesling. 👍😊 Hubbie's beer is Czechvar.

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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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So my audio borrow expired and others were waiting, so I'll finish with my paper copy. It was a very good audio!

JSW Such a sweet book. 5y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders @JSW I was really enjoying in audio! 5y
37 likes2 comments
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
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This is going well in audio for me!

35 likes1 stack add