The Library

Product Information

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria & Aries via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Library by Bella Osborne for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. When he encounters that certain girl in the library, he manages to chat about books without being wholly overcome by the embarrassment that usually plagues him. Later, they learn that the library is under threat of closure and, together with Maggie’s book group and other library patrons, they vow to fight the council’s short-sighted plan. The Library is heart-rending and inspiring in equal measures. A wonderful story of the triumphs of community over bureaucracy. I adored it!' -- Celia Anderson Even someone as socially awkward as sixteen year old Tom can find a sense of equilibrium just entering the quiet, calming space of his local library. He can be comfortably invisible here whilst still interacting in social activities. This is a charming, touching novel of friendship and families, forgiveness and healing, and books! I highly recommend it.

The Library" by Bella Osborne is an emotional read that highlights the struggles of both the older and younger generation while maintaining a light-hearted narrative tone. This novel shows how the unlikeliest of people can become close friends and the toughest of situations can be overcome if one has the motivation and support of others.

This is one of those books where I eeked out the reading of it. I rarely do that with books but I only read 20% max at a time because it was just so good and so lovely and I wanted to take in all of the detail since it's the first novel I've read like this from Bella Osborne. I loved it and I highly recommend it. @fabbookfiend Read the full review Maggie has come to the library for her weekly book club meeting. She comes for the company and a chance to interact with others. She has always loved the library, it’s sense of calm and “somewhere safe and quiet to run to and the library had never let her down.”

The story starts like this. ’My name is Tom Harris and I am invisible.’ At least that’s the way he feels and, in a way, it suits him as he hates being noticed. Since his mother died when he was 8, it has just been him and his father. They have a strained ralitipnship. His father never seems to listen to him or take notice of him. Tom spends much of his time alone. Then Tom discovers the library and remembers happy times he spent there with his mum. 72 year old Maggie lives alone since her husband died ten years earlier. Her solace is books and the library is her safe haven. Tom and Maggie encounter each other in bizarre circumstances and a tentative friendship is formed. Tom learns there is far more to Maggie than he first thought. No complaints here. I loved the bond between Tom and Maggie, so unconditional, so unexpected, so adorable! Maggie especially is unlike any other geriatric character I have seen in novels. I’d love to meet someone like her in real life. She steals the show in this story. Tom Harris feels as though he is invisible. “Not actually invisible – that would make me interesting and I’m not. I’m the person others find easy to forget. The one who is lost in the crowd.” When Kate is given the opportunity to stay at a beautiful country retreat and concentrate on the screenplay, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. Encouraged by her best friend, sharp-tongued single mum Sarah, Kate sees it’s finally time to stop letting life pass her by.

The one thing that was a little bit iffy about the book was Farah. She's the potential love interest for Tom but then never really developed this in the book. They really hang out once in the book and the rest is just inferred. I also didn't like that there is moment where Tom tells her that another boy is jerk and she deserved better. She leaves in a huff and ignores him for WEEKS. Later, it's revealed that she wasn't with the jerk at all but tutoring him because her mom asked her too and she had to get out it because he was annoying. So she ignored him for what? it made no sense and it pissed me off so minus .2 invisible points for that.

The Library by Bella Osborne is a sweet , delightful read with endearing characters and an engaging narrative shared in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Tom and Maggie. I loved the vivid descriptions of nature and Maggie’s farm and animals. The intergenerational friendship and trust between Tom and Maggie are beautifully and convincingly developed as the story progresses. In addition to themes of friendship, kindness, trust and community and highlighting the power of books and libraries in bringing people and communities together, the author also touches upon sensitive themes of aging, grief, loneliness, alcoholism, dysfunctional families and bullying among others with sensitivity, compassion and wisdom. I'm drawn to stories that revolve around bookstores and/or libraries. Unfortunately, more often than not I've been disappointed with how the stories are handled/executed. I’m happy to say that this novel does not fall into that category. This is a perfect feel-good, uplifting read for those times you need to de-stress or when you just need a lighter read in between more serious /heavy reads. I always like reading books by this author and think this novel was far better than my last read… by a long way. I really enjoyed this one and thought the narrative was a perfect example of cosy escapism – what more could you want from a book?! After falling out with his father over the time he spends in his room on his XBox, Tom discovered that the library could offer him some respite from the hours he spends at home alone. He is by nature very shy and awkward around people and prefers to stay at home where he feels safe. Because of this he doesn’t make friends, but he does feel the need for company sometimes. What was brilliant about Bella’s writing of Tom’s character, was that she never forgot he was a teenage boy, and made sure his character was peppered with all the usual traits of a sixteen year old.In this book, Bella makes the very important point about how valuable our libraries are and how we all need to use them or risk losing them. The humour that ripples through Maggie’s feistiness and Tom’s social ineptitude is so warmly presented by Bella Osborne that there are some real laugh out loud moments. This humour creates even more poignancy when contrasted with the more emotional aspects of the story, but also brings sheer delight to the reader.