finished reading

Books about books are always a favorite of mine. The premise of this story is beautifully bittersweet: recently widowed Tilly receives a year-long birthday gift arranged by her husband before he passed. Each month, she receives a new book from the local bookshop, accompanied by a sweet nudge from Joe to move through her grief and live a full life. I truly enjoyed following her journey through twelve months, twelve books, and twelve challenges. It is a heartfelt, poignant read, filled with quirky and lovable secondary characters.  And here is a link to the list of 80 books mentioned.

From the publisher:

Twelve stories. Twelve months. Once chance to heal her heart...

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé 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.

Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?