Happy review day! Last year (or maybe the year before?) I decided to try to expand my reading horizons, and part of that was reading more nonfiction.
Like memoirs.
Essentially this book follows Paul Collins as he moves himself, his wife, and his young son to the Welsh countryside. Specifically, to Hay-on-Wye, the "Town of Books" that boasts forty bookstores for its 1500 inhabitants.
Paul and his wife want to live there; they want to make a home there, and set up a idyllic life in a restored, classic home, working with the books that Paul loves. They want their son to grow up in this countryside, in this small town, surrounded by used bookstores. Meanwhile, Paul's first book is going through publication. He is picking cover artwork, revisiting a title, and so on.
I loved the love of books evident in these pages. Paul loves the eclectic, odd ones most, and his descriptions and excerpts of these sections are touching and often downright funny.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot, but was a little disappointed by much of the ending (minus the very last incident). The pacing felt off; while I understand that memoir means nonfiction, so it couldn't have the resolution I wanted, there was a large build-up that left me a little deflated. Without spoiling anything, things shifted very quickly, and that whole build-up felt superfluous.
Overall though, a quick, pleasant read for those who love books.
Also, I really want to visit Hay-on-Wye.
What do you think of memoirs? Any to recommend?
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