Wow, I had zero qualms with this book. As soon as I got used to Loveday's slightly odd narration (I mean her name is Loveday, she gets a pass) I was immediately hooked and needed to guzzle everything she deigned to share about her past and present life. She is a bookseller at the bookshop the novel is named after and she was basically adopted by the owner after she stole a book from there as a teen. She was in foster care at the time and seeking protection from her mother she found solace in the shop.

The chapters flit between 1999, 2013, and 2016 and are catalogued according to the contents, either named as Crime, History, Poetry, Memoir, and Travel. This is the most bookish tale I've read yet and I felt so much comfort in Loveday's likes (books & writing poetry), dislikes (people & being social) and insecurities (her family's history) that I had a hard time putting it down and am practically heartsick having to part with her (for now).