This month for ‘The Book Taster’, we could choose any Jenny Colgan book we wanted to read. After all, she does have a little bit of a festive backlist behind her. However, I did give in to her newest release, ‘The Secret Christmas Library’, mainly because I judged the book by its stunning cover – the content of the story was almost irrelevant.
But, I am pleased to report that this book did not disappoint. This story was just the right amount of festive joy for any book lover. I mean, a treasure hunt for a missing book in a family library (with plenty of bookish and popular culture references) is potentially a bookworm’s comfort read of choice. It is also rather delightful that this book brings us back to two of the chracters from ‘The Christmas Book Hunt’ (which I read last year), Mirren and Theo.
Mirren and Theo are reunited, as rival book hunters, as they attempt to help Jamie find a rare and valuable lost book in his grandfather’s old collection, because Jamie needs to try and save his crumbling family home. His grandfather had been a great puzzle-setter, which seems to make it an impossible treasure hunt. And, of course, there are all sorts of challenges along the way, and mishaps that keep you reading and rooting for Jamie.
The joy of this book was that it was easy to read at this time of year. It had the right touch of festive fun without becoming overly cheesy. It left you feeling good about the world; a cosy comforting read that helps you escape from the stresses of the world.
I will certainly be looking up the other bookish titles from Jenny Colgan’s backlist, as one thing I love is a book about books – because there seems to be an extra dose of comfort for a reader when the book is about books.