Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop
- Jan 1
- 2 min read
Pages: 302 📖
Year Published: 2021 🗓️
Days to Complete: 11 🕰️
Author:
Colgan must be one of those authors who never stops writing given the number of books she's published plus books written under her pseudonyms, Jane Beaton and J. T. Colgan. She was born in Scotland and attended the University of Edinburgh. After college, she worked in health services and married her husband, Andrew Beaton. Together, they have three children and split their time between France and London (*sigh*). Colgan published her first novel Amanda's Wedding in 2000 and basically hasn't let up since.
Three words to describe this read:
Approachable- Usually, I strategically decide when I'm going to read a book based on how I'm feeling, the setting of the story, or the seasons (in the book or in reality), but this one was easy to place and I was eager to read it. Nothing about it made me hesitate or wonder if I would be able to get through it.
Pitying- Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the book was the main character's tendency to feel sorry for herself. The characteristic was acknowledged several times in the story, but it was still difficult to repeatedly have to read through her self-wallowing.
Memorable- The most memorable part of the story for me was the setting. Christmas in Edinburgh sounds magical, and the icy rooftop terrarium with views of Scottish hills helped a bit, even if it isn't real. Overall, it made me want to add "Christmas in Edinburgh" to my bucket list.
Quote:
"However tricky things were, there was something like a promise kept: Every year, there will be a festival. There will be tiny lights. There will be joy, and hope. In the very center of the dark, when things seem at their bleakest, there will be firelight and candles and joy."
This quote really encompasses the entire feeling of Christmas. To me, it explains why it's so magical, year after year, despite all the negativity and insanity that happens through the prior months. And despite capitalism preying on this glimmer of hope at the end of each year, it's comforting to know that the true meaning of Christmas cannot be bought and sold.
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