Gave me very stereotypical and cliche vibes. I DNF-ed it. I would not recommend it to anyone. Should have added more elements.

My thoughts 



Narrative and Plot 




The Library is one of those stories that celebrate the odd friendship between two people from different generations. Told from the perspective of the two main characters, Tom and Maggie the book discusses the theme of isolation and the need for a community no matter what generation you are from. This theme is particularly relevant at the current times when people aren't even surprised by the overnight lockdowns and isolation.

The plot mainly focuses on the relationship between the main characters. It is a coming of age story for Tom and reconciliation with the past for Maggie. The journey towards these goals is heartwarming, to say the least.








Characters and Conflicts 





The story has quite an ensemble of characters. However, it is the main characters that keep you hooked to the book. The way they're written makes your heart go for them and want this friendship to blossom. You as a reader can their yearning and it makes you root for them.

The conflict of the book goes a lot deeper than what it seems at the surface. At the same time, the story has a balance of light-hearted moments and keeping things simple. Isolation and loneliness among a crowd is something that we can relate to and that is the underlying theme of the story.

However, if I am being picky, there are a few characters in the story that came off as bullies and the "bad guys". Since the story is dealing with isolation for people in different situations, I expected some kind of a subtle nod to show how they too have some layer of issues that surface as being evil. However, that didn't happen and they remained just the evil guys till the end. Not that it affected the story in any way but it is the only thing I could point out as something that could have been more. 





Conclusion 







Overall, Thd Library is a heartwarming comfort read that delivers exactly what it promises. When you pick up the book, after reading the synopsis you expect a few things and the book provide all those moments in abundance.

Loved this book. Bella does not disappoint. I had to keep reading to see what was happening. The growing friendships and the back story of each character I loved.

The Library by Bella Osborne

A novel about lonely people who have lost precious ones and have dome together to make their world a little easier. Success in the end.

A very emotional book. Very well-written. Many diversified characters. I recommend this book.

Favorite Quotes:

I’m more conscious than most that people get twitchy around teenage boys. They think we’re all either on drugs or about to nick stuff.

She held my gaze. Usually this made me feel uncomfortable, like seriously uncomfortable, as if I wanted to unzip my own skin and take it off like a onesie, but for some reason this time I was okay.

It was great disappearing into a story but the shame of anyone discovering I was reading romance books was nagging away at me like toothache. Just the thought of it made me nauseous but the truth was I loved them. I was probably a bit addicted. Mainly because they were basically self-help guides for useless men. They were exactly what I needed. Simple lessons in how not to behave around females. I was learning way more from them than I did from my schoolbooks.

‘I practise jujitsu, judo and some elements of aikido. All to a reasonable level.’… ‘Bloody hell, you’re the geriatric version of Bruce Lee!’

They resumed their reading; each delving into other worlds where they could switch off from being themselves and most importantly avoid the things in the real world they could do nothing to alter.


My Review:

I adored everything about this brilliantly insightful and thoughtfully written hybrid of women’s fiction, family drama, and coming-of-age genres. The endearing characters were enticingly flawed and their struggles were so compellingly written even those with the coldest of hearts would be drawn to them. The storylines and writing style were easy to follow and I quickly fell into a uniquely absorbing vortex that I was reluctant to leave behind when the pesky tasks of real life intruded. I was fully invested and captivated by the smartly written and perceptive story threads and the cleverness of how the various pieces were melding together while maintaining such evocative, well-honed, and heart-touching scenarios that tapped all the feels with generous helpings of amusing temerity and wry wit.

Along with top-shelf entertainment, Ms. Osborne was also provided me with two new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases list with daft ha’p’orth – a foolish person, and shufti – a quick look around. Believe me when I say only a daft ha’p’orth would pass up an opportunity to read this lovely tale.

Fabulous. One of my favourite books of 2021 and a real love story to the vital role libraries play in our communities. It deserves to be read far and wide.

I am loving that there are so many books out there at the moment that are singing the praises of libraries. The Library by Bella Osborne is one such book.

The library is a communal space. A space that isn't just a place to find the best books but a place for young mums to have playdates, a place for people to use the internet, apply for jobs, a place for the elderly to meet - a place that squashes loneliness. For Tom and Maggie it is a sanctuary. Tom needs sanctuary from his dad - a man that is grieving and who is struggling to parent Tom. Tom needs the library too. It makes him feel closer to his mum.

For Maggie, the library offers a place where she can feel at one with the community. It gives her purpose and something to do each week.

When Tom and Maggie's lives intertwine they both give each other a little bit of what they need.

The Library is a lovely celebration of friendship and the magic of libraries. It is a novel that shows that friendship has no barrier and the massive impact that people can make when fighting for a mutual cause and I loved it.

The Library by Bella Osbourne is available now.

For more information regarding Aria Books (@Aria_Fiction) please visit www.headofzeus.com.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria for the chance to read The library of Bella Osborne but after picking it up and trying to get into several times I had to give up. This book was not for me.

Who wouldn’t want to read about a library?! I really like Maggie and Toms dynamic. Maggie was a great character that helps Tom deal with his family issues. And Tom helped give Maggie family again. It was a little long but all in all a good read.

I was really pleased to be invited to join the blog tour around the paperback release of Bella Osbourne’s new book. The Library is such an interesting book in that it presents two very different central characters who are both experiencing a similar sadness and isolation in their lives.

Tom is a teenager who lives with his Dad after the death of his mother. But his Dad really isn’t coping and they live on fish fingers and beans while his father downs a bottle of scotch a night.

Maggie is a pensioner living alone on her farm just outside the village. Her only real friends are the characters in her beloved books and her only regular human interaction is at the weekly book group held in the library.

Tom has fond memories of his mum taking him to the library when he was a small child and when he finds himself without his games console he needs something to pass the time but he also needs some help. There is a girl that he really likes and he has no idea how to interact with her. Time to read a few Rom Coms.

When the library is suddenly under threat of closure it will change the lives of all of these people. They all need to pull together to try and save it for their own selfish reasons.

Bella Osborne has created a really interesting take on what is a now familiar tale of public libraries closing. The friendship that develops between Maggie and Tom is an unusual relationship and as it becomes closer issues begin to arise that threaten the happiness that they experience together. The Library would be a great Book Club choice as there are some obvious discussion points here.

I loved this story. I just loved Maggie and Tom and become so invested in Tom's world. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
I truly enjoyed this book. The relationship that blossoms between Maggie and Tom was enjoyable to read. It's rare to find a heartwarming story (such as this) these days. Great work to Bella Osborne! One of my favorites of 2021.

Oh Bella has another absolutely wonderful read which I have to say is just perfect for book lovers. I adore Bella’s books and always know that I won’t be disappointed.

This is a book with a lovely plot and fantastic characters. I found myself becoming invested very quickly and unwilling to put this down. Reading this, I admit to giving a death stare to anyone who dare disturb me.

The Library is charming and addictive. Once you pick this up you will not want to put this down at all. This is a read which is both uplifting and heartwarming.

This book is central to what so many of us love- Libraries. We see Tom and Maggie work together in this one and the contrast of the pair has made for an interesting read.

This has been an absolute delight to read. There is nothing negative I can say about this book. I have loved everything about it. This is definitely a book I will be recommending.

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This was such an enjoyable read. I adore books that center around libraries and literature, so I was excited to give this one a read. And although the library and its potential closure plays a part in this story, the real gem is the friendship between 16-year-old socially awkward Tom who lost his Mom and is slowly losing his Dad to alcoholism, and Maggie, a lonely 72-year-old widow who lost her son. Watching these two meet and form a friendship was just heartwarming. Throw in a cast of equally endearing side characters. An angry ram named Colin, tons of feels, a sweet ending and you have yourself a book worth recommending!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Although a change of direction from Bella Osborne's previous books, this one is also so accomplished it really does add another string to her writing bow,

And it hooked me in quite quickly with Tom saying how invisible he felt. And I loved his unexpected friendship with Maggie.

What the troubled teen and the older woman have in common is they are both lonely, both bookworms and both rather keen to help save the library.

It's a book that booklovers will adore, and I think we can all resonate with the the fact that libraries must be allowed to stay open and help their communities.

This is a really heartwarming story that I completely adored.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A beautiful story of a lovely inter-generational friendship and the binding power of books. A favourite book of those from Bella I've read so far.

Tom believes he might be invisible – an awkward teenager who’s lost his mum, living with his alcoholic father, bullied at school, knowing he’s unlikely to escape a life working at the local dog food factory. Other than enjoying time with his Xbox, the only small light on his horizon is the possibility that the unattainable Farah might notice him – and that’s why he finds himself visiting the library she often inhabits, walking away with a bag full of romantic novels that might just let him find out more about girls and what makes them tick. And that’s where he meets Maggie – a lonely and isolated 72-year-old, living on a smallholding on the town’s fringes – and their friendship slowly develops as they join forces, fighting to save the library from closure while supporting each other.

The story is told from both their perspectives – Tom’s in the first person, Maggie’s in third – and their characters are quite beautifully developed and their voices perfectly captured. I grew to love them both really deeply – and their story was touching, tender, emotional, and beautifully told. And if the main characters are superbly drawn, so is the supporting cast – Christine the jobsworth librarian, the members of the library book club (only glimpses, but just wonderful), Maggie’s curmudgeonly farmer neighbour, the school bully, fragrant Farah and Tom’s struggling father. There’s plenty of gentle humour, but also moments that tear at your heart – the book addresses some quite difficult issues at times, but handles them with exceptional sensitivity. This was a book that really made me feel, with a few teary moments – but it was also joyous, heartwarming and so uplifting, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

And when I find a book I really enjoy, I often recommend it to my book club – who can sometimes be a little bit sniffy about the contemporary fiction I choose to read. Every one of them read this one, and every one of them thoroughly enjoyed it – and that just confirmed that this book really was something particularly special. I recommend it to everyone without reservation – one of my books of the year.

A story about the intergenerational friendship about two people dealing with their own forms of grief and the ways they bond over books at their local library. Tom's mother is dead and he is left living with his alcoholic father. Life is hard and he finds joy and escape in the romance novels he checks out for his 'mother' at his local library. He also meets Maggie, an older woman dealing with her own grief over the loss of her son. The two bond and Maggie offers Tom a safe space and solace from the turmoil of his home life. Recommended for fans of The reading list or The last chance library. Great on audio and definitely one for book lovers and those who like seeing small town people fighting to save their local libraries. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: death of a parent, alcoholism

The Library by Bella Osbourne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts—this book was soooo incredible! Loved this beautiful comforting story of strangers connecting in a library and I couldn’t put it down. It made me so happy to be a librarian and I reflected on how many people I have helped throughout my career in library settings. Tom and Maggie were both real characters and I loved the friendship they forge through literature and become less lonely! I finished this one in one day! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC! @bellaosborneauthor -well done!!! This is such a beautiful book! 😍📚😍
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Blurb: Two lonely bookworms. An unexpected friendship. A library that needs their help
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Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.
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Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that's what she tells herself.
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When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever.
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Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it's not just about books – it's the heart of their community.
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They are determined to save it – because some things are worth fighting for.

So, we follow the story about a teenager and an elderly woman who are pretty lonely despite being surrounded by their peers. The meet at their local library and start a cute friendship.
While I really liked the first 25% of the book, soon I found Maggie's POV a bit boring and it didn't interest me. I continued for a while enjoying Tom's POV but it started to drag along and I began to feel uninterested about his life.
I get that the author tried to raise awareness about a lot of topics but in my personal opinion, that didn't happen really well. I'm not saying it is a bad book, just because I expected something different since it's about the thing I love most in the world: books and libraries.
The characters were well written, I dare say. I really liked how they supported each other and the library.
It is not a bad story, by all means, it just did not suit me at all. I really tried to like it, tho.