The Library is an absolutely lovely story about the real magic that libraries contain. 16-year-old Tom and 72-year-old Maggie, visit the library searching for something else, but together they find the community that each of them needed.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries, Aria for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tom is a sixteen-year-old boy left motherless at eight, and content to fade into the background in his life. His father, however, wants Tom to be the outgoing little boy he remembers from years ago, and pushes Tom to move forward with his life: find a job, stop hiding in the background, you name it. Tom had never really seen a reason TO stand out until he met Farah – and she makes him want to be noticed, specifically by her: but he’s got no idea how to start. Then he realizes that the local library will have romance novels, and wouldn’t that be the best way to discover just what women want – from a romance novel?

Maggie has been widowed and alone for the past ten years, and now at seventy-two, she’s finding that her weekly jaunts to the book club at the library are all she has to look forward to. Her life is lonely, and she’s been able to ignore and fill that void with reading and her weekly meetups with others who love to read, but there’s not much else that she has to occupy the long hours.

Of course, the two shall meet- as Maggie notices the very young Tom, doing his best to be invisible, and she proceeds to take him under her wing – feeling very much that Tom needs her attention and her determination to continue her life as she’s made it – heading to the library once a week to discuss a book, and discuss others with him on the other days.

But budgetary cuts and a lack of patrons threaten their library, and Maggie, Tom and the others are banding together to save the library – and in turn, help one another heal and move forward in new and different ways. A lovely read that is sure to reinforce your (or mine, as an avid reader) of libraries, the magic within books, and the friendships that can develop when one has a book in common and a purpose.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aYk /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

This was a charming story of a community coming together to save a library and two unlikely friends. Tom is a teen who feels lost and Maggie is retired farmer who is lonely. Together they make a great team to save their library when the council threatens to close it. This was a fun story and I will recommend it.

You can’t beat sweet and simple on a sunny Sunday. This new release was a light and lovely escape with the most charming blooming friendship at its core. Bella Osborne's The Library is a real treat!

Thanks to @ariafiction and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Reading, books and library’s can bring people together. They cross the generations, they cross class divides, social divides, gender divides. There is something for everyone and anyone.

Tom is someone who hasn’t really picked up a book unless it has to be read for school. But his mum loved to read, and he thinks perhaps to understand women and girls he should perhaps read about romance. At least it might help him with his school boy crush on Farah. He has no where else to turn to, his mother has gone and his father is turning into an alcoholic whose only aim is to make sure Tom, leave schools and goes to earn money at the local factory.

Tom it seems has other ideas once he finds books, stories and the local library.

Tom also finds Maggie. Maggie is in her early seventies, she has lived alone for ten years and is content with her life at the small holding she has and the routine that she has developed. Visiting the library for a book group weekly and enjoying the stories that let her escape the life she has seemed to create for herself.

When a chance encounter brings Tom and Maggie together, they both find something from each other. Whether it is a mother figure and home cooked food, to recognising past mistakes and how they can shape the future, they both bring a lot to their unlikely friendship.

With this bond, they help to campaign to save the library which is threatened with closure and they try to make sure everyone knows what can happen when a space such as a library can bring to a community.

Although this campaign is important, the friendship between Tom and Maggie and the things they find out about each other and learn about their past and present makes for a heart-warming novel. However some of the topics are not heart-warming and underneath the surface there are some tricky topics dealt with; grief, debt, alcoholism, adoption to name a few. Perhaps too many for some, but all had their relevance to play in this novel and for me it was perfectly balanced.

A change from previous Osborne books I have read, but a welcome one and I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys getting really involved in characters and plot.

Thank you NetGalley, author Bella Osborne, and Aria publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
What do a young boy, who has a difficult home life, and a lonely librarian have in common? If you want the answer, read this book! This story will tug on your heartstrings and keep up late into the night until you turn the last page!
The author did a wonderful job developing these characters! I loved how realistic and likeable Tom and Maggie were. Tom was such a sweetheart! The author really brought to light some very sensitive topics but really handled them with care. Maggie had such an interesting life. I loved how she really came to treat Tom as family. There was such a great balance of humor and emotion. The ending was well satisfying and well wrapped out! Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a story with a lot of heart! I can't wait for the next new release from this author!

The Library is a sweet story about Tom, an almost friendless teenage boy who lives with his alcoholic father, and Maggie, a woman in her 70s who is also lonely and struggling to fill her time and make connections with others.

The library is where the two meet and start to form an unlikely friendship. Honestly, the story about the library closure kind of takes a back seat - it is more about the importance of having somewhere for people to meet and connect. Though it did make me remember how much I loved the library as a child, and if there wasn't a yearly fee connected to a library subscription in the Netherlands I would consider joining again (I may be showing my Scandinavian privilege here, but I kind of feel like the whole idea of libraries are that they are state funded and therefore free). Also, even though I haven't been a library member for at least 13 years, I still have the occasional nightmare about overdue book fees - true story.

There's a lot going on in this story: Tom's home life and his struggle with dealing with his dad, studying for exams, crushing on a girl, having problems with a bully, the library closure, muggings, Maggie's history, her farm, puppies, lambs, addiction, loneliness - you name it. It's a bit much to be getting on with, but it kind of works. I think enough time and attention is given to most of the subjects. At the very least there's always something going on, and the book is very readable.

I liked reading about a friendship between an old woman and a young man, as it's not something you see very often, but it's clear that they both bring something important to the other's life. I thought that was well done. And while I didn't enjoy the parts dealing with Tom's father's addiction, it made me very angry and frustrated so that too was well-written. I also enjoyed reading about life on the farm, and it's clear the author either knows a lot about this or did her research. It was touching, sometimes funny, sometimes infuriating, though overall a little too simplistic and a touch saccharine for my liking. But I'm going to give it the benefit of doubt and give it 4 stars.

The Library by Bella Osbourne another NetGalley read. I chose this book because I enjoyed the last book I had read by Bella Osbourne and also liked the cover, what more could a book lover like more than a book about book and a library! The two main characters are Maggie and Tom, Maggie is a pensioner and Tom is still at school doing his GCSE’s. Despite the age gap between they have more in common than they think and strike up an unlikely friendship, formed around saving their local library. This was quite different to the last Bella Osbourne book I read and was different to what I was expected. It wasn’t a romantic novel, apart from a love of books and a love of their library. I enjoyed this book it was a nice , feel good and touching read. It felt at times that you weren’t reading something of fiction, in parts it had such realism to it that you had to remind yourself that Maggie and Tom were just characters. It’s predictable in many ways however the story takes some unexpected twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. Personally for me this book was a winner because when reading it, it felt like it had a heart, it felt like no matter who was reading it, there was something as a reader you could connect with. This isn’t just about the obvious saving a library (though I think we would all be devastated if our local library’s closed!) it’s about family, loneliness, growing up, grief, mental health and so much. For such an unassuming looking book, it will make you laugh and cry. What can I say it’s an easy read with a big heart, one where you can’t help but fall in love with Maggie and Tom. If you love Bella Osbourne books this is definitely for you and a good place to start if you haven’t. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ the reason I’ve put 3 stars is simply because it’s predictable, it’s a very easy read but by no means a gripping can’t put down novel and I’ve read better books that I would recommend before I would this, this doesn’t mean to say that it was an bad read. I found it hard to put into words how lovely this book was and found myself wanting to use the word nice a lot because our simply this is a nice book. Hope that makes sense. ❤️

I absolutely adored this story.
Maggie is a lonely woman in her 70’s who uses the library for a book club. Here she meets Tom and an unlikely friendship blooms. All the characters were very likeable ( with the exception of Toms dad ) and could each have their own book to tell their story.
I loved the meeting of generations and this book just gave you all the right feels.
A perfect read.

4.5/5

I really really like it when I find an author whose work I enjoy so much I want to read more of their stuff. Bella Osborne is now on my discovery list.

Now, a lot of authors can (and do!) make us love and care for their characters. But rarely have I seen the level of empathy that Osborne imbues in her work, especially in this genre. The smallest of moments that pass between characters take on an emotional significance because she's just that good, and skillful about her character traits.

I enjoyed the plot, story arc and character development. I especially liked how Tom grew into his own person and became confident in his own skin. Maggie was such a positive influence but she also comes from a place of pain and it affects her personality too. Osborne manages to let the subtleties shine through while also not making despair the focus of either one's personality. A realistic portrayal, I think.

The Library by Bella Osborne

Maggie is 72 and lives alone on a smallholding, out of town and isolated except for her weekly visit to the library book club. Tom is 16 and lives with his Dad who works nights so he spends a lot of time on his own. They become firm friends when they meet at the library and lead the fight against its closure.

What a beautiful story - absolutely heart-warming and a real page-turner. The friendship between Maggie and Tom is so lovely, and the twists and turns of the story kept me enthralled. It was such a vivid book that I could imagine it as a film. Very highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. As someone who primarily reads romance I was a bit apprehensive approaching this book which is outside my typical genre but it was really such a good book and about love too... just of a different kind. Tom is a teenage boy and Maggie is a 70 year old woman and they both are struggling with their own family issues when they meet by chance at the local library and strike up a friendship. They slowly weave themselves into each others lives in indispensable ways and work together to save the local library. They need each other so much more than they realize and form a friendship that's unusual, unexpected and so pure. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a feel good story about friendship and a book about books is always a plus for me too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions remain my own as always.

Synopsis -

Tom, a 16 year old teenager is an introvert, very shy and socially awkward. When he meets Maggie, a 72 year old lady at the Compton Mallow library, he is surprised how easily they get along. Maggie herself lives all alone in a farm & she begins to cherish this newfound friendship with Tom. When their beloved library is due for closure, they both make it their mission to rescue it.

Review -

Wow, I didn’t want this little gem to end! Being a bookworm you cannot resist a book about books and libraries right? I thoroughly enjoyed this warm, comforting book, yet again featuring an elderly character, which I seem to love more & more.

The narrative alternates between the POVs of Tom and Maggie and I found myself instantly drawn in to both these characters. They lead totally different lives, but have a couple of things in common. Loneliness and the love of books. I loved how the author builds a wonderful story around these denominators, delving into their private and social lives.

The depth in character development deserves appreciation. Tom with his teenage troubles, difficult relationship with this father, hardly any friends and a liking for romance books, strikes up a strange camaraderie with Maggie. I loved his hardworking attitude, determination and his ability to stand up for himself.

Although Maggie is going strong and is all self-sufficient with her farm life, I could understand her yearning for some genuine human contact. The rapport she develops with Tom was so endearing. Not to mention her resourcefulness, cheeky attitude, yoga and martial art skills! I found myself teary at the way they supported each other, drawing comfort from their company.

It was a joy to witness and cheer for them all, as Maggie unleashes her pragmatic approach towards the library saving mission, employing Tom and everyone from the village.

The Library was a delightful read about finding unlikely but yet strong friendships, dealing with loneliness at different ages and the ill-effects of addiction. It emphasizes the importance of coming together as a community for the greater good, setting aside our differences.

This book is definitely joining the ranks of All the Lonely People and The Authenticity Project.

Highly recommended!

Thanks NetGalley and Aries & Aria for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A feel good Harold and Maude about a friendship born out of a need to save a public library.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Different generations can learn so much from each other. Maggie is in her 70's, Tom is only 16, but still they have deep conversations. It's a story about trust, friendship and growth. This book wasn't exactly what I expected, it was much more tense and sad, but I liked it. Looking forward to read more from this author in the future. Trigger warning: alcoholism and violence. Thanks to Aria & Aries for the DRC!

3.5⭐️
I was pleasantly surprised by this read!
I have to say I came in not expecting much mostly because I did judge the book by it’s Cover 🥴 I know lol but it turned out good!
The readers get to know Tom an awkward 16 year old who lives with his father and a tenacious 72 year old who lives by herself in a big farm. They meet at the library one afternoon and from their, blossoms a quirky friendship. Although there’s a drastic difference in age, it did not stop them from learning from one another and creating a strong bond. I enjoyed the parts where the characters talked about the books they were reading or their favorite reads and how they worked on fighting for the library! But this story also touched on some serious subject and through their friendship, Tom learned to stand up for himself and gain some confidence. While Maggie learned to love and let people in her life again. Let’s not forget Tom’s dad and how much he learned from both of them! Truly an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGally for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a heartwarming read!
Tom is a teenager going through normal teenage angst , with added issues at home . Maggie is a pensioner who is hating the loneliness she is feeling. They are both drawn to the library and what it has to offer, and form a beautiful friendship not without its ups and downs!
The book is beautifully written , and the characters all have depth and are amiable in their nature and show us the trials and tribulations of life , both when growing up and as an adult . It highlights how we all have a feeling of needing to belong somewhere, wherever that maybe.
I found the story emotional at times but overall the book is a feel good read and thoroughly enjoyable .

Thanks to NetGalley Aria & Aries.

Sadly, this wasn't a favorite for me. It was very similar to the idea behind The Last Chance Library, which I read before this one. And while the title and the premise center around the library itself, it seems only like a subplot of the book itself. The book centers on two lonely characters who learn that it's okay to ask for help. They learn that it's okay to want to have others in their lives. And they learn to appreciate each other while learning even more about themselves in the process. I loved the growth the characters went through, but that was really the only thing that drove me to finish this book.

The Library is a charming contemporary fiction story centered around the unlikely friendship that slowly develops between a seventeen year old boy named Tom and a 72 year old woman named Maggie, each with their own ? Socially awkward Tom feels invisible to everyone in his life, from his classmates to his own father. It's not until he sees Farrah that he starts to think there might be more to life than watching his alcoholic father spiral deeper out of control. In an effort to catch the attention of Farrah, who loves romance novels, Tom decides to visit the library. At the very least he could use the opportunity to read a romance novel himself and hopefully learn more about females, a topic he is woefully lacking in knowledge. Maggie, a widower, lives alone on her farm and is a frequent visitor to the library herself. She uses the book group as a way to socialize with other members of the community and as a break from the daily grind of chores around the farm. A chance encounter at the library that starts with robbery and ends with Tom being punched in the nose by none other than Maggie, charts the course for an unusual but endearing friendship. Maggie finds that Tom reminds her of the son she lost and starts to feel comfortable relying on him to help around the farm while Tom relishes having a safe place to go and a home cooked meal to enjoy. When the pair learn of the councils decision to close the library, they band together with members of the community in an effort to save the library, a safe haven for many.

The Library is part coming of age and part exploration of a multi generational friendship set against the backdrop of the library. With a perfect balance of sad and happy elements it will stir your emotions is the best possible way. I particularly enjoyed the U.K. setting that set the stage for the sass and tone that followed. The inclusion of libraries, the love of reading and books as well as the emphasis on libraries as a pillar of the community, was expertly woven into the story, serving as a great reminder to everyone to support your local library. While the library does play a part in bringing our main characters together, the real focus and highlight of the story is the relationships among the characters that continues to develop and evolve over the course of the story. The book has a light tone overall however it does cover some heavy topics such as alcoholism, loneliness, grief and social isolation. I highly recommend The Library for those looking for a character focused contemporary novel with true hidden depth.

Triggers: Alcoholism
My favorite quote from The Library:
" Books are such an underrated essential. Every book is a key that unlocks another world, leads us down the path of a different life and offers the chance to explore an unexpected adventure. Every one is a gift of either knowledge, entertainment or pure escapism and goodness knows we all need that from time to time."
The Library is a contemporary fiction novel about Tom and Maggie who are years apart but both think that they are invisible and dealing with loneliness. Both meet in a library and how these two individuals form a bond makes a beautiful story.
I loved Maggie. Though she has a past she reaches to help Tom and the way she takes charge to save the library is amazing to read. I was little irked with Tom in certain places where he takes Maggie for granted but loved the efforts he puts in to change his life. Comparisons to The Reading List is inevitable but other than the common factors of the character ages and the library this novel is completely different. I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming novel.