The Book of Doors
By: Gareth Brown

When this was pitched as perfect for readers of The Midnight Library and The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, I knew right away that this was a book I needed to read and one that I would love and enjoy - also who can resist a book about books. I loved this book for its wonderful story that takes me back to wonderful storytelling and great imagination with magic and more - I absolutely adored this book and I think this will hold a special place not only in my library shelves but also in my heart.

Garth Brown introduced us to into a new world along with his characters. This book is whimsical, adventurous and the perfect companion to a cup of tea or coffee in a favorite cozy environment. Brown takes you along a journey of never-ending open doors.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the premise of magical books that give you different powers and abilities. I enjoyed the characters (though Cassie was a bit annoying more than a few times throughout) and learning about their backstories. In particular, I loved learning more about Drummond and the Woman.
The pacing was a bit off. The beginning was a bit slow but by around 40%, things got real intense and fast-paced, new POVs were added, and there were lots of plot threads to follow. There’s some time travel that is a bit iffy for a second but the ending makes the most sense ever and was so full circle.
overall, a lovely, thrilling, action-packed, and fun ride! if you’re a fan of magical realism, action, and time travel, you’ll enjoy this one!

We all know that books take us on more adventures than we could ever actually experience. We visit different worlds, live through the past and the future, and experience other cultures. It's why we love books. In The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown, Cassie works in a bookstore where she was hired because she was there all the time anyway. When a longtime customer gifts her an unusual book, she can hardly believe where it takes her. Cassie then discovers that her special book is only one in a broad collection of extraordinary books, each with its own peculiar power.
I'd love to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

I try not to gush too much in my reviews. And I admit that I have frequently been a little too heavy-handed with my star ratings. And yet, I feel more than comfortable saying that this is the best book I've read so far this year. I love the fantastic characters, even the ones I hate. The concept is most compelling. And the writing is wonderful! Just listen to this sentence:

The basement...was lit by a bare bulb hanging from a wire. The woman pulled the cord to switch it on and the bulb swung gently, the light sloshing back and forth across the floor.

I love the image of light sloshing. Isn't that wonderful?!

The characters make me wish I could climb into this book and hug them. Well, most of them. There are a couple that I would prefer to strangle, but that's kind of a hug, isn't it? One of my favorite things about this book is the way Brown resolves each of the storylines. It was infinitely satisfying.

I'll resist filling this post with all my favorite bits because you should stop reading my review and just go read the book for yourself. And take a snack. In the words of one character:

"What's better than a good book and a slice of cake?"

I absolutely fell in love with this book. The concept of the different books and the time travel was amazing and the execution even better! I found myself saying, "whoa, what," and "wow" quite often. And the characters were all just lovely. I will most definitely be purchasing this for my physical library. I have already been recommending it to friends and family!

I read this a little while ago and on reflection this book was quite disappointing. Maybe it was a matter of the inaccurate marketing but the book itself did not live up the expectations that were built up in the beginning of the book. It was indeed an interesting concept but I wish it went in a different direction (with more fantasy and magic) for the plot and and tightened up the pacing. The character development felt nonexistent and the characterization for some characters were poorly done.

A clever magical fantasy book.
A young woman is closing up the bookstore when an elderly customer dies in the shop. Later she finds a book that he left for her. When she opens the book, she finds writings and drawings. The book is magical and takes her to places near and far. However, the book brings danger with it.
She is also mourning the death of her grandfather from cancer, and would love to see him again. As she works with the people to try and return the special books to their rightful place, she gets to time travel.
A very interesting story of risks we take to achieve various goals.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would give this book 4.5 stars!! It was almost a perfect read for me. It follows Cassie as she navigates the gift of The Book of Doors and the implications that come with the gift.

I loved the magic in this world and the uniqueness. This is unlike any book I’ve read. I loved the thought that went into this and the depth of growth from the characters.

It was a little bit for a struggle to understand everything as the time jumps are happening but nothing too bad!

I went back to a book club chat I participated in about this book and saw this quote from me "It was the secret mirror door but they used the book of doors so she doesn't go into the escape chamber she went into the weird magic place that Cassie went where she apparently discovered she made all the books but for whatever reason the woman wouldn't survive it and if none of that made sense well of course it didn't" and I think that pretty much sums up my thoughts on this book.

The Book of Doors had SUCH a strong premise, but sadly doesn't stick the landing, Time travel is such a tricky thing to pull off, and there are a lot of plot holes and things left unexplained here. There are also a few racist comments that don't really serve the story or any character development that easily could have been left out.

I DID love the devious evil woman and her origin story plot twist.

when the comps for a book include THE NIGHT CIRCUS, ADDIE LARUE, and THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, you’re kinda setting yourself up for failure. Sky high expectations, and unfortunately, mine were not met with THE BOOK OF DOORS. What starts out as a clever concept -a woman discovers a magical book that allows her to travel to any place/time in the world- ends up focusing less on magic and mythology and world-building, and more on a convoluted good vs. evil story. The book is a fast read and a lot of interesting characters and elements are introduced, but I never felt like the entire thing came together in fun and interesting ways I was hoping it would. I think fans of the genre looking for a quick palette-cleanser will enjoy the read, but die-hard fantasy lovers might want to read some other reviews before jumping in feet-first here.

The Book of Doors captivated me from the first page. The story begins in a bookstore where Cassie is working and a regular customer passes away, gifting her a mysterious book. This book opens up a world of possibilities, magic, and danger for Cassie.

I am a sucker for a good story about books, especially with a bit of magic and time travel. This book scratched every itch and then some! I could see the story playing out like a movie when I was reading, the traveling through doors to exotic locations, the magic books, the slipping through time and shadows... this isn't a book I'm going to forget anytime soon. I'm not even at a point to be eloquent about it but I highly recommend it to book lovers. Such a wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. I love the characters and the magic! I took a chance on a new author to me and I really hope this becomes a series. It has what it takes I believe. I enjoyed this book!

I know I’m really late reviewing this one. I eventually decided to just DNF at 26% because every time I put it down I wasn’t excited to pick it back up. I found the premise interesting but I’m just bored with it. Things are happening but they aren’t holding my attention and I don’t care about the characters. Maybe it’s just not for me.

This was a fascinating read about friendships, family, grief, history, greed, power and books. A book where “any door is every door”. The other “special” books and the different ways that people choose to use them - for good or evil. I quickly connected with the characters and the world they are in. How wonderful it would be to have my own book of doors!
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own. This was such and interesting read! Me and my mom both received arcs and discussed this a lot. It's a rather addictive story that we both hope will open up into a series. We had so much fun with this book. Everything about this book is a fantasy reader's dream. The characters are well-developed, the magic system is full and understandable, and the story was so creative and new! I highly recommend this book! Definitely worth a try even if you just love books and the escape that they create!

**A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for fans of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.**

Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.

But this is no ordinary book…

It is the Book of Doors.

Thank you Net Galley for an Arc.

Gareth Browns imagination is amazing! how he brought this book together with the time travel element was impressive.
Although i found the start of the book slow paced it soon ramped up!
There is a lot of growth for the main character Cassie and I found myself in tears for her a few times during the book. you go through the ups and downs of life with her.
I would of liked to see more of the different magical books and what they could they do, was also rooting for cassie and another character as there was chemistry there.
Overall i gave the book a 4*. If you like scifi and time travel and have a love of books you would enjoy this one.

5/5 stars. I loved this! Beautiful writing that had a way of simply reminding me of the beauty of books and words and the mystery of the way books have the ability to transport you. Loved it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an eARC of The Book of Doors in exchange for my honest review!

This tale of magical realism pulls me in with its charm and its heart. I must admit, though, that I wasn't entirely certain about it during the first act. Not that the first act wasn't engaging me, because it was, but it also came across too formulaically for my taste, dishing out tropes that I've already seen many, many times. But once the narrative develops past that point, then we get cooking as we further flesh out this secret world of supernatural books. It's a world that radiates a pleasant sense of wonder, especially as we experience that sensation right alongside Cassie. Granted, the narrative still sticks to tropey territory, but because we're diving deeper into the story and continuing to connect with the characters (even the villains, who turn out to be menacingly compelling rather than one-dimensional and bland) and the authentic stakes they're facing, I'm able to be more lenient toward that aspect.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Book of Doors 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars on Goodreads. I'll keep an eye out for more of Gareth Brown's work.

When an elderly who is a regular customer dies in the bookstore where Cassie works he leaves a book- The Book of Doors- behind for her. It allows the holder to open any door and travel to the place of which they are thinking. But others desperately want this book, and others like it, and are willing to kill to possess them.

This book has well-developed characters and intrigue, suspense, scary times and a touch of romance. If you are a fan of fantasy you will enjoy it!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing g an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is perfect for book lovers. For people who believe that books are magic, because they are.
Cassie Andrews works in a small NYC bookstore and is given the Book of Doors from her favorite customer. She opens the book and sees he leaves her a message, "Any door is every door." Cassie & her best friend Izzy discover that the book has special powers, they can travel anywhere and anytime they want. What they don't know is that the Book of Doors is not the only magical book out there. By the Book of Luck they run into Drummond Fox, the Librarian and they are swept up into a dangerous and wonderous world of books. Where people will kill to get their hands on those books.

This is Gareth Brown's debut novel and he knocked it out of the park. It was fast paced and well developed and with every chapter you can see Brown truly loves books and the powers they hold over everyone. I loved this book and recommend this to any and all book lovers. I gave this 4 stars and thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.