Good Reads Challenge Book Review: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Happy Friday…It’s September baby!
BOOK QUOTE:
“Something’s wrong in the air, you know, when a book costs less than a bullet. Or a Coke. Values-wise.”– Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
What’s up, friends? and how are you? Fall approaches…of course, it’s still hot, but one can dream, right? I hope you’re staying hydrated, checking in with friends and family, and giving yourself some grace.
I’m in the “just about caught up stage” with my book reviews, and by this point, as we move closer to the end of the year …everything will balance out just about right. Today, I’m reviewing Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan.
The Review
Title | Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Author | Matthew Sullivan
Format | Audiobook
Pages | 328
Published | June, 2017
Genre | Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
GR Rating | 3.8
Purchase | Amazon
Synopsis
When a bookshop patron commits suicide, his favorite store clerk must unravel the puzzle he left behind. Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she keeps a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogs…..the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the store’s overwhelmed shelves.
My Rating (3.75)
This was an interesting mystery novel by Matthew Sullivan. While it didn’t blow my mind, it has some interesting points and a great backstory.
Lydia works at the Bright Ideas bookstore in Denver, CO, and sees her share of customers. There is a certain group of patrons called “frogs.” Book Frogs [as the book tells it] are lonely folks who feel an affinity with books and stop by regularly to talk and socialize with one another. They come from all walks of life.
from Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
“Libraries were havens for everyone, he might’ve told her, not just the clean and productive.”
One night, as Lydia is about to close the store, and everything changes as one of the frogs [Joey] has committed suicide in the shop. Lydia only knows about Joey from dealings in the store, but after his death, he would bequeath his belongings to her under this cloud of mystery.
Lydia is not without her own demons as she has an estranged relationship with her father and a backstory that would be revealed chapter by chapter to get to the real reason why Lydia and her dad don’t speak. A murder from the past, Joey’s suicide, and an old childhood friend [Raj] would begin to unravel the mystery of what really happened when Lydia was a child and how this backstory is connected with Joey’s suicide.
from Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
“You leave yourself open to answers; he’d always taught her. You keep turning pages; you finish chapters; you find the next book. You seek, and you seek, and you seek, and no matter how tough things become, you never settle.”
At times, characters infuriate me because I’m thinking logically. Lydia was complicated and, in several instances, stood in her own way of finding out the truth about her muddied past. One great point is that the story does channel how much we love books and the stories around them.
My Good Reads Progress
I’m currently reading Kill Creek, The Only One Left, and The Horror at Pleasant Brook. I’m hoping to reach 35, and it looks like I’ll make my goal.
What books are you anticipating reading this Fall? Share them in the comments.
Thanks so much for visiting the blog today. Don’t forget to follow and subscribe, as I really appreciate the support. — Peace
That sounds like such a fun premise for a book. I love a good little murder mystery.
I think you’ll like it.