The best-seller The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn is finally available in English. Initially published in Henn’s homeland of Germany in 2020, The Door-to-Door Bookstore introduces readers to Carl Kollhoff as he makes his book deliveries around town. Along the way, Carl makes an unlikely friend, who creates a little chaos in his routine. But will the chaos be for the best?
I want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Door-to-Door Bookstore. All opinions presented here are solely mine.
CW/TW: death, domestic abuse, violence
Synopsis from Goodreads
The bookseller Carl Christian Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the picturesque alleys of the city. These people are almost like friends to him, and he is their most important connection to the world.
When Kollhoff unexpectedly loses his job, it takes the power of books and a nine-year-old girl to make them all find the courage to rebuild their bonds with each other.
Positives
- Vivid descriptions of the setting and characters.
- Super-easy read.
- Feels like a warm hug.
Negatives
My Opinions
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came across The Door-to-Door Bookstore, but I decided to take a chance. And boy, am I so glad that I did. I’m not sure I can fully explain how this book makes me feel. It starts off feeling cozy and comfortable. Then moves into happy feelings, followed by some sadness, and ends with that cozy feeling. How can you not want to read a book like that?
The Door-to-Door Bookstore was initially published in 2020 in German and is finally available in English. With some translated works, things feel like they got lost along the way. Maybe it’s because the translator is doing a direct translation. Or they didn’t understand the author’s voice. I didn’t have that feeling with this book. The translator, Melody Shaw, did a fantastic job!
How City Gate Bookshop, the physical bookstore, is described at the beginning makes you want to find the store to experience it. As for the characters, Carl is a reader’s reader. What I mean by that is he knows exactly what someone needs to read. The cast of Carl’s regular customers is so deliciously different from each other that it would be easy to tell who they were if you passed them on a walk through town.
If you enjoyed meeting Ove or Arthur Pepper, I feel you would enjoy meeting Carl Kollhoff! Carl would still be a great character to meet if you haven’t met the other gentlemen. Quite honestly, The Door-to-Door Bookstore may be one of my favorite books of 2023! Who wouldn’t want to be a Book Walker?
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Oh this sounds like a lovely book! (And a great job for a book lover, too!) I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on this one—not only does it sound interesting but I’ve been wanting to read more books translated from a variety of languages. (I’ve mostly read anime translated from Japanese, and I’m trying to branch out.)
Honestly Nicole, this book feels like a warm blanket wrapped around your shoulders.