Bookworm in the City

The door-to-door bookstore / Carsten Henn
What it is: a modern fairytale about book lovers
Did I like it: I loved it

Thank you Reader123, for giving me this item for the reading challenge. I love chapter titles in books and I think it’s not available enough. So, I happily spent my time browsing the TBR for titled chapters. And because I couldn’t find any, I moved my task to the bookshop. And that’s how I got to The door-to-door bookstore. Loving the title and description on the back, I crossed my fingers for chapter titles inside. Success! (Not only are there chapter titles in this book, they are in the form of literary references like Great expectations. Bliss!)

This story is about Carl, who is seventy-two and could have been retired but considers it his calling in life to deliver books. He has done this for a local bookshop he has worked at for years. There is a loyal group of customers and after years of delivering their books to them, Carl knows exactly what they like to read. He knows their likes and dislikes where it comes to reading, and picks their books carefully. He has also given his clients literary nicknames which is awesome. There are Mr. Darcy, Effi Briest, Hercules, and Mrs. Longstocking amongst others. (And if that’s not enough, there is also a cat named Dog.)
Carl has a strict routine and route which is how, one day, Schascha gets to meet him. She lives on the town square Carl crosses every evening at exactly the same time, and one evening she goes out to join him. While Carl does his best to scare her off, she delightfully ignores him and simply comes along on his route. Schascha is nine and curious and chatty. Her child-logic and creativity are something that Carl needs some adjusting to, but eventually picks up on.
With Schascha by his side, Carl becomes a bit more free from his strict routine and learns that there is more to life than his own literary bubble. Schascha is quick to point out that Carl gives his customers the books they want, not what they need, which annoys him massively, especially when he later realizes that she is onto something.

Carl is the hero of this story and like true heroes he isn’t without flaws. Every fairy tale needs a baddie and this story is no exception, although the person is granted an option out. The group of support characters assisting Carl on his way to change is just a delight and, of course, as with every fairy tale, there is a morale and happy end.
I loved every page of this book and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sweet story and/or something about the power of books.