This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago....

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.
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As a lifelong reader, I am always on the lookout for books about books. Therefore, when I heard about this new offering from Libby Page and saw its enchanting cover, I knew that I wanted to add it to my reading list. After spending much of today engrossed in Tilly's story, I can report that I am so happy that I discovered this beautiful and magical story of the transformative power that books can have in people's lives.

Tracing Tilly's journey from new widow to adventurer who is learning to trust herself again was a delightful way to spend the bulk of my afternoon. Readers get to follow her as she gets out of her home and starts to live her life again after suffering an unimaginable loss, and through the pages of this lovely novel, we get to know Tilly and her supporting cast of characters as they navigate the intricacies of grief.

There were moments that made me laugh and moments that had me shedding a tear, but most of all, I found myself rooting for Tilly and all the people that she had gathered on her journey as she learned to navigate life without her husband by her side. This is a special book and one that will stick in my mind for a long time, and it was an easy five-star rating for me.

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