Thendral's Take: May 2021
The Bookshop on The Corner by Jenny Colgan
Plot
29-year-old Nina LOVES books. Which is why she built her career as a librarian. Unfortunately, cutbacks across the UK means libraries are being shut down and Nina finds herself out of a job. But with LOADS of books that the library no longer wants. Could this be how she fulfills her childhood dream of having her own bookshop one fine day?
My Thoughts
I’m going to biased, I can’t even do a “my thoughts” because like Sophie Kinsella, I’m obsessed with Jenny Colgan. Her books are always set in Scotland or Wales or somewhere cold and feel like a vacation for the mind. So, let’s just go to the overall!
Overall
I LOVED it. This is absolutely one of my more favourite Jenny Colgan books! The protagonist being a book lover made it easy to connect with her and this feel-good book felt like entering her life for a year (I think it’s a year?). My only complaint is the love triangle felt a little odd and out of place but it’s nothing too garish. It’s a quick and easy read. Nothing that requires you to think too much. It’s light-hearted and fellow Sophie Kinsella/ Jenny Colgan fans are sure to find comfort in this escapist book of a woman trying to rebuild her life after she got fired from her favourite job!
Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
My Thoughts
To be honest, I didn't finish this book. It's split into 3 parts and somewhere while I was in the middle of part 2, I had to run out for some errands. I came back home, picked up the book to finish it and I realised I simply did not care. About any of the characters, what the confusing twist at the end of part 1 was, or how the book would even end. At this point, we still know nothing about the main character by the way.
I'm not one to give up easily on books but something about this was just meh. And one of the main issues that was also the reason I gave up on this was - well, I don't know how to phrase this better but the book is very White - and not because almost all of the characters appear to be White. As obsessed as I am with Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella, I can point out that both of them have books that feature no one but White people (SOME, not all!) - but! It's often because it's set in Wales or something, where I just don't expect to see a strong minority population, anyway. And yet! I could see myself in the characters. Whereas I found everything about this book to be very Middle America and so I found nothing relatable or interesting.
I am a bit concerned about the overwhelmingly positive reviews so I'm not sure if I missed something. There are a few reviews though, that state the same way I feel about the book - underwhelming, boring, unrelatable, and a general "don't care" attitude about the characters. All I know is, if someone were to come to me for a psychological thriller, I won't be suggesting this one.
Plot
Imagine a world where you can find “the one” by sending in a single strand of hair. That’s how Rebecca has set a precedence for dating and built a revolutionary dating site. And she will go to any length to keep it that way.
My Thoughts
I liked how they showed the diversity of people looking for love - the tough and smart cop, the seemingly carefree and easygoing girl, even a couple who's otherwise happily married. The lead character - I found her so unlikeable since the first scene! And that was the point I think? Because I couldn't stop watching it! And that's why I don't understand the not so good reviews? I had a good time watching it, it's definitely a lot of plot and some of the subplots really need a lot more examining which they will hopefully do in the second season. To be fair, yes, there were times when the script made me go "mm kay" like when one female character was all "I won't apologise for wanting power and success. Men never do." Like, yes, we know this lady but this is a very weird time for you to say it. Or when the tech dept was like we can't retrieve deleted files from a phone. Hello, it's 2021, yes you can!
But there were moments that I really liked, like the lead's fall into criminality and the irony of the wife trying to stop her husband from meeting his "one". And I really liked the antagonism between the 2 lead characters! Oh! The wardrobe really stood out to me - which I barely notice in most shows! Something about the colours and materials for the lead really told a story.
Overall
I think it's complete binge material - the last time I saw something this bingeable was Living with Yourself - the kind you just to have to finish in one shot. I liked the trailer, went in with no expectations and found it a generally good show. Nothing I'll shout from the roofs about but it's definitely a lot better than the negative reviews that are trashing it. If things like sci-fi, complex and/or toxic people intrigue you, I would say give this a shot! Don't dismiss it because of the reviews.
Overall
Interestingly, I’m going to have to do the overall first! The show is fun, it’s action-packed, and I really liked that it was set in Africa. The thing is, I thought there was going to be a Season 2. Turns out Netflix had cancelled it because of the pandemic. And the show ended on a literal cliffhanger. So, if you’re like me and don’t like cliffhangers, please don’t invest nearly 4 hours of your life in something that ends on just that. If you’re still curious nonetheless, I would say this is a REALLY good show!
My Thoughts
Strong female character. As the first Netflix series set in Africa, they really tried to represent as many different African cultures + languages as possible, which made it interesting and dynamic. They do alternate between English and African languages when speaking, so you're definitely going to need subtitles. I liked the storytelling, pace, and direction.
The plot like I said, is familiar, but I really liked it being set in Africa - the themes like corruption + complacent governments is familiar. And being set in primarily South Africa, I found it easier to relate to the different characters and follow the series than something set in say the USA or Europe. But, the real question is, does any of this matter when they have cancelled the entire show and we have barely scratched the plot they presented!
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