Book Review: "Confessions of a Curious Bookseller" By Elizabeth Green

Loved it!! Quirky! Capricious! Fun!

The mannerisms, the competitive nature, the feisty encounters was splendid!
The Keystone State is in the house and I'm voting for Elizabeth Green to succeed.
It was this quote that helped seal the deal," Or the time our cousin from Wilkes-Barre (the smelly-one) took me to prom, and when he tried to kiss me and I called Father to pick me up, he didn't believe me and instead left me there with him." Enter sarcasm and sympathy as I currently reside in this small town that nobody knows how to pronounce. I'm trying to escape it all so bare with me.

So, now we know the author resides from the outskirts of Philly so she's got my vote.
Yes, this was quirky, entertaining, but also emotionally appealing with characters that you either love or love to hate. Either way it's -'Game On' with the competition against another bookstore that seems to constantly find successful ways to connive and steal alternative ideas to outnumber the opponents.

The way in which the email banter fell between Fawn Birchill-owner of West Philly used book store and the male owner of The Grumpy Mug.

The names of their bookshops are equally fitting as Fawn struggles to survive in a 'Dog Eat Dog' world.

If you're not from the area it may be hard to understand just how dire living here is but for me I found her narcissistic ways quite funny and her will to survive and protect her musty book store from faltering was exactly the suspense I needed -a depart from the thriller genre.
The ability to follow your dreams was experienced among the tulips but perhaps at times Fawn went outside what some would find the norm however after seeing what went on in our Capitol and around the world -what is normal anymore?

Surely, her demeanor has offset many of the positive reviews but I loved every bit of her fight or flight responses especially knowing her background with her family including her father.
The story is told through various emails, reviews, texts, and correspondence but that's where the magic resides so don't just gloss over them. The entire book is written using that correspondence so don't expect paragraph format.

In addition, the banter is exactly how two narcissists alpha type personas would have to go at it in this crazy world. In fact, I lived this love/hate relationship with my own malignant narcissist in which you have to tip-toe through it all without setting off the grenades. The gaslighting was part of the game along with the brainwashing. Anything you revealed would one up the competition and be used against you, so yes, I get it! It's the type of game in which you reveal just so much to see where the other stands. To find out what the other person is thinking you throw out some crumbs and bring them in. You tell a few extra white lies to see if they know what they're talking about. It's all mind games. The mood swings is also included free of charge, lol.

Harmless mind games and reverse psychology that made it interesting for me. However, the subsidence in the end wasn't what anyone could've expected.

The unseen side of Fawn comes out in the end with the sinkhole. She reaches out and extends that olive branch. She would give it all up to help which shows she does have a heart to some extent.

I'm not quite sure why so many low grade reviews on this one but I for one stand behind this debut and this review.

In the end, "as she wages her war, Fawn is forced to reflect on a few unavoidable truths: the tribulations of online dating, a strained relationship with her family, and a devoted if not always law-abiding intern—not to mention what to do about a pen pal with whom she hasn’t been entirely honest and the litany of repairs her aging store requires." That ending with the sinkhole, the truths to the pen pal, and the way in which she moves forward was perfect.

My best advice: Don't judge a book by its cover. Fawn is an example of the tug and pull we have to form opinions based on a few pieces of commentary without knowing the entire story. The side you see depends on your viewpoints. 

There are two sides to Fawn and you should embrace them both with the love, empathy, and compassion that's needed.
Carry on!