4.5 stars
My final read of 2025. {{smiles}}
Absolutely delightful in every way. It's kind of hard for me to "review" this as it is a book of letters and correspondence from one person to another. But I will say this, while the actual content and substance of the letters and such wasn't always relevant to me personally (I sometimes didn't "get" things or understand what was being discussed as it was often book titles that I'm not personally interested in), the essence and soul of this book is what shines brightly. The friendship between Helene and Frank, his wife, Nora, and the fellow bookshop workers at 84 Charing Cross Road is heartwarming, to put it very simply. This is the sort of book that makes you believe in the goodness of humanity again, and the reminder that friendship can be found, even when and where you least expect it. It is a book that felt nostalgic, even though it was about and written well before my time. It holds a long-lost time within its pages, and that, for me, is the sign of a good book. This is surely a book that I will return to again and again...my copy had a little handwritten note from the previous owner which said, "leaves a good taste in your mouth." And that I heartily agree with...and highly recommend reading 84 Charing Cross Road. Your heart will be warmed through and through.