The Memory Shop

With the New Year, I’ve vowed to get back to being the bookworm I’m so proud to admit I was as a child. Like most, I do find it difficult to pry myself away from the temptation of Netflix and sit down with a good book, outside of travelling. So this year I intend to read at least one a month (depending on the length of the books), so recommendations are welcome!

This years first read is Ella Griffin’s The Memory Shop. I actually picked this up last year before I went to Mexico for 10 days, thinking I would read it then.. turned out Tequila hangovers meant more snoozing in the sun than reading. In all honesty (as well as an easy holiday read) the reason that I picked it up is because the cover caught my eye and the blurb gave just enough away to tickle my fancy:

Sometimes it's the little things . . .

Nora needs to escape. Fleeing London for her childhood home in Dublin, she learns that her grandmother's house is being sold along with all of her wonderful belongings - gorgeous antiques and vintage china, a feather shrug, a Tiffany mirror, a moonstone necklace.

With no home of her own to go back to, Nora decides to stay and open a pop-up shop to find the perfect owner for each of her grandmother's possessions. The Memory Shop begins to transform the lives of the people who visit one treasure at a time, helping them find happiness in surprising ways.

As Nora lets go of a lifetime of memories, she unlocks tantalising clues to her grandmother's mysterious past. Now if she can only let go of her own past, she might find the key to her future…

The book feels like you’re reading a number of short stories initially, but as you get through the chapters, you learn that all of the stories are intertwined, which I found made the book even more of a page turner.

When you initially start reading, you think that this is going to be the usual mushy ‘post break up, new love’ story. But, it was surprising to find that there were more twists to this story than you would anticipate, including the direction of the story itself. It was an easy storyline to follow, despite the multiple narratives throughout, all coming together at the end beautifully, answering any questions that you may have had along the way.

The characters are relatable and enjoyable to read, Nora being the strong willed heroine any good book needs, Will being the loveable good guy that every girl deserves. The theme for all the characters, despite how small their role may have been, was growth. I felt Alice was the unsung hero of the book, showing the most growth of all the characters in my opinion, despite being one of the minor character’s in the book. Alanna was the most frustrating character of the book, sometimes being difficult to read, as you read her chapter however, you learn why she is the way she is and have become slightly more understanding of her

My one and only criticism of the book isn’t necessarily the fault of the author, but more her editor. There are a large number of grammatical mistakes and some clear autocorrect mix ups. This did effect the read mildly at most, but anyone with half a brain can understand what it’s meant to say and not let it effect their reading flow.

Definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes to curl up in the evening with a cup of tea and a lighthearted easy read to unwind.