When her twin brother joins the RAF, Carrie does her bit for the war effort by opening a newsagent and bookshop on the local railway station. It’s stocked with Penguin books, from classics to modern tales and I loved this part of the story as she helps customers choose the right read, and meets fellow bookworm, Mike.
This is a well researched and well written book, filled with comforting tropes, and it’s one which I know most Second World war saga readers will love. However for me the characters somehow stayed on the page rather than creep into my heart, and I was sad about that. I'm not keen on the star system, but as I have to it's 3.5,

WW2.
Carrie Anderson runs a book stall in the local railway station. It's a remarkable love story thats see's Carrie's world turned around.
Will her true love return? Her paperback book stall keeps her busy.
This will bring tears to your eyes .
A very heartwarming read.

Having read a few books by this author I have really enjoyed them, and this one is no different.
A book that makes you think it's quite a light read which is good to have at times.
I can highly recommend this for a very enjoyable read.

Not my normal reading matter, but I simply wanted something for a change. I hoped for a nice easy and enjoyable read and this is what I got. Joanna I am sure will have her followers, and quite rightly so. Will I read more of her work? Quite possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this heartwarming story about a young woman and her love of books. Set in a small town, this book tells the story of Carrie and her family and friends during the early stages of the Second World War. Carrie gets the opportunity to open a magazine and book stall on the local station platform, which she seizes eagerly. Events of the war play out within the station and its customers, as the reality of the situation becomes evident. I really liked the characters that I met when reading the book, and the author has done a brilliant job at making them real people in my mind. I worried alongside them as friends and family were posted as missing or prisoners or fighting day after day in the skies above Britain. The addition of the the early sales of paperback novels was an added bonus for a book lover.

Enjoyable easy page-turning read about a young woman who sets up a station bookstall at the beginning of World War Two. Her interactions with the public show various aspects of the war - whether it be troop movements, women's increasing role in the workplace, the threat of invasion on Jewish families. And, of course, the introduction of paperbacks.

Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC.

The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye

A heartwarming book set during ww2 . 18 year old twins Carrie and Johnnie are both doing their bit for the war , Johnnie away and Carrie has a job running a newsagent/bookstall outside her local railway station , serving ordinary folk and also soldiers off to war.
One day she connects with a soldier about to get on a train and off to fight for his country just like his twin.

A real tearjerker of a plot during a time when no-one knows what could be their future or even if they will make it til the next day .

This book primarily about 18 year old Carrie begins at the start of World War 2 when Carrie opens a book stall at the train station, having decided not to go too far away from her parents. Her twin Brother Johnnie has signed up to the RAF and Carrie knows her Mum in particular couldn’t cope worrrying about both children, especially as she lost loved ones in the First World War. Carrie makes friends with Bette who owns the cafe on the platform and Penny who comes to work at the station as the porter to replace Bette’s Son Eric who has joined the Army. It’s at work that Carrie first meets Mike, a Lieutenant in the Army and a romance begins.
This books does touch on the awful things that happened during the war and how it affected people and I really warmed to the Anderson family and the friends of Carrie’s and found myself reading ‘just a few more pages’ at every opportunity I had because I really enjoyed this book.
Of course I could relate to how books make a difference to people being an avid reader myself and I even bought a couple of books mentioned in this book because they sounded interesting and I wouldn’t have even considered them previously.
I would definitely recommend this book and will certainly be reading more of Joanna’s books.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House UK for an advance copy of this book, the opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye.

Set at the start of the Second World War, we follow 18 year old Carrie and her twin brother, Johnnie.  All Johnnie wants to do is enlist and become a pilot.  Carrie wants to enlist with the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) to be close to her brother but realises her mother needs her. 

She decides to open a bookstall with the help of her uncle at the previously empty kiosk at the local railway station.  She reckons that everyone; soldiers, evacuees, housewives, and businessmen need books to distract them during this trying time. 

Thus, the Penguin bookshop is launched with all the orange banded books, which are just the right size to fit in your handbag or army jacket pocket.

Carrie gifts a soldier a book from her stall and an unexpected romance blossoms.

 This is a gentle read, even though it's depicting war time and shows that books – during any time – are always a lifesaver.

Thank you to NetGalley and @penguinbookssouthafrica for my e-ARC

Releasing in April 2024.

In the midst of war, people need all the help they can get to ensure that they survive it with their sanity intact. It is with that in mind that Carrie decides to set up a book stall in the railway station to provide distraction and delight to travellers, whether they're locals, soldiers or evacuees.

Soon, Carrie's initiative becomes an inextricable part of community life. And a gesture of kindness to one individual brings unexpected romance into her own life.

But in the midst of WW II, the future of any relationship is unsure - especially when a person can be transferred elsewhere at the drop of a hat. And soon, Carrie has more than one soldier to worry about...

Set at the end of the 1930s, this book is filled with warmth and wisdom, and Carrie's love of the Penguin Books that form the core of her offerings will resonate with many readers. Books are not just our bulwark against ignorance and barbarism, they are our solace and succour in times of tribulations.

Recommended for those who love books, and WW II stories in particular. It gets 3.5 stars.

A Lovely book with a story and characters that go so well together and bring the book alive for the reader I look forward to her next book.

The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toy is set in 1939 just as the war begins. An 18 yr old Carrie, who has grown up in her parents Newsagents opens a small book stall at the train station. where she meets soldiers as they pass through and gets to know regulars and other station workers. On opening day she meets a soldier who she immediately feels a connection too, but there is a lot happening in both their lives, If I say much more it'll ruin the story!!!

This book is both heart-warming and a tear jerker in equal measure. The characters are believable and likeable in most cases. It was fascinating to read a story around the war from a completely different perspective.

I just love books about books and I loved this. Set during the Second World War. Her twin brother, Johnnie, has enlisted to the airforce. Needing to do war work, Carrie sets up a bookshop at her local railway station selling Penguin books, newspapers, and comics. So people had a way of escaping into a world of fiction.

On her first day, she met Mike Hudson and ended up giving him a book, A Farewell to Arms. When he's sent abroad, she not only has her brother to worry about but her new love, Mike.

I loved the brief history of the colours and size of the books and also the work Penguin did during the war.

thank you Netgalley for this book
Great read, with great characters. For someone who loves books it’s wonderful to see what a difference sharing books can do, will definitely read more from this author.

The little Penguin Book shop is a beautiful novel by Joanna Toye.
I loved how the story was set in the 1930's, Joanna's writing is beautiful and made me feel like I was in the story. The story is easy to follow and I kept reading until the end. Plus it had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for giving me the chance to read a pre-release copy.

Being an avid reader I felt I immediately related to the main character Carrie. She was warm, likeable and seemed to have her head screwed on!

The main male character, Mike was instantly likeable being a Hudson (my maiden name!)

The storyline was strong and kept the reader interested with some unexpected twists and turns. Although listed as a standalone novel it felt like it could be the start of a good series with more of the war to come.

Highly recommended!

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

What a brilliant book family saga ;wartime ; books all rolled into one

Brilliant story by a brilliant author

Carrie and Johnny are twins and they have a special bond.
Johnny is obsessed with planes and Carrie is obsessed with books.
Ww2 has began and they each want to do their duty the obvious choice is RAF for Johnny but Carrie can’t leave her parents with the responsibility of the shop they own but she wants to sell books, with a helping hand from her Uncle Charlie she sees an opportunity at the newsstand at the train station.
Both twins face ups and downs making friends and relationships along the way.
Great sage and can’t wait for further instalments

As a book professional I’m very excited to acquire this sweet historical novel that shows in the toughest of times how much books matter..