The Book Swap - Review

The Book Swap

By: Tessa Bickers

Publication: September 3, 2024 by Graydon House

336 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local Little Free Library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal.

A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man. Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more.

But Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.

A book-lovers dream! References to the following classics can be found in The Book Swap.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
MANSFIELD PARK
THE GREAT GATSBY
MIDDLEMARCH
BELOVED
ON THE ROAD
THE BELL JAR

Tessa Bickers is a debut author. I don't always take risks on debut authors. Over the years of reading time decreasing, I have started sticking to authors that I'm familiar with and know what to expect from them. Yet, every now and then a description will pull me in enough to entice me to branch out. 

I love books that are dedicated to honoring other books and the love of reading. I've read a few books over the last few years that have shown off a love for reading and writing in such a way that I can't help but fall in love with them. I haven't read all the books that Erin and James swapped back and forth, But it wasn't necessary. After the first few, the books weren't even discussed in detail because that would have taken the plot away from Erin and James.

Erin is stuck in a job she hates. Her best friend died about 3 years ago from cancer. She's still struggling with her grief. As a matter of fact, she sees Bonnie and has conversations with her and everything. Erin is suffering from abandonment trauma. It goes back to her mom having an affair and leaving her family. Erin suffers a betrayal from one of her closest friends. And then Bonnie dies. So a lot of her conflict has to do with these issues. Her sister Georgia and new friend Cassie make a great support system for her when she can allow herself to let them. 

James's father was a singer. His band was a one-hit wonder. That's not because they weren't talented but because his father fell in love with his mother and stepped away from that lifestyle. James's mother has bipolar disorder I guess. I don't remember it specifically saying her diagnosis, but she swung from healthy and "normal" to manic and obsessive. James blames himself for where his parents are. His mother once let it slip that she wasn't like this before he was born. James feels his dad deserves the opportunity to pursue his dreams but can't due to taking care of his mom.

This story was deep. It went much deeper than I expected. The characters were multifaceted and experiencing challenges on all sides. Their struggles felt realistic. They went back to past traumas, as well as affected their futures. Besides the love of books, reading, writing, and teaching, a major theme was following your dreams. Of course, it's wonderful to have a job that you love and find fulfillment in. Yet the boring, dirty, or just unromantic jobs also have to be done by someone, and sometimes dreams don't pay the bills. I will say that I loved James's dad's perspective on his life. 

Favorite quotes:

-Sometimes redemption isn't just about saying sorry, it's about how you recover from the mistakes you make. Bettering yourself is the best kind of apology you can make.

-Books teach us, and I want to make sure I'm learning everything they're offering.

-"Don't waste your heart's calling on saying yes to something, just because you know you can do it. The straightforward route isn't always the best one."

-"At some point you're going to break the cycle. Respond in a new way. Today is that day."

-"Of course you were afraid," she says. "None of us know how to handle something we've never been through before. All we can do is learn from it. Use it to better ourselves."

I don't even feel I can properly discuss this book because it had so many pieces moving simultaneously. There weren't a lot of characters, but when you look at the issues each character was facing, the review starts to get quite lengthy. There was an LGBTQ couple, but I didn't feel like the author was trying to force an agenda on me as sometimes happens in these situations. 

Before I can conclude this review, I have to mention that the romance is a long game. If you're expecting to read about a couple that has to overcome a little history but spends most of the book together, that is not the case. Wondering how things would work out between Erin and James kept me reading, but I am glad that most books I read don't follow this same pattern. Even still, I can't see it being done any other way between these two.

Overall, I was impressed with The Book Swap. It was better than I expected. The characters were multilayered and wonderful. A few plot twists even surprised me which I love. Tessa Bickers's appreciation for books is evident, and avid readers will relate to her love even if they haven't read the same books referenced in this story. The Book Swap gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Book Swap? What did you think? Let me know!