This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page — A Year of Books From a Husband Who Is Gone

Tilly Nightingale used to read all the time. Then her husband, Joe, got sick, and after he died of cancer she stopped. She is an editor in London who works on ghostwritten celebrity memoirs, and she has been getting through the days without really living in them. A few months after the funeral, she learns that Joe left her one last gift. Before he died, he arranged for a local bookshop to send her a book every month for a year, each with a handwritten letter from him. This Book Made Me Think of You, published on 29 January 2026 by Viking in the UK and on 3 February 2026 by Berkley in the US, is the latest novel from Libby Page, the author of The Lido. Kirkus called it "the perfect cozy read for book lovers, sure to break and heal hearts." Twelve books, twelve nudges The novel is built around the year of books. The first is Roald Dahl's Matilda, a fitting start for a woman called Matilda. Each book and letter comes with a gentle push from Joe, to cook something, go somewhere or try something she has been avoiding. Slowly, and not always willingly, Tilly starts to move again. Each section also opens with recommendations from the bookshop, which turns the novel into a reading list. Readers who keep a notebook of books to try will fill a page or two. Book Lane and Alfie The books come from Book Lane, a small neighbourhood shop that Alfie Lane inherited from his father and is struggling to keep afloat. Through the year, Tilly and Alfie become friends, and the bookshop becomes a kind of second home. Kirkus compared the shop scenes to You've Got Mail. There is a love story here, but it is quiet. Lisa of Bookshelf Fantasies, who gave the book five stars, noted that the romance stays in the background and fits around Tilly's grief rather than replacing it. Grief, handled gently What reviewers praise most is how the book treats loss. Grief is presented as something Tilly learns to live with, not something she gets over, and her reluctance to open up makes each step forward feel earned. The book is also funny in places, and it is a love letter to reading and independent bookshops. What to expect This is a warm, hopeful novel, and it doesn't pretend otherwise. The broad shape of Tilly's year is easy to predict, and the tone stays soft even in sad moments. Readers looking for a raw or complicated portrait of grief may find it too gentle. The reviewers we read, including Kirkus, Bookshelf Fantasies and Sonderbooks, which gave it a starred review, saw that gentleness as the point. Who should read it Pick this up if you loved The Lido, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry or any novel set in a bookshop. It also makes a thoughtful gift for a reader who has been through a loss, though you may want to read it first to make sure the timing is right. Our verdict This Book Made Me Think of You is a tender, bookish comfort read about grief, friendship and the way the right story can reach us at the right time. Keep tissues nearby, and expect to add a few titles to your own list.