Words in Deep Blue

By: Cath Crowley
Location: FIC CRO
Genre: Contemporary Youth Fiction- a love story with books

This book hits a great combo for me- fiction centered around a bookstore and books. I loved The Little Paris Bookshop . I love the idea I could be a "book apothecary"


I am about to read Mothers by Britt Bennett! I loved Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. I adored Potato Peel Pie. I devoured The Storied life of A.J Friky.

Now we have this one... oh my!!!!!

"Before you say it words do matter. They're not pointless. If they were pointless then they couldn't start revolutions and they wouldn't change history and they wouldn't be the things that you think about every night before you sleep. If they were just words we wouldn't listen to songs, we wouldn't beg to be read to when we're kids. If they were just words, then they'd have no meaning and stories wouldn't have been around since before humans could write. We wouldn't have learnt to write..


This book is set in a secondhand bookshop called Howling Books, which is fueled not by money but the passion for literature of the family who owns it. Inside it is a section of books called The Letter Library, which the idea is basically to circle, underline, and make notes on the margins of the books as a way of sending a message to strangers, to their lovers, to secret admirers. Words in Deep Blue is about that bookshop, and the people and the stories surrounding it.

Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie were best friends once, some time ago, before Henry unknowingly broke Rachel's heart and Rachel moved out of town. Now, three years later, Henry is being a dumbass over a girl who gives zero shit about him and Rachel is back in town, completely different and ridden with grief over the death of her brother.

Now Howling Books is bound to close because it's not doing well financially, Rachel was hired to catalogue the entire Letter Library and Rachel is stuck to spend time with Henry, who is the son of the owner of the said bookshop. Together they'll unravel the the interwoven stories of the people around them, or those in the margins of the books, of the past, and of the future.
his book is set in a secondhand bookshop called Howling Books, which is fueled not by money but the passion for literature of the family who owns it. Inside it is a section of books called The Letter Library, which the idea is basically to circle, underline, and make notes on the margins of the books as a way of sending a message to strangers, to their lovers, to secret admirers. Words in Deep Blue is about that bookshop, and the people and the stories surrounding it.

Henry Jones and Rachel Sweetie were best friends once, some time ago, before Henry unknowingly broke Rachel's heart and Rachel moved out of town. Now, three years later, Henry is being a dumbass over a girl who gives zero shit about him and Rachel is back in town, completely different and ridden with grief over the death of her brother.

Now Howling Books is bound to close because it's not doing well financially, Rachel was hired to catalogue the entire Letter Library and Rachel is stuck to spend time with Henry, who is the son of the owner of the said bookshop. Together they'll unravel the the interwoven stories of the people around them, or those in the margins of the books, of the past, and of the future.
Aside from being a love story, this is also a book about grief, about family, and the love of literature. 
Jams reflections from Goodreads.com

A love letter to books and book shops and words. Beautiful.