Despite being a little cross-eyed from the amount of times the word ‘book’ appears above, I do love this sort of story. I dream of owning a little bookshop and chatting about books all day. I feel an instant rapport with voracious readers, so I think I empathise with the characters in these books. They are inquiring minds, keen to consider other points of view that may differ from their own.
My first recommendation is non-fiction. I read The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell in a couple of days. Bythell owns the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland. In these candid diaries, he opens up about what he earns and what life is really like dealing with eccentric customers and ignorant sellers every day. People who come into the shop just to look around and don’t spend anything are one of his targets. He has a dry writing style and gives his caustic opinion on being in the book industry as a small player and going up against the big brands. It is a little escape to small town Scotland, surrounded by books. What could be better!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of my absolute favourite books. It is historical fiction set in Nazi Germany in World War II. In a time when the flow of ideas is restricted in order to maintain power, a young girl begins stealing books. Liesel is part of a normal family, who find themselves in an extraordinary time and place. It is about the power of words and ideas against a controlling regime. It is about bravery.
On my list to read in this niche are The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley and The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.
Lets see what the other bloggers had to say.
Jo Linsdell www.JoLinsdell.com
I love books in this niche. The last book I read that falls into this category was The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay. A lovely read.
About the book: Love, friendship, and family find a home at the Printed Letter Bookshop
One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.
While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls. When Madeline’s professional life takes an unexpected turn, and when a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. She begins to envision a new path for herself and for her aunt’s beloved shop—provided the women’s best combined efforts are not too little, too late.
The Printed Letter Bookshop is a captivating story of good books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings, and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship.
Robin Taylor https://www.robinlovesreading.com
A couple of months ago, I got a book for review, The Book Supremacy by Kate Carlisle. I discovered that it was book 14 in a series. Although I have a pretty stern rule with myself to only read books in order, I went ahead and read that book. Well I absolutely loved it and then I went to my library and so far I have had a chance to read the first four books in the series. It is the Bibliophile series. The main character is a book binder and restorer and it is a cozy mystery series. She solves murders along with the aid of two cats who give her clues and sometimes end up solving the crimes themselves. It is a cute series and I have nine books to go.
Leslie Conzatti www.upstreamwriter.blogspot.com
Being a book lover, myself, I’m always drawn to books of this nature!
The first book that comes to mind is, of course, the one that directly references a library in its title! The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is a recent discovery of mine, and I absolutely LOVED it! A secret library that exists in its own dimension, where agents called “Librarians” can access alternate realities where things from our “made-up fairy tales” are actually real–like werewolves, and fairies, and magic, and witches–and their job is to collect the changed version of stories from those realities and file them in the Library so that they don’t end up in the hands of evil people who would use those stories to alter reality in another dimension! It’s beautiful, glorious, intriguing, and I definitely recommend it!
The second title I’ll mention is actually a duology, Storybound and Story’s End by Marissa Burt. The premise is a young girl is reading in a library (and hiding from a classmate she wants to avoid) and she finds a book that refers to her as the main character! The book transports her to the land of Story, where Heroes and Villains are educated and trained in the skills and traits needed for their roles, set down by the Muses who “Write” into “Story” according to the “Author’s plan. All is not well in Story, though–there is one unscrupulous man who wants to steal the Author’s ability for himself, and “re-Write Story” according to his own ideas–and it’s up to the girl and a small band of characters to stop him!
Laura Doherty – Tales Of A Natural Spoonie
I love books about bookshops, however as I started to answer this question, my mind went completely blank! Especially as I have enjoyed most of the books mentioned above.
One that I am sure you will have enjoyed the film but not necessarily the book is The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. The book centres on a boy, Bastian, a strange child who is neglected by his father after the death of his mother. While escaping from some bullies, Bastian bursts into the antiquarian book store, where he finds his interest held by a book called The Neverending Story. Unable to resist, he steals the book and hides in his school’s attic, where he begins to read.
Having loved the film as a child, I was lucky enough to find a copy of this to read when I was in my early 20s, there are obviously some significant differences between the two. However it is a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it, if you can find a copy.
Eline – Lovely Audiobooks
Which booklover doesn’t love books about books? I made a list of my favorite Romance novels about booklovers a little while ago.
So, today, I go with an older favorite of mine: Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore!
Who wouldn’t absolutely love a bookstore that’s always open? This is a quirky story about a guy who gets hired by Mr. Penumbra and drawn into a world of bookish secrets.
Who knew there were so many great books about bookshops and book lovers? Thank you to all the other bloggers that gave their ideas. This has been the 7th stop on the Bookish Blog Hops where we are having interesting discussions about books for all of September.
Yesterday, we checked out Incredible Non Fiction Books with Upstream Writer and tomorrow, we will be discovering Awesome Indie / Self-published Books.
Make sure you follow the other stops of the blog hop.
Do you know of any books about bookshops or book lovers to add below?