12 Books about Books to Celebrate National Book Lovers Day
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By Amber Brown
It is National Book Lovers Day, which covers just about everyone I know, so I just had to put together a fun list of novels that celebrate books, bookstores, libraries, and authors.
In this sweeping debut, Simon, a young librarian, receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon's grandmother. Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before fate deals its next deadly hand. Hauntingly beautiful, The Book of Speculation weaves a spectacular multigenerational story of magic, love, betrayal, and redemption.
An astounding work of fiction from a New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott, always deeply honest, at times electrically funny, that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans, and America as a whole. From Amber: "This book is no joke. Charlie Kauffman-esque in its surrealism that devolves into almost fever dream. The most unreliable narrator ever. Fantastic writing, and meaning, and it should be read by the masses."
tee says: "When a murder mystery romance author is overheard talking about her newest novel and offered $50,000 to kill someone’s husband, she’s not going to take it. Absolutely not. She’s just going to go to the bar and check him out, see if she can figure out why his wife wants him dead. One thing leads to another, and she finds herself with a dead body in the back of her minivan. Now she not only has to figure out how to get rid of the body without getting caught, but also dodge the latest client trying to hire her to kill her mob-boss husband. All while juggling a nosy neighbor, a custody battle, a hot law student bartender, and the very attractive (and very single) cop investigating the case. Finlay Donovan is most definitely not killing it."
A series of book thefts roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces. In 1913, Laura is drawn into a radical group of suffragists, forcing her to question her traditional role in life as a wife and mother, but when valuable books are stolen from the library, her home and way of living are suddenly threatened. In 1993, Laura's granddaughter Sadie wrangles her dream job at the New York Public Library. The job becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books begin disappearing. Things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage—truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library's history.
Eva, bestselling erotica writer, and Shane, award-winning literary author, see each other again unexpectedly, decades after a whirlwind romance from their youth. Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, the couple reconnects, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered.
From our friend Alyssa at Copper Dog Books: “I can’t think of a more perfect novel to recommend to book lovers than The Paris Library! Not only does it bring to life the true story of the heroic librarians of the American Library in Nazi-occupied Paris, its interwoven narrative of a bereft teenager in 1980s Montana who finds a kindred spirit in her mysterious, reclusive, and book-loving French neighbor is a feat of extraordinary storytelling. The Paris Library is a testament to the everlasting power of literature and literary places to bring people together and be a home for everyone, even during our darkest, most hopeless, and divided times.”
The death of a ninety-year-old woman should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing. While clearing out Peggy’s flat, Natalka noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all. And then things escalate: from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes.
As a bestselling romance novelist and influential bookstagrammer, Kara is fine with getting her happily-ever-after fix between the covers of a book. But right now? Not only is Kara's best friend getting married next week, but the deadline for her next novel is looming. The last thing she needs is for her infuriating first love, Ryan, to suddenly appear in the wedding party. But Ryan's unexpected arrival sparks a creative awakening in Kara that inspires the novel she needs to deliver. With wedding duties intensifying, her deadline getting closer, and her bills not paying themselves, Kara knows there's only one way for her to give her characters the ever-after they deserve. But can she embrace the unlikely, ruggedly handsome muse who pushes every one of her buttons to save the wedding, her career and, just maybe, write her own happy ending?
Sparks fly between two teens as they grapple with grief, love, and the future in this unforgettable debut novel. Isabella at Buffalo Street Books said: “Amelia Unabridged is a love letter to bookstores, books, and the people who cherish them. Amelia is a book for the book lover, and I loved every single second I spent within its pages. It explores grief and loss while also reminding us that words and the stories they create are among life’s greatest gifts.”
Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, a group of damaged souls yearning to earn redemption by helping others. To join, members must divulge their darkest secret—the terrible truth that brought each of them to Miracle Springs in the first place. Now, determined to uncover the truth behind a businessman’s demise, the women meet in Nora’s cozy bookstore. And as they untangle a web of corruption, they also discover their own courage, purpose, and a sisterhood that will carry them through every challenge—proving it’s never too late to turn the page and start over.
Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. Her complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—she is African American. The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.
Zachary discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this book and desperate to make sense of it, Zachary uncovers a series of clues that lead him through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
