The reading challenge for April asks you to read a book set in a library. We asked Rachel, from Never Enough Novels, to list her favorite books about libraries and librarians for us.

If you want more book lists about books, check out our Ultimate List of Books about Books.

In the beginning, we asked Rachel to tell us about herself.

Rachel from Never Enough Novels

As time went on, Never Enough Novels changed from a personal diary/lifestyle/travel/reading log to a blog that helps people find their next great book. I mostly post short reviews of what I'm reading, book lists with unique themes, and new books to add to your TBR list!

I go to the library a lot, so I love reading books set in libraries or with librarians as the main characters. Libraries are magical places that look and feel different, but they all serve the same goal: to put books in the hands of everyone.

If you haven't read any books set in libraries in a while, this list will help you find one you'll enjoy.

*Affiliate links are used in this post. It costs you nothing to buy something through a link, but we get paid a small amount of money for it.

Books about Libraries

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

A nonfiction book to add to your library book list! A detailed look at the fire that destroyed the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986 is a good way to learn more about how libraries help us live better lives.

If your local library has made a difference in your life in some way, you'll be able to get excited about this discussion of how libraries can help people live better lives. Plus, the mystery of how the library caught fire makes this nonfiction book even more interesting to read!

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

The American Library in Paris is where this story is set. I mean, it's almost certain that it will be on our list of books about libraries. It's interesting to learn about the librarians and how they tried to help their Jewish customers and other people from the United States during the Second World War. During the story, your thoughts about the war will change.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Martha Storm, a librarian, is excited when she finds a book of fairy tales on her doorstep. It inspires her to look for answers when she reads the dedication written by her grandmother, who had died three years before. Martha learns about things in her past that will change the way she lives her life.

A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan

When Jaime did something bad in school, she was punished by having to do community service at the library for the summer. This middle-grade story is about her. There are people at the library that Jaime doesn't want to help out with, but after a while, she starts to like them, too. Children and adults both love this story. It shows how a library can be a place for people to come together.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

Adults, too, will enjoy this middle-grade story! It's very rare to find Mr. Lemoncello's library in this way. A lot of holograms, logic puzzles, and hidden games can be found in this game, as well. In order to officially open the new library, a few lucky kids get to spend the night inside while they try to win Mr. Lemoncello's game and be the first team to get out of the library.

Fantasy Books about Libraries

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

A few sentences aren't enough to describe this book, because it's too long. It has stories inside stories, secret societies, an underground library, and a long fight to keep it safe. As a slow burn, this one has an open ending, so be ready for a long trip.

I think this one is worth listening to on audio because it has a full cast. Hearing the different actors tell their stories was one of my favorite parts of the movie.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

With this book, you can learn about the history of witches, wizards, and vampires in a very scholarly way. Diana is a student at Oxford who finds an old manuscript in the Bodleian Library that causes magic to happen. A lot of creatures will go to great lengths to get this book. She quickly learns that.

However, Matthew, a vampire who has been looking for this manuscript for a long time, forms an alliance with Matthew. After meeting Diana, he can't help but protect her as she learns more about her magical heritage and new powers, but he doesn't want her to be hurt.

As a mix of fantasy and history, this book was the perfect blend. There are a lot of Halloween Books For Adults on my list. This one is one of the best.

The Librarian by Christy Sloat

This is the perfect book for people who love Outlander! She agrees to take over Gram's library even though she wants to go to college in another country. It's 1892 in England when she opens up a book from Gra's collection. She meets Jack Ridgewell, who lived there. Women like Emme can go back in time through books. Among fantasy books about libraries, this one changes the meaning of a book boyfriend in a big way.

Books about Librarians

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murphy

GMA chose this fictionalized version of Belle de Costa Greene as one of their picks. I thought it was great.

Greene was J.P. Morgan's librarian and then the librarian for his son. A black woman also tried to be white. This is a good thing. She had to cover up her roots to keep her job.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

This is a psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes until the very end. The Good Sister Fern and Rose are twins who have always been together. Rose has always looked out for Fern.

There are some things Fern can't figure out about social situations and doesn't like loud noises. She also gets into trouble all the time.

When their mother was crazy, Rose had to keep Fern safe. There are more secrets when Fern decides to have a child for Rose. A lot of people don't know what will happen in this book until the end, and even then, they will be thinking about it.

The Time Traveler’s Wife By Audrey Niffenegger

Clare and Henry have a very unique love story. The two people have known each other since Clare was six years old and Henry was thirty-six. They married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry was thirty-one. It turns out that Henry is an adventurous librarian who accidentally goes back in time.

I love how this story talks about things that every couple has to deal with. With the addition of time travel, this book became one of the best I've ever read.

Henry and Clare's story is one of my favorite stories of all time, even though there is only a tenuous librarian connection to this book list. It should not be missed.

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

Another book that has a librarian as the main character has been added to this list. School librarian Samantha works with the other teachers to try to save their beautiful, creative school from a strict new principal. This is how it works:

It also turns into a story about how to deal with grief and fear and open your heart to new ways to love. This book is, in the end, the complete picture of happiness. If you were to make a list of your favorite books for 2020, this would be number two.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Between life and death, there is a library full of books. When Nora comes, she sees all the other lives she could have had. To find her best life, she has to do it quickly. Is it possible to see how your life would have been if you had made different decisions?

This is an interesting look at how our assumptions about other life choices may not be entirely correct. Take charge of your own life and make changes to get what you want and need. A quick, moving book that also makes you think!

Lucy’s Little Village Book Club by Emma Davies

A one-sitting read of this cute story The story is about the six people in a book club at a local library. Everyone has a happy ending! Great: This book is a great palate-cleanser.

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonia Itrube

In a list of books about librarians, it's hard not to include this story, even if the librarian in this story is a little different from the rest. Dita Kraus was 14 years old when she went to Auschwitz. This is the true story of how she got there. Her job was to be a "librarian" in the kids' section of the library.

The book gives an in-depth look at how people in the camp lived day to day. The book is hard to read, but it is also a book about bravery and real-life heroes.

Books about Traveling Librarians

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

The packhorse librarians of Kentucky are a unique story that you'll love if you like history and books about libraries. They had to deal with difficult terrain, people who didn't trust them, no money or support, and all kinds of bad weather to bring books to rural families who needed them.

A lot of people gave this book 5 stars, so it made my list of the best books I read in 2020. This is one of the best books about librarians who go on road trips.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

To talk about The Giver of Stars, I can't forget to talk about The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, too. Because these two books have very similar stories, they came out at the same time, and one is written by a well-known author, there was some drama.

Read this book, too, to see how these two authors tell the story of rural librarians in Kentucky. You can then compare and contrast their stories!

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

The western coast of Ireland is where this book takes place. It's about a woman who is trying to save her community's traveling library and find herself in the process.

Hanna has moved back to her small town after leaving her city life and cheating husband behind. As she tries to keep her job as a librarian and fix up an old cottage, she comes to realize that these people she thought she could leave behind mean more to her than she thought.

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