Books about Bookshops (and Libraries) because who can resist!
Hands up the booklovers! Yes, I see you all there. There is something all encompassing about books. Maybe because they’ve been around for a good 2000 years (in some form or another) that it really doesn’t matter who you are - a book lover or not - you can still understand the appeal. Even if it’s just an appreciation of the written word through a thirst for knowledge, no matter the subject.
But let’s be honest, if you’re reading this blog post - you’re probably a book lover. If you love books, of all shapes and sizes, types and styles, you quite possibly like reading books about books. Sometimes I know, they can be quite twee. Some I have listed below, which if I am going to be honest, definitely fall into that category. Others though have a deep, thoughtful analysis of human nature through the lens of this ancient art form. Discussions of freedom, education, equality, liberty and more can often be found using not just the physical book itself but the idea of books. If you’re a fan of alternate realities I can highly recommend Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine. If you want something more modern and relatable then definitely Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.
With all this in mind, I thought I’d put together a little list of books on books. There’s a lot of different genres here too. Murder mystery, light fiction, literary fiction, translated, young adult, thriller and of course, non-fiction. This list is kind of, sort of, not really in the order in which I adore them/read them. So if you’re not quite sure where to start, take the first one and work your way down the list!
84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Blythell
By its Cover by Donna Leon
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
Weird things people say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
Bookshop on the corner by Jenny Colgan
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Sullivan
The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
The Little Bookshop of Promises by Debbie Macomber
