I love my local library and use it to borrow many the books I read and write about on this blog. Just recently I borrowed a book about a library from my library:
The Lions of Fifth Avenue: A Novel
by Fiona Davis
The title refers to the lion statues outside the New York Public Library. Not being familiar with New York City, I didn’t even realize the setting when I put this book on my late summer reading list but added it because I have previously enjoyed Fiona Davis books.
This book reads as a dual-timeline mystery about rare books going missing from the library during two different time periods. In 1913, Laura Lyon’s family lives in the library. In 1993, Laura Lyon’s granddaughter works in the library.
This got me thinking about what other books are set in libraries, so I put together this list below. Although the settings are similar, this list, appropriately, spans literary genres.
If you prefer to buy instead of borrow, you can click on the images to view and purchase on Amazon. Publishers notes in text boxes.
Other books set in libraries:
A New York Times Bestseller
Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.
Collecting books can be a dangerous prospect in this fun, time-traveling, fantasy adventure—the first in the Invisible Library series set in London.
In this exhilarating series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…
A dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries.
My previous post on The Library Book.
This is one I’m looking forward to next year:
Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.
This one is a fantastical library setting:
Between life and death there is a library…A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived.
What other books are set in libraries? Please add these in the comments below.