My newest recommendation is WWII historical fiction set around a bookshop in London during the Blitz:

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II

Grace has moved to pre-war London after the death of her mother and finds employment at a disorganized bookshop with a grumpy boss. She doesn’t even like to read but decides to use her talents to help organize and advertise the bookshop.

As life in London changes to horror with nightly bombings, this book shows how reading and sharing a love of literature can help people find hope.

Also, as Grace becomes a reader herself, several classic books are brought into the story, the most prominent being The Count Of Monte Cristo.

Related post: Intertextuality

Though I was ready to book my trip to visit this bookshop, I was saddened to learn it didn’t actually exist, this is purely historical fiction. But there is enough in this book that is factually based around life and survival in London during the Blitz, and it packs an emotional punch based around love and loss and friendships during wartime.