I took on an informal, personal challenge inspired by a Random House list and a post by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz to read as many books about books as I could during 2019. Here is a list of what I read:
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. I listened to this one by audio book and enjoyed it immensely. The narration was exceptionally well done.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett was a non-fiction account of a criminal who stole first editions and antique books and the detective who finally arrested him. It was a fascinating look into the criminal mind and the obsessive mind of the detective who never gave up.
The Little Paris Bookstore by Nina George, a novel by Nina George was one of my favorites. I mean, books, Paris, a book-doctor who could “prescribe” a book for what ails you–what’s not to love ? I read this prior to 2019, but enjoyed it so much I had to mention it in this post.
I digested the Jane Austin Book club in movie form and was a delighted by the romantic and klutzy hero.
Prior to 2019 I enjoyed The Fault Is in Our Stars and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, both selections from our Third Tuesday Book Club.
The End of Your Life Book Club by Schwalbe was a non-fiction/memoir centered around books that I enjoyed enough to recommend to the book club. They enjoyed it too.
A few years back, a student recommended Marcus Zusak’s The Book Thief. I rarely read a book a second time, but I re-read it in 2019 after seeing the movie, and I nominate it as a “Best Read of a Lifetime.”
The Library Book by Susan Orlean was another I read (as soon as it came out) and recommended to my book club. Another book club I frequently sit in on also read it, and the verdict was unanimous, best non-fiction of 2019!
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jerry Colgan was an audio book I listened to in 2019. It was a attention-keeping endeavor I enjoyed greatly. Often when I listen to an audio book, my mind wanders, not with this one, I cared a great deal about the characters and wanted to know what happened to them.
Prior to 2019, I read 84 Charring Cross Road by Helene Hoff, a classic, epistolary that speaks to bibliophiles everywhere.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was part of my Alphabet Soup Challenge of 2019, and was an intriguing read.
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine brought me to a new-to-me author and back to fantasy after a long hiatus from this genre.
Parnassus on Wheels and The Haunted Bookshop by Christoper Moorely were classics I read and listened to (in backwards order) in 2019. Although I read Haunted Bookstore first, then listened to the characters’ back story afterwards, it was a wonderful reading experience overall.
Recently I finished and placed in my Little Free Library both Life with Bob by Pamela Paul (Bob stands for Book of Books) and Goodnight June, a speculative novel by Sarah Io (an author I had never read but expect to seek out in 2020), based on the children’s classic Goodnight Moon.
All of these books are reviewed on PWR, so type ones you are interested in into the search bar at the top of the post and start reading some Books about Books in 2020!
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