A good story is an experience, and many of us—myself included—enjoy the extra layer of bibliophile enjoyment provided by a book about books. I cannot get enough of plots set in publishing, authorial main characters, books within books, and love stories that unfold in the stacks.
In this book list featuring books about books and reading I’ve gathered fifteen titles for book lovers to read when they need a heaping dose of bookish charm. This collection of titles crosses five different genres and features a mix of recent novels, backlist favorites, and heartfelt nonfiction.
With book-centered plot lines and characters who love reading as much as we do, these books will capture your attention as a reader and inspire your devotion as a bookworm.
Do you have a favorite book about books and reading? We would all appreciate you sharing your recommendations in the comments section.
Books about books from (almost) every genre
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Bookish Fiction
The Uncommon Reader
Hell of a Book
The Reading List: A Novel
Literary Mystery
The Shadow of the Wind
The Mystery of Henri Pick
The Plot
Readerly Romance
Book Lovers
Thank You for Listening
Seven Days in June
Bookish Fantasy
Inkheart
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
The Library of the Unwritten
Nonfiction for Book Lovers
84, Charing Cross Road
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
What book about books and reading would you add to this list? There is no such thing as too many bookish recommendations: stack yours up in the comments section!
P.S. Stay cozy and bookish with 20 wonderful books about books and bookstores or 10 books about books and reading. In the mood for a suspenseful story? Try 12 bookish mysteries about bibliophiles and bookstores.
48 comments
Anthony Horowitz has two bookish mystery series. Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders feature the book-within-a-book. MC Susan Ryeland is a book editor, and these books feature the story within the book she has edited and the book itself.
The Hawthorne and Horowitz series features Horowitz himself as a character, playing Watson to the Hawthorne character’s Holmes, and references Horowitz’s extensive film and television work, while gently poking fun at himself. Lots of meta fun and well-plotted mysteries.
I LOVE these – great suggestion!!
Loved “Magpie Murders’. Would highly recommend it
I surprised you didn’t name “Between the Lines”.
I second this. Both series are a lot of fun. I recommend the audiobooks, and PBS has Magpie Murders as a TV show now too (read the book though, there are discrepancies as always, even though Horowitz himself adapted it for the screen).
The THursday Next series by Jasper Fforde!
“The End of Your Life Book Club” by Will Schwalbe.
I love Thursday Next! Especially the Well of Lost Plots and Lost in a Good Book.
I was going to mention Jasper Fforde’s delightful Thursday Next series. I have re-read the books several times and find something new every time. Most clever and unique series!
Susan I loved The End of Your Life Book Club so much. I am excited he as a new book coming next year.
The End of Your Life Book Club came out exactly when I needed it. My younger sister was dying of Cancer. Books had always been our love language. I wrote Will and told him how much his book meant to me. He sent the loveliest reply.
‘End of your life book club’ is on my all-time favorites list!
You might want to add The Editor by Steven Rowley on your list of books about books. 😊
So many good reads on this list!
One of the first “book about books” that I read is Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern. This is a memoir by two friends who connected over their love of rare books. They describe their world-wide travels together as rare book dealers and they each had leadership roles in the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. They made some amazing discoveries throughout their travels.
They were just featured in the Booksellers documentary on Prime!
Great list — I’ve read about half of them and have some of the others on my TBR. But my personal favorite didn’t make it to your list: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish. Can’t read (or listen to) this enough times.
Bachelor Brothers Bed and Breakfast by Bill Richardson
Yes, great book!
When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II
One of the best books I have ever read. Nonfiction and feel-good set during WWII, who knew there was such a thing? I had no idea about military libraries during the war. This is an amazing book.
My favorite are the Little Library Cookbook series by Kate Young all revolving around recipes inspired by books. She is Australian, and has introduced me to many books I haven’t heard of before. I really love her Christmas one.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern.
YES!!
Ex Libris, by Anne Fadiman.
Absolutely!!! I love this book!
These were wonderful reads inspired by bookstores:
The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill – Abbi Waxman
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin
The Stationery Shop – Marian Kamali
The Library of the Unwritten is on of my favorite reads of 2022. I love the unusual concept and narrative tone. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish (not only books, but the importance of learning)
Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life by Sarah Clarkson
Here are some additional recommendations of books I’ve loved on the theme of reading:
• Nonfiction
1. THANK YOU FOR NOT READING by Dubravka Ugresic
2. SO MANY BOOKS by Gabriel Zaid
3. EX-LIBRIS: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (I agree with Deborah, above)
• Fiction
1. THE NAME OF THE ROSE by Umberto Eco
2. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
3. THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig
The Lions of Fifth Avenue, by Fiona Davis. Historical Fiction for anyone who loves libraries! 📚📚📚
YES!!!! Loved that one! (And anything by Fiona Davis really. :))
The Last Bookshop in London. By Madeline Martin. Wonderful
One of my favourites . I recommend The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson I’m sure you will
like it .
I love Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I enjoyed the whole series and all of her others. I read the series before I listened to the audio. Take a chance on the audio which is narrated by actor Brendan Fraser (recently all the rage for his movie The Whale.) Fraser also narrates the other in the series and Funke’s book, Dragon Rider. I could listen to Fraser read the phone book.
Also, Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex Harrow was wonderful. A great narrator for this one also. I often read & listen to the audio if I can.
New 2023 goal – to read all the books on this list. I have read a few and recently bought Shadow of the Wind so think this will be a very doable goal. Love this list and all the comments. I was not a fan of the Thursday Next that I read, but think I should give it a second chance as so many enjoyed it and I love the idea. Thanks!
I love this list and the great suggestions! And great goal Debra!
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. I recently listened to the audiobook version and loved all the bookstore and books content! Got some good recommendations for other books also
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry! But Gabrielle Zevon
The End of Your Life Book Club. It is about a mother and son’s relationship to the books they read, but the mother is an extraordinary woman to read about too.
Historical Fiction:
– The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
– The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
– The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
General Fiction
– The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
– The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Fantasy
– The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Taking notes! I love books about books.
My favorite has to be The Starless Sea. Though I totally get why some might hate it 😂
What does “open door” mean in this context? Thanks.
Good question, Rachel! In the context of romance novels, it means spicy scenes are written out on the page, versus closed door which means the spicy scenes are implied but not written in detail.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was an emotional read. Loved this historical fiction for its demonstration of the healing and transportive qualities of books.
I am currently listening to the sequel; Book Woman’s Daughter. So good!
I would add The Woman in the Library to this list! It is a fun mystery that constantly has you guessing. It’s a book about a book about a character who is writing a book about a murder she’s trying to solve. It’s soooooo fun and not as confusing as I described it. Haha!
Here are a few more:
Austin, Lynn. Wonderland Creek
Sawyer, Kim V. The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow
(Both of these books are about packhorse librarians during the Great Depression)
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451
Byatt, A. S. Possession
Cogman, Genevieve. The Invisible Library series (fantasy series)
Fowler, Karen J. Jane Austen Book Club
Niffenegger, Audrey. Time Traveler’s Wife
Shaffer, Mary. Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
Sloan, Robin. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore
Truman, Margaret. Murder at the Library of Congress
Willett, Jincy. Winner of the National Book Award
The following cozy mystery series take place in libraries or bookstores:
Brook, Allison. The Haunted Library Mysteries
Cass, Laurie. Bookmobile Cat Mysteries
Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas series (librarian)
Dunning, John. Cliff Janeway series (rare book seller)
Gates, Eva. Lighthouse Library Mysteries
Hyde, Katherine B. Crime with the Classics series
James, Miranda. Cat in the Stacks series (librarian)
3 more cozy mystery series I left out above:
Delany, Vicki. Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries
McKinlay, Jenn. Library Lover’s Mysteries
Shelton, Paige. Scottish Bookshop Mysteries
book lust by Nancy Pearl (America’s librarian). It’s a bit out of date now, but still worth it.