For all the bibliophile-centered book lists we’ve made over the years, can you believe we’ve never dedicated one to librarians? I was shocked to discover this recently. Since September was Library Card Sign-up Month and October is National Book Month, this feels like the perfect time to correct that oversight.
Many of our readers—me, included—love books about books, bookstores, libraries, writers, and anything set in the publishing space. For me, I suspect this interest springs from a heady mix of nostalgia, idealism, and pure nosiness about other people’s jobs. Do I want to know the ins and outs of various kinds of library jobs? You bet I do.
Today’s librarian-centered list includes historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and more. Of course, we’re only scratching the surface with our eighteen titles. I hope you’ll share your favorite novel about librarians (or share an ode to the librarians in your life) in the comments section.
18 novels featuring librarians
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The Paris Library
A dual timeline story based on the librarians at the American Library during WWII. In 1939 Paris, Odile is working in her dream job at the library when Nazis march into Paris. She joins the Resistance with her fellow librarians but she’s staggered by betrayal before the war ends. In 1983 Montana, Odile is befriended by her teen neighbor and reluctantly begins to share about her past, leading to an unexpected connection. Lovers of historical fiction and books about books keep telling me to read this. More info →
Flying Solo
Holmes's warm-hearted sophomore novel is set, like her first, in the fictional harbor town of Calcasset, Maine. If you like the sound of a woman reevaluating what she really wants on the cusp of turning 40 (with plenty of When Harry Met Sally references), a second-chance romance with a sexy librarian, an older role model who lived an amazing life on her own terms, and a mystery subplot involving a beautiful duck decoy, this is the book for you. More info →
The Library of the Unwritten
Incredibly clever, imaginative, and a book-lover’s dream: the first book in the Hell’s Library series introduces us to the world of unfinished stories…in hell. Claire, the head librarian, finds herself “well suited for damnation” as she performs her job of shelving, repairing, and watching over the books. When part of Lucifer’s Codex randomly appears in her wing, it launches a quest for both hell’s librarian and heaven’s angels. Team member fans of this series tell me that a ragtag band of book-wranglers, a battle of good and evil, and a terrifically twisty plot make for an unputdownable series opener. More info →
The Invisible Library
Twinges of fantasy meet a page-turner in this first in a series following the adventures of a librarian spy. Irene is no ordinary librarian, and her employer is no ordinary library—she works for The Library. This library doesn't exist just in one world, it exists across space. Her job is to chase down unique works of fiction across alternate realities to keep these books safe. Her latest mission is to venture into a kind of steampunk London to recover a copy of a very dangerous and powerful book by the German brothers Grimm. When she gets to the place and time, the book is gone and other dangerous spies are hotly pursuing it. If you love a good literary mystery, this one's for you. More info →
The Personal Librarian
Confession: Before this book's publicity campaign I knew nothing of the woman crucial to the existence and current collection of New York City's renowned Morgan Library. Belle da Costa Greene was born Belle Marion Greener to a prominent African American family; her father was Harvard's first Black graduate and a noted attorney and activist. When her parents separated, Belle's mother Genevieve moved Belle and her siblings to New York City, where the family decided to pass as white and changed their last name to Greene. (Belle added “de Costa” to her professional name, to substantiate the family's claim that they were of Portuguese ancestry.) This was the backdrop for Morgan's hiring Belle as his "personal librarian," where she enjoyed great and nearly unprecedented power as curator of his precious personal art collection, which became the public Pierpont Morgan Library in 1924. (Belle served as Director until 1948.) This is gripping, fast-paced biographical fiction, narrated by fan favorite Robin Miles (which definitely influenced my opting for the audiobook). (This was the February 2024 selection for MMD Book Club.) More info →
Home for Erring and Outcast Girls
Inspired by historical events, the Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls in Texas is a port in the storm for "fallen girls." The progressive home offers training and rehabilitation to young women going through hard times. A century later, reclusive university librarian Cate stumbles on to the cemetery, leading her to combing through the archives to learn about the residents. What Cate discovers will help her make peace with her own heartbreaking past. Dual timelines make this a moving and resonant story about the power of love and friendship and the things we must overcome to find ourselves again. More info →
Going Zero
At the opening of this debut technothriller from an award-winning New Zealand filmmaker, ten contestants in the not-too-distant future U.S. begin competing in a contest hosted by Fusion, a massive tech company that is using the contest to test their software. They claim they can track down anyone at any time (but only when strictly necessary, of course) and intend to partner with the U.S. government to track down criminals and terrorists. Boston librarian Kaitlyn Day is one of the ten selected to "go zero," that is, disappear from the grid and from Fusion's sights—and if she can do so for thirty days, she'll win $3 million. But as the contest progresses and she surprises everyone with her technical savvy, Kaitlyn reveals her motivation for competing goes far beyond the cash prize—and her request pushes multiple parties to the breaking point. This was both thoughtful and highly entertaining; I listened to fan favorite Marin Ireland read this to me on audio and enjoyed it in that format. More info →
Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1)
Laini Taylor's love of books and libraries permeates the pages of this beautifully written, multi-layered YA Fantasy. Junior librarian Lazlo Strange loves getting lost in the pages of a book, especially when it’s about Weep, a city he's never seen but has heard stories about since childhood. It is this love of reading and learning that will propel him on the adventure of a lifetime. This duology opener feels at once both steeped in familiar legends and lore and also entirely fresh. More info →
Funny Story
In this emotional open door contemporary romance, two unlikely roommates fall in love. They move in together as a matter of convenience, because their housing and the rest of their lives are upended when their respective soon-to-be-spouses fall in love ... with each other, which results in two cancelled weddings and general chaos. Of course these two new roomies are going to fall in love, but in romance it's the journey that counts and this was a fun one. (Although it's worth noting that reading about self-absorbed parents was sometimes painful.) The lakeside town abutting Lake Michigan has a delightful small town feel; he has a cool job at a winery and she works as a children's librarian, which means lots of library details and story time scenes. Once again Henry manages to be insightful and unputdownable. More info →
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Books have the power to change lives, as wondrously shown in the story of 19-year-old Cussy Carter, an Appalachian woman who joins the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and delivers books to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky. She's also the last living female with Blue People ancestry, all of whom had a skin condition called methemoglobinemia, which really did turn their skin blue. Inspired by real history and set in 1936, this is a story of hope and heartbreak and how fierce determination can challenge the grasp of poverty and oppression. I learned so much Kentucky history reading this. The Mountains We Call Home, the third book in this series, is out now. More info →
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
A warm hug of a fantasy novel with a strong romance arc. Mika Moon is used to being alone; as an orphan and a witch, she has to hide her magic and avoid other witches, lest they draw unwanted attention. When she receives a message asking her to teach three young witches to control their magic, she heads to the remote Nowhere House, even though it breaks all the rules. She is quickly charmed by her charges and the other employees … except for grumpy librarian Jamie, that is. A story of belonging, found family, and believing you matter. More info →
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
A 2020 Summer Reading Guide pick. In 1913, Laura Lyons lives with her family in the New York Public Library, a perk of her husband’s job as superintendent of the grand building. Her dream to become a journalist conflicts with her husband’s desire to provide for his family himself. Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donova has scored her dream job as an NYPL curator, landing a plum appointment on the team for the famed Berg Collection. But when valuable manuscripts start disappearing from under Sadie’s nose, she’s first scorned for her incompetence—and then suspected as a thief. Sadie suspects the theft traces back to her grandmother, the renowned feminist journalist Laura Lyons, but Sadie can’t imagine how. A literary mystery that’s full of surprises. More info →
The Underground Library
Lovers of hopeful historical fiction, books about books, and Blitz-era stories, take note: three women are brought together by London’s Bethnal Green library in the early days of the Blitz in WWII London. Juliet is the newly appointed Deputy Librarian, who shocks patrons and co-workers alike by moving the branch to the nearest tube station to evade Nazi bombers—and bring residents some measure of solace and distraction during the raids. Katie is a young library clerk with a secret, whose imminent departure for university is surprisingly disrupted. Sophie is a Jewish refugee who escaped Germany’s dangers only to find herself employed by a cruel boss in London, but she finds strength from and safety with her library friends. More info →
American Dreamer: A Multicultural Romance (Dreamers Book 1)
Team member Leigh tells me this open door contemporary romance debut is going to make you hungry. Moving from NYC to Ithaca, Dominican immigrant Nesto gives himself six months to make a real go of his Afro-Caribbean food truck business. Youth services librarian Jude is trying to get funding for a library bookmobile as a way of getting services to more rural areas. The library played an important role in Jude’s childhood so he’s motivated to do the same for children in small towns. Neither man can afford the distraction but some chances are worth taking. More info →
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
This historical novel features three strong women linked across time by one extraordinary book. In 1900, Cuban teacher Eva Fuentes travels to Boston as part of the Cuban Summer School at Harvard, an ambitious cultural exchange program. She makes friends, falls in love, and writes a book. In 1966 Havana, librarian Pilar is given the book by her neighbor, who begs her to keep it safe before fleeing Castro’s Cuba. And in 2024 London, a mysterious client hires Margo to track down the only copy of Eva’s novel, and she quickly learns it’s a book some people are willing to kill to get. This pageturner has a little bit of everything: little-known history, mystery, espionage, and family secrets, plus a second chance love story and pervasive love of literature. I picked this up at a moment when I wanted a story I could escape into, and it delivered. More info →
Upright Women Wanted
A reading friend passed this my way, describing it as a tale of "outlaw librarian lesbian spies." This genre-bending novella is a little bit fantasy, a little bit dystopia, with a neo-Western vibe. It starts with a woman on the run, fleeing a bad marriage and the law after her partner was hanged for possessing Unapproved Materials that were not government-sanctioned. She takes shelter with a band of traveling librarians—and quickly discovers that these librarians are insurrectionists against the state. I loved how constantly surprising this book was. Gailey made me laugh on every page, even as their characters shoot up gangsters in their quest to dismantle the patriarchy and right society's wrongs. More info →
The Good Sister
A multi-layered story about a quirky librarian struggling with social functioning, in the vein of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Fern and Rose are twins, but they couldn’t be more different. Fern has sensory processing disorder, but she thrives at the library where order reigns supreme. Ever the sensible one, Rose assumes a caretaker role with her sister. Feeling indebted to her sister, Fern makes a grand gesture to repay Rose—and it changes the relationship between the sisters forever. When this complicated family story takes a turn into psychological drama you’ll be left wondering: who is the good sister? More info →
The Time Traveler’s Wife
A love story for book lovers, this heart-wrenching novel revolves around Henry, a librarian who frequently travels through time with no control over where or when he disappears, and Claire, an art student who met Henry when she was just six years old. Over the course of their lives, Henry leaves (unwillingly), reappears (unpredictably), and they attempt to work around these unusual circumstances, making excuses to friends, missing each other while apart, and meeting again at different ages. Niffenegger explores what this jarring disruption does to a man, to a marriage, to a family. Published more than twenty years ago, this debut novel has seen multiple cinematic adaptations and remains both beloved and divisive, making for excellent book club conversation. Life Out of Order, the sequel, is out as of this week. More info →
What are your favorite novels about librarians? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 20 wonderful books about books and bookstores and 12 bookish mysteries about bibliophiles and bookstores.
