18 novels about librarians Archives

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

by Kim Michele Richardson

Books have the power to change lives and nowhere is this more true than 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.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

by Sangu Mandanna

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 quickly falls for her charges and the other employees…except for grumpy librarian Jamie, that is. A story of belonging, found family, and believing you matter. (Open door.)

The Lions of Fifth Avenue

by Fiona Davis

This novel is a book lover’s dream. 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 Donovan’s 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.

The Underground Library

by Jennifer Ryan

Lovers of hopeful historical fiction, books about books, and Blitz-era stories, take note: Ryan’s latest tracks three women who 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 her male bosses) 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. And Sophie is a Jewish refugee who escaped Germany’s dangers only to find herself employed by a cruel boss in London, but who finds strength from and safety with her library friends. Some readers may find this twee, but fans of The Secret Book of Flora Lea and The Paris Library will call this a must-read.

American Dreamer: A Multicultural Romance (Dreamers Book 1)

by Adriana Herrera

This contemporary romance debut is going to make you hungry. Moving from NYC to Ithaca, Dominican Republic 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. Neither man can afford the distraction but some chances are worth taking. The food descriptions are amazing, as is Nesto's philosophy of food as a way of maintaining cultural roots and nourishing his community in the US. You'll wish you could get in on the meals he makes for Jude, too. (Open door.)

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes

by Chanel Cleeton

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.

Upright Women Wanted

by Sarah Gailey

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 this book was constantly surprising in every way. 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.

The Good Sister

by Sally Hepworth

A multi-layered story about a quirky librarian struggling with social functioning, in the vein of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. With an undercurrent of suspense, The Good Sister is a psychological drama as well as a complicated family story. Fern is an endearingly unusual librarian trying to find her way amidst a world that overwhelms her. Her sister Rose has always sheltered and guided her through life, but when Fern makes a well-intended but rash decision, she relies on her found family at the library to process unearthed family secrets. Her fellow librarians and like-minded patron, Wally, a tech genius who lives in his van, are special treats.

The Paris Library

by Janet Skeslien Charles

A dual timeline story based on the librarians at the American Library during WWII. In 1939 Paris, Odile has a 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.

Flying Solo

by Linda Holmes

Holmes's warm-hearted sophomore novel is set, like her first, in the made-up harbor town of Calcasset, Maine. You could say this book was written with a vicarious visit in mind: Holmes says she wrote it in 2020 and 2021 when she was at home and "couldn’t go to any of the beautiful places I love in real life, Maine included." 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 love story involving a beautiful and mysterious duck decoy, this smart second-chance romance is the book for you.

The Library of the Unwritten

by A. J. Hackwith

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. A ragtag band of book-wranglers, a battle of good and evil, and a terrifically twisty plot make for an unputdownable series opener. Among the many perks of backlist reading: the next two books are available now. Check it out if you enjoyed Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.

The Invisible Library

by Genevieve Cogman

If you love a good literary mystery, this one's for you. This is the first in a series that follows the adventures of a librarian spy. Twinges of fantasy meet a page-turner. 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. It reminds me of Neil Gaiman or <a href=https://modernmrsdarcy.com/authors/jasper-fforde/>Jasper Fforde</a>. This is not high literature, but it's a really fun book. These would make a great binge read. From Library Journal: “Bibliophiles will go wild for this engaging debut, as Cogman hits all the high notes for enjoyable fantasy. Intriguing characters and fast-paced action are wrapped up in a spellbinding, well-built world." I recommended this to Mel Joulwan on WSIRN episode 60.

The Personal Librarian

by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray

Confession: I haven't been to New York City's renowned Morgan Library (yet), and before this book's publicity campaign I knew nothing of the woman crucial to its existence and current collection. 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 Robin Miles (which definitely influenced my opting for the audiobook). This is our February 2024 selection for MMD Book Club; its flight pick is Belle Greene by Alexandra Lapierre.

Home for Erring and Outcast Girls

by Julie Kibler

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.

Going Zero

by Anthony McCarten

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 anytime (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.

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1)

by Laini Taylor

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.

Funny Story

by Emily Henry

In this emotional 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. (Open door.)

The Time Traveler’s Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger

In Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic debut, an art student falls in love with a librarian. So far, so good. But they met when Clare was six and Henry was 36, and they married when Clare was 23 and Henry 31. Henry travels through time, forward and back, unwillingly, unpredictably. In her love story Niffenegger explores what this jarring disruption does to a man, to a marriage, to a family.

18 novels about librarians

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