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The Librarian and the Ghost
Ritual summoning at the public library is NOT on the list of preapproved events.
On a tiny island off the coast of New England, in an old Victorian mansion, there is a library in need of a live-in librarian. The job is perfect for Olivia, so she happily drops everything to take the ferry out to Cat Island and start a new life. She doesn't care that the population of the island is small enough that she has no chance of a social life. She has what she a place to stay, books, and maybe even a mystery to solve.
From the day she arrives, Olivia feels like she is not alone here. Someone seems to be trying to make contact, through books and bells, sending playful messages. She's not sure she believes in ghosts, but she can't shake the feeling this all must be connected to the portrait of the melancholy young man that hangs in the rare books collection. Olivia is determined to discover her library's secrets, even as that search takes her far beyond moldy old archives and anything her library sciences classes prepared her for.
On a tiny island off the coast of New England, in an old Victorian mansion, there is a library in need of a live-in librarian. The job is perfect for Olivia, so she happily drops everything to take the ferry out to Cat Island and start a new life. She doesn't care that the population of the island is small enough that she has no chance of a social life. She has what she a place to stay, books, and maybe even a mystery to solve.
From the day she arrives, Olivia feels like she is not alone here. Someone seems to be trying to make contact, through books and bells, sending playful messages. She's not sure she believes in ghosts, but she can't shake the feeling this all must be connected to the portrait of the melancholy young man that hangs in the rare books collection. Olivia is determined to discover her library's secrets, even as that search takes her far beyond moldy old archives and anything her library sciences classes prepared her for.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2025
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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April 14, 2025The Librarian and the Ghost is a cozy ghost story in the form of a novella. Booklovers will easily relate to the main character's passion for libraries. Introverts will relate to her desire to live a mostly-solitary life on an island and be left in peace. Anyone who struggles to afford a house under the current economic climate will definitely see the appeal of being granted an entire mansion to themselves. And, having everything else you could want, of course it adds the perfect splash of excitement to find a ghost thrown into the bargain.
For me, the book set the perfect tone from beginning to end. The main character experiences just the right amount of happiness and good fortune to keep things cozy, while the plotline provides just the right amount of tension to keep the reader interested without crossing any lines that would change the genre into horror. I smiled and laughed at several points, but I also found myself needing to know the answers to the mystery. Clues were laid out at just the right pace to keep me enticed.
I found the major characters to be very likeable, including the ghost, who I thought was very well-handled. The asexual spectrum representation was lovely to see and was depicted perfectly. Historical details seemed accurate and well-researched (although I didn't do any research myself to check up on that). It truly feels as though author was drawing upon her extensive experience as a ghost-tour guide, with all the historical knowledge that comes with as well as all the story-telling abilities.
The writing quality was very good as well. Apart from comma errors, which I suspect many readers wouldn't even notice, I only counted about three typos in the entire book, which is almost on par with what I'd expect in a traditionally published book. The sentences and paragraphs flow perfectly, chapters transition into each other with ease, and there are some really good quotes to be found.
My biggest criticism is that there were two story beats that didn't have quite enough setup for my taste. I think a few minor tweaks in just the right place could have made a difference, but the emphasis is on the word "minor". I wouldn't be surprised if a different reader, experiencing the book in their own way, disagreed with me entirely.
I don't think there are any trigger warnings necessary for this book unless you're sensitive to things like mild expressions of heteronormativity/allonormativity, simple acknowledgement that slavery once existed in the US, or the obvious fact that the ghost must have died of something.
This truly fits the bill of cozy ghost story, and I think anyone in the mood for one will enjoy it. It's a quick and pleasant read with a satisfying conclusion, a lovely reading experience from beginning to end.
For me, the book set the perfect tone from beginning to end. The main character experiences just the right amount of happiness and good fortune to keep things cozy, while the plotline provides just the right amount of tension to keep the reader interested without crossing any lines that would change the genre into horror. I smiled and laughed at several points, but I also found myself needing to know the answers to the mystery. Clues were laid out at just the right pace to keep me enticed.
I found the major characters to be very likeable, including the ghost, who I thought was very well-handled. The asexual spectrum representation was lovely to see and was depicted perfectly. Historical details seemed accurate and well-researched (although I didn't do any research myself to check up on that). It truly feels as though author was drawing upon her extensive experience as a ghost-tour guide, with all the historical knowledge that comes with as well as all the story-telling abilities.
The writing quality was very good as well. Apart from comma errors, which I suspect many readers wouldn't even notice, I only counted about three typos in the entire book, which is almost on par with what I'd expect in a traditionally published book. The sentences and paragraphs flow perfectly, chapters transition into each other with ease, and there are some really good quotes to be found.
My biggest criticism is that there were two story beats that didn't have quite enough setup for my taste. I think a few minor tweaks in just the right place could have made a difference, but the emphasis is on the word "minor". I wouldn't be surprised if a different reader, experiencing the book in their own way, disagreed with me entirely.
I don't think there are any trigger warnings necessary for this book unless you're sensitive to things like mild expressions of heteronormativity/allonormativity, simple acknowledgement that slavery once existed in the US, or the obvious fact that the ghost must have died of something.
This truly fits the bill of cozy ghost story, and I think anyone in the mood for one will enjoy it. It's a quick and pleasant read with a satisfying conclusion, a lovely reading experience from beginning to end.
April 15, 2025
Olivia gets a highly-coveted job as a librarian in an old house on an island, and she soon becomes obsessed with the family who owned the house and the ghost who seems to be haunting it.
This was such a fun little book, and I thought it told a great story within the short page count. It had the cozy-adjacent vibes and found family that is so popular right now, but without feeling saccharine or cheesy. Plus the mystery of the ghost's identity gave it the hook it needed for me to want to devour it in one sitting. And I really liked Olivia as a main character - she's introverted and on the aro/ace spectrum, but is comfortable with herself and won't let other people's opinions on the way she's chosen to live her life dictate any of her decisions. I aspire to be more like her!
This was such a fun little book, and I thought it told a great story within the short page count. It had the cozy-adjacent vibes and found family that is so popular right now, but without feeling saccharine or cheesy. Plus the mystery of the ghost's identity gave it the hook it needed for me to want to devour it in one sitting. And I really liked Olivia as a main character - she's introverted and on the aro/ace spectrum, but is comfortable with herself and won't let other people's opinions on the way she's chosen to live her life dictate any of her decisions. I aspire to be more like her!
June 25, 2025
I'll be honest - I didn't know what a "cozy read" was. I also didn't know that I needed it. I so enjoyed The Librarian and the ghost. It is both comfortable and comforting. Sure, there's a mystery that needs to be solved and some tense moments for the main character but, in the end, the magic of the story - for me - was watching Olivia find her place in the world. The environment is warm and rich too. In fact, I still find myself drifting back to life on Cat Island.
If you could use some cozy in your life (and who couldn't, really), I highly recommend this story.
If you could use some cozy in your life (and who couldn't, really), I highly recommend this story.
July 23, 2025
Really liked this story about an introverted librarian hired to curate a library on an island in New England that comes with a ghost.
December 14, 2025
I loved this extremely cozy ghost story. The mc is living the dream on a library on a small island. Anyone who loved the game Tiny Bookshop should read this book.
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