Book Nook Cafe discussion

Use this thread to recommend books about books, books about bookshops/bookstores, books about libraries, or books about other book-related topics

I am going to copy some of the links from the book salon that prompted this thread. I don't know how to transfer them so I am going to copy/paste and credit the author

From Alias:

I finished reading the charming novel The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn It's a quick read.

I read the eBook and followed along with the audio book. The audio was done exceptionally well by Raphael Corkhill . He added a lot to my enjoyment.

Elderly German bookseller Carl Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time. Working in his friends bookstore has been his whole life. Delivering the books to his customers is Carl's social outlet. The human contact he gets from these interactions is key for him and his customers too. Along the way a spunky ten year old girl decided she is going to accompany him. The book is heart warming tale about books and friendship.

Is the book totally improbably? Yes. Still, I was moved by this feel good book and looked forward to reading it. I gave it a 4/5 rating.

From JoAnn:

Have you read THE STORIED LIFE OF AJ FIKRY? Loved it.

From Deb:

Denise, i'll just throw in a couple of other thoughts along the lines of book reading about books. A couple of authors ran book stores & wrote about it. The only one which comes to mind at present is Books--Larry McMurtry.

I also have liked something along those lines, written by authors. Coming to mind was the surprisingly enjoyable Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir--Louis L'Amour. I just didn't expect much from him but was mistaken. It's a sort of biography via books.

Oh, that reminds me of just sort a book i read several years ago. Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books--William Kuhn. Another i was surprised i liked. It briefly covered her schooling, however, the bulk of it (as i recall) was about the books she edited while working wherever she did. I found that part fascinating. It introduced me to a couple of interesting books.

And from me:

One I read last year, The Year of Reading Dangerously was sort of a biography through books (he's the D. Adams fanatic and host of backlisted podcast).

Last week I bought the humorous The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You

Books about Reading and Books

I read and enjoyed:


Fiction- The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Fiction How to Read a Book--Monica Wood

Non Fiction - How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler

Fiction - Bookshop|133938826] by Hwang Bo-Reum

non fiction Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship--Michelle Kuo

I really enjoyed this one.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I can recommend The Book of Forgotten Authors, but I'm not taking responsibility for it's effect on anyone's TBR list.



If I recall correctly, I didn't agree that all of the authors had been forgotten, but nearly all of them were new to me when I read it.

I also enjoyed Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill, although I thought it turned into a bit of a name-dropping exercise towards the end.

I just thought of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, but the author assumes everyone has read the books she talks about so the text is peppered with spoilers.

Already some new-to-me titles listed. Thanks, Folks!

Here are a few i've read in 2020-25.

NONFICTION Books About Publishers/Editors/and such--

The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America--Sara B. Franklin



FICTION BOOKS About Books/bookshops--
The Librarian of Burned Books--Brianna Labuskes

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop--Satoshi Yagisawa

The Bookshop--Penelope Fitzgerald

The Paris Library--Janet Skeslien Charles

Homicide in Hardcover--Kate Carlisle THIS IS FIRST in a series. I liked learning about professional book repair work.

The Secret, Book & Scone Society--Ellery Adams THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES. Not a great series, but sometimes you just want simple.

The Case of the Missing Books--Ian Sansom THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES about a Mobile Library, set in IRELAND.


Books about Unusual methods of bringing books to the isolated--
The Boxcar Librarian--Brianna Labuskes


The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek--Kim Michele Richardson

Not Exactly About Books or Libraries but close:Fiction--
The Librarianist--Patrick deWitt

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday--Kiley Dunbar

The Library of Lost and Found--Phaedra Patrick

KeenReader wrote: "I just thought of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, but the author assumes everyone has read the books she talks about so the text is peppered with spoilers."

I agree, KeenReader. While i liked the book, i believed i would have liked it better had i read some. The same thing happened to me with the Jasper Fforde series Lost in a Good Book: Thursday Next Book 2. I'm the sort of reader who hates "spoilers", so i stopped reading the books until i was better versed in lit. Ha!

My internet connection went out while i was writing the above long post, #12. I meant to add more, starting from the other end of my Books Read list. However, it appears i didn't read any book about books until 1990, when i was knee deep in mysteries. Therefore, my first couple are in that genre. I'll list them here.

All Booked Up--Terrie Curran . My First, read in '90.

Next were two from '99, so i still wasn't taken with book books.
Booked to Die--John Dunning This was the first in the series about a former police officer who turns bookstore owner. I followed it up with .

I've only begun 2000 & will wait to post about that tomorrow. Interesting to me that it took so long.

I'm glad to see so many people enjoying this thread. I'm not glad my TBR is swelling....

Alias Reader wrote: "Books about Reading and Books

I read and enjoyed:


Fiction- The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Fiction [..."

I have [book:The Door-to-Door Bookstore|62192261] and Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop and will read next year if I go with the book theme I'm pondering

Anita wrote: "I really enjoyed this one.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan


"

I remember that one. It was odd but I enjoyed it

KeenReader wrote: "I can recommend The Book of Forgotten Authors, but I'm not taking responsibility for it's effect on anyone's TBR list.



If I reca..."

I'm pretty sure I have Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home. It caught my eye because I really liked the book Howard's End (and the movie version is well done too)

KeenReader wrote: "I just thought of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, but the author assumes everyone has read the books she talks about so the text is peppered with spoilers."

I was surprised when I read this book what titles she was allowed to use in her classroom- titles that can be banned here in our so-called free society

madrano wrote: "Already some new-to-me titles listed. Thanks, Folks!

Here are a few i've read in 2020-25.

NONFICTION Books About Publishers/Editors/and such--

The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jon..."</i>

I enjoyed [book:The Bookshop but not the end so much (it was realistic though). I thought The Librarianist was good too but my book club disagreed

If you liked The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek try The Giver of Stars

I have Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and The Paris Library ready to read

Right now I am reading The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore Evan Friss and I'm really loving it

In the past few years I have read:
The Midnight Library---not really about books for a library
The Giver of Stars---loved this book
The Christmas Bookshop
The Reading List
Book Lovers...cliched
Read Me, Los Angeles: Exploring L.A.'s Book Culture----probably only relevant if you live in LA
The Bookshop
Cloud Cuckoo Land---really likes this one too
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
The Cat Who Saved Books
Yellowface----It's more about publishing. I hated it
Bloomsbury Girls
The Girl Who Reads on the Métro
A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen
Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library----only tangentially about a library and books
The Year of Reading Dangerously
How to Read a Book
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List

Denise wrote: "If you liked The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek try The Giver of Stars

I have Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and The Paris Library ready to read..."

I couldn't find the Moyes novel on my list but i know i read it. I found it inferior to Richardson's book. Possibly this is because i really liked the inclusion of the "Blue People". I see that the latter has a follow-up novel, The Book Woman's Daughter.

Denise wrote: "The Midnight Library---not really about books for a library
The Giver of Stars---loved this book..."

I'm with you Midnight Library. The title made me think about adding it. Later, i was adding more "not really" books.

I am finishing my list next but know & remember A.J.Fikry very well.

On My Books Read List, having completed the last 5 years & the first 50, i resume. It boggles my mind how many books i've read since our children left home!

NONFICTION Books About Publishers/Editors/and such--
Whether this should be here or not, i feel compelled to mention, Forgotten Bookmarks: A Bookseller's Collection of Odd Things Lost Between the Pages--Michael Popek. I found it delightful & had me remembering how i have marked books over the years.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession--Allison Hoover Bartlett.

How Reading Changed My Life--Anna Quindlen

The Library Book--Susan Orlean Her mind roams where mine would, too.

A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open--Theodore Roosevelt. This is a book of essays. While books are mentioned throughout, as i recall, one must wade through his sexist, racist, & elitist thoughts, as well. Skip them, and focus on Chapter 9, where he actually shares titles.

I know i mentioned this one elsewhere but wanted to add what i liked about it. Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books--William Kuhn. While it covers some of what she read, mentioned or could be surmised, the chapters about her as editor were informative. I learned about a neat mountain in China, a book about which she nurtured. Capital of Heaven--Marc Riboud, a photographer.


The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts--Joshua Hammer Manuscripts/Books, forgive me if you do not think this one should be included.

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks--Annie Spence. Weeding library books, a librarian writes about the books. I appreciated this one.

A Bookshop in Berlin--Françoise Frenkel. Polish woman opened French bookshop in Berlin, where it did well for several years. Enter Nazis.

FICTION BOOKS About Books/bookshops--

Parnasus On Wheels--Christopher Morley. I was delighted by a bookseller whose "shop" is a wagon, drawn by a horse.

A prequel to this is The Haunted Bookshop

The Printed Letter Bookshop--Katherine Reay. I have books whose titles i learned about from this book, in the 3rd part of my Book Challenge for this year. Not the '50s, not the Group, but my own. (And, no, i haven't done well with that, as few are available in the US.)

How to Find Love in a Bookshop--Veronica Henry. I am surprised to find this on my list; my notes are of little help, mentioning music, rather than books. AND it's a romance. I must have been in "a mood".


Not Exactly About Books or Libraries but close:Fiction--

How about a series about a "Literary Detective"? I LOLed throughout The Eyre Affair--Jasper Fforde, The MC, Thursday Next, can literally jump into books. The villain kidnaps characters from books, extorting the literary world in exchange for their return. Their absence, of course, changes the classic novels. Delightful series. Btw, it's alternative timeline scifi.


I debated with myself in including this one, but decided to do so. For all i know, there are many variations on this theme, using other authors, hence my reluctance. The Jane Austen Book Club--Karen Joy Fowler. .

Another iffy. People of the Book--Geraldine Brooks. It's fiction about finding a history of an ancient text. Within it, i learned about book conservation and research about old, old books.

And, yes, i'll now include The Shadow of the Wind--Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I feel i may be straying with these, but still. .

Did we mention The Book Thief--Markus Zusak? What can i say, this is NOT a crime.

The Library At The Edge Of The World--Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Woman & her daughter resettle in Ireland, having left her cheating husband.

Deb, reading your list reminded me of another interesting book I read. It's a memoir.

-Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg

Seeking direction (and dental insurance) Steinberg takes a job running the library counter at a Boston prison. He is quickly drawn into the community of outcasts that forms among his bookshelves—an assortment of quirky regulars, including con men, pimps, minor prophets, even ghosts—all searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. Steinberg recounts their daily dramas with heartbreak and humor in this one-of-a-kind memoir—a piercing exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world.

madrano wrote: "On My Books Read List, having completed the last 5 years & the first 50, i resume. It boggles my mind how many books i've read since our children left home!

NONFICTION Books About Publishers/Edito..."

I am currently reading The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. It has a chapter that starts with Parnassus on Wheels then launches into the history of several traveling bookshops that were inspired by Morley. Morley shows top several times over the next few chapters as he apparently was a big supporter of bookshops

madrano wrote: "On My Books Read List, having completed the last 5 years & the first 50, i resume. It boggles my mind how many books i've read since our children left home!

NONFICTION Books About Publishers/Edito..."

I have Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks and it will be on the list if I do a book theme next year.

I also have and will therefore eventually read: The Library Book. I have all but the last book on your "almost:" list

Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always mention an old favorite of mine: The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, a History

I also liked the memoir Stet: An Editor's Life.

John wrote: "Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always mention an old favorite of ..."

Love that cover !

John wrote: "Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always mention an old favorite of ..."

I read his first one and enjoyed it
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

Alias Reader wrote: "Deb, reading your list reminded me of another interesting book I read. It's a memoir.

-[book:Running the Book..."

I remember folks talking about this one, so i wonder why it isn't even on my TBR? Weird how that goes. Thanks for the comments & prod. :-)

Denise wrote: "I am currently reading The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. It has a chapter that starts with Parnassus on Wheels then launches into the history of several traveling bookshops that were inspired by Morley. ..."

Neat, Denise. First, for the title, which went straight to my TBR. But also for the info on Morley. I was charmed by Parnassus because the entire idea seemed fresh.

#26 Denise wrote: "I have Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks and it will be on the list if I do a book theme next year.

I also have and will therefore eventually read: The Library Book. I have all but the last book on your "almost:" list ..."

Both books were enjoyable, but i probably learned more in the Orlean book because she also gave details about firefighters, from when the LA library had a fire. And i learned about other non-book aspects of what libraries offer.

I think it must be the traveler in me which is drawn to reading a bit about mobile libraries. Neither series really calls to me, although this latter one does speak to community, as i recall, which is neat.

I'm impressed that you have almost all the books i listed, Denise. So many i just randomly ran across. AND, let it be noted, that since we began this thread, not even a week old, i've added 7 books to my TBR!!

John wrote: "Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always mention an old favorite of ..."

John, i read the first two in Bythell's series. I was kinda turned off by the second, as it was more about selling online. While interesting, i missed the "locals" who frequented his shop.

Thank you for the other two titles. I've added both to Mt. TBR. The Buzbee calls to me.

I know i've mentioned elsewhere that i read an Athill memoir (Somewhere Towards the End) when we were in the UK several years ago. (The title drew me to the book, btw.) Until then i didn't know her. I cannot see that i added this title, so have now done so. Thank you, again.

Denise, thanks for the 7 Kinds of People title. I don't recall seeing that previously. Yup, to the TBR it goes. I feel he writes well, too.

madrano wrote: "John wrote: "Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always mention an old..."

Not sure I want to read the other Bythells either.

While I was searching my Books Read inventory, I ran across a couple of other books I rated highly that might fit this thread ...

Who the Hell Is Pansy O'Hara?: The Fascinating Stories Behind 50 of the World's Best-Loved Books

An Alphabetical Life: Living It Up in the World of Books

So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading

Alias Reader wrote: "Deb, reading your list reminded me of another interesting book I read. It's a memoir.

-Running the Book..."</i>

I also read [book:Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian, Alias. See my review at
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

John wrote:

While I was searching my Books Read inventory, I ran across a couple of other books I rated highly that might fit this thread ...."

Those titles look intersting, John. I'll check them out. Thank you.

#36 Shomeret wrote: "reminded me of another interesting book I read. It's a memoir.



There are always more constructive ways to deal with controversial books than banning them.

Very good review. I agree with your sentiment regarding Sylvia Plath

madrano wrote: "Denise wrote: "I am currently reading The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. It has a chapter that starts with Parnassus on Wheels then launches into the history of several traveling bo..."

I am really loving this book. It may be my favorite of the year

madrano wrote: "#26 Denise wrote: "I have Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks and it will be on the list if I do a book theme next year.

I also have and will therefore eventually read: The Libr..."

My small indie charter school that was illegally shuttered by LAUSD sent our last 4 years on the 2nd and 3rd floors of an LA office building right down the street from the LA Central library that had the fire. My classroom was the one with the best view of the library.

John wrote: "madrano wrote: "John wrote: "Shaun Bythell has written four books on running his bookshop in Scotland; I've enjoyed reading the first two.

Whenever this subject comes up, I alway..."

I own So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading. The other two are added to my TBR

madrano wrote: "#26 Denise wrote: "I have Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks and it will be on the list if I do a book theme next year.

I also have and will therefore eventually read: The Libr..."

I lost track of how many I've added through this thread. But its not surprising, it's one of my favorite "genres"

When I have time I'll go through my TBR and list books about books I own but haven't read

John wrote: "While I was searching my Books Read inventory, I ran across a couple of other books I rated highly that might fit this thread ......"

John, thanks for the titles. On the Pansy book, i saw a few complaints that Valley of the Dolls was one of those covered. However, to have one book cover so many good ones, it would be worthwhile.

So Many Books, is one i remember seeing but cannot find it on my TBR. Now it is.

I appreciate this, John.

#36 Shomeret wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Deb, reading your list reminded me of another interesting book I read. It's a memoir.

-[..."

Shomeret, thank you for linking to your review of this book. The Plath problem is an interesting one. I haven't read much about her, other than her own writing, so was unaware being bi-polar may have been one of her problems. It's sad to learn that.

Honestly, i also wouldn't have guessed that her work would have drawn so many prisoners to consider suicide. His resolution was inspired, imo.

#40 Denise wrote: "My small indie charter school that was illegally shuttered by LAUSD sent our last 4 years on the 2nd and 3rd floors of an LA office building right down the street from the LA Central library that had the fire. My classroom was the one with the best view of the library...."

Wow, what a story. I meant to visit there when we were in Los Angeles this spring but forgot to do so. This is why we usually make lists. However, we had much adjusting to do, in order to see our daughter, so the library got lost.

#42 Denise wrote: "When I have time I'll go through my TBR and list books about books I own but haven't read..."

I won't lie to you, my Book Buddies. My guilty pleasure this weekend was scanning my list of Books Read to find these titles. Looking through that list is one of pure joys i relish, so treat it more like a dessert, saving it for last, most of the time. These last two days i could "justify" the time spent. It was a lovely Memory Lane Weekend.

Only today, when i read John's post, did it occur to me to check my TBR. I'll do that later today. First, i must accompany my husband to his colonoscopy. Lovely. :-)

As it turns out, i don't have as many books for this category as i thought i would. Likely this is because i basically have 3 TBRs. One, here on GoodReads, which i haven't checked yet, another for my Libby/Library account; and, finally, the one i culled today. Most of the latter are books on my list for decades because this was pre-computer era. As you may have figured out, i have NOT read these.

They are the following:
NONFICTION

Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference--Joanne Oppenheim. I actually added this to my TBR, thanks to a review Shomeret wrote years ago. I haven't read it.

My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop--Ronald Rice. 84 authors share their favorite bookshops. Authors include Fannie Flagg, Lisa See, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Louise Erdrich, Simon Winchester and many more.

I also had a couple which have already been listed above, by others.

FICTION:
The Club Dumas--Arturo Pérez-Reverte
A book detective, and what develops as he looks for a particular rare book on the occult.

Oh, i guess that's it.

While creating the above list, i remembered a mystery series i read in the '90s. It is historical, set in Seneca Falls, NY in the late 1800s. The MC is a librarian for an independent library, subscriptions, as i recall. I tired of the series but think it offered a good look at earlier libraries.

Miriam Grace Monfredo. The series features Glynis Tryon. First in the series, and for me the most informational, Seneca Falls Inheritance.

Club Dumas added to my TBR - thanks!

My pleasure, John.