Books About Libraries You’ll Want to Add to Your Shelf Now

This lively mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Murder, She Wrote sounds like a rollicking adventure for readers.

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps discovering bodies in her village.

When her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, appears possessed by an ancient demon, she teams up with the town's new priest and the "Demon-Hunting Society" to solve a murder and banish the demon.

Release Date- 24 September 2024

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Henry Kimball and Lily Kintner are back to their sleuthing in Peter Swanson's third novel, offering readers another thriller with his signature twists.

Martha works as a librarian in Maine and has been quite happy with her solitude for many years.

But, when she meets a charismatic salesman, she is swept away by his charm, leading to a whirlwind marriage proposal.

Now, Martha begins to suspect that Alan may not be who he says he is, especially when she discovers that many unsolved murders coincide with his work trips.

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Emma Taylor struggles to find work due to legal restrictions for widows with children. She persuades the manager at Boots' Booklover's Library to hire her.

But, when the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. Here, Emma finds comfort in forming unlikely friendships in her daughter's absence and making recommendations to the library's quirky regulars.

However, the job presents unusual challenges as books mysteriously begin to disappear.

If you love this novel, check out The Librarian Spy, The Last Bookshop in London, and The Keeper of Hidden Books—three other stories from the author celebrating our love of books over the decades.

Release Date- 10 September 2024

In 1964, history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis is on a quest to find the land she inherited.

She uncovers a dark secret: in every generation, one Bridge family member disappears and is mysteriously transported back in time.

Armed with only a family Bible and a map marked with the locations of mysterious containers, Cecily heads to the library, hoping to uncover the truth behind this curse.

But, it's a race against time to find the answers that will free her family forever in Madison's enthralling historical fiction debut.

Release Date- 3 September 2024

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This family drama has a lot of spice for readers.

A widowed librarian secures her perfect dating match on an app designed for readers and accepts his whirlwind marriage proposal while still navigating her newfound grief.

While the family drama is front and center, this novel's bookish themes are rich thanks to Sylvie and Simon's deep affection for literature, which embeds surprising book cameos like a children's book called The Bed Book—a classic by Sylvia Plath that I was unaware existed until this novel!

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Gabriella Gamez, a Mexican-American author, has launched a new book series called "Librarians in Love," which sounds perfect for this prompt.

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has pined for her best friend for years, but she knows it's time to move on when he gets engaged.

Enter Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the groom, When a family brunch misunderstanding leads to everyone thinking the two hooked up, they decide to play along.

As their faux relationship heats up, Marcela and Theo navigate tangled emotions, family drama, and buried secrets, discovering that their rebound might be the real deal.

Release Date- 9 July 2024

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Recently grieving a loss, Erin Connolly mistakenly donates her beloved annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to a local library.

However, Erin begins a transformative literary journey when it reappears with newly annotated notes and an invitation from a mysterious pen pal.

As they exchange their stories through the margins of timeless novels, Erin uncovers surprising connections and faces brutal truths that have the potential to change her future indefinitely.

Release Date- 3 September 2024

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Children's librarian Daphne's life takes an unwelcome turn when her fiancé Peter dumps her for his best friend, leaving her stranded in his hometown.

Forced to share an apartment with Miles, who also has a bruised heart from Peter's betrayal, Daphne crafts a fake dating scheme to ruffle some feathers.

As a reader, I'll admit that I was less captivated by the romance and more by the cozy Midwestern library scenes in this one, and Daphne's magical story hours with these children made me feel like a kid again.

The Emily Henry audiobooks, narrated by Julia Whelan, are always the best format- she adds something incredible to each novel.

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I loved Jennifer Ryan's writing in the charming novel The Kitchen Front. This novel offers readers three POVS on an underground library story.

New deputy librarian Juliet Lansdown is determined to revitalize the neglected Bethnal Green Library but faces resistance from the men in charge and the shadows of her past.

Young Katie Upwood, grieving her beau and grappling with a life-changing secret, and Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee escaping a cruel employer, find solace and friendship within the library's walls.

But, when bombs destroy the library, Juliet moves the collection to an Underground station to keep the community's spirit alive. Among these tragedies, these women face continued challenges in saving their beloved library.

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Lorraine, a bright and ambitious seventeen-year-old in the early 1960s, sees her dreams of becoming a valedictorian and astronaut shattered when a single encounter with her boyfriend, Clint, leaves her pregnant and abandoned.

When she is sent away to a maternity home to have her child, she discovers an unexpected ally through the nearby local library, which becomes her secret haven.

I'll never get over the honor of being acknowledged in someone's book. Meagan made my dreams come true!

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Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha's Vineyard, receives a dream opportunity from her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan: to assist in writing the final book of her beloved series.

However, Siobhan's son, Kieran Murphy, who runs a local bookstore, opposes her involvement.

As tensions rise and Siobhan's health deteriorates, Emily finds herself mediating between mother and son.

Sayuri Komachi is Tokyo's enigmatic librarian who possesses a unique gift: she can read the souls of her library guests.

Beyond recommending books, Komachi understands precisely what each visitor seeks in life and offers them a transformative book they never knew they needed.

From a restless sales attendant to a struggling working mother, every visitor arrives at Komachi's library with their dreams and challenges.

Through heartfelt conversations and unexpected book recommendations, Komachi guides them toward life-altering revelations that readers have found unbelievably heartwarming.

This sounds like the perfect book for readers seeking cozy fantasy books like A Psalm for the Wild-Built.

This historical fiction novel was an enormous hit with our book club.

Eva, a librarian, is shelving books when she locks eyes with a story and photograph of a book she hasn't seen in over sixty years.

This book contains the names and secrets of her time spent helping children to safety by fabricating documents to allow them to escape the concentration camps.

Now, she must travel to claim the book and explain its story. However, there may be more hidden in the book than she initially realizes.

For many years, Eva has been waiting for a correspondence that could provide closure and peace to her own love story.

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This historical fiction novel showcases the bravery and resilience of the American Library in Paris during WWII.

Based on a true story, young librarian Odile fights to keep the library open amidst the war's dangers.

Decades later, her bond with teenage Lily in 1980s Montana offers readers moving glimpses into this enduring relationship and the power of found family.

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Readers craving stories of intergenerational friendships for their book clubs shouldn't miss this sincerely sweet story.

A special reading list tucked into books in a local library features modern and classic gems, sparking community connections.

Widower Mukesh remembers his wife's love for reading and visits the library, forming a heartwarming friendship with a young librarian who uses this list to guide her recommendations.

This book beautifully captures the communal nature of books. Our book club adored this one!

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Milena McKay's Lambda Literary Award-winning romance has been one of my favorite backlist books of the year.

In this sapphic romance, Sam, a closeted teacher at a traditional New England academy, and her imposing new headmistress, Magdalene, had a secret tryst months ago.

Their reunion sparks a slow-burning love affair amidst the academic corridors and hidden nooks of Three Dragons Academy.

Abby Craden's captivating audiobook narration performance offers readers a surprisingly well-developed mystery intertwined with this academy's history.

Thanks to its dark academia setting, I can happily recommend it for this list. If you adore this, I hope you'll support this under-the-radar gem, which is available in the Kindle Unlimited library. I think it needs more readers!

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This nonfiction book I chose for our book club was drier than I expected, but the audiobook helped move along the slower elements of this story.

The book is Orlean's account of the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library fire, in which an inferno reached 2000 degrees, burned for seven hours, and destroyed over 400,000 books.

The novel shines in the library details, including fun trivia and highlighting libraries' essential role in our lives.

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When shy library assistant June Jones learns that her beloved Chalcot Library is facing closure, she steps out of her comfort zone to join an eccentric group of patrons in a fight to save it.

Through the campaign, June discovers newfound confidence, forms unexpected friendships, and discovers a beautiful journey to find happiness beyond her routines.

After Amy Byler's husband unexpectedly leaves, she spends three years raising her kids alone.

So, when he returns to take the kids for the summer, she seizes the chance to escape her suburban life for New York City.

There, she attends a librarian conference and reconnects with an impossibly stylish friend who works for a magazine and sees Amy's adventure as perfect article material.

Cue the makeover montage!

With a makeover and a nudge to try dating again, Amy relishes her newfound city life and the blissful absence of responsibility.

When Simon, a young librarian, comes into possession of a cryptic book recounting the trials of an 18th-century carnival, he discovers unsettling similarities to his family's history of drowning tragedies.

Determined to lift the curse hanging over his sister, Simon ventures to unravel this captivating mystery.

Uniquely told, these chapters alternate between the travel log (complete with sketch drawings) and the present-day as Simon tries to stop the curse on his family.

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Fiona Davis sets all her historical fiction novels around New York City landmarks and often gives you a fresh peek at a historic building. It was such a joy to share more about her research process on the Book Gang podcast.

In 1913, a family living at the New York Public Library works as its caretaker. Laura has always served in the traditional wife role but has decided to apply to Columbia to work on her degree in journalism.

Laura's headstrong behavior leads her down a path of discovery as she uncovers an all-female group where women are encouraged to talk freely about things like birth control, women's rights, and bucking traditional roles.

Here, Laura finds her people and makes some discoveries about herself and the people she loves.

Eighty years later, her granddaughter works as a curator at the same library when some rare materials go missing.  As Sadie tries to crack the case, she discovers some surprising secrets about her family.

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Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian, finds herself both a kidnapper and kidnapped when her favorite patron, ten-year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home.

She offers Ian an escape from his overbearing mother by going on an unexpected road trip together from Missouri to Vermont. As they encounter unforeseen challenges, they question who REALLY is running away.

This novel has undoubtedly a farfetched premise, but many readers have fallen in love with this unusual road trip adventure.

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Samantha is a dedicated school librarian who faces unexpected changes when her beloved school's principal dies.

Enter Duncan Carpenter, Samantha's old crush turned new principal, who surprises her with his stern demeanor.

He's nothing like she remembered. He brazenly eliminates their school's fun traditions, implements strict school rules and guidelines, and even strips color from the walls of every room!

Sam is bewildered and dismayed by Duncan's behavior, as is the rest of the staff at school. However, Sam doesn't know how Duncan has gotten to this point, and that, folks, is where the meat of the story lies. 

With its quirky characters and believable depth, this novel is another heartstring-tugging read from one of my favorite romance writers.

P.S.- Katherine Center is known for her PG-romance stories- these books are always closed-door!

Nora has had a string of bad luck, and when her cat dies, she decides this is the last straw.

This pivotal moment, though, is when she discovers the midnight library, which holds an unusual Book of Regrets, filled with all of Nora's missed chances and opportunities.

Now, Nora can live out some of her biggest regrets, which helps her realize the consequences of her choices- for better or worse.

The reader experiences these regret-filled moments and lives vicariously through Nora's missed opportunities, making it a beautiful option for book club discussions.

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In a dystopian future governed by cultural laws, twelve-year-old Bird Gardner receives a cryptic letter that launches him on a dangerous quest to find his banned poet mother, Margaret.

Guided by her forgotten folktales and aided by underground librarians, Bird navigates a world where dissent is punished and discovering the truth could ignite revolution in New York City.

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