34 Best Books About Books, Bookstores and Libraries
Do you like reading? Imagine reading a book where the entire storyline revolves around books and everything bookish. Imagine a narrative featuring readers as protagonists, with settings in libraries and bookstores, and filled with countless conversations about books. Doesn’t that sound like an incredibly fun and fascinating read? Just thinking about it brings excitement, doesn’t it?
The book What You Are Looking For is in the Library was in the talks all over Bookstagram for a while and readers still talk about it with awe. There are many more short story books, thrillers, romances, and whatnot that fall under the same category. There are memoirs as well written by library workers or bookstore owners that give an insight into the book-world-inside-books. Whether you read fiction or non-fiction, if you are looking for books with everything bookish, your search stops here.
Here is a curated list of 33 fiction and non-fiction books about books that you should add to your TBRs.
List of 34 Fiction and Non-fiction Books About Books
1. What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
Genre(s): Literary fiction
What’s it About?
A romance between two teen readers who, with time, went their own ways. The reason for their separation was not clear, except for the fact that they broke up the same night one of them confessed their love for the other. After they have a chance to meet as adults, they find out what really went down all those years ago. The two share their favorite words throughout the narrative and it is the sweetest thing. You will resist not annotating your copy so much.
2. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Genre(s): Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Humorous fiction, Domestic fiction
What’s it About?
This book feels like a warm hug or a warm soup on a cold day. This is a collection of heartwarming stories which are loosely based on the same premise—around a library. This book was originally published in Japanese in the year 2020. Later it was republished in English in 2023. The short stories and the characters in these stories will definitely touch your heart.
3. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Genre(s): Literary fiction
What’s it About?
Heartbroken Takako, who is not a reader at first, finds herself healing and finding a new world between books in the Morisaki Bookshelf, a booklover’s paradise. Originally translated from a Japanese bestseller in 2010, it was later republished in English in 2023. It is a story of new beginnings, human connection, and the joy of reading.
4. More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Genre(s): Literary fiction
What’s it About?
This was also originally published in Japanese in 2012 and later translated and republished into English in 2014. Japanese fiction deserves to be a whole new genre. A sequel to Days at Morisaki Bookshop, this book follows the aftermath of the story. These two books are the ultimate books about books. This sequel illuminates the everyday relationships between people that are forged and grown through a shared love of books.
5. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
Genre(s): Historical fiction, Romance novel, Magical realism, Contemporary romance, Saga
What’s it About?
On a quiet street, there is a lost bookshop, waiting to be found. For too long, Opaline, Martha, and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But as the story progresses, they find their own stories as extraordinary as the others, no less than a fictional character inside the pages of their favorite books. With the elements of magic realism embedded into the story, you will find yourself lost in the fictional world.
6. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Genre(s): Novel, Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Psychological fiction, Urban fiction
What’s it About?
This book was originally published in German in 2015 under the title Das Lavendelzimmer and it was translated and republished in English in 2016. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself. A story of heartbreak set between the book worlds will definitely make a place in your heart.
7. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Genre(s): Science fiction, Fantasy fiction, Philosophical fiction
What’s it About?
What if you are given a chance to undo something from your past? What if you get to see alternative realities of your life and get to choose one for yourself? Between life and death, there is a library. Follow Nora as she finds herself in a midnight library that just might help change her life, literally. She can let go of the misery and guilt and make new choices for herself. But the only catch is that time is running out, and she has to make a new decision soon.
8. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
Genre(s): Humor
What’s it About?
This book is filled with, well, weird things that customers say in bookshops. Filled with illustrations, this book is a perfect remedy for a boring day. If you are looking for a fun and humorous read, this is the one to go for. The origin of this book lies in the Tweet “What is your pet peeve?” that led to the blog “Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops” for three years. The book accounts for these funny scenarios from all over the world.
9. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Genre(s): Romance novel, Fiction, Contemporary romance, Holiday Romance
What’s it About?
Nora, the very avid reader, is a literary agent, at the top of her game. Charlie is an editor, with a gift for creating bestsellers. Nora and Charlie are work nemesis. They bump into each other when Nora’s sister begs her for a sisters trip away. Filled with the banter between the two protagonists, follow their story as these book lovers write a story of their own shared life tale.
10. Beach Read by Emily Henry
Genre(s): Romance novel, Fiction, Contemporary romance, Holiday Romance
What’s it About?
This is the story of two authors: January and Augustus. January is a hopeless romantic. Augustus is a serious guy. What happens when these two opposites collide? The light humor, smooth transitions, characters with their own histories, and well-set premise for the story make this perfect for a beach read (Pun intended).
11. Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre(s): Romance novel, Fiction, Contemporary romance, Romantic Comedy
What’s it About?
The two protagonists are stark opposites. Daphne is scruffy and chaotic. Miles is so buttoned up, that no one knows a thing about him. The two team up; tequila was involved, who could blame them? But there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex… right? Or will she? It may not be one of Emily Henry’s best works but it is worth a while.
12. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
Genre(s): Fantasy fiction, Magical realism, Contemporary fantasy
What’s it About?
The Cat Who Saved Books is a heart-warming story about finding courage and caring for others–and the tremendous power of books. The story is set around the bookstore, Natsuki Books, a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Translated from Japanese (originally published in 2017) by Louise Heal Kawai, this is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.
13. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Genre(s): Novel, Domestic fiction
What’s it About?
The protagonist, Roger Mifflin is part pixie, part sage, part noble savage, and all God’s creatures. This roaring good adventure yarn is spiced with fiery roadside brawls, heroic escapes from death, the most groaning boards in the history of Yankee cookery, and a rare love story- not to mention a glimpse at a feminist perspective from the early 1900s.
14. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Genre(s): Novel, Fantasy fiction, Thriller, Adventure fiction, Suspense, Urban fiction
What’s it About?
The story follows an out-of-work marketeer and web designer who takes a job as a clerk at the odd little bookshop of the title. He soon realizes that there is more to Mr. Penumbra than meets the eye, and together with a group of his friends, he embarks on a mission to get to the bottom of the shop’s real purpose. What follows is a fantastical series of events involving an international secret society and almost impossibly complex codes hidden inside a series of books.
15. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan
Genre(s): Mystery, Suspense, Psychological fiction
What’s it About?
A mystery thriller with quirky characters set in a bookstore, where a bookshop patron commits suicide, and his favorite store clerk, Lydia Smith, must unravel the puzzle he left behind. She finds a childhood photo of herself on the man when he died. Why did he have her photo? The more she tries to solve puzzles about this man, the more seems to be coming to light.
16. Self-Published Kindling: Memoirs of a Homeless Bookstore Owner by Mik Everett
Genre(s): Literary Fiction
What’s it About?
Written by Mik Everett, this story follows the fate of bookstores that were put up to help independent authors. Things go down with these bookstores and their owners when the market changes, the economy falls and the families wind up homeless. This is a story of struggle and survival. It is brutal, shocking, disturbing, and an eye-opener to the fact of how society treats the homeless.
17. The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
Genre(s): Biography, Autobiography
What’s it About?
Shaun Bythell owns Sctoland’s largest second-hand bookstore. He provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books, introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.
18. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Genre(s): Biography, Epistolary novel
What’s it About?
A classic, this memoir brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London, who despite being so difference, share a common interest – books. This book is an account of their simple love affair. The narrative is partly in letter format and partly in diary format and is bound to touch your heart.
19. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Genre(s): Biography
What’s it About?
Rare-book theft is even more widespread than fine-art theft. Most thieves, of course, steal for profit. John Charles Gilkey steals purely for the love of books. This thought crosses every book lover’s mind at least once in their lifetime, doesn’t it? In an attempt to understand John better, journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett plunges herself into the world of book lust and discovers just how dangerous it can be.
20. The Last Library by Freya Sampson
Genre(s): Fiction, Romance novel, Contemporary romance
What’s it About?
June, a thirty-two-year-old librarian spends all her time buried between books. She can tell a lot about any customer, just based on the books they select. When this very library, her sanctity, is threatened, she must take a stand and fight for it. In the fight to save the library, she saves herself too. Filled with emotions, sadness, and even laughter at times, this book is exceptional.
21. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Genre(s): Romance novel, Humor, Chick lit, Humorous fiction, Domestic fiction
What’s it About?
Nina is just like us readers. She is always buried in a book. But the circumstances change and she is finally forced to come into the real world and talk to people. She has to come out of her comfort zone and face people – the horror. The transition from the fictional world to the real world is daunting. And she doesn’t like it one bit.
22. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Genre(s): Novel, Young adult literature, Historical fiction, Bildungsroman
What’s it About?
Set in 1939 in the Nazi Germany, The Book Thief is a heartbreaking historical fiction. Liesel’s life changes when she finds a book. After that, she begins stealing books to read. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up and closed down. The book has some triggering topics and should be picked up only if the reader is mature enough to read it. Recommended only to the bravehearts.
23. The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander
Genre(s): Romance novel, Domestic fiction
What’s it About?
After the death of her grandmother, Jess decides it’s time for a new beginning. She leaves her job as a librarian. Unable to part with her grandmother’s cherished books, she packs them all up and moves to a tiny cottage in the English countryside. She is suddenly the owner of a red phone box. She turns it into a library – the littlest library.
24. The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith
Genre(s): Fantasy fiction, Contemporary fantasy, Fantasy comedy
What’s it About?
This book is the first installment of Hell’s Library Trilogy. This book doesn’t end in cliffhangers so it can be initially read as a standalone. A library from hell, that’s where this story is set in. When a Hero escapes from a book and goes in search of his author, Claire, the head librarian of the hell library, must track and capture him before any damage is done.
25. Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Genre(s): Thriller, Satire, Suspense, Psychological fiction
What’s it About?
This book is inspired by the author’s own experiences as an Asian American author. Yellowface is a chilling thriller and dives into cultural appropriation, race, and microaggressive behavior. Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. What follows is a tale of white lies and betrayal that will keep you hooked.
26. The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos
Genre(s): Mystery
What’s it About?
A comical mystery thriller, this book was translated from French. It involves a library of rejected books. And when one of these books suddenly becomes so famous, it raises questions and an investigation is held to find out the answers. This book has also been adapted into a French movie which is also available on Amazon Prime.
27. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
Genre(s): Novel, Romance novel, Domestic fiction
What’s it About?
After losing her beloved job as a librarian, Nina is heartbroken. She moved to a village and made her own bookmobile. Follow her journey as she discovers there is so much more to life even after losing her job. The story feels cozy, warm, and fuzzy. Readers will find Nina’s character very relatable for she is just like one of us, a devourer of books.
28. The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
Genre(s): Coming-of-age story
What’s it About?
This is the story of Sloane Parker, who is a librarian in a small town. Arthur McLachlan, a regular at the library, who often comes and cheerfully insults her, suddenly stops coming and she, being curious/worried, sets out to meet him. They end up making an impromptu book club and slowly, it blooms with all the misfits from the town, making it a safe space for all of them.
29. The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Genre(s): Novel, Thriller, Mystery, Crime fiction, Adventure fiction
What’s it About?
Lucas Corso is a book detective, a middle-aged mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found dead, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment. Corso travels around the world in search of the killer.
30. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Genre(s): Historical novel, Mystery, Historical fiction, Historical mystery
What’s it About?
Set in 1327, this is a historical murder mystery. William of Baskerville arrives and collects evidence, which also involves coded manuscripts, to find the killer.
31. The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Genre(s): Thriller, Psychological thriller, Suspense, Psychological fiction
What’s it About?
A reader leaves a negative review for a book she doesn’t like and gets into an online debate with the author. Right after that, disturbing events start to happen in her life. This is definitely not a coincidence. This book is so scary and the fact that this is inspired by true events is scarier. Pick this up only if you are not scared to sleep alone, or leave a one-star review on a book.
32. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson
Genre(s): Romance novel, Contemporary literature, Urban fiction
What’s it About?
Nora has come to a conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist. One after another, she comes across various hurdles after getting into the editorial assistant position at Parsons Press. But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or… herself and her future.
33. The Little French Village of Book Lovers by Nina George
Genre(s): Historical fiction
What’s it About?
Another bookish treat by Nina George, this story is set in a little town in the south of France in the 1960s. Marie-Jeanne is playing matchmaker, bringing true love together in her village. She helps her father build a mobile library too. But despite everything, she can’t find her true love. As simple as the plot sounds, Nina has managed to write it so impactfully and beautifully.
34. Welcome To The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
Genre(s): Psychological Fiction, Urban fiction
What’s it About?
It’s never too late to start again. Even if you have quit your job and got divorced. Follow the journey of Yeongju as she builds back her life surrounded by writers and books, and her bookstore, Hyunam-dong Bookshop. There are various themes embedded in the narrative such as divorce, depression, and loneliness. The protagonist seems real and relatable. But be patient, for this story carries a lot inside it.
Whether you love thrillers, murder mysteries, romcoms, or memoirs, we have got them all together for you. Each book has something different to offer. And almost all of these books are available in all four versions: ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. What are you waiting for? Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, find your comfy spot, pick any of these books about books that appeal to you the most, and dive into the pages and its bookish world. You might just find a new favorite.
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