The Book Case...

The 5th Anniversary…Books For The Bookish!

“All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.” Friedrich Nietzsche

In this, my 5th Anniversary feature, I can attest that the words I have read in my life have certainly transformed my world. And that barely scratches the surface of what they have bestowed upon me in my life. The words that fill the books I have chosen to read have been an embarrassment of riches, so much so that I will never adequately be able to express my gratitude for their existence.

In essence they have given me the world, imparted upon me a sense of wonderment, ignited bone deep fire and incurable curiosity in some measure, provided pleasure as well as nourishment, indulgence as much as wisdom, inspired empathy, transcended my wildest imaginings, encouraged me to think before I speak and how to use my voice when I did so. And most importantly, reminded me I was not alone. That I never have been, and never have to be.

Books have been my constant companion, my teacher, my tour guide and at risk of sparking your ire, my religion. I can preach my thoughts and feelings on a book as the most riveting or fervent priest or prophet. It’s only when holding one in my hands that I feel truly known, both for the life I have lived and at times, the life I have longed for.

To best fit the moment, in this special feature I have gathered books for the bookish. Set in bookstores, libraries, or publishing houses; cast with readers, writers, and booklovers. Whatever the potential permutation, I’ve got you covered!

Between The Covers…

…stories full of our most inexhaustible source of magic, words

Ink Blood Sister Scribe – Emma Torzs

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements. Books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect. To fulfill this destiny the two have spent years separated. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book that Jo has never seen before, they must reunite to combat a danger like none they could have imagined. You will be bewitched by this book, so go where it leads you reader!

Babel – R.F. Kuang

Robin is brought to London by a mysterious professor to train in preparation for the day he will enroll in the Royal Institute of Translation, known as Babel. Babel is the world’s center for transcription and more importantly, magic. Silver working, the art of manifesting meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver, has made the British unparalleled in power. But Babel’s intentions are not all honorable and Robin will struggle with the knowledge he unearths. Grappling with revolutions, resistance, and the power of language, this is fantasy at its most epic in scope. Stunning, profound and an absolute must read for any lover of words and linguistics.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore – Robin Sloan

Serendipity, bad luck, and sheer curiosity have landed Clay the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. There are only a few customers, and they never seem to buy anything, instead they “check-out” obscure volumes from strange corners of the store. Clay has his curiosity peaked even further when meets the enigmatic Mr. Penumbra. This sounds like a place a booklover would love to enter and never want to leave!

The Binding – Bridget Collins

Emmett has been summoned to apprentice as a Bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice in his community. But neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. For as long as he can remember he has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. His new mentor informs him that this is a sacred calling, within each bound book they will capture something extraordinary. A memory someone wants to forget, something that needs to be erased, all will be meticulously stored. Emmett soon is left to wonder if life as he knows it might one day be rewritten. A rich and magical novel!

Lexicon – Max Barry

At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics, they are taught to persuade. Students learn to use language to manipulate minds, wielding words as weapons. The very best graduate as “poets,” and enter a nameless organization of unknown purpose. A brilliant thriller that traverses very modern questions of privacy, identity, and the rising obsession of data-collection, connecting them to centuries-old ideas about the power of language and coercion. Word nerds will love every minute of this one!

No Two Persons – Erica Bauermeister

When a traumatic event rocks her world, Alice pens a stunning literary debut. No Two Persons follows Alice’s novel as it changes the lives of nine different readers. From a homeless teen to a bookseller looking for love, Alice’s book touches the life of each reader individually, showcasing the power of books in our lives. After all, isn’t the beauty of books that they take us to places we didn’t know we needed to go?

The Bookbinder – Pip Williams

In 1914, as young men head off to war, twins Peggy and Maude are hard at work in the bindery at the university press. Most of her life, ambitious and intelligent Peggy has been told that her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, however, is content to spend her days gathering and folding the pages without a thought to the words upon them. Their peace is threatened as the responsibilities of war are soon laid on their doorstep. A compelling and poignant exploration of how books can change our lives.

The Book Eaters – Sunyi Dean

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret group of people for whom books are food, who retain all the book’s content after eating it. To them, spy novels are peppery, romance novels are sweet, history novels spark memories of destinations they have never been. Devon is part of The Family, a reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grew up feasting on stories of adventure and Devon, like all women, consumed a carefully curated diet of fairy tales. But when Devon’s son is born with a darker hunger, not for books but for human minds, she learns that life doesn’t always come with happy endings. Gives a whole new meaning to the term voracious reader. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Liar’s Dictionary – Ellery Williams

Two narratives in the world of lexicography and publishing, where characters and timelines entwine, the reader discovers how they might negotiate the complexities of the nonsensical, relentless, untrustworthy, hoax-strewn, and undefinable path we call life. An exhilarating debut from a formidably brilliant young writer, The Liar's Dictionary celebrates the rigidity, fragility, absurdity, and joy of language.

The Fiction Writer – Jillian Cantor

The once rising literary star Olivia is down on her luck. Her most recent novel, a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, was a flop. Her boyfriend of nine years just dumped her, and she is battling a serious case of writer’s block. So, when her agent calls with a high paying ghostwriting opportunity, she is not in a position to walk away. At first the job seems too good to be true. All she must do is interview Henry, a reclusive mega billionaire and twice named People’s Sexiest Man Alive who is harboring some juicy family secrets. Hmmm…she might be trapped in a gothic tale of her own.

Midnight Library – Matt Haig

When Nora finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Check It Out…

…stories that take place in within the hallowed halls of a beloved institution. The Library!

The Woman In The Library – Sulari Gentill

Four strangers sitting around a table in a library reading room are inexorably bound when they hear a woman’s terrified scream. Asked to stay put while security investigates, they break a cardinal rule of library etiquette; they start to chat. Once told all is well, they decide to go for coffee and continue their conversation. However, they soon discover that all is not well; a woman was found dead in the library. Turns out that each of them has a reason to be there that day and that one of them might be the killer. Our narrator, Winifred, is an author who was at the library seeking inspiration for her next book. While awaiting an epiphany, she began to sketch out backstories for each of these strangers. As she fleshed them out, she realizes this is the perfect plot for a book and casts her new friends as characters. Unfolds like the best kind of intricate puzzle!

The Library Of The Unwritten – A.J. Hackwith

Books that aren’t finished by their authors reside in the Library Of The Unwritten, in Hell no less, and which may or may not be prophetic and it is up to the librarian to track down any restless characters who escape from those unfinished stories. Claire has long been the Head Librarian, a job consisting mainly of repairing and organizing books, but occasionally she must chase down an escapee. When a hero gets lose and goes in search of his author, she must track him down with the help of her sidekicks, a former literary muse, and a nervous demon. What could possibly go wrong? A romp through heaven, hell, and everything in between. Told in rich and joyful prose.

Ex Libris – Ross King

Responding to a cryptic summons to a remote country house, bookseller Isaac finds himself responsible for restoring a magnificent library pillaged during the English Civil War. The books of which have slipped from the public eye into an underworld of spies and smugglers. With each book full of ciphers and codes, Isaac soon finds himself with an elaborate mystery to solve. One only a book person can decipher!

The Librarianist – Patrick deWitt

Bob is a retired librarian passing his solitary days surrounded by books in his home in Oregon. One morning on his daily walk he encounters a confused elderly woman and returns her to the senior center where she lives. He decides to volunteer and soon his story begins to unfold as he connects with the new peers he has gathered. Given that librarians tend to enjoy a more introverted life, his tales turn out to be unexpectedly wonderous. An ambitious and quirky tale of an introvert told with an absurdity few authors are capable of.

The Library Of Lost Souls – Bella Osborne

Teenager Tom has always blended into the background, finding solace in the library. Pensioner Maggie has happily lived alone with her books for years. At least that’s what she tells herself. When they meet, they recognize something in each other that will change both their lives. When the library comes under threat of closure, these two lonely bookworms’ band together to stop that from happening. Brimming with charm, heart wrenching moments and inspiring characters, this is bound to delight!

The Librarian Of Burned Books – Brianna Labuskes

Heartbroken and tormented by the role she played in destroying her family’s reputation during World War Two, Hannah throws herself into her work at the Library of Burned Books. She believes that the quiet power of books can help her atone for her sins. But when a dear friend decides action will speak louder than words, she must decide what stories she is willing to die for. Along the way she meets two other women waging their own wars and battling their own demons. Inspired by the true story of the Council of Books In Wartime, an organization founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians and authors with the intent to use books as weapons in the war of ideas. Brilliant.

The Librarian Of Crooked Lane – C.J. Archer

Librarian Sylvia knows nothing of her past, having a mother who refuses to discuss the father she has never met. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she’s descended from magicians, she is skeptical. Magicians are special and she is just an ordinary girl who loves books. As she sets out to find the truth, she meets Gabe, a young man investigating magical crimes. The two discover they may be able to help each other. Never underestimate the power, and danger, of books.

Last Chance Library – Freya Sampson

June is a lonely, somewhat reclusive young woman who has never ventured outside of her sleepy small town, preferring instead to spend her time buried in books. Both at home and at the library where she works. When that library is suddenly threatened with closure, she bands together with a group of eccentric and dedicated readers to save their beloved library. I have vivid memories of my initiation into the world of libraries. To this day anytime I visit a library or a bookstore, I feel like I am home.

The Library Of Lost And Found – Phaedra Patrick

Librarian Martha has always found it easier to connect with books rather than people. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero themed notebook just in case an opportunity to connect arises. All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep, complete with a dedication written by her dead grandmother. As she stumbles opon secrets, she realizes her grandmother could still be alive. A sweet and charming book, sure to make you forget about harsh realities you may be facing.

The Librarian – Christy Sloat

He’s from 1892 England, she’s working in a small library in 2017. And that’s just the start of their troubles. Emme never meant to stay, she’d only meant to find a librarian for her Gram’s library. A custodian for the collection of mysterious books she promised to protect. Alone on a dark, wintry night she takes her first peak into one of those books and finds herself transported back in time. She is soon falling for the dashing and heroic Jack, both on and off the page.

The Body Library – Jeff Noon

In a city dissolving into an infected sprawl of ideas, where words come to life and reality is contaminated by stories, John wakes up in a room with a dead body. The dead mans’ impossible whispers plunge him into a murder investigation unlike any other you’ve read. Sly and slightly mad, this is metafiction at its best.

There’s A Word For That…

…Bibliomania; an excess fondness for reading, collecting and talking about books

The Wishing Game – Meg Shaffer

Lucy’s childhood was marked by neglect and loneliness, but she found solace in books. Namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now, all grown up and a teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright students. Especially with seven-year-old Christopher, who was orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy longs to adopt him and give him the family she never had, but it feels like an impossible dream. When Jack Masterson announces he has finally written a new book, and he is holding a contest to win the one and only copy, Lucy is determined to get her hands on the most sought-after book in the world. But she’s going to have to contend with ruthless booklovers first. And we can be a wily bunch!

The Girl Who Reads On The Metro – Christine Feret-Fleury

Juliette leads a perfectly ordinary life in Paris, working a slow office job, dating a string of not quite right men, and fighting off melancholy. The only bright spot in her day are her metro rides across the city and the stories she dreams up about the strangers reading books around her. One morning she sees a gate held open by a book, unable to resist passing through she discovers an enchanting bookstore. There she meets Soliman and before she realizes what is happening, Juliette agrees to become a passer. A bookseller hired to take stacks of used books out of the store and into the world, using her imagination and intuition to match books with their readers. Delightful and charming book cast with a woman whose life I envy! Also, I want this job.

The Dictionary Of Lost Words – Pip Williams

Esme is born into a world of words. Motherless and irrepressibly curious, she spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, an Oxford Garden shed in which her father and a team of dedicated lexicographers are collecting words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary. As Esme sits under the sorting table, unseen and unheard day after day, a slip of paper containing the word handmaid flutters down to lay at her feet. She snaps up the slip and learning that the word means “slave girl”, begins to collect the other slips that contain words that have been discarded or neglected by the dictionary men. As an adult she takes these unrecorded words and seeks out others to compile her own dictionary.

The Borrower – Rebecca Makkai

Lucy, a young children’s librarian in Missouri, finds herself both the kidnapper and the kidnapped when her favourite patron, ten-year-old Ian, runs away from home. The precocious Ian is addicted to reading but needs Lucy’s help to smuggle books past his overbearing mother, who has enrolled Ian in antigay classes with Pastor Bob. The odd pair embark on a crazy road trip, meeting up with all sorts of characters! A charming and heartwarming read that is an absolute must for any booklover,

The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield

Upon her return one night to her apartment above a bookshop, Margaret finds a letter. It’s a request from a prolific and well-loved novelist who is gravely ill and wants to recount her life story before it is too late. While pondering the offer, she begins to read one of the authors works, Thirteen Tales Of Change & Desperation, only to discover that there are only twelve. Where is the Thirteenth Tale? She will have to agree to be the author’s biographer to find out. Like many of the books assembled on this feature, this is a love letter to reading.

The Plot – Jean Hanff Korelitz

Jake was once a promising young novelist. Today he’s a teacher struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-respect; he hasn’t written or published anything decent in years. When his most arrogant student announces he doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake braces himself for the staggering success of his students first novel: but it never comes. Hmm…what to do with a plot just waiting there…The story of a book too good not to steal. The play on words in the title is only the beginning in this novel!

The Lost For Words Bookshop – Stephanie Butland

Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look carefully, you might glimpse the first lines of novels she loves the most tattooed on her skin. But there are things she will never, ever show you. Then into her haven, the bookstore where she works, comes a poet, a lover and three suspicious deliveries. Has someone discovered her secrets? A vibrant and bustling bookstore setting that will delight bibliophile’s far and wide!

Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore – Matthew Sullivan

Lydia lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she sustains a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues and the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day perusing the stores shelves. When one customer kills himself in the store, Lydia’s careful constructed existence come unglued. And when she begins looking through his meager possessions, they seem to contain a hidden message. A book with incredible depth that ticks all the boxes.

Door To Door Bookstore – Carsten Henn

Small town bookseller Carl has the dream job many a book lover would covet. He delivers books to special customers in the evening after closing time. Many of whom have become friends and who he helps form connections to the world beyond their doors. When he unexpectedly loses his job, it will take a young girl to ensure they maintain their bonds to each other. Prepare to be utterly enchanted by this story!

Twenty-One Truths About Love – Matthew Dicks

1) Dan quit his job and opened a bookstore.

2) Dan’s beloved wife Jill is ready to have a baby.

3) Dan is scared, the bookshop isn’t doing well. Financial crisis in imminent.

A heartfelt story about a man who wants his dreams of being a successful bookstore owner and dependable family man to come true. A story told entirely in lists. So clever and a perfect structure that is bound to have a special appeal for any booklover. I feel this was written just for me!

The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin

A mysterious package appears at A.J.’s bookstore. It’s a small package, though large in weight, an unexpected arrival that gives him the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become the lifeblood of A.J.’s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. A story as surprising as it is moving,