Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish.
Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday here at Hidden Staircase! This week is another open topic.
Top Ten Books With X Setting (top ten books set near the beach, top ten book set in boarding school, top ten books set in England, etc)
I find it funny that it specifically says books set in England. That is always the first thing that pops into my head! But in an effort to keep my Top Ten lists feeling fresh and fancy free, I will not be selecting England for my list this week. Instead, I thought it would be more fun to pick a place that ALL of us bookworms adore…Is there any place better than a room full of books? Whether a library or a bookstore?
I’m not sure if I can make it to ten, but let’s give it a shot, shall we?
Top Ten Books Set in the Library or Bookstore
General Fiction
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Monsieur Perdu owns and run the Literary Apothecary, his floating bookstore located on a barge moored on the Seine. M. Perdu can tell in a matter of minutes what is ailing a customer’s soul, and recommend the book they need.
Classic Mystery
Murder in the Museum by John Rowland. Museum? I thought we said library. A classic mystery from 1938, the murder occurs in the crowded and public British Museum Reading Room, the main reading room of the British Library. (Closed in 1997, Wikipedia has some great pictures of the old space.)
Suspense/Thriller
You by Caroline Kepnes. You is a creepy (and slightly disturbing) book. The main character Joe works in a bookstore, and a lot of the story is set there.
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry. Technically this book hits both requirements for this list. Cotton Malone owns a bookstore in Denmark AND they are searching for the lost Library of Alexandria. A fast page turner.
The Bookseller by Mark Pryor. This was a fun book to add to this list. Instead of a traditional bookstore, it is focused on Bouquinistes in Paris, booksellers whose focus is used and rare books, operating out of bookstalls along the banks of the Seine.
Cozy Mysteries
Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay. The second book in the Library Lover’s Mysteries, a cute cozy series about a librarian in a small Connecticut town.
Scotched by Kaitlyn Dunnett. Moosetookalook is hosting a “Cozy Con”- a mystery book conference based on cozy mysteries. This was the first book I read in the Liss MacCrimmon series, and still my favorite.
The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco by Laura DiSilverio. Technically this book is based on a reading club, and not set in a library or bookstore. But it was a fun cozy, so it makes this list.
Children’s
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein. A fun Willy Wonka-esque adventure when 12 children are locked into their local library for a friendly evening of competition.
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. My youngest and I picked this out from our library many moons ago. I liked the book so much I bought our own copy, and we still have it in our collection. The story is sweet and the pictures are perfect.
On My TBR
And in creating this list I realized there are four potentially fantastic books that I haven’t read yet. So I’m adding those, too.
- The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
- The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
- The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson
I’m sure there are some other great books that I’ve missed. Let me know in the comments below! What did you pick for your TTT this week? Link up to your list so we all can see your fantastic picks!
Hidden Staircase 
Great list! I’d add Rachel Caine’s Great Library series, Agatha Christie’s The Body in the Library, and Lirael by Garth Nix. You MUST read Mr. Penumbra soon!
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What a good way to go on this topic!! I love books set in bookstores!! You was great. I always think of two books – A Window Opens (which made my list of books set in NJ) and One True Loves that heaily feature book stores. Great list!
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Great list and a fantastic topic! I love the Jenn McKinley series and the Readerholics as well. I’ve read some Steve Barry but have yet to read The Alexandria Link which is obviously a big mistake on my part and Mr. Limoncello is high up on my TBR. I’m listening to Mr. Penumbra right now and while I’m really enjoying it it isn’t very bookish. While there is technically a bookstore it’s more about quests and decoding than books.
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This is a great topic. I liked Mr. Penumbra’s and I’ve heard good things about The Little Paris Bookshop. Murder in the Museum and The Alexandra Link both sound good too (my ears always perk up when I hear about the library of Alexandria- such an interesting topic).
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Awwww, “Library Lion” is such a cute book! When I was working at my library job before we moved in April, I would flip through every single children’s book that came through that had anything to do with books or libraries. That one has such adorable illustrations!
When I was scrolling through your list I kept thinking of “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry,” and there it was at the bottom! It was a wonderful book and I absolutely loved it! I wasn’t as thrilled by “The Bookseller” or “The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend” — they were both just ok. (Though “Broken Wheel” is actually on my TTT list today, which is about books set in different parts of the U.S.)
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I’m really looking forward to reading You – I’ve heard so many good things about it.
Check out my TTT.
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