Books About Books

Did you know that November is National Reading Month? This year, November 24-30 is National Book Week. And of course there's the famous NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, when writers aim to type or pen 50,000 words in 30 days. . . . I guess you could say, whether you're a reader or a writer (or both), November is fully booked! ;)

In honor of such a bookish month, we thought we'd share 10 great books about books! (Many but not all of them are speculative fiction.) Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: January Scaller, a young woman in the early 20th century, discovers a mysterious book that reveals hidden doors to other worlds. As she explores them, she unravels family secrets, confronts dangerous forces, and searches for identity and belonging.

​2. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman: Librarian Irene travels to different worlds, collecting important books for a mysterious library. Tasked with retrieving a unique version of Grimm's Fairy Tales, she navigates alternate realities, encountering dragons, cyborgs, and magical dangers, all while facing a nefarious enemy organization.

​3. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly: Twelve-year-old David is angry and alone, mourning his mother's death. He takes refuge in his books and finds himself propelled into a fantasy land of heroes and monsters, ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book…The Book of Lost Things.

4. The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers: part of the Zamonia series. Yarnspinner goes on a quest to Bookholm, a.k.a. The City of Dreaming Books, but soon falls into the clutches of the city's evil genius. He traps Yarnspinner in the catacombs beneath the city, where reading books can be genuinely dangerous.

5. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson: A courageous, determined Kentucky woman in the 1930s works for the Pack Horse Library Project, delivering books to isolated communities in the Appalachian Mountains and challenging prejudices through the power of literature.
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6. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin: This World War II novel follows Grace Bennett, a young woman who helps her community cope with the hardships of war by opening a bookshop. She inspires hope and resilience among her customers, highlighting the transformative power of books in challenging times.
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​7. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: A group of women in a book club encounter a charming stranger, only to discover he's a vampire preying on their community. As they face supernatural threats, the club members must use their wits and resourcefulness to protect their neighborhood and loved ones from the vampire's sinister influence.

​8. The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler: starts a series. A young girl named Alice discovers a secret library inhabited by talking cats and dangerous creatures. She learns the art of magical book reading, but when her father disappears, she must navigate a treacherous world to rescue him.

9. The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next #1) by Jasper Fforde: In an alternate 1985 England, literary detective Thursday Next investigates the kidnapping of Jane Eyre from the original manuscript. Thursday must dive into a surreal world of literary crimes and time travel to save both literature and the real world from chaos.

​10. The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins: starts a series. Sarah Dove, a woman with a special ability to communicate with books and match them with the right readers, helps a newcomer named Grace acclimate to their small town. This leads to unexpected friendships and healing within the community.
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What's your favorite book about books? Tell us in the comments!


P.S. - ​If you loved these book recommendations, why not sign up for our newsletter? Twice a month, we'll send you a themed list of fantasy and/or sci-fi book recommendations, and sometimes music or movies too. (Not to mention jokes, games, puzzles, and memes!)

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