I am looking for books where rare or old books play a large part of the plot. Something like the movie The Ninth Gate. Does not have to involve magic or occult themes. Anything will work.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon! There are four books in the series, but the first works as a standalone as well.
TheElMan on
King Sorrow by Joe Hill!
Bakasur279 on
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
waxwhaffle on
Didn’t work for me but it might for you: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.
HZCYR on
The Bromsgrove Bookseller (2017) by Kerry Tombs – Evidential in title. Murder mystery.
Iron Flame (2023) by Rebecca Yaros – Romantasy. Looking for lost, ancient-history books, I think.
42nd Street Library Mystery series (2016-present) by Con Lehane – Detective finds themselves in murder investigations at book locations (libraries, universities etc.) Sometimes old / rare books are plot relevant, I think.
Farenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury – Books bad, firemen destroy. One fireman reads old books instead of destroying them.
The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade (2021) by Gary Goodman – Evidential in title. Non-fictional.
A Court of Mist and Fury (2016) by Sarah J. Maas – Ronantasy. Two halves on an ancient book hold power. Go hunt them.
Admirable-Brief-984 on
The Club Dumas, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
freerangelibrarian on
The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber.
JustAnnesOpinion on
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
randythor on
Gnomon by Nick Harkaway, a trippy, weird, near-future sci-fi thriller.
barefootincozumel on
A Discovery of Witches series recovers around a magic, ancient book.
JuniorSupervisor on
The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga is a lovely book about a woman who goes to Florence to save rare books following the 1967 flood of the Arno.
14 Comments
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown maybe
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks!
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon! There are four books in the series, but the first works as a standalone as well.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Didn’t work for me but it might for you: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.
The Bromsgrove Bookseller (2017) by Kerry Tombs – Evidential in title. Murder mystery.
Iron Flame (2023) by Rebecca Yaros – Romantasy. Looking for lost, ancient-history books, I think.
42nd Street Library Mystery series (2016-present) by Con Lehane – Detective finds themselves in murder investigations at book locations (libraries, universities etc.) Sometimes old / rare books are plot relevant, I think.
Farenheit 451 (1953) by Ray Bradbury – Books bad, firemen destroy. One fireman reads old books instead of destroying them.
The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade (2021) by Gary Goodman – Evidential in title. Non-fictional.
A Court of Mist and Fury (2016) by Sarah J. Maas – Ronantasy. Two halves on an ancient book hold power. Go hunt them.
The Club Dumas, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Gnomon by Nick Harkaway, a trippy, weird, near-future sci-fi thriller.
A Discovery of Witches series recovers around a magic, ancient book.
The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga is a lovely book about a woman who goes to Florence to save rare books following the 1967 flood of the Arno.
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper