The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman tells the story of Nina, a quick-witted woman in her late twenties living in Los Angeles. And as the title lets on, Nina is a total bibliophile! She spends her days working in a bookstore, playing on a trivia team, attending a book group, and sticking to her planner as closely as possible. I just love books that take place in bookstores – they’re so cozy! Find my full review of this book here.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is about Cath who is obsessed with Simon Snow, a fictional book character from the Simon Snow series. Cath writes Simon Snow fan fiction and has a large following of online readers. The book follows Cath and her twin sister Wren as they experience their first year of college, and as they drift apart and meet new people. Of course I had to include Fangirl on this list. Cath’s (and the world’s) love for Simon Snow is reminiscent of our love of Harry Potter.
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren is about Macy, a pediatrics resident who’s engaged to a wealthy older man. But when Elliot, her first love, reappears, Macy questions everything. You see, Elliot was not only there for Macy when she needed him most, but the two also shared a love of reading. They’d spend their summer days together reading when they were kids. So wholesome.
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a Christmassy YA book, and some of it takes place at one of the most famous bookstores in the world: The Strand in NYC! Lily leaves her notebook of dares on a shelf at the Strand, where Dash then finds it. The two pass the notebook back and forth, leaving it in different locations across New York, and adding new instructions as they go.
Of course, I had to mention You by Caroline Kepnes. This twisted, creepy little book is narrated by Joe who happens to work at a bookstore in the East Village. And he totally judges people for their reading choices, but that’s definitely not his worst quality. Joe also happens to be homicidal and a stalker. When he meets Beck at the bookstore, he soon begins to obsess over her and he manipulates his way into becoming her boyfriend.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry is all about book love, just look at that cover! The main character, A.J. Fickry, is an avid reader who owns a bookstore. Tragically, his wife has died and his bookstore is not doing well. A.J. is rather crotchety and pushes people away. But then a package mysteriously turns up in his store that changes his life, giving it meaning again. This is truly a book for book lovers as its chockfull of litery references. Each chapter begins with a short book review from A.J.
These are just a few books featuring characters who are book lovers. Can you think of any others?
Pawsitive Reads 