Literary Love

“Don’t Panic” are the words on the cover of the guide to our galaxy. Witty, sarcastic British humor at its finest await you in these pages. Ford Prefect uses a book to navigate the treacherous and nonsensical worlds of our galaxy. You will meet ridiculous aliens, a depressed robot, and find out the meaning of life (Spoiler alert: It’s 42). Everything you need to navigate the universe is in the guide to the galaxy and Ford is the perfect tour guide to interpret its definitions for you. Most importantly, he reminds you to always bring a towel! They’re quite useful when one is adventuring.
(YA/Adult Fiction)

An old man desperate for immortality tries to master the art of alchemy with the help of his talking raven. He steals a magical book that is supposed to answer all his desires only to discover all its pages are blank. Word is that only a certain person with green eyes will be able to read its secrets, but the question is, at what cost? Many are searching for the one who can read the book and they all seem to have nefarious purposes. It takes a couple of boys, a servant girl, and the aforementioned talking raven to sort through all the secrets in order to reveal the magic within it.
(YA)

Jess lives in a world where it’s illegal to own printed books. His father is a seller of black market literature and wants Jess to take over the family business. All Jess wants to do is curl up with a good book and escape into fantasy worlds. What happens when the Great Library offers him a position? Can he turn his back on his family’s business? Can he bring himself to become part of the corporation that keeps his beloved printed books locked away forever? In a world where bookworms rule the day, knowledge is power and in the wrong hands it can prove to be quite dangerous.
(YA)

“Why, this was all about him! And it was the Neverending Story. He, Bastian, was a character in the book which until now he had thought he was reading. And heaven only knew who else might be reading it at the exact same time, also supposing himself to be just a reader” (p. 197). This story is for anyone who has ever desired to completely escape into a favorite book. Bastian is a troubled little boy from our world who becomes the savior of a Fantastica. Join him on endless adventures where he has access to unlimited wishes, creates worlds from his imagination, and ends up learning what he really desired all along.
(YA)

Perdu is a literary apothecary which means he can diagnose any ailment of the mind or soul. His book barge has the perfect book for every reader, but if you choose the wrong one he will refuse to sell it to you! While he can seemingly cure any ill-at-ease patron, he can’t seem to heal his own aching heart. In a moment completely unlike his very controlled life so far, Perdu drops everything and lifts anchor in order to travel the waterways of Paris to find his long lost love. His companions on this journey are a famous young writer struggling with his second book and his two cats Kafka and Lindgren. Reading this book will take you on your own personal journey as you laugh, cry, and empathize with all that Perdu goes through. Along the way you will learn a lot about yourself and come to understand what really matters in life. This is one of those books you’ll recommend to all your friends upon completion.
(Adult Fiction)

The author informs us that this book is actually an abridged version of "True Love and High Adventures" by S. Morgenstern, which is an entirely made up title and author. Goldman uses this literary device to explain why his copy is so disjointed, as it is only “the good parts” version and his commentary and thoughts are scattered throughout the bits and pieces. This makes it feel as if you’re discovering the world right along with him and it leads to a very enjoyable read! As the popular tag line for the movie went, it’s about “Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles”. Join Goldman as he takes you through the best parts of a ridiculously romantic and action packed adventure!
(YA/Adult Fiction)

A true correspondence between a New York woman and a quaint London bookshop owner that will quickly draw you into a delightful relationship that leaps right off the page. Helene’s sharp whip and extreme generosity quickly enamor her to the British bookshop she orders from and you won’t be able to put this hilariously sweet book down. After reading it in one sitting, I clutched it to my chest and then immediately looked up the author to see what else she had written.
(Adult Non-Fiction)

Diana Bishop lives in a world of humans, witches, daemons, and vampires and it’s only the humans who are unaware of the rest. Diana is a witch whose powers have been bound, for her own protection, as we later find out. When she locates Ashmole 782 (an ancient manuscript) she is thrown headfirst into a world of magic, alchemy, time travel, and most mysterious of all…love. Matthew Clairmont is the vampire she meets while poring over the manuscript in the Bodleian Library. Together they go on a journey through time to find the missing pages that are responsible for the turmoil and bloodshed amongst their people.
(Adult Fiction)

Isaac Vainio is a libriomancer. This means he uses magic to reach into books and pull weapons out of science fiction novels in order to help him fight a war against vampires and other magical creatures. His partners include a pet fire-spider that bursts into flames when it senses danger and a sexy dryad who has control over earthly elemental magics. Want to have a go at lifting Mjölnir? Fancy waving Harry’s wand? How about slipping the One Ring on your finger? Isaac can do all this and more! There are always consequences to tampering with such magic, but Isaac has always considered himself a bit of a rebel…
(Adult Fiction)

This book is based on an award winning short film of the same title. It’s a bittersweet story of a man who finds a magical personal library where the books “read” the people. Your heart will smile and you’ll find yourself wanting to share this beauty with all your literary friends. It’s a picture book for both the young and the young at heart.
(Picture Book)

This is a bizarre short story about a boy who gets locked in a library overnight. We booklovers might think this is a dream come true… But who is the mysterious man in the sheep costume and why is our narrator being forced to memorize books about how taxes were collected in the Ottoman Empire? Do librarians really kidnap children and eat their brains? It’s a quick read that will leave you wondering just how powerful your imagination can be!

Delilah’s favorite book is a fairytale featuring the brave and daring Prince Oliver and she’s read it so often she knows every line and picture by heart. That’s how she is able to notice when the final image seems to have changed ever so slightly. It turns out that the books we read take on a life of their own after we shut the pages and Prince OIiver wants OUT of his story! When Oliver figures out a way to communicate this to Delilah, she finds herself entangled in his story more than ever. Her mother becomes concerned and even takes her to a therapist when she overhears Delilah talking to her book. As children, we sometimes believe our toys come to life when we’re asleep. Delilah needs to figure out what is real and what is a part of her overactive imagination. If Oliver is actually speaking to her, is there any way for them to create their own happily ever after outside of his book?
(YA)

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of librarianship! You just can’t make this stuff up! Patrons will love this small peak behind the scenes and librarians and booksellers alike will get a kick out of the true stories. This book has it all….from pet Aardvarks to Whiffy/Free (Free Wifi) and all the gloriousness in between!
(Adult Non-Fiction)

Who are the mysterious customers that frequent this bookshop at all hours of the night and are there patterns to their visits and purchases? Clay Jannon takes the late shift as bookseller to keep him afloat until more permanent work comes along. Before long he realizes he’s been drawn into a world of mysterious secrets and literary conspiracies that have been in the works for centuries. When Clay’s eccentric boss goes missing he has to go on a modern day quest to try and save the day. Can he use his technological background in website designing to help him solve a riddle born before computers even existed? And if he does, will it already be too late?
(Adult Fiction)

One dark and stormy night a mysterious book appears on librarian Simon Watson’s doorstep. Where did it come from and why do the names in the book sound so familiar? Simon is drawn into the world of mermaids, wild boys, and traveling circuses and he tries to piece together his past and stop an ancient curse from destroying his future.
(Adult Fiction)

A.J. Fikry has had it with life and love. This widowed bookshop owner would rather spend time with his inventory than have to converse with the appalling creatures who frequent his establishment. This all changes when an unexpected visitor takes up residence in his shop. Fikry begins to wonder if it’s too late to open himself up again and if the risk is even worth it. Will he let his neighbors help him learn to love again? It just takes one random act of fate to give a person a second chance at life and you will find yourself rooting for Fikry right from the start!
(Adult Fiction)