8 Enchanting Books Set in Libraries for Bibliophiles

Librarian Raymond Ambler is hitting the stacks in a different way—he and his partner must find a killer, with eerie secrets and dark motivations, among the famed building at the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. 

Described as “a masterful tale of intrigue, jealousy, and revenge in the grand tradition of Ross Macdonald,” Ambler will learn that there is more than studying happening among the scholars at the library. 

Among the many faces are an iconic mystery writer, a New York society woman hiding a troubled history, and more—the hallowed halls will never be the same!

Centered on a secret, sprawling library known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in postwar Barcelona, The Shadow of the Wind is widely considereda modern classic. The protagonist, Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son, is reeling from the loss of his mother, while the city mends from war.

He turns towards a mystery book called The Shadow of the Wind, by a man named Julian Carax. But when Daniel tries to find the author’s other works, he discovers that someone is destroying all the books Julia has ever penned. 

Soon, Daniel sets out on a mission to uncover the mystery behind the disappearances, only to involve himself in one of Barcelona’s greatest kept secrets—and what will be an enchanting tale of mystery, madness, and love. 

The Library of Fates is a special place where readers can come to find out who they are, but also who they will become. One book, The Book of Dark Nights, is not like the others, as when you detail a truth within its pages, the book will offer you a prediction for your future. 

Before Eleanor found the library, her life was defined by tragedy. But, under the guidance of the wonderful librarian, Eleanor bloomed and helped others find their paths amidst the shelves.

But when her mentor dies in an accident and The Book of Dark Nights is stolen, she must team up with the librarian’s estranged son, Daniel, whom she once loved and lost years ago. They will journey from Harvard to Paris, drawing close to each other again, while navigating a web of deceit much larger than they ever anticipated.

Winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, The Book of Form and Emptiness follows a young boy named Benny Oh, who, a year after his father’s passing, begins to hear voices. Every object in his home—from a sneaker to a broken ornament—has a distinct personality.

At first, Benny tries to push away the voices, but soon they become too loud for him even to think, following him outside and at school. He only finds solace in the library, where everyone, including objects, must speak in whispers. 

There, he meets and becomes enchanted by a performance artist. Later, a homeless philosopher teaches him the importance of asking questions. As put by New York Times-bestselling author of The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, another wonderful book about libraries, “No one writes like Ruth Ozeki.”

Every day, Tokyo-based librarian Sayuri Komachi asks the same question: what are you looking for? Unlike any other librarian, she can read the souls of her visitors and thus offers them exactly what they need.

Each visitor is at a different crossroads—from the overworked sales attendant to the new mom—but what unites them all is Sayuri’s recommendations, sparking conversations that ultimately change the course of all involved. 

One day, Lucy Hull, a young children’s librarian in Missouri, inadvertently kidnaps her most beloved visitor, ten-year-old Ian Drake. He loves reading, but his mom, intent on controlling him, enrolls Ian in weekly anti-gay classes.

At first, Lucy snuggles the book to Ian, but now he has run away from home and turns to the librarian for an escape plan. Against her better judgment, they embark on a road trip from Missouri to Vermont, while Lucy struggles to come to terms with her own past. 

Equal parts moving and surprising, “rarely is a first novel as smart and engaging and learned and funny and moving as The Borrower” (Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author).

All is quiet in the reading room at the Boston Public Library—until a woman’s scream rips through the stacks. Quickly, security guards take action and order everyone to shelter in place.

While waiting, four strangers sat together at a table, striking up conversation, quickly forming a bond. Each is at the library for their own reasons, but only one is a murderer.

Beginning in Mahattna in 2014, Erin Adamo finds herself locked out of her apartment. With her husband gone and her keys left at another disastrous dinner at her parents’ house, she decides to head to the university library, where she is a grad student. 

In her bag, there are two manuscripts she has written, along with a monograph from a faculty member whose past has recently been exposed. Feeling lost and uncertain about where to turn, Erin decides that the key is here, within these documents—she must only listen.