Books About Books

I love books and reading (obviously), so I love love love reading books about books. These are some of my favourites, and by favourites I mean just the ones that I can think of at this precise moment.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Summary: Set in an alternate version of 1985 Britain where the Crimean War never ended, Thursday Next is a "literary detective" who gets mixed up in an elaborate plot involving blackmailer and all-round evil guy Acheron Hades. The two of them end up facing off inside the world of Jane Eyre and inadvertently impacting the lives of the characters.
Why I Recommend It: The whole Thursday Next series is pretty great, later books involve the amazing organisation of "JurisFiction" - a collection of special literature agents who also happen to be fictional characters (notable mentions go to Miss Havisham and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle). Overall it's just a silly, fun series and I'd definitely recommend it, especially to anyone who loves Jane Eyre.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Summary: The Book of Lost Things is the story of David 12 year old boy who, after his mother dies, begins more and more to retreat into the world of fiction. Strange things start happening and soon he finds himself literally inside the world of the books he's been reading. The story has a lot of fantasy and fairy tale elements and can get quite creepy at times.
Why I Recommend It: This one is a must read for anyone who loves fairy tales (which I really do). I know the whole "dark re-telling of a fairy tale" thing has been done to death, but this take on that genre has a really original feel to it, and one of the things about it which I really loved was that it looks at the ways in which the stories we love as children shape the adults we grow into.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Summary: This story follows a young graphic designer in San Francisco who gets a job in a 24 hour bookstore and starts to notice that the place is more than a little odd. This book deals a lot with conflict between the old and the new, and whether we should embrace technology or hang on to the past. It's also just a really fun mystery/adventure.
Why I Recommend It: I would recommend this to anyone who loves bookshops, this book creates a really vivid picture of this weird, slightly creepy store and I totally want to go there. Also all the characters are just, for want of a better word, adorable and the story is exciting as well as being funny and sweet.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Summary: Margaret Lee is a bookish loner, who works in a bookshop, who is hired to write a book about a prolific (and famously private) author. Bookishness all round! In the course of interviewing the mysterious author 'Vida Winter' Margaret learns a lot about her dark past and uncovers various different family secrets, which also prompts her to take a closer look at her own life.
Why I Recommend It: Because it's crazy and exciting! I love a good dark past, and this book is all about the dark past. If you like books and storytelling and shocking twists then definitely check this one out.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Summary: Ugh, this book! OK, let me get my emotions in check. So this story is narrated by Death and tells the story of a girl named Liesel and her life during World War 2 - I realise that probably sounds like the most depressing thing ever, but it's actually just lovely and heartfelt and unforgettable and brilliant.
Why I Recommend It: Well, I just gushed about it plenty while I was meant to be summarising, so I can't really think of anything else to add apart from - READ IT!

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Summary: I already talked about this book in this post if you want to read that. 84, Charing Cross Road is a really lovely little book collecting the letters between Helene Hanff - American, book lover, anglophile, and Marks & Co - an antiquarian bookshop on Charing Cross Road. The letters span a period of 20 years and Helene develops a really touching friendship with nearly everyone who works in the bookstore, as well as some of their friends, family and neighbours.
Why I Recommend It: Because it's just sweet and lovely and a really feelgood story, also it's less than 100 pages long, so you've got no excuse not to read it!