Fast-paced and funny, Susan Coll’s The Literati tells the story of Clemi, a book-loving 26-year-old, and the struggling literary nonprofit where she works. With little in the way of funding and an absent executive director, Clemi has to plan the organization’s fundraising party—a posh event featuring famous authors—in three days. Between the preparations, which leave her disenchanted with the writing world, and a loser boyfriend, Clemi starts to question her life. Coll’s witty, vivid portrayal of a young woman trying to succeed in the literary industry is sure to delight readers.
An unexpected friendship blossoms at a West London library in Sara Nisha Adams’ The Reading List. Seventeen-year-old Aleisha works at the library, where she meets elderly widower Mukesh Patel. In need of reading recommendations, Mukesh asks Aleisha for advice. When she comes across a list of novels in a book, she shares it with Mukesh, and they start a book club that transforms both their lives. Adams skillfully shifts points of view between characters in this brisk, rewarding novel. Grief, community and the joys of reading are among the book’s many rich discussion topics.
In Freya Sampson’s The Last Chance Library, June Jones works at the library in the small English town of Chalcot. Faced with the possible loss of the library due to budget cuts, Freya connects with a group of like-minded book lovers as they crusade to keep its doors open. Guided by lawyer Alex Chen, whose interest may go beyond friendship, June finds herself at the start of an exciting new chapter. Sampson’s novel is a winning tribute to library culture, with a bit of romance mixed in for good measure.
Monsieur Jean Perdu, the protagonist of Nina George’s The Little Paris Bookshop, runs a bookstore from his barge on the Seine River and savors his vocation. But he never got over the departure of Manon, the woman he loved. When he learns the truth about why she left him, Jean sets out to find her. Accompanied by Max Jordan, a writer looking for inspiration, he makes the journey in his barge, selling books along the way. George’s charming novel is rich with incident and detail. Themes of loyalty and loss will spark lively conversation among readers.
