A couple of months ago, I posted about nonfiction books about books. Not to get all meta on you for the second time, but here are some of my favorite fiction books about books. 

I haven’t been in a book club for a while. I got tired of the one I was in, because for some reason we’d decided that we should only read books that were controversial or political in some way. Blah blah blah. I’m ok with that for a while, but eventually I just want to read something with a happily ever after. This is that book. Not all the stories here were easy; there was a divorce, the death of a spouse, and a catfishing dating scheme. However, in the end, what got everyone through was their friendships and their book club. (This is not a spoiler alert scenario. You know what you’re getting when you start this one.) Decent read that I was able to finish fairly quickly. 

Nora Stephens is a fabulous book agent in New York. No one – not even that stuck up editor Charlie Lastra – can tell her that her client's books aren’t good. And when said client hits it big, with a movie deal in the works, Nora is proud. But when she runs into Charlie in the small town where the magical book is set, Nora doesn’t know what to do. Now, let me just say that I heart Emily Henry. She takes standards fiction tropes and turns them on their head. I always enjoy her books, and this one is no different. I’m not at all like Nora, and I think I enjoyed that about her. One caution: have a Kleenex handy because I cried for the last 50 pages. I liked the ending, but it was a little bumpy getting there. Good read though. Can’t wait for her next one.

This one wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be a rom-com with the predicatible HEA and maybe a cat that liked books. Instead, it was a real soul-searching journey for Nora (why is everyone suddenly named Nora?). She has worked in publishing for five years, but never gets to do more than the grunt work. Then she meets best-selling author Andrew Santos, and he inspires her to figure out what she wants to do and then get after it. Was there a little bit of romance? Yes, which I enjoyed. But this book was mostly about Nora and her internal battle of whether to stay in a soul-sucking job because it is still “working with books” which is all she’s wanted to do or to find something new that inspired her. I went through this in my own life when I quit working in the music business, so I really identified with Nora. I was surprised by this one and that is a good thing. Must love books? Oh, I do. I really do.

So those are some of my new faves if you are looking for something to kick off your school year right. 

Happy booking it (again)…
:) Amanda