Hello, your Fairy God-Librarian here, and this post includes stacks of books on books on books on books…
Or, in other words, some of the best books written about books, fiction and non-fiction. I’ll also include books about art or writing. Why? Because that’s the whole point of this website! “Welcome to the blog dedicated to the love of books, the love of writing and art…” You got it?
To start us off, let’s talk about the books on books.
I love books. I especially love to read books about books. If it’s non-fiction, most of the time these kinds of books are analyses on libraries, the importance of reading, or on how to get published. If it’s fiction, the plot will center around either book clubs or a magical-leaning book. Either way, it’s like book-ception and definitely makes me feel like Leonardo DiCaprio jumping through different peoples’ dreams. Below, I’ve included a list of what I think are the best books about books and that all bibliophiles should pick up at their local library or bookstore ASAP.
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Fiction) (Also a Netflix movie!)
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The Heart of the Humanities by Mark Edmundson (Also about writing)—1) Why Read? 2) Why Write? 3) Why Teach? (Non-Fiction)
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The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Non-Fiction) (Another book of hers, The Orchid Thief, is a Netflix movie called Adaptation)
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The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Gogman—1) The Invisible Library 2) The Masked City 3) The Burning Page 4) The Lost Plot 5) The Mortal Word (Fiction)
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The Book Jumper and The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Glaser (Fiction)
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The Blue Ridge Library Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert—1) A Murder for the Books 2) Shelved Under Murder 3) Past Due for Murder (Fiction)
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The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry (Also about writing) (Non-Fiction)
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The Cliff Janeway series by John Dunning—1) Booked to Die 2) The Bookman’s Wake 3) The Bookman’s Promise 4) The Sign of the Book 5) The Bookman’s Last Fling (Fiction)
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The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (Fiction)
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The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (Fiction)
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The Little Book by Sheldon Edwards (Fiction)
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The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Also about writing) (Fiction)
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Remarkable Books: The World’s Most Beautiful and Historic Books by DK (Also about art) (Non-Fiction)
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The Fantastic Flying Books by Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce (Fiction, Children’s) (Also a short film)
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The Book of Speculation by Erika Sawyer (Fiction)
As for the second category, let’s talk about the books on writing.
What could be just as wonderful as books about books as books on writing are? They’re one and the same. Books are written, therefore one who wishes to write should learn exactly how to write. All of the books listed below are non-fiction, but if anyone can find me a good fiction book centered around the concept of writing, hit me up.
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On writing by Stephen King (Non-Fiction)
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Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Non-Fiction)
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The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry (Also about books) (Non-Fiction)
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Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose (Non-Fiction)
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How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mettelmark and Sandra Newman (Non-Fiction)
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A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker (Non-Fiction) (Also a common English 101 textbook)
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The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing by Writer’s Digest (Non-Fiction)
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Blogging for Writers by Robin Houghton (Non-Fiction)
And finally, let’s talk about the books on art.
I love art just as much as I love books. The visual medium is a vital necessity to strengthening a civilized society. What’s Rome without its dedication to creating and preserving classical art? I also believe that dance, theater, and music are critical skills in the artist’s repertoire. The books I’ve found are mostly dedicated to famous artists in the form of a fictionalized story of their lives, but I’m just as interested in a exposé on the techniques of certain painting styles as well.
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Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell (Fiction)
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Sunflowers by Sheramy Bunkrick (Fiction)
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With Violets by Elizabeth Robards (Fiction)
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Remarkable Books: The World’s Most Beautiful and Historic Books by DK (Also about books) (Non-Fiction)
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Paintings of Radiant Light by Thomas Kincaide (Non-Fiction)
So, there you have it. Each one of these listed books I personally own, enjoyed, and organized in a convenient chart to show my appreciation for all things books, writing, and art. However, I’m also open to reading more! Always strive to keep learning!
Love,
Lacie 🙂
