Books About Books; Inspiration for National Novel Writing Month
November is National Novel Writing Month! Writers across the world are setting themselves the goal of completing a 50,000-word novel in just one month, sharing their progress with #NaNoWriMo.
If you’re participating in the challenge, chances are your motivation is starting to wane by this point in the month. Are you struggling to clock up those word counts, wrestling with a tricky chapter, or suffering from the dreaded writer’s block?
My advice would be to take it back to basics and rekindle the love of reading and writing that made you want to embark on such a project in the first place. This list of stunning books about books, in every genre from thriller to romance, has been carefully curated to help you do just that.
Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Summary: When the marketing company he works for goes bust, Clay finds a job as the night clerk at Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. After opening one of his eccentric employer’s forbidden books, he is drawn into a centuries-old mystery...
Why I Chose It: This wacky, fun and unashamedly geeky story will delight any bookworm, as well as remind you never to take yourself too seriously as a writer!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Summary: To try and protect her in a hostile Nazi Germany, Liesel Meminger is torn from her family and taken in by strangers. As the Nazis continue to wreak their destruction, rescuing a book from a burning bonfire is the first of Liesel’s acts of resistance - but it will not be her last.
Why I Chose It: I don’t usually pay much attention to lists proclaiming ‘100 Books You Must Read in Your Lifetime’, but The Book Thief certainly deserves the place it often claims! It’s a beautiful and unique story that puts faith in the magic of books to forge human connection.
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Blythell
Summary: Picture running Scotland’s biggest second-hand bookshop, full of expansive shelves and roaring log fires. Sounds idyllic, but there’s a lot more to it! In this book, Shaun Blythell recounts his adventures with strange customers and even stranger staff, and the trials of travelling all over the country on the hunt for the next trove of bookish treasure.
Why I Chose It: Bookshops are an absolute haven for readers and writers, meaning the chance to go behind the scenes in a warm and funny memoir is not to be missed.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Summary: Susan Ryeland is an editor for successful crime author Alan Conway, and has begun working on the manuscript of his latest novel. This story, though, is different from the others, and page-by-page Susan begins to uncover a real-life murder plot.
Why I Chose It: One for the crime and thriller writers! This intricately plotted novel is a lesson in craft for lovers of the genre, with a delightful literary twist.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Hello, World!
Summary: Caught between her mother’s religion, her Harlem neighbourhood, and first love, Xiomara is unsure how to carve out a space for herself in the world. Joining her school’s slam poetry club may be Xiomara’s chance to figure out what she wants to say, and to finally get her voice heard.
Why I Chose It: Even if you aren’t writing a novel in verse (I don’t blame you!) the emotive and experimental power of this book, alongside its message about finding yourself through the written word, is guaranteed to inspire.
The Librarian: A Memoir by Allie Morgan
Summary: Allie Morgan is spiralling into mental illness and hopelessness when she gets offered a job in a local library. Not long after starting, Morgan is soon fighting for the library’s survival, and in this cause she finds a lifeline to hold onto in her personal struggles.
Why I Chose It: As someone who also has the delightful job of working in a library, I couldn’t resist including this one! Nonfiction fans will love Morgan’s moving account of the healing power of a little community library.
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
Summary: Alice’s girlfriend recently broke up with her after she revealed her asexuality, but she’s determined to enjoy being single this summer, free from the perils of dating. When she starts working in the local library though, Alice meets Takumi and has to decide if it’s worth making herself vulnerable again in hope of a love story.
Why I Chose It: Who isn’t a sucker for a romance set in a library?!? Even better, Claire Kann wrote her first draft of Let’s Talk About Love during NaNoWriMo, giving the novel the added benefit of inspiring you with its success!
Tenderness by Alison MacLeod
Summary: D.H. Lawrence’s final novel was to become his most infamous: Lady Chatterley’s Lover. As outraged government officials seek to prevent the book’s circulation, others are fighting for literary freedom. Across the Atlantic, soon-to-be First Lady Jackie Kennedy attends the trial and becomes caught up in Chatterley’s forbidden allure.
Why I Chose It: Reading about book censorship always makes me fired up and indignant, so hopefully, this novel will motivate you to write something radical and boundary-breaking too.
Check out the NaNoWriMo website for more information about the challenge, as well as helpful blog posts and resources for writers.
Written by Florence Edwards
Disclaimer: We have an affiliate deal with the Bookshop, meaning that if you use any of the links here to buy the products, we take a tiny cut. By shopping with the Bookshop, you can support local independent book stores and us – double win. This helps us to keep the lights on. You can also support us via Patreon or a one-off donation.
