Reading Recommendations: Books on Books!

A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! August’s theme is books about books! Each book featured has some kind of book-themed focus. I hope you enjoy these picks!

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An inspiring picture book biography of storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature.

When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy.

Brought to colorful life by Paola Escobar’s elegant and exuberant illustrations and Anika Aldamuy Denise’s lyrical text, this gorgeous book is perfect for the pioneers in your life.

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré” by Anika Denise is a wonderfully illustrated picture book that is the biography of the storyteller, puppeteer, and New York City’s first Puerto Rican librarian, who championed bilingual literature. I had never heard about her prior to reading this book and I want to learn more about her after reading this. The illustrations are so vibrant they seem to leap off of the page.

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Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is based on a real life experience of the author Honda during his days as a bookstore employee. The story follows the life as the staff while telling how a bookstore works.

This manga series is heartwarming, humorous, and showcases the heart of a bibliophile. Honda-san is a delightful character and I like that he never mocks his customers for their sometimes-unusual requests. I enjoyed how the anime takes the time to explain the world of Japanese publishing and what it’s like behind the scenes of a bookstore that sells manga. Most of all it celebrates the joy of reading!

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Bookshop owner—and recently heartbroken—Lucy Tucker never imagined how dramatically life would change once she started fostering Buttercup, a pregnant golden retriever. The biggest change? Growing a lot closer to the businessman next door, Calum Ramsey, especially after the two of them help Buttercup welcome her five puppies into the world. One romantic night later, and they’re expecting a baby of their own! Stunned at first, steadfastly single Calum is now dutifully offering marriage. But Lucy doesn’t need rescuing. She wants the true-blue happy ending they both deserve.

Taking place in a small town in Virginia, the novel follows Lucy, the owner of Chapter One bookstore. Chapter One instantly reminded me of the welcoming vibes of my own local indie book shops with their welcoming atmosphere and variety of books. Lucy is a protagonist trying to rebuild her life while fostering mom-to-be dog Buttercup while sharing her love of books with the town around her. I thoroughly enjoyed the community of neighbors and small businesses Lucy and Calum get to interact with. It seems like a fun small town to live in. (Review)

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Hi, I’m Jordyn. I flew from New York to Culver City, CA to interview for the job of a lifetime.

When I walked into The Bookstore, I only wanted a steamy romance or two to help pass the time before my big meeting.

I walked out with a gorgeous and sweet, cinnamon roll who was more funny and charming than all of my favorite book boyfriends combined, which definitely wasn’t the plan.

But Mike was irresistible, and the time we spent together exploring Culver City was more fun than I’ve had in a long time.

But I’m smart enough to know if something feels too good to be true, it probably is.

I mean, Happily Ever Afters are just for fairy tales and romance novels … right?

This novel follows Jordyn and Mike who met by chance in a bookstore and begin a whirlwind romance. This novella was incredibly sweet, and I was enamored with Mike as a male lead because he had such a passion for reading romance novels. Though their romance progresses fast because of the love at first sight narrative the romance felt genuine, and I enjoyed how they explored the city while getting to know each other. It was so sweet and cute. Theres a couple of other stories in this small series which I also enjoyed.

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When Kim Hyun Sook started college in 1983 she was ready for her world to open up. After acing her exams and sort-of convincing her traditional mother that it was a good idea for a woman to go to college, she looked forward to soaking up the ideas of Western Literature far from the drudgery she was promised at her family’s restaurant. But literature class would prove to be just the start of a massive turning point, still focused on reading but with life-or-death stakes she never could have imagined.

This was during South Korea’s Fifth Republic, a military regime that entrenched its power through censorship, torture, and the murder of protestors. In this charged political climate, with Molotov cocktails flying and fellow students disappearing for hours and returning with bruises, Hyun Sook sought refuge in the comfort of books. When the handsome young editor of the school newspaper invited her to his reading group, she expected to pop into the cafeteria to talk about Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Scarlet Letter. Instead she found herself hiding in a basement as the youngest member of an underground banned book club. And as Hyun Sook soon discovered, in a totalitarian regime, the delights of discovering great works of illicit literature are quickly overshadowed by fear and violence as the walls close in.

Banned Book Club is a very interesting autobiographical graphic novel about the author’s time during South Korea’s Fifth Republic. The graphic novel truly captured the essence of the turbulent time and the power that came with discovering these banned books that taught these students new ideas. Reading this book made me reflect on why it is so important to have the freedom to read and not to censor books. The books in this novel represent a greater symbolism and a way for these students to fight against the restrictions they grow up in.

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When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.

With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons authors along the way.

But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose, is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or…herself and her future.

I really appreciated this story and the author’s writing because it gives a realistic view of publishing and some of the day-to-day tasks as an editorial assistant. Nora paints a portrait for readers that publishing is not all that it seems on the surface showcasing the highlights of what she loves but other tasks she finds tedious. Most of all, I really appreciated the ending of this book and how realistic it is. It reminds us that life is full of changes and that sometimes we need to look within to make those changes for ourselves. (Review)

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That concludes my reading recommendations for books about books! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!