The Personal Librarian

 The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray 341 pages

Summary: In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

My Thoughts: So this was a really interesting book. I enjoyed learning about this Librarian and all the work she did for J.P. Morgan. How she had to lie about her race and the fear of the truth coming out. If you like fictionalized books about real people (with a ton of real facts) I would recommend reading this book. Honestly any book by Marie Benedict is amazing! 

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje

 

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje 368 pages

Summary: The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained. 1896. After he brought her home from Jamaica as a baby, Florence's father had her hair hot-combed to make her look like the other girls. But as a young woman, Florence is not so easy to tame—and when she brings scandal to his door, the bookbinder throws her onto the streets of Manchester.

Intercepting her father's latest commission, Florence talks her way into the remote, forbidding Rose Hall to restore its collection of rare books. Lord Francis Belfield's library is old and full of secrets—but none so intriguing as the whispers about his late wife.
Then one night, the library is broken into. Strangely, all the priceless tomes remain untouched. Florence is puzzled, until she discovers a half-burned book in the fireplace. She realizes with horror that someone has found and set fire to the secret diary of Lord Belfield's wife–which may hold the clue to her fate…
Evocative, arresting and tightly plotted, The Library Thief is at once a propulsive Gothic mystery and a striking exploration of race, gender and self-discovery in Victorian England.

My Thoughts: What I truly enjoyed about this book was learning about bookbinding. I enjoyed the main character being a female bookbinder in a male dominated Victorian England 1896 world. I'm not going to lie, I only gave this book 3 stars on Good Reads because when we get to the heart of the whole story, it just got to a point where it seemed too much to be true. The characters were excellent and flamboyant, but it felt like the author was trying to shove in too many things into the novel at once. I loved the fact that this book explored race, gender and self-discovery during this time period. 

The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lind-Rice

 

The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lind-Rice 368 Pages

Summary: When life rewrites the story, only friendship will see them through.

After years of hard work, four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie—are finally on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams. A place where their community can find solace with an intriguing new read, a comforting beverage and book-loving friends.
But before they can cut the ribbon, their worlds are upended.
Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, while Celeste’s struggling marriage threatens to collapse completely. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family, and a lotto ticket changes Yasmeen’s life—but not for the better.
As the bookstore’s grand opening fast approaches, the four women must lean on each other now more than ever to navigate their grief and uncertainty. And together, they’ll learn that sometimes, even life’s most unexpected plot twists can lead to beautiful new beginnings.

My Thoughts: What surprised me most about this book was the bookshop was more of a background theme. The real theme was about family and friends, money can't buy happiness, and life. The only thing that irked me was how childish some of these adult women acted at times, they acted more like people in their mid-twenties do, even though they were all supposed to be in their 30's. The drama was definitely insane drama, but relatable at times. Overall I did enjoy the book (anything to do with books I'm all for it).

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

"For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements--books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . ." --Amazon blurb