Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Enjoyed this book more than The Magnolia Palace. I liked the historical fiction about the New York Public Library, rare books, and the parallel timelines. Read most of this in one sitting as I was enraptured by the plot and theft of the books.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of The Lions of Fifth Avenue.
I think because I am not able to travel right now, I have become obsessed about reading books about places I long to visit. Upon the recommendation of author Kristin Tubb, I started reading this because it is about the New York Public Library. Tubb has also had a series of books about the New York Public Library recently, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.
I am generally a reader on a mission. I am trying to get through books to get to the end. This was not the case with the Lions of Fifth Avenue. I savored each page and did not want the book to end. The characters were so vivid in my imagination and I thoroughly loved spending time with them. I especially liked Sadie as she reminded me so much of myself. I reveled in watching her grow as the story progressed.
Overall, this book was so enjoyable because the author did a fabulous job with the plot. The story moved along so smoothly, even jumping from one time period to another. The mystery surrounding the family was enthralling. Of course, having the story set at one of the most famous libraries in the world and getting a glimpse into the inner workings made it that much better. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and loves the library.
I think because I am not able to travel right now, I have become obsessed about reading books about places I long to visit. Upon the recommendation of author Kristin Tubb, I started reading this because it is about the New York Public Library. Tubb has also had a series of books about the New York Public Library recently, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.
I am generally a reader on a mission. I am trying to get through books to get to the end. This was not the case with the Lions of Fifth Avenue. I savored each page and did not want the book to end. The characters were so vivid in my imagination and I thoroughly loved spending time with them. I especially liked Sadie as she reminded me so much of myself. I reveled in watching her grow as the story progressed.
Overall, this book was so enjoyable because the author did a fabulous job with the plot. The story moved along so smoothly, even jumping from one time period to another. The mystery surrounding the family was enthralling. Of course, having the story set at one of the most famous libraries in the world and getting a glimpse into the inner workings made it that much better. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and loves the library.
Book club book. Really liked it, thought the mystery was interesting.
I really enjoy Davis’s books. This one was especially fascinating!
Fiona Davis has a knack for crafting captivating tales set against the backdrop of historic NYC! I read “The Dollhouse” previously and marveled and her ability to send me back in time to mid-century Manhattan, but “The Lions of Fifth Avenue” was something truly special.
When I moved to the city, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building became my safe space. Literally the first thing I did after moving into my apartment was take my lease and walk over there to get my library card. I studied for the GRE in the periodicals room. I researched my ancestors who came to the city through Ellis Island and settled in NY by going through the city records. I looked at maps and marveled at the Rose Main Reading Room. I couldn’t believe the whole library was mine. It felt like I became a part of it and it of me. Patience and Fortitude have buoyed me up through the hardest of times. Bryant Park became my favorite place to sit and people watch and read and do yoga. I had a first kiss walking on the 42nd Street side. Every time a new special exhibition was put out I was there. I’ve watched the history of the library movie more times than I could count.
This little mystery was an intriguing escape. A story bouncing between the 1910s and 1990s full of feminist drive and character evolution. I felt seen and heard. And I was moved by how the museum and the city were presented. I felt the heart of the building and buoyed by the place I love with all my heart. I could picture every block. Every room. Every turn. I felt transported and that is incredibly special.
When I moved to the city, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building became my safe space. Literally the first thing I did after moving into my apartment was take my lease and walk over there to get my library card. I studied for the GRE in the periodicals room. I researched my ancestors who came to the city through Ellis Island and settled in NY by going through the city records. I looked at maps and marveled at the Rose Main Reading Room. I couldn’t believe the whole library was mine. It felt like I became a part of it and it of me. Patience and Fortitude have buoyed me up through the hardest of times. Bryant Park became my favorite place to sit and people watch and read and do yoga. I had a first kiss walking on the 42nd Street side. Every time a new special exhibition was put out I was there. I’ve watched the history of the library movie more times than I could count.
This little mystery was an intriguing escape. A story bouncing between the 1910s and 1990s full of feminist drive and character evolution. I felt seen and heard. And I was moved by how the museum and the city were presented. I felt the heart of the building and buoyed by the place I love with all my heart. I could picture every block. Every room. Every turn. I felt transported and that is incredibly special.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Are we done perpetuating the stereotype that feminists are lesbians yet????
While this isn’t a book I am going to be wildly recommending, it’s also one I do not regret reading. I checked it out in audio form from my library because I’d finished all of my podcasts for the week and nothing else stuck out to me from our “lucky day” section. I didn’t expect to finish it, much less enjoy it, but I did both!
Some people have found the main characters to be unlikable, but I found them to be fine with relatable struggles. Laura transforms from a dutiful housewife into a free woman during the 1910s when it was unlikely and frowned upon. Sadie has shut herself off after her divorce and must learn to give herself permission to flourish again. I don’t think they were by any means the best characters I’ve read or even that they were highly unique, but they were satisfying and I rooted for them.
I think I most enjoyed that this book is a love letter to books and libraries around the world. Much of it is spent helping the reader to see value in literary relics and what protecting those artifacts does for us. She took liberties with the NYPL building, but it was a fun romp to imagine that chapel of books intertwined with the secret passages and hidden doors we often read about.
I was most disappointed with the way the story conclusion. The book followed relatively predictable storyline and character arcs, with only a few surprises for me. But I felt a lot about the individual stories, especially Laura’s, was unresolved at the end. The ending of her story is told in the past tense, but I felt another narrator change back to Laura in present day would have served to wrap things up cleaner.
Good book, not a great one. Definitely something to consider if you love a book about books!
Some people have found the main characters to be unlikable, but I found them to be fine with relatable struggles. Laura transforms from a dutiful housewife into a free woman during the 1910s when it was unlikely and frowned upon. Sadie has shut herself off after her divorce and must learn to give herself permission to flourish again. I don’t think they were by any means the best characters I’ve read or even that they were highly unique, but they were satisfying and I rooted for them.
I think I most enjoyed that this book is a love letter to books and libraries around the world. Much of it is spent helping the reader to see value in literary relics and what protecting those artifacts does for us. She took liberties with the NYPL building, but it was a fun romp to imagine that chapel of books intertwined with the secret passages and hidden doors we often read about.
I was most disappointed with the way the story conclusion. The book followed relatively predictable storyline and character arcs, with only a few surprises for me. But I felt a lot about the individual stories, especially Laura’s, was unresolved at the end. The ending of her story is told in the past tense, but I felt another narrator change back to Laura in present day would have served to wrap things up cleaner.
Good book, not a great one. Definitely something to consider if you love a book about books!
great book! a but rushed through at the end but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I definitely enjoyed the past sections more and was slightly bored by the modern parts. I did like how they came together in the end.