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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
The story about the library and the books is great, however the author is starting to go off on side stories that I'm getting bored with. I think I'll try the paper version later so I can flip to the sections I find interesting.
Also, the author recorded the audio book and this is probably the one time I wish the reader was anyone other than the author.
Also, the author recorded the audio book and this is probably the one time I wish the reader was anyone other than the author.
It read like I was browsing a library, jumping about story to story, and did not follow a chronological order you would expect.
Beautifully written all the same.
Beautifully written all the same.
I really wanted to love this book. At times I really loved the stories about libraries and librarians, other times it just dragged. I found the jumping around a bit disconcerting. Almost did not finish, but glad I did.
i wanted to love this so much..... i love books! i love libraries! i usually love nonfiction accounts like this one! yet something about this one just unfortunately never clicked for me...
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Loved this book! It really reaffirmed how central libraries are to our communities, while dissecting the intriguing mystery of the Los Angeles Public Library fire. And the biblioburro?!?! So awesome!
Written with an appreciation of what libraries were, are and could be - what's not to love?!
Drawing from painstaking research and hours of observation and interviews, Orlean unravels the story of the 1986 Los Angeles Public Library Fire with sensory and detail-driven prose. Each chapter, headed by clever book lists in card catalog fashion, takes on a new pieces of either the fire itself or any number of contextual topics, such as the life of alleged arsonist Harry Peak, current American library affairs, and the history of LAPL. Orlean sometimes gets lost in the weeds of contextual details and a heavier hand in editing may have ultimately benefited the book, but there’s no doubt in Orlean’s ability to paint a picture for her reader. In addition to a strong ability to depict setting, Orlean also has a great skill for translating people into the page with sharp and meaningful observations. Library lovers will rejoice at her reverence and enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at LAPL without feeling a loss of the magic of books and libraries. Often quotable, “The Library Book” is a book lover’s book if somewhat disorganized and unfocused, where readers are sure to see themselves on the page
3.75 - The story of fire was interesting, but it felt like that was the main story, and everything else (the history, workers, collections) was secondary to fill space. I wish it didn't come across that way.
9h 31m
9h 31m
If you are here strictly for the crime, and whodunnit perspective then you're missing out on the much broader, deeper, and in my opinion more fascinating portions of this book. I love libraries and loved learning about where they've been and where they're going through the individuals Susan Orlean brings vividly to life.