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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I am now bringing my review to Goodreads.
How can a lover of books resist a book about books?
“All the things that are wrong in the world seem conquered by a library’s simple unspoken promise: Here is my story, please listen; here I am, please tell me your story.”
For many people, I imagine libraries are like places of worship - everyone is made to feel welcome and part of a greater community. I certainly have felt this way about our local Library.
A library, is not only a community of readers, but also of people looking for help, or someone to answer their questions, teens wanting a safe place to hang out, adults taking free classes, book discussion groups, children’s reading hours and programs. . . the list is endless.
Our community libraries fulfill many roles. If you haven’t hung out in one long enough, please do so. You will be pleased with the results.
Back to this review…
The Library Book is centered around the biggest fire to ever hit a library.
It happened on April 29, 1986 at the Los Angeles Public Library. But along with learning what happened that day and the investigation afterward, Susan Orlean has chosen to use this book to give us facts about reading, libraries and books.
I was a bit disappointed that the story took such a meandering path around the actual fire and crime. Especially with me being such a fan of mysteries.
I’m one that wants to delve into the mystery - dig deep into what happened and gain more insights into what actually happened on that fateful day. Yes, she does provide some background by sifting through some newspapers stories and investigators' reports, but it seemed to get lost within the pages, as other stories were unfolding, too.
Still...
I also began to appreciate just how much the author put into this book to cover so much other information.
To remind people about how important libraries are to their communities.
In this way, the author was the perfect saleswoman. For that she gets an extra star.
How can a lover of books resist a book about books?
“All the things that are wrong in the world seem conquered by a library’s simple unspoken promise: Here is my story, please listen; here I am, please tell me your story.”
For many people, I imagine libraries are like places of worship - everyone is made to feel welcome and part of a greater community. I certainly have felt this way about our local Library.
A library, is not only a community of readers, but also of people looking for help, or someone to answer their questions, teens wanting a safe place to hang out, adults taking free classes, book discussion groups, children’s reading hours and programs. . . the list is endless.
Our community libraries fulfill many roles. If you haven’t hung out in one long enough, please do so. You will be pleased with the results.
Back to this review…
The Library Book is centered around the biggest fire to ever hit a library.
It happened on April 29, 1986 at the Los Angeles Public Library. But along with learning what happened that day and the investigation afterward, Susan Orlean has chosen to use this book to give us facts about reading, libraries and books.
I was a bit disappointed that the story took such a meandering path around the actual fire and crime. Especially with me being such a fan of mysteries.
I’m one that wants to delve into the mystery - dig deep into what happened and gain more insights into what actually happened on that fateful day. Yes, she does provide some background by sifting through some newspapers stories and investigators' reports, but it seemed to get lost within the pages, as other stories were unfolding, too.
Still...
I also began to appreciate just how much the author put into this book to cover so much other information.
To remind people about how important libraries are to their communities.
In this way, the author was the perfect saleswoman. For that she gets an extra star.
Wow! I’m not a non-fiction reader but who could pass up a book about libraries? It certainly didn’t disappoint. So many quotable lines. Loved that there are more libraries in the U.S. than McDonald’s!
Totally deserving of the hype and definitely a worthy read if you're a fan of libraries in general.
Listened to author-narrated Audible edition. I enjoyed this book more than I should have, I think, but I really did enjoy it. With the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire at its center, the story delves into books and libraries in general and the author’s love of them, while relaying the history of LA library, the building, its past and current leaders, the huge impact of the fire, as well as the story of the suspected arson. So much research and so many facts all intertwined. Others may be bored, but I was intrigued and engaged.
I was unbelievably disappointed in this book for several reasons. The intention of this book was to write about the LA public library fire, but the author just didn’t have enough information to go on. To be quite honest, it’s not even the real driving point of the book. There’s just not enough information out there to write an entire book on it.
I loved this book, even with its faults. It is a wide (but not too deep) dive into public libraries, using the 1986 fire at the LA Public Library as a jumping off point. Since the book is so wide ranging, it makes it easy to stop between subjects. This actually made it harder for me to finish - I had a library fine by the time I did! But I’m glad I ready it and am recommending it to others!
I am upset that I can only give five stars to this book. I'm in library school, so I might be biased, but this book is REQUIRED READING.
Wonderful to read, especially for non fiction which I don’t always enjoy. Makes you want to be a librarian!
medium-paced
This book is the ultimate book for library lovers. A mix of history, true crime, and story, The Library Book is advertised as a book about the largest library fire, but ends up giving the reader so much more. We are taken on a tour of the library, with Orlean touching on different eras - it's earliest beginnings in the ancient world, it's history and importance as a U.S. institution, it's newfound relevance in the 21st century. This book really contains it all - and I especially loved the chapters interspersed that told the stories of librarians working in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Librarians are often overlooked within our society because of the nature of their jobs, but they're really some of our most important public workers. In summary, if you'd like a book that really sums up what a library is, and what librarians do - look no further.