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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
slow-paced
its a good book and if i wasn't so picky i would have given it 5 stars
i really liked the book
the topic was super interesting all of the stories were interesting
however i found the writing style really annoying to follow
its a good book on a technical level but the style was personally not for me
i really liked the book
the topic was super interesting all of the stories were interesting
however i found the writing style really annoying to follow
its a good book on a technical level but the style was personally not for me
A pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the author's history of the LA library and of the role libraries play in our community. Perhaps I enjoyed this book so much because I am a fan of libraries and not a professional librarian.
An absolutely lovely book about the Los Angeles Public Library. Really a love letter to all libraries. As a librarian wanna be, I’m smitten. Also a fascinating story about the largest library fire in the US and the resulting arson investigation.
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
While the investigation into the alleged arson of the Los Angeles Central Library initially drew me in, actually found the chapters bouncing back through the history of the library to be much more compelling. It was interesting to learn how libraries as a public entity have grown and evolved throughout the years, and the anecdotal stories of the librarians that made them gave a real life to the story.
A library lover looks into the burning of the Los Angeles Central Public Library. Delving back into the history of libraries and importance of books and libraries worldwide with a detailed history of LAPL.
the author is such a great story teller! So interesting through the entire book.
I had not heard of this library fire, nor several other incidents covered in the book. Fascinating look at libraries from many different angles!
Intriguing book that told me more about the LA Public Library’s history than I care to remember, and yet I listened until the end. History, philosophy, science, true crime, travel, architecture, sociology - this book had it all in an attempt to reflect the library by being diverse. At least that is my theory. Definitely a book for library lovers and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would a chapter or two in.
I have to provide a disclaimer here - I read the audiobook, and the narrator does not have a good narration voice. My rating and review may be biased due to this.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean is an exceptionally well-researched book. There is SO much information about libraries, from the Library at Alexandria, to modern libraries today. It was fun to read how much (or little) has changed about libraries over time, and how certain rules (library fines, etc.) came to fruition. It was a fascinating book about the history of libraries...
However, the book advertises itself as a story about the fire at the LA Central Library in the 80s. Although a good amount of this book is about that topic, it is sparsely detailed throughout the book in small chunks that seem unrelated to the surrounding history of libraries. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book much more had Part 1 been about the history of libraries, including the Central Library, and Part 2 had been specifically about the fire. Both sections were incredibly well-researched and well-written, but the transitions between topics were disappointing and confusing.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean is an exceptionally well-researched book. There is SO much information about libraries, from the Library at Alexandria, to modern libraries today. It was fun to read how much (or little) has changed about libraries over time, and how certain rules (library fines, etc.) came to fruition. It was a fascinating book about the history of libraries...
However, the book advertises itself as a story about the fire at the LA Central Library in the 80s. Although a good amount of this book is about that topic, it is sparsely detailed throughout the book in small chunks that seem unrelated to the surrounding history of libraries. I feel like I would have enjoyed this book much more had Part 1 been about the history of libraries, including the Central Library, and Part 2 had been specifically about the fire. Both sections were incredibly well-researched and well-written, but the transitions between topics were disappointing and confusing.