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haddib 's review for:
The Library Book
by Susan Orlean
As a book blogger and serious lover of all things 'books,' I felt like I had to read this one, just look at the title! I found this non-fiction book listed on BookBub.com under '30 of the Best Narrative Nonfiction Books' and since I have read other titles from their 'Best of...' lists previously, I felt like I could trust their judgment. I am happy to report that both my judgment and @bookbub 's was excellent! I very much enjoyed this book!
Susan Orlean does a fabulous job of educating the reader about the public library system in America (and worldwide) both in the modern era and historically, while offering an intriguing and unique true story that I had never even heard about. In April of 1986 a fire broke out in the Los Angeles Public Library, the fire burned for nearly 7 hours and almost all of LA's firefighters were called to the scene to help control the spread. Nearly a quarter of the over 2 million books and other library materials were lost due to fire and/or water damage. The LA fire department suspected arson and Orlean interviews the family of the prime suspect to help piece the puzzle of that day together.
It is clear that Orlean did extensive research, interviews, and traveling in order to write this narrative non-fiction book. The story is compelling and readable and I learned so much about the history of libraries, the public service(s) they provide, and the essential role they play in many communities worldwide. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, books, or libraries, it's a quick-read (and a bit of a page-turner) and you're sure to learn something new and interesting!
Want more book content? Follow me at thebookwar.com
Susan Orlean does a fabulous job of educating the reader about the public library system in America (and worldwide) both in the modern era and historically, while offering an intriguing and unique true story that I had never even heard about. In April of 1986 a fire broke out in the Los Angeles Public Library, the fire burned for nearly 7 hours and almost all of LA's firefighters were called to the scene to help control the spread. Nearly a quarter of the over 2 million books and other library materials were lost due to fire and/or water damage. The LA fire department suspected arson and Orlean interviews the family of the prime suspect to help piece the puzzle of that day together.
It is clear that Orlean did extensive research, interviews, and traveling in order to write this narrative non-fiction book. The story is compelling and readable and I learned so much about the history of libraries, the public service(s) they provide, and the essential role they play in many communities worldwide. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history, books, or libraries, it's a quick-read (and a bit of a page-turner) and you're sure to learn something new and interesting!
Want more book content? Follow me at thebookwar.com