booksandcoffeerequired 's review for:

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

5.0

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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.