It’s National Library Week! This year, the theme is “Find Your Joy”, so I thought I’d feature some books about the joy of reading itself! Here you’ll find a collection of nonfiction books discussing why we love to read, as well as some fictional tales of people finding joy in books. At the end, I’ll also throw in a short list of books that have brought me joy over the years, the books I come back to time and again like old friends.
Personally, I’ve always loved reading because a good book can feel like it takes you places! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being immersed in an adventurous tale or an alien world or far flung lands of fantasy and magic. I love recognizing myself in my favorite characters, seeing their struggles and bravery, their loves and laughter, and feeling inspired to take some of that courage & joy with me into my own life.
I hope you enjoy browsing this list of joyful reads, and happy National Library Week!
Pro Tip: Looking for your next read? We can help! WPPL’s “My Librarian” team of readers will give you 3-5 personal book recommendations we think you’ll love — just click the button below!
Nonfiction
Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out
by Shannon Reed Call Number: 028.9 REE
In this uproarious exploration of the joys of reading, a long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The New Yorker contributor shares surprising stories from her life and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students and shows us how literature can transform us for the better.
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books
by Hwang Bo-Reum Call Number: 028.9 HWA
In each of the essays in ‘Every day I read,’ Hwang Bo-reum contemplates what living a life immersed in reading means. She goes beyond the usual questions of what to read and how often, exploring the relationship between reading and writing, when to turn to a bestseller vs. browse the corners of a bookstore, the value of reading outside of your favorite genre, falling in love with book characters, and more. While this is a book about books, at its heart is an attitude to life, one outside capitalism and climbing the corporate ladder. Lifelong and new readers will take inspiration from it, including a treasure trove of book recommendations blended seamlessly within.
I’d Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers
by Guinevere De la Mare Call Number: 028.9 DEL
In this visual ode to all things bookish, readers will get lost in page after page of contemporary art, photography, and illustrations depicting the pleasures of books. Artwork from the likes of Jane Mount, Lisa Congdon, Julia Rothman, and Sophie Blackall is interwoven with text from essayist Maura Kelly, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, and author and independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett.
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult
by Bruce Handy Call Number: 809.8928 HAN
In Wild Things, Vanity Fair contributing editor Bruce Handy revisits the classics of every American childhood, from fairy tales to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and explores the back stories of their creators, using context and biography to understand how some of the most insightful, creative, and witty authors and illustrators of their times created their often deeply personal masterpieces.
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
by Anne Bogel Call Number: Online with Libby or Hoopla
For so many people, reading isn’t just a hobby or a way to pass the time–it’s a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can’t imagine life without them. I’d Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way.
The author of this book has a blog! Click here to discover “What Should I Read Next?”
Fiction
Matilda
by Roald Dahl Call Number: JF DAHL, ROALD
Matilda is a sweet, exceptional young girl, but her parents think she’s just a nuisance. She expects school to be different but there she has to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress. When Matilda is attacked by the Trunchbull she suddenly discovers she has a remarkable power with which to fight back. It’ll take a superhuman genius to give Miss Trunchbull what she deserves and Matilda may be just the one to do it!
One reviewer comments: Matilda is a voracious reader, diving into stories to escape her troubled home life. She teaches us that we won’t love every book, but that reading widely gives us the opportunity to stumble upon the story of our hearts.
The Uncommon Reader
by Alan Bennett Call Number: F BENNETT, ALAN
When the Queen in pursuit of her wandering corgis stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book. Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kitchen who frequents the library, Bennett describes the Queen’s transformation as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word.
The Sentence
by Louise Erdrich Call Number: F ERDRICH, LOUISE
A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store’s most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Souls’ Day, but she simply won’t leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading ‘with murderous attention,’ must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.
What You Are Looking for Is in the Library
by Michiko Aoyama Call Number: F AOYAMA, MICHIKO
What are you looking for? So asks Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian. For Sayuri Komachi is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it. In Komachi’s unique book recommendations they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection. This inspirational tale shows how, by listening to our hearts, seizing opportunity and reaching out, we too can fulfill our lifelong dreams. Which book will you recommend?
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz-Zafon Call Number: F RUIZ- ZAFON, CARLOS
When Daniel begins to forget his dead mother’s face, his father takes him to a secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where he chooses a novel called The Shadow of the wind by Julian Carax. When he looks for more of the author’s works, he learns that someone is destroying all of them. His quest becomes a tale of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love.
Elyse’s Picks
These books are ones that remind me of why I love to read so much; They immerse me in stories I love, with characters I root for, in worlds I love to explore. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this, and that you find your own library joy this week!
The Magicians
by Lev Grossman Call Number: SF GROSSMAN, LEV
Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined. . . .
Elyse’s comments: This book is basically like if Harry Potter was a jerk with a heart of gold and went to college for magic. The characters are all deeply flawed but still very endearing, and the plot is captivating from start to finish. This is the start of a trilogy, and the series gets better with each book! It has also been adapted to a hugely popular TV series, which, in this author’s opinion, is a mostly faithful, highly entertaining adaptation.
Every Heart a Doorway
by Seanan McGuire Call Number: SF MCGUIRE, SEANAN
Children have always disappeared from the world under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else. Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children at Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter. No matter the cost.
Elyse’s comments: This whole series is just truly incredible. A portal fantasy of the highest order, you’ll meet intriguing characters and delve into the worlds they visit, and reflect on the world they left behind. Each of these books is nice and short, perfect for a travel companion or a nice rainy day read.
When Women Were Dragons
by Kelly Barnhill Call Number: SF BARNHILL, KELLY
Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours, except for its most seminal event: the Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales, and talons; left a trail of fiery destruction in their path; and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of.
Elyse’s comments: Man, oh man, do I love this book! I can’t remember a time I felt more immersed in a book, cared more deeply for the characters, and dreamed of sprouting scales of my own and taking to the skies. I truly cannot say enough good things or recommend this book highly enough. This book will inspire you, enrage you, and uplift you to soar to new heights – don’t believe me? Read it and find out!
