Beloved characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Jo March, and Matilda Wormwood feel real to us in part because we get a glimpse of their reading lives. Readers experience a certain intimacy in encountering a fellow bibliophile in a book, in recognizing bookish kindred. We relate when a character gets swept up in a fantastical tale, stays up late to read just one more chapter, or even dogears a favorite tome.
Accordingly, bookstores, libraries, and book clubs are captivating settings for novels, full of potential (and sometimes literal) magic. See below for some of our most charming bookish books, or click here for a more complete list.
