I just finished reading Carlos Ruis Zafón’s Shadow of the Wind and it got me thinking about the number of novels I’ve read in the last while that are about books, writing, writers, and/or reading. I have decided to compile a list for future reading (and past reference). The ones I’ve read are in blue. Please contribute if you know a novel that should be on this list! Have you read any of these? What’s your favourite?
NOVELS ABOUT BOOKS, WRITING, WRITERS, AND/OR READING:
- Atonement Ian McEwan (writing)
- Blue Angel Francine Prose (writing)
- The Blue Flower Penelope Fitzgerald (writer)
- The Book Thief Markus Zusak (book)
- Crossing to Safety Wallace Stegner (writing)
- The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde (book)
- Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury (books)
- Flaubert’s Parrot Julian Barnes (writer)
- Gertrude and Claudius John Updike (writer)
- The Ghost Writer Phillip Roth (writer)
- Haunted Chuck Palahniuk (writing)
- The Hours Michael Cunningham (writer)
- Inkheart Cornelia Funke (book)
- Inkspell Cornelia Funke (book)
- Inkdeath Cornelia Funke (book)
- The Information Martin Amis (writing)
- Loitering with Intent Muriel Spark (writing)
- Lost in a Good Book Jasper Fforde (reading)
- Lunar Park Bret Easton Ellis (writing)
- Matrimony Josh Henkin (writer)
- Memory and Dreams Charles de Lint (writer)
- Men in Black Scott Spencer (writer)
- Misery Stephen King (writer)
- Nazi Literature in the Americas Roberto Bolano (writing)
- The Neverending Story Michael Ende (book)
- Pale Fire Vladimir Nabokov (writing)
- The Poet Michael Connelly (writer)
- Possession A. S. Byatt (writing)
- Salamander Thomas Wharton (book)
- Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruis Zafón (book)
- Something Rotten Jasper Fforde (reading)
- Starting Out in the Evening Brian Morton (writing)
- Thursday Next: First Among Sequels Jasper Fforde (reading)
- The Toadhouse Trilogy–Book One by Jess Lowery
- The Tragedy of Arthur Arthur Phillips (writing)
- The Well of Lost Plots Jasper Fforde (reading)
- The Wicked Pavillion Dawn Powell (writing)
- Wonder Boys Michael Chabon (writing)
Old Saratoga Books has a blog about this that is freakishly thorough! Check it out!
Shawn L. Bird 
I loved Shadow… And the other Zafon books are excellent as well my review of the most recent one is here http://wp.me/p2s3sT-1F
Cool! Thanks for the link. I enjoyed Shadow particularly as we rented an apartment in the Ravel off Ronda San Antoni last March. All the landmarks and street I knew were fun to find mentioned! It would have been interesting to have read the book before going, and looked for the places, but I enjoyed it this way as well. We spent an afternoon walking through the cemetery at Montjuic that figures so prominently. It is a profound place all on its own.
The first book that jumps to mind is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief). I didn’t really care for Shadow. I loved Crossing to Safety. Have not read too many of the others, so thanks for a list of new books to read!
Oh duh! How did I forget such an amazing one! Loved The Book Thief. Adding!
How about “The Toadhouse Trilogy–Book One” by Jess Lowery
I’ll add it to the list! I’ve not heard of that one.
[…] novels about books (shawnbird.com) […]
These are also nice ones:
The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
If On A Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Thank you for the additional recommendations!
The Princess Bride by William Goldman is about a book, as well. 🙂
Oh, yes! Such an obvious one! Thanks for the contribution!