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What Members Thought

Nancy
A high-concept book that I thought would be a winner for me turned out to be dreadful. Disorganized, shallow, condescending to working class interviewees and characterized by purple, cliché-ridden prose, the breaking point was chapter five, which was entirely the author's self-indulgent witterings about the difficulty of bringing herself to burn a book, just to see how it feels. Wish she'd burned this one. ...more
Kelly
Jun 25, 2019 rated it it was amazing
This book is surprising and fantastic. I was very surprised first because I had never heard the story of the Central Library Fire, and second because the book is a such page-turner. I think I was prejudiced against reading Orlean based on the film Adaptation, it gave me the impression her writing would be dry or pretentious, but it is certainly not. Los Angeles history is always interesting to me, partially of course because it's where I live, but partially because it all happened really fast pr ...more
Saima
What I like about this book is that Susan Orlean didn't waste her words on dispelling many myths associated with librarians and libraries. She focused on her story (LA library fire of 1986) and how the libraries have evolved over the years in terms of a community place, materials and fulfilling many needs of the communities they serve, in a very readable, storytelling way. ...more
Laura (booksnob)
This Library Book is a love letter to libraries and librarians and books. It is chock full of information and much of it was fascinating to me.
Rebecca
Oct 03, 2019 rated it liked it
Barondestructo
Dec 20, 2018 rated it really liked it
Rachel
Jan 03, 2019 marked it as to-read
Lillawa
Jan 07, 2019 marked it as to-read
grace
Jan 15, 2019 marked it as to-read
Kaley
Jan 23, 2019 marked it as to-read
Beverly Magid
Feb 08, 2019 is currently reading it  ·  review of another edition
Lea
Feb 18, 2019 rated it really liked it
Renate
Mar 08, 2019 marked it as to-read
Gary Dale
Mar 23, 2019 marked it as to-read
Jennifer
Apr 04, 2019 rated it really liked it
Shelves: non-fiction, history
Shannon Wallner
May 07, 2019 marked it as to-read
Amanda R
May 26, 2019 marked it as to-read
Julie
May 27, 2019 marked it as to-read
Tammy Grimm
Jul 27, 2019 marked it as to-read
Susan
Sep 14, 2019 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Lindsay
Oct 23, 2019 marked it as to-read
Erica
Jan 29, 2020 marked it as to-read
Idit
Feb 01, 2020 marked it as to-read
Sara
Feb 12, 2021 rated it liked it
Shelves: own
Oana
May 18, 2020 marked it as to-read
Tuck
Jun 18, 2020 marked it as to-read
Soelo
May 05, 2023 rated it it was amazing
Mansir
Nov 28, 2021 rated it really liked it