A book with a protagonist that has your occupation (see also The Jobs Folder)

[Nadine in NY]

Lyly wrote: "Anybody have recommendations for an expat housewife in France? Maybe i should just go for an expat housewife or housewife?"

Well, there is David Sedaris - he's not exactly a housewife, he obviously works as a writer or he wouldn't have all those books, but he lives in France with his husband.

I Googled "book about expat in France" and got a few interesting hits that might work for you (they tend to be memoirs, and about food!, rather than novels):
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes with a follow-up, Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes
A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France
Heads Above Water
Diplomatic Baggage: The Adventures of a Trailing Spouse (NOT set in France)

[Tara]

The Paris wife is about Ernest Hemingway's first wife.

[Lyly]

I've never been to Paris but close enough eh, Thank you, Lunch in Paris looks interesting!

[Diane]

Julia Child was an expat in Paris as well as other parts of France.My Life in France

[Kelly]

The Family. By Tonino Benacquista.
Made into a movie starring Robert Di Nero and Michelle Pfeiffer

[Susan]

Librarian books - Cozy Murder Mysteries, Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson or The Grimm Legacy series by Polly Shulman
Chemists - Try Virals series by Kathy Reichs or Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

[Jenn]

Erin wrote: "This is a brain buster for me. I'm a Customer Success Manager at a software company....any creative spins on that?"

Hi Erin; I couldn't find any direct suggestions for this one and it is my job as well; any luck?

[[deleted user]]

I'm a Paramedic, so I will be reading A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back by Kevin Hazzard.

[Amanda]

I read The Learning Curve book 1. I will not be reading book 2, ha ha! I'm a teacher and it was cool reading from the other side, but it was mediocre writing.

[Alek]

Tracy wrote: "This prompt is really stressing me out. I can not find a book with a protagonist that is a special ed aide. I would even take special ed teacher but cant find that either."

I'm not sure do "Say What You Will" by Cammie McGovern will work good for you, but sounds like interesting book. If someone already has read it, lets tell more about characters occupation.

Also A Smile as Big as the Moon by Mike Kersjes

[Tracy]

Alek wrote: "Tracy wrote: "This prompt is really stressing me out. I can not find a book with a protagonist that is a special ed aide. I would even take special ed teacher but cant find that either."

I'm not s..."

Thank you, Alek! Now to decide which one :-)

[Alek]

You're welcome! :-)

[Ana Lucía]

I'm a freelancer, although I do work more in managing social networks of a school, does a book have a protagonists who does this?

[Lindsey]

Anyone have any ideas for a protagonist who works in a theme park and/or a candy store? I am having zero luck right now so I could use some suggestions

[Debbie]

Have you ever read Wild Ride. It's very funny! This would work for theme park.

[Brittany]

I can't remember if it deals exactly with customer relations in a software company, but you might look at THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers?

Jenn wrote: "Erin wrote: "This is a brain buster for me. I'm a Customer Success Manager at a software company....any creative spins on that?"

Hi Erin; I couldn't find any direct suggestions for this one and it..."

[Lindsey]

Debbie wrote: "Have you ever read Wild Ride. It's very funny! This would work for theme park."

Thank you so much! Sounds super interesting, I'll definitely check that one out! :)

[Barbara]

I work in HR and was sure that I wouldn't be able to find a book with a protagonist with my job. Anyone else on here in HR? I found one! (Thanks, Google!) It's called A Woman in Jerusalem by A. B. Yehoshua. Summary follows:
A woman in her forties is a victim of a suicide bombing at a Jerusalem market. Her body lies nameless in a hospital morgue. She had apparently worked as a cleaning woman at a bakery, but there is no record of her employment. When a Jerusalem daily accuses the bakery of "gross negligence and inhumanity toward an employee," the bakery's owner, overwhelmed by guilt, entrusts the task of identifying and burying the victim to a human resources man. This man is at first reluctant to take on the job, but as the facts of the woman's life take shape - she was an engineer from the former Soviet Union, a non-Jew on a religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and, judging by an early photograph, beautiful - he yields to feelings of regret, atonement, and even love.

[Erin]

Brittany wrote: "I can't remember if it deals exactly with customer relations in a software company, but you might look at THE CIRCLE by Dave Eggers?

Jenn wrote: "Erin wrote: "This is a brain buster for me. I'm a ..."

That's the closest thing I've come across AND sounds like an interesting read! thanks Brittany!

[Ann]

I really need help with this one. I sell circuit boards for a living. I know I'll never find something that specific, so I would even be willing to go with something as broad as international brokerage/ sales. Anybody have any ideas? I've googled it and come up with zilch.

[Alice]

I do not have a "job" I have been out of work for a while due to health, though these days I am babysitting my nephew Monday through Friday, so I guess I am a nanny.

Any suggestions would be great. Anything about a nanny/babysitter/stay at home person. I'm not going to be too strict about this category. It's really impossible to find a book that is my life!

[Barbara]

The Nanny Diaries!

[Jaimee]

Cynthia wrote: "Any suggestions for a software consultant or business analyst in the federal/software space?"

I'm also looking for something like Cynthia is. Software Consultant or Business Analyst in IT.

[Christi]

Here's a list of mysteries by sleuth's occupation:
http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/book...
and a list of cozy mysteries by occupation:
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/cozy-myst...

[Kirsten]

Lindsey wrote: "Anyone have any ideas for a protagonist who works in a theme park and/or a candy store? I am having zero luck right now so I could use some suggestions"

I second Debbie's suggestion!

For a candy store, may I suggest All Fudged Up by Nancy CoCo

[Kirsten]

Are you a "burker" or "resurrection man" or body snatcher? Then this is the book for you!

The Italian Boy: A Tale of Murder and Body Snatching in 1830s London by Sarah Wise.

Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I found it really interesting. It's part true crime, part history, and part social commentary. I highly recommend it.

[Marta]

Jaimee wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Any suggestions for a software consultant or business analyst in the federal/software space?"

I'm also looking for something like Cynthia is. Software Consultant or Business Analys..."
I have several in the jobs folder under software engineer/programmer. There are several books that feature hackers (I think that's close enough). Books with software engineers/programmers

[JoAnna]

I can't remember if I posted in this one. I am currently reading The Life You Leave Behind by Coedee Shane Barba. The protagonist is a nanny and so am I. :-)

[Alice]

What about someone with no job?

I quit work in 2011 to deal with some health issues and have joint and back chronic pain that makes it hard to be standing or walking for longer than a few minutes at a time, so my only "job" is that I help out my sister-in-law by watching her kid during the weekday.

I am not a typical stay at home wife.

[Nadine in NY]

Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a sort of memoir by a woman who is laid up with a mysterious disability for an extended period, unable to work.

[Marta]

The Fatigue Artist was recommended to me because I have chronic fatigue syndrome (i work part time). It is about a writer who cannot work due to fatigue,

[ila]

OK, I'm afraid this is a tough one:
any suggestion about a main character working in emergency management/civil protection/crisis communication?

Otherwise, anybody working in media relations/press office could do, but I'd prefer to stick with the civil protection thing

[ila]

Barbara wrote: "I work in HR and was sure that I wouldn't be able to find a book with a protagonist with my job. Anyone else on here in HR? I found one! (Thanks, Google!) It's called A Woman in Jerusalem by A. B. ..."

it's a beautiful novel, lucky find!

[Jaimee]

ila wrote: "OK, I'm afraid this is a tough one:
any suggestion about a main character working in emergency management/civil protection/crisis communication?

Otherwise, anybody working in media relations/press..."
The main character in The Strain works for a rapid response team for the CDC.

In Sphere, the main character was tasked to create operational procedure for the US to handle initial contact with extraterrestrials. It's not quite on the nose, but kind of close?

[Nadine in NY]

ila wrote: "OK, I'm afraid this is a tough one:
any suggestion about a main character working in emergency management/civil protection/crisis communication?

Otherwise, anybody working in media relations/press..."

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War? Maybe not the emergency you were looking for :-) But I do think this book is a pretty great thought experiment showcasing how various countries around the world would react to a huge emergency.

[ila]

Nadine wrote: "ila wrote: "OK, I'm afraid this is a tough one:
any suggestion about a main character working in emergency management/civil protection/crisis communication?

Otherwise, anybody working in media rel..."

That's definitely not the kind of emergency I ususally deal with but that's a good suggestion: it sounds fun, thank you :)

[ila]

Jaimee wrote: "ila wrote: "OK, I'm afraid this is a tough one:
any suggestion about a main character working in emergency management/civil protection/crisis communication?

Otherwise, anybody working in media rel..."

Oh my, your suggestions make floods and earthquakes sound kinda boring :D
I'll check them, tahnks!

[Kirsten]

Leigha wrote: "What about someone with no job?

I quit work in 2011 to deal with some health issues and have joint and back chronic pain that makes it hard to be standing or walking for longer than a few minutes..."

That's me too. I had to go on disability due to seizures.

[Angie]

OK I'm a Document Controller (it is better than it sounds) and I deal with controlling documents funnily enough, in the nuclear industry. Help???

[Nadine in NY]

Angie wrote: "OK I'm a Document Controller (it is better than it sounds) and I deal with controlling documents funnily enough, in the nuclear industry. Help???"

I'm not sure what types of documents, so I googled "nuclear power plant employee" and got:

An Atomic Romance: A Novel
Gone
Devices and Desires
and
The Threat

I'm sorry, none of those really seem to cover what you do! Good luck!! I've had a hard time w this category too.

[Brittany]

Angie wrote: "OK I'm a Document Controller (it is better than it sounds) and I deal with controlling documents funnily enough, in the nuclear industry. Help???"

Winston in 1984 was technically in charge of controlling documents...maybe that would work? Or The Girls of Atomic City?

[Juliebean]

Hi all! Any suggestions for account management? Or travel agent? I'm currently an account manager now in travel, but I was a travel agent for 20 years.

[Nadine in NY]

LOL I just searched Librarything for "travel agents" and the first fiction listing was ... Moon Men Deep Inside. Maybe not what you were looking for!!! :-O

I kept poking around in Librarything and I did find some more promising titles:
Welcome to My World
The Last Fix (reading the blurb, I don't see how this involves travel agents, but ... maybe?)
Shaman's Moon or Bad Company
Murder Pans Out
Hula Done It?

I don't know why so many mysteries came up with that search!

[Melanie]

To the comments of those who are home dealing with chronic pain or illness and therefore currently have no occupation.... I read a Lisa Gardner Novel last year. It was part of the D.D.Warren Series and I cannot remember the name but the main character had a disorder that prevented her from feeling ANY pain.....I too am now home with an autoimmune condition and chronic pain. I see it as my job to control pain...so...the Lisa Garner Novel with pain and its control over the body or your control over it seems fitting...think of your job as PAIN MANAGEMENT.
Now.....
Does anyone remember the name of this novel?

[Melanie]

I found it...
Fear Nothing by Lisa Gardner

[Juliebean]

Nadine wrote: "LOL I just searched Librarything for "travel agents" and the first fiction listing was ... Moon Men Deep Inside. Maybe not what you were looking for!!! :-O

I kept poking around in ..."

Nadine, thank you so much! I couldn't find anything - for some reason, I kept getting literary agent. I'm sure one of these will work! :)

[Kirsten]

I finished reading The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr


This books main characters are an alienist (or profiler), a female private investigator, and a reporter.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kirsten]

If you're looking for a nurse or an ex-Marine who runs a diner, Virgin River by Robyn Carr is the book for you!

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Melanie]

Suggestions for teacher or teachers aid or social worker? Thanks

[Kirsten]

15 Fictional Teachers We Wish We Had In Real Life
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/...

5 GREAT NOVELS ABOUT SOCIAL WORKERS
http://bookriot.com/2015/06/30/5-grea...