07 - A book where the main character works at your current or dream job

[Robin H-R]

gretah wrote: "For this prompt, I need to find a book where the main character is a pharmacist or works in a laboratory specifically manufacturing medicines. Does anyone have any good recommendations?"

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie

This is non-fiction, but Agatha Christie worked in a pharmacy during the wars, which is where she gained her knowledge of poisons.

[Robin H-R]

Lilia wrote: "Does anyone have know any books where the character is an author? I feel like this shouldn’t be too difficult, since I could possibly read an author’s memoir"

The Woman on the Orient Express
Agatha Christie is the main character

The Sherlockian
This is a "dual-time" mystery with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a main character. It is very, very good.

[Robin H-R]

Agnė wrote: "I work at an university as an administrator of studies... no idea what to read....
Maybe something about person who works with students, but isn't a professor?"

Try this one: A Plague on Both Your Houses
It is set in medieval Cambridge, and includes several "administrative" characters. And it's really good.

[Robin H-R]

Paula wrote: "Does anyone know any fiction book with filmmakers? Could be anyone who works in the film industry, I haven't found any."

The Garden of Allah series follows three characters who work in the film industry - Actress, Screenwriter, Reporter. Most of the "minor" characters are Hollywood icons.

The first book is
The Garden on Sunset
and it's free on Amazon. I am up to book seven in the series, and I love it.

[Drakeryn]

Leah wrote: "Any books about a book editor? Believe it or not, that's a hard Google search, haha."

T. Kingfisher's The Twisted Ones is about a freelance editor.

[Ruba]

Tara wrote: "I am a university professor, so anyone know a fiction book for me?"
By the Book by Julia Sonneborn (it's a modern retelling of Austen's Persuasion).

[Brandon]

Professor: try Dear Committee Members

[Heather L]

Lilia wrote: "Does anyone have know any books where the character is an author? I feel like this shouldn’t be too difficult, since I could possibly read an author’s memoir"


Nonfiction:
* 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
* Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak


Romance:
* Second Nature by Nora Roberts
* The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans


Cozy Mystery:
* A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (first in a series)


Horror:
* Misery by Stephen King


Fiction:
* Sophie's Choice by William Styron
* Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
* Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

[Heather L]

Agatha Christie wrote several books featuring the writer Ariadne Oliver. She appears in the following books:

* Parker Pyne Investigates
* Cards on the Table
* Mrs. McGinty's Dead
* Dead Man's Folly
* The Pale Horse
* Third Girl
* Hallowe'en Party
* Elephants Can Remember

[Melissa]

Harmke wrote: "I have a great job at a local municipality. Any suggestions on that?"

The Wedding Date has the main character working for the mayor of her city (It's in the Bay Area, but I don't remember if it's San Francisco specifically). I want to say she's chief of staff, but she might just be someone on the mayor's staff. Her portion of the story deals with working to get a new community program going. She has get the mayor's approval and then the city council's.

[Melissa]

Paula wrote: "Does anyone know any fiction book with filmmakers? Could be anyone who works in the film industry, I haven't found any."

The Second Assistant: A Tale from the Bottom of the Hollywood Ladder and The First Assistant: A Continuing Tale from Behind the Hollywood Curtain are about working for a talent agent in Hollywood. She ends up working closely with someone else to develop a screenplay in the first book, and that screenplay features strongly in the sequel. They're pretty solidly chick lit, so expect lots of fashion and cocktails.

[Christina]

I don't have a dream job sigh. Maybe I could go with a librarian though! (or a bookseller)

The Time Traveller's Wife
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Hidden Bodies (I could finally read Hidden Bodies!)
Eight Perfect Murders (anybody know if this could work?)

[Lexi]

I am tempted to go with A Psalm for the Wild-Built, as tea monk sounds about perfect after this year.

[Karen]

I'm a research Coordinator in public health, would love recommendations on either.

[Whitney]

Yoo wrote: "There is no chance of finding a book with my job but I always wanted to be a tightrope walker when I grew up 😂 Any ideas?!"

One of the characters in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo was a tightrope walker!

[L Y N N]

The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry. It has been on top of a stack forever and was moved to my "2020 reading challenge" stacks and still unread! 2021 is the year! :)

[poshpenny]

gretah wrote: "For this prompt, I need to find a book where the main character is a pharmacist or works in a laboratory specifically manufacturing medicines. Does anyone have any good recommendations?"

I also came to recommend Agatha.

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
The Poisonous Pen of Agatha Christie

Poirot is the detective, but one of the characters in Hickory Dickory Dock would fit.

[poshpenny]

Lilia wrote: "Does anyone have know any books where the character is an author? I feel like this shouldn’t be too difficult, since I could possibly read an author’s memoir"

There are several in the Jobs folder
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Angela]

If anyone is or dreams of becoming a surgeon, I can heartily recommend When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. This book would also work for Lilia's request for a book of an author.

[Kim]

Looking for someone who owns a coffee shop book store?

[Megan]

Any recommendations for me? I would love to go into forensic science.

[E.R.]

Megan, you might like American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson! It’s a nonfiction book about the founding of the CSI and an investigator in the US who was called “American Sherlock” for his forensics skills. I just borrowed it, and I’ve heard great things!

[Alicia]

I work for a courthouse so if anyone knows of any books set in a court that aren't as boring as my actual job can be, hit me up!

Dream job wise, I've always harboured dreams to be an author/screenwriter, or to work in sustainability/conservation. Also toyed with the idea of becoming a forensic scientist for a while when I was younger so might find something in that avenue!

[Kelly]

Megan wrote: "Any recommendations for me? I would love to go into forensic science."

Any Kathy Reicks books. The main character is a forensic anthropologist. It's what Bones was based on, although they are very different.

[Renee]

My real dream job is to be a host of a children's TV show... I'd be willing to read, like a biography of Mr. Rogers or something, but does anyone know of fiction books about a Steve from Blues Clues type character?

I'd also settle for a book about a children's librarian (Which is what I am)

[Aleta]

If you like cozy mysteries, Jenn McKinlay has a series set in a library. There is a children’s librarian as one of the characters.

[Katy Grace]

My dream job is to be a veterinarian! Anyone have any good recs having to do with the field or even animals in general?

[Teri]

Katy Grace wrote: "My dream job is to be a veterinarian! Anyone have any good recs having to do with the field or even animals in general?"

If you haven't read James Herriot, you'd probably love them. They are written in the 1970s, but love of animals as a reason for being a vet probably hasn't changed a ton. I'm not even an animal lover, and I loved the "Great Creatures" series in my younger days.

[Heather L]

Megan wrote: "Any recommendations for me? I would love to go into forensic science."

Aaron Elkins has a mystery series featuring a forensic anthropologist, first book is Fellowship of Fear.

Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs, first book is Déjà Dead.

The Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell features a medical examiner, first book is Postmortem.

[Heather L]

Aleta wrote: "If you like cozy mysteries, Jenn McKinlay has a series set in a library. There is a children’s librarian as one of the characters."

There’s also the Southern Sewing Sisters series by Elizabeth Lynn Casey. First book is Sew Deadly. Main character is a head librarian who creates a new children’s section in the first book. Some of the secondary characters are also librarians.

[Heather L]

Kim wrote: "Looking for someone who owns a coffee shop book store?"

Two cozy mystery series immediately come to mind. The first is Alex Erickson’s “Bookstore Cafe” series, which begins with Death by Coffee.

The second book I was thinking of is actually a combo chocolate shop/book store, but I believe beverages were also served. It’s the “Chocolate Covered” series, first book is Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates.

[Heather L]

Alicia wrote: "I work for a courthouse so if anyone knows of any books set in a court that aren't as boring as my actual job can be, hit me up!"

The only book that comes to mind is the farcical novel The Trial by Franz Kafka.

[Karen]

James Harriet's "All creatures great and small" and sequels are great books about being a country vet in yorkshire. Each chapter is a different case, and the interactions with his boss and the country folk are great asking with the animals.

[Karen]

Some books in Anne Perry's William Monk series have court as a component. They follow a detective in Victorian London and follow cases through trial in court. The series would also work as a genre merge, since they are both mystery and historic fiction.

[Karen]

Alice in Lisa Genova's "Still Alice" is a University Professor.

[Robin H-R]

Karen wrote: "Some books in Anne Perry's William Monk series have court as a component. They follow a detective in Victorian London and follow cases through trial in court. The series would also work as a genre ..."

The first book in the Monk series The Face of a Stranger would definitely fit the "book about forgetting" prompt

[Jen]

I'll try the search function when I can get to my laptop in case I missed anything. And I feel like this is a long shot. But. Any works of fiction out there featuring an actual registered dietitian? Not a 'nutritionist', not about some fad diet or another. An RD in the clinical setting maybe?

[Sally906]

I’m retired - and my dream job is to stay retired! 😂😂

[Mylie]

Im studying to be an occupational therapist. I found one book but maybe someone could help me find a better one
The book is Reconstructing Soldiers: An Occupational Therapist in Wwi

[Deepika]

Any ideas for righteous criminal defense lawyer?? :)

[Darci]

I've always wanted to work at a small bookstore, so I'm probably going with Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore.

I'm also considering Horrorstör, since I work in retail.

[Louise]

I want to be a radiographer, anyone got any recommendations??

[Heather L]

Deepika wrote: "Any ideas for righteous criminal defense lawyer?? :)"

I would say books by either Lisa Scottoline (Rosato and Associates Series) or John Grisham.

[Rachel]

Yoo wrote: "There is no chance of finding a book with my job but I always wanted to be a tightrope walker when I grew up 😂 Any ideas?!"

You might be surprised. I found a library book on the donation shelf about neon glass benders!

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a children's picture book written and illustrated by American Mordicai Gerstein about Phillipe Petit who walked between the Twin Towers.

And Nik Wallenda (of the famous Flying Wallendas) has written a couple books.

[Kira]

I work in communications, so I created a list for communications/marketing pros. It's pretty sparse, so feel free to add to it. I do some design work and a small amount of photography as well. There's already a list for fictional graphic designers, but it's also sparse and hasn't been updated in a long time. There's another, more expansive list for fictional photographers. I'll probably end up reading one of those. It's what I'd rather be doing anyway.

Fiction Lists:
Fictional Communications Professionals
Fictional Graphic Designers
Fictional Photographers
Novels about Photography and Photographers

Nonfiction Lists:
Must-Read Books for Communications Professionals
Essential Books for Branding & Marketing Professionals
For Social Media Practitioners
Graphic Design
Best Books In Graphic Design and Inspiration for Designers
Graphic Design History
Photographer's Education
Photography Books to Read

[Jenn]

Can anyone think of any books with a Social Worker as the main character besides Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger?

I may have missed a previous post on this.
Thanks in advance & Happy Reading!

[Kristy]

If there are any antique dealers out there, Life In a Box by Sarah Jane Adams looks like a unique and interesting "read"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...

[Coleen]

Thanks, Kira! I'm a graphic designer, and was just about to post asking for suggestions.

[Maisha]

Astronomer ? Can anyone recommend me a book?

[Faydra | PuzzledBooks]

I'm a school counselor at an elementary school and totally blanking on a book choice (google is only giving me books FOR school counselors which, while appreciated, isn't quite what I want). Any help is super appreciated :)