35. A book where all or part of the action takes place in a library, a museum, a school, or another public building

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Let's get out of the house! Literature-ly, not literally. How much of the book takes place in public buildings is up to you. Locked in a library for the whole book or just in a courthouse for a few scenes, the world is your tax-funded oyster.

A few examples to spur your imagination: schools, museums, libraries, courthouses, prisons, law enforcement offices, hospitals, post offices, community rec centers, government offices, embassies, airports, etc etc

ATY Listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

Where does the action take place?

[NancyJ]

Maybe this will be the year I finally read The Trial by Franz Kafka. I have a renewed interest in reading it because of a funny section in one of the Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fford.

I’ve been meaning to read Martyr! all year, but it fits so many 2026 prompts, I guess I can wait a few more months. It’s set in a museum.

The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains sounds really good too. It’s at least partly set in a hospital.

I like spending time in museums and libraries, though I’ve probably overindulged in books set in libraries.

[Dixie]

NancyJ wrote: "Maybe this will be the year I finally read The Trial by Franz Kafka. I have a renewed interest in reading it because of a funny section in one of the Thursday Next novels by Jasper Ffo..."

The Mind Electric: A Neurologist on the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains is one of my options for this one, too, and for a couple of the reject prompts, so I'll use it somewhere.

Others are
The Case of the Sulky Girl Perry Mason, so courtroom scenes. I read all 80+ Perry Mason novels about twenty years ago and have been itching to reread some of those.
The Count of Monte Cristo - prison
DallerGut Dream Department Store - department store
The Shadow of the Wind - library
Jailbird - prison
The Complete Yes Minister - another book I read many years ago, along with the sequel, Yes Prime Minister. Loved the books and the TV series. Set in Parliament and other London government buildings
Designated Survivor - US Capitol Building
Little Dorrit - debtors' prison

[GailW]

NancyJ wrote: "...I’ve been meaning to read Martyr! all year, but it fits so many 2026 prompts, I guess I can wait a few more months. It’s set in a museum..."

Thanks for this! I have had the book since it was published and have not gotten to it yet. Perfect fit. I was planning to make this a really easy prompt by reading a book set in a library, but I wanted to "venture out" some.

[NancyJ]

GailW wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "...I’ve been meaning to read Martyr! all year, but it fits so many 2026 prompts, I guess I can wait a few more months. It’s set in a museum..."

Thanks for this! I have had the book ..."

Me too, librarians were sometimes the first person I met whenever my dad got relocated to a new town, so I have a soft spot in my heart for them. The books are getting too predictable though, so I’m glad there are so many other options.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Oops Jackie- wrong place!

Clearly as a museum worker, I'll be reading a museum book. If they bookclub picks The Museum of Ordinary People otherwise it'll be the Louvre equivalent of All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me-- Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum (I will say the Met one was one of the best books I read last year. But as someone who worked their way through college on the frontlines of the Met, I'm prejudiced)

[Jackie, Solstitial Mod]

Pamela wrote: "Oops Jackie- wrong place!
"

Uh oh, where did I put it?

[Angie]

I have many that will fit this. I could do one of the Cat in the Stacks books, or maybe A Discovery of Witches. I've also been circling The Secret History for a while.

[Deborah]

Current possibilities:

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race

The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience
Smithson's Gamble: The Smithsonian Institution in American Life, 1836–1906

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

[LeahS]

The Maidens and Babel

[Charlsa]

One of the nice things about reading is that you discover new areas of interest. After reading The Feather Thief, The Art Thief, The Map Thief, etc., I've discovered that I enjoy reading about art forgeries, so I'll read The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro

[Marie]

I have Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh lined up for this one. It's about a serial killer being on the jury for a murder trial, so I'm expecting it to take place in court.