Dusty Smelling Books You Will Love If You Love Libraries | Top Ten Tuesday

Libraries are one of my favorite things in this world. I live for libraries. I breathe for libraries. Nothing like opening that door and inhaling all that dust. Just, delicious and aesthetic af. So, here's ten books you are guaranteed to love if you love libraries. And really why wouldn't you love libraries? Libraries are one of the things humans have done right and we should all appreciate them more.

1.  Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Book One in The Great Library* is fantastic. Not only because it tells us the alternate history of what could have happened if the GREATEST AND MOST MAGNIFICENT LIBRARY HADN'T BURNED DOWN** and it does it so beautifully. Also, it's full of intrigue and magic-y stuff and it has great characters and plot and worldbuilding and all the description about knowledge is just #magnificent.

*it has the word library right there!

**I have a lot of feels about The Great Library of Alexandria

2. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

This book features a library and it's gorgeous. ALL THOSE BOOKS AND SCHOLARLY PURSUITS AND LAZLO STRANGE COLLECTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE UNSEEN CITY! Just marvelous all around. However, once we're out of the library it still feels very library-ish just because once a librarian always a librarian and librarian brains are beautiful and magical and very whimsical. At least I imagine them to be so.

3. The Archived by Victoria Schwab

This book is literally about a library of dead people, which is,  swear it, way less creepy than it sounds. It still is kind of creepy, but not super creepy. Not man that follows you home creepy, but rather dead people telling their life stories creepy. Which is among the best kinds of creepy. However, it's also super atmospheric and ~library~ so be prepared to be wooed and lost in stories

4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Safon

This book features a magic library of forgotten books and the book our young protagonist takes from the Graveyard of Forgotten books is central to the story, but much like Strange the Dreamer the book has a distinct library-like atmosphere and just features amazing prose all around. Great book. I don't know how good the translation is, but I've heard some good things. So, if you don't speak Spanish either go learn and then read or pick up the translation. Whichever suits your sensibilities.

5. Lirael by Garth Nix

I had to go look if this book did in fact feature a library and lo and behold, it does! So, rejoice, my dust smelling fiends. Lirael works at a library and I remember it being a safe place and second home to her, and if that doesn't describe my feelings towards libraries down to a T I don't know what will. I would really live at the school's library if it wasn't a) filled with sleep deprived and kind of loud students and b) closed at 1am. So, back to this book A+ library and dusty smells and all that.

What are some books you love that feature libraries and dusty smelling books? Do you prefer your books to smell dusty or new?