The Library Book: Quill Quotes Book Club

Welcome to the 15th edition of Quill Quotes Book Club! This month’s theme is books about books and our genre is nonfiction/history. The Library Book by Susan Orlean is our book of the month for July. We hope you enjoy reading with us! Keep reading for all the details on the book, where to get it, and our reading schedule. This page will be updated with links to each discussion so keep it handy as a reference. We can’t wait for our first discussion on Saturday, July, 17th 2021!

The Library Book Summary

On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual fire alarm. As one fireman recounted, “Once that first stack got going, it was ‘Goodbye, Charlie.’” The fire was disastrous: it reached 2000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who?

Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling book that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before.

Where to get the book?

Whether you prefer digital or physical books, we’ve listed several options below.

Amazon

If you have a Kindle or like audiobooks, Amazon is probably already your go-to for book purchases. They offer a variety of purchase options.

OverDrive / Libby

Check your local library, they often allow digital rentals through OverDrive and the Libby app! You’ll just need your library card to log in.

Local Bookstore

Amazon is still a good option to get the paperback or hardcover, but sometimes delivery can be a pain. If physical books are your thing, please try to support your local bookstore or library!

Reading Schedule

We’ve decided to split the book in half and hold two discussions. Discussions take place right here on the blog! Feel free to read at your own pace, but please avoid posting spoilers if you read ahead. Also, if you’re behind schedule and concerned about spoilers, you may want to wait until you’re caught up to join the discussion.

Discussion 1: Chapter 1-15, Saturday, July 17th, 2021

We’ll post our thoughts and some questions on this section on the morning of July 17th to kick off the discussion! Can’t wait!

• Discussion #1

Final Discussion: Full Book, July 31st, 2021

We’ll complete the book and begin the final discussion on July 31st!

• Final Discussion

We can’t wait to hear your thoughts on The Library Book. Let’s get reading!