Every novel that comes out with the name “library” in it hits my radar, and I wonder if I should have the author on the show, but when I first asked the publisher about speaking to the author of That Night in the Library, Eva Jurczyk, I had no idea that Eva was a librarian! So, in this newest episode in my Summer Reading Spectacular, there’s both libraryland talk AND book talk (though we lean into the book more)!
Rebecca and Yaika have talked about this phenomena in their Circ Desk segment of the show (which I hope everyone is sticking around for at the end of the podcast!), where library and book people love reading novels that take place in libraries and bookstores. I am obviously not immune but so far it has worked out for me, and I have enjoyed all the books I’ve read on the subject so far. I hope you will, too!
Check out my interview with Eva Jurczyk now, either as a podcast or the transcript!
From critically acclaimed librarian and author Eva Jurczyk comes That Night in the Library, a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets live in the dark, books breathe fears to life, and the only way out is to wait until morning.
On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform—one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start their real lives?
But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out—and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises, with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer.
One night locked in the library. What could go wrong?
Summer Reading List
One of the things I’m enjoying is putting together a Summer Reading List, with each guest author adding a book or two of their choosing. I’ll update the list with each episode until we have our complete list at the end of the summer!
The Steerswoman (Cory Doctorow’s pick)
How to Solve Murders Like a Lady; Children of Anguish and Anarchy; Georgette Heyer; Saara El-Arifi; the Daevabad Trilogy (City of Brass, Kingdom of Copper, Empire of Gold) (Amita Murray’s picks)
How the Word Is Passed (Kirsten Miller’s pick)
James Madison's Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention, May 25, 1787 (A. J. Jacob’s pick)
Summer Romance; Expiration Dates (Jessie Rosen’s picks)
Bitter Seeds (Andy Runton’s pick)
The Villa (Gwenda Bond’s pick)
There's Always This Year (Eva Jurczyk’s pick)
Ready Reference
Mentioned on the podcast:
University of Toronto Libraries | Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Weird But True: Greek Mythology (National Geographic Kids)
The Circ Desk
They’re back. And this time it’s personal… recommendations from two smart ladies: Rebecca Vnuk from Library Reads and Yaika Sabat from NoveList. This week on The Circ Desk, they chat about dark academia, locked room mysteries, and their read-alikes for That Night in the Library!
The Circ Desk recommends:
Steve Thomas is a public library manager who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with his wife, two kids, and one dog. He has worked in libraries since the year 2000 and has hosted the Circulating Ideas podcast since 2011. He really likes Coke Zero.
Currently Reading: That Librarian by Amanda Jones