Library Books You’re Gonna Love

Novels with Quirky and Likable Characters

1. Loch of the Dead by Oscar De Muriel

Appeal: Intricately plotted, fast paced and creepy

Edinburgh’s most famed detective duo—”Nine-Nails” McGray and Inspector Ian Frey—face their most metaphysical mystery yet, as they investigate a series of crimes surrounding the miraculous waters in the remote Loch Maree.

2. The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith

Appeal: Funny, quirky and engaging

Tasked with their Swedish police department’s most unusual cases, lead detective Ulf Varg and his colorful associates investigate a bizarre stabbing, a missing imaginary boyfriend, and a haunted spa.

3. The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

Appeal: Upbeat, quirky and engaging

Quiet school librarian Charlotte finds herself filling in for her glamorous twin sister who falls ill with a face-altering allergic reaction the night before a beauty pageant.

4. A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen

Appeal: Amusing, thought-provoking and engaging

After Andrei Kaplan returns to Moscow to care for his ailing grandmother, he becomes entangled with a group of leftists and is forced to come to terms with the Russian society he was born into and the American one he has enjoyed since he was a kid.

5. By the Book by Julia Sonneborn

Appeal: Character driven, engaging and quirky

In this re-telling of Jane Austen’s classic, Persuasion, an English professor in California fighting for tenure experiences a huge setback when her first love and ex-fiancé is hired as the college’s new president.

6. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Appeal: Heartwarming, romantic and descriptive

Prescribing books that offer therapeutic benefits to his customers, a literary apothecary in a floating bookstore on the Seine struggles with private heartbreak before embarking on a journey of healing at the side of a blocked writer and a lovelorn chef.

7. The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Appeal: Intricately plotted, leisurely paced and web of connections

Collecting things dropped or left behind by others and writing stories about them as a tribute to the fiancée who died the day he lost one of her keepsakes, a man bequeaths his estate to his unsuspecting assistant, who bonds with new neighbors while attempting to reunite the objects with their owners.

8. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Appeal: Character-driven, moving and witty

When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A. J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life.

9. The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson

Appeal: Humorous stories, character-driven and upbeat

When a hot air balloon ride ends with a sea landing and an unexpected rescue from a North Korean ship, one hundred-year-old Allan Karlsson and his sidekick Julius find themselves in the middle of a diplomatic crisis of epic proportions.

10. Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

Appeal: Humorous stories, upbeat and engaging

When they learn they will live another sixty-eight years together, Sylvie and Dan plan to create little surprises for each other to keep their relationship fresh, but a scandal from the past reveals how little they truly know about one another.

Looking for More Great Reads?

Check out these blog posts:

How to Find a Good Book to Read

6 Fast Paced and Fun Reads

7 Offbeat Funny Fiction Novels Featuring Quirky Characters

10 Genuinely Funny Funny Fiction Books You’re Sure to Love

10 Entertaining Novels That Will Put a Smile on Your Face

If the novels featured below fail to hit the mark – I would highly recommend trying Give 3 Get 3.

What’s Give 3 Get 3?

Give 3 Get 3 is a personalized reading/listening/viewing recommendation service provided by the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Basically, librarians provide customers with reading, listening and/or viewing suggestions based on a short questionnaire. Tell us about 3 titles you enjoyed recently (and why) and we’ll send you back 3 more recommendations based on your responses.