Solid 4.5 stars. I desperately want to write a poetic and profound review of this book but that feels impossible to do on a smart phone. I am the child of a librarian. I grew up in my mother’s small town library, played amongst the shelves, stamped the due date cards on the mornings that I went to work with her, dressed up in ALL the costumes for the summer reading program, and loved every single moment I spent there. Even now, when my mom has long since retired, visiting that library feels like home.

So I was all in for this book. Beautifully written, this book feels especially poignant in today’s age of internet misinformation. It is like a library unto itself, covering true crime, feminism, technology, biography, architecture, forensic science, social justice, and the growth of the city of LA.

I’ve never been interested in visiting Los Angeles but now I might go just to see the library!