Open Books Challenge 2026: With a Character who Works at Your Job or at Your Dream Job

The Open Books Reading Challenge is a year-long reading challenge for people interested in pushing the boundaries of their reading. For full details of the program, please check-out our page at: https://www.rplmn.org/books-more/discover-more/open-books-reading-challenge

These are some ideas that fit the category "With a character who works at your job or your dream job."

Happy Reading!

Updated December 31, 2025
RPL Staff
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The collected regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
Paper Book
USA Today Bestseller * Best Book of 2023 by NPR "This weird, lovely and sweetly satisfying novel [is] engaging and accessible...Clover's emergence from a shuttered life is moving enough to elicit tears, and Brammer's take on death and grieving is profound...
Smoke gets in your eyes, & other lessons from the crematory
Doughty, Caitlin
Paper Book
Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty--a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre--took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life's work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both...
One for the money
Evanovich, Janet.
Paper Book
Stephanie Plum is down on her luck. She's lost her job, her car's on the brink of repossession, and her apartment is fast becoming furniture-free. Enter Cousin Vinnie, a low-life who runs a bail-bond company. If Stephanie can bring in vice cop turned outlaw Joe Morelli, she stands to...
Gorillas in the mist
Fossey, Dian.
Paper Book
Be ready when the luck happens : a memoir
Garten, Ina
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten--aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon--shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table....
Olga dies dreaming
Gonzalez, Xochitl
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK · WINNER OF THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY PRIZE * INTERNATIONAL LATINO BOOK AWARD FINALIST A blazing talent debuts with the tale of a status-driven wedding planner grappling with her social...
Great big beautiful life
Henry, Emily
Paper Book
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry. As...
All creatures great and small
Herriot, James.
Paper Book
Twenty years ago, St. Martin's Press published a volume of memoirs by an unknown Scottish veterinarian named James Herriot. Its title wasAll Creatures Great and Small. Within a year, the book had become recognized as a masterpiece. In the two decades that have followed, James...
Kiki's Delivery Service
Kadono, Eiko.
Paper Book
Rediscover the A Puffin Book series and bring the best-loved classics to a new generation - including this special edition of Kiki's Delivery Service, complete with charming illustrations throughout by Joe Todd-Stanton. Soar into this modern classic about a young witch and her very...
Shark lady : the true story of how Eugenie Clark became the ocean's most fearless scientist
Keating, Jess
Paper Book
One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls! This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike!
Euphoria : a novel
King, Lily.
Paper Book
From New England Book Award winner Lily King comes a breathtaking novel about three young anthropologists of the '30's caught in a passionate love triangle that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives. English anthropologist Andrew Bankson has been alone in the...
Goldie Vance. Volume one
Larson, Hope
Paper Book
Sixteen-year-old Marigold 'Goldie Vance lives at a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the place. Her mom, who divorced her dad years ago, works as a live mermaid at a club downtown. Goldie has an insatiable curiosity, which explains her dream to one day become the hotel's in-house detective....
For the Record
Lord, Emma.
Paper Book
'Engaging, hilarious, and an utter pleasure to read' ALI HAZELWOOD 'Like your favourite Taylor Swift song on repeat - romantic, heart-breaking, and utterly enchanting' ASHLEY POSTON IT'S NEVER TOO LATE FOR A COMEBACK Once the most...
Hammer head : the making of a carpenter
MacLaughlin, Nina
Paper Book
A warm and inspiring book for anyone who has ever dreamed of changing tracks, Hammer Head is the story of a young woman who quit her desk job to become a carpenter. Writing with infectious curiosity, Nina MacLaughlin-a Classics major who couldn't tell a Phillips from a flathead screwdriver...
Arsenic and adobo
Manansala, Mia P.
Paper Book
In the small town of Shady Palms, Illinois, Lila Macapagal and her relatives run Tita Rosie's Kitchen, serve delicious Flipino dishes, and solve crimes on the side.
The nanny diaries : a novel
McLaughlin, Emma.
Paper Book
Nan, in her early twenties, goes to work for the wealthy X family to help put herself through college, and is shocked by their antics. Between raising the X's son Grayer, keeping on top of her studies, moving house and ensuring Mrs X's day runs smoothly, it's a wonder Nanny ever finds time to hang...
Wish You Were Her
McNicoll, Elle.
Paper Book
Wish You Were Her is the riveting rivals-to-lovers YA romance from bestselling, award-winning Elle McNicoll. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry's Book Lovers. 'A beautiful, witty, cinematic romcom . . . A must read for summer' - Lizzie Huxley-Jones,...
Madame Tussaud : a novel of the French revolution
Moran, Michelle.
Paper Book
The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to...
Convenience store woman
Murata, Sayaka
Paper Book
The English-language debut of an exciting young voice in international fiction, selling 660,000 copies in Japan alone, Convenience Store Woman is a bewitching portrayal of contemporary Japan through the eyes of a single woman who fits in to the rigidity of its work culture only too well...
Under lock & skeleton key
Pandian, Gigi
Paper Book
"Wildly entertaining." --The New York Times Book Review A Lefty Nominee for Best Mystery Novel Known for her wonderfully addictive characters, multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian introduces her newest heroine in this heartfelt series debut. Under Lock...
Below stairs
Powell, Margaret
Paper Book
Arriving at the great houses of 1920s London, fifteen-year-old Margaret's life in service was about to begin... As a kitchen maid - the lowest of the low - she entered an entirely new world; one of stoves to be blacked, vegetables to be scrubbed, mistresses to be appeased, and even...
Killers of a certain age
Raybourn, Deanna
Paper Book
They've spent their lives as assassins in a clandestine international organization, but at 60 years old, four women find they can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this book by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie...
Garlic and sapphires : the secret life of a critic in disguise
Reichl, Ruth
Paper Book
Author of Save Me the Plums Ruth Reichl's iconic, bestselling memoir of her time as an undercover restaurant critic for The New York Times "Expansive and funny." --Entertainment Weekly Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former...
Carrie Soto is back : a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam" (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Jackaby
Ritter, William
Ebook
This thrilling novel from the author of the New York Times bestselling paranormal mystery Jackaby series pits R.F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplainable and his new assistant, Abigail Rook, against a supernatural serial killer. Newly arrived in New Fiddleham,...
Marisol acts the part
Rose, Elle Gonzalez
Ebook
A teen actress lands a role on the same high-profile show as her ex-boyfriend--only for things to get messy when she falls for his cute scene partner--in a dazzling sapphic rom-com from the author of Caught in a Bad Fauxmance. "A swoony celebrity romance sure to steal your...
The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures
Selznick, Brian.
Paper Book
Don't miss Selznick's other novels in words and pictures, Wonderstruck and The Marvels, which together with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, form an extraordinary thematic trilogy!2008 Caldecott Medal winnerThe groundbreaking debut novel from bookmaking pioneer, Brian Selznick!<...
Romantic comedy : a novel
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * A comedy writer thinks she's sworn off love, until a dreamy pop star flips the script on all her assumptions--a "smart, sophisticated, and fun" (Oprah Daily) novel from the author of Eligible, Rodham, and Prep....
The ravenmaster : my life with the ravens at the Tower of London
Skaife, Christopher
Paper Book
'Packed with insight and anecdote, his story brings the Tower ravens to vivid life, each bird with a personality of its own. I've been fortunate enough to tour the Tower and meet the ravens a few times in years past; after reading this book, I cannot wait to go back' George R. R. Martin ...
The Baby-sitters club. 01, Kristy's great idea
Telgemeier, Raina
Paper Book
A graphic novel adapted and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile! Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of The Baby-sitters Club. Whatever comes up -- cranky toddlers,...
Pick a Colour
Thammavongsa, Souvankham
Paper Book
There's no such thing as an easy job
Tsumura, Kikuko
Paper Book
"[A] 21st-century response to Herman Melville's 'Bartleby, the Scrivener.'" -NPR "A thought-provoking, drily funny critique of capitalism and the systems of self-worth that are built around it." -TIME, "Must-Read Books of the Year" A...
Paper girls
Vaughan, Brian K.
Paper Book
Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Eisner Award winning series PaperGirls is coming Amazon Prime Video in July 2022! From Brian K. Vaughan,#1 New York Times bestselling writer of SAGA, and Cliff Chiang, legendary artistof WONDER WOMAN, comes the first volume of an all-new...
The breakaway : a novel
Weiner, Jennifer
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and a life-changing journey. Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead...
The Devil wears Prada
Weisberger, Lauren
Paper Book
The deliciously witty and delightfully dishy novel about life at a glamorous fashion magazine is now a major motion picture from 20th Century Fox, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, set to open in theaters on June 30.
The bookbinder of Jericho
Williams, Pip
Paper Book
"It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrowboat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most...
Call the midwife : a true story of the East End in the 1950s
Worth, Jennifer
Paper Book
'Unforgettable' GUARDIAN 'Poignant, funny and enlightening' DAILY EXPRESS 'Gripping, moving and convincing from beginning to end . . . a powerful evocation of a long-gone world' LITERARY REVIEW ...
Interior Chinatown
Yu, Charles
Paper Book
NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER * "A shattering and darkly comic send-up of racial stereotyping in Hollywood" (Vanity Fair) and a deeply personal novel about race, pop culture, immigration, assimilation, and escaping the roles we...

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