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
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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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!

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A dress of violet taffeta
Arlen, Tessa
Paper Book
A sumptuous novel based on the fascinating true story of La Belle poque icon Lucy, Lady Duff Gordon, who shattered the boundaries of fashion with her magnificently sensual and enchantingly unique design from the USA Today bestselling author of In Royal Service to the Queen.
The poison squad : one chemist's single-minded crusade for food safety at the turn of the twentieth century
Blum, Deborah
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book  From Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, the dramatic true story of how food was made safe in the United States and the heroes, led by the inimitable Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who fought for...
Nine years under : coming of age in an inner city funeral home
Booker, Sheri
Paper Book
Six Feet Under meets The Wire in a dazzling and darkly comic memoir about coming-of-age in a black funeral home in Baltimore Sheri Booker was only fifteen years old when she started working at Wylie Funeral Home in West Baltimore. She had no idea that her...
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...
Vinny gets a job
Brodner, Terry
Paper Book
The Secret Life of Pets meets Amelia Bedelia in this witty and sweet debut picture book about an overly-literal pup trying his paw at several different jobs and the hilarious mishaps that ensue. When Vinny the dog decides he should get a job to contribute to his family, he...
Wish upon a K-star
Cho, Kat
Paper Book
A spin-off to the New York Times best-selling Once Upon a K-Prom, a K-pop idol and an up-and-coming K-drama star must fake date in this fresh and funny romcom that Korean pop culture fans will absolutely swoon over! Moon Minseok-or Moonster as this WDB fans know him...
A deadly inside scoop
Collette, Abby
Paper Book
This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop-with a fabulous cast of quirky characters. Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family's ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she's going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse...
The farmer's son : calving season on a family farm
Connell, John
Paper Book
For fans of James Herriot, a poignant memoir--and #1 Irish bestseller--about a wayward son's return home to his family's farm, and how he found a new beginning in an age-old world Farming has been in John Connell's family for generations, but he never intended to follow in...
Tooth and nail : the making of a female fight doctor
Dahl, Linda
Paper Book
Tooth and Nail by Linda D. Dahl released on Jul 24, 2018 is available now for purchase.
Well traveled
DeLuca, Jen
Paper Book
Lulu Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right until the day she realises it's all wrong. Lulu's cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, she leaps into the welcoming environment. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova...
Dinosaurs at the dinner party : how an eccentric group of Victorians discovered prehistoric creatures and accidentally upended the world
Dolnick, Edward
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of The Clockwork Universe and The Writing of the Gods, an "utterly delightful...hugely entertaining" (Air Mail) book about the eccentric Victorians who discovered dinosaur bones, leading to a whole new understanding of human history.
Baseball cop : the dark side of America's national pastime
Dominguez, Eddie
Paper Book
Exposing trafficking, theft, fraud, and gambling in the major leagues, a founding member of the MLB's Department of Investigations reveals a news-breaking true story of power and corruption. In the wake of 2005's sometimes contentious, sometimes comical congressional hearings on...
Smoke gets in your eyes : and 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
The dynamite blockbusterfrom Janet Evanovichthat started it all--now a major motion picture starring Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum! ONE FINE MESS Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big...
Work : interviews with people doing jobs they love
Feinberg, Shaina
Paper Book
What do a playwright, a vegan butcher, and an alpaca farmer all have in common? Two popular columnists take us behind the scenes in interviews with twenty-eight workers doing something they love. With care and delight, New York Times columnists Shaina Feinberg and Julia...
Gorillas in the mist
Fossey, Dian.
Paper Book
The inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated film, Gorillas in the Mist is the riveting account of Dian Fossey's thirteen years in a remote African rain forest with the greatest of the great apes. Fossey's extraordinary efforts to ensure the future of the rain forest...
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...
Night shift
Hartland, Jessie.
Paper Book
Late at night, when the owls are out, some people are awake-and doing all sorts of interesting things! They are on the night shift. Open this book, and you will discover the nighttime world of people who go to work when you are sleeping: Street sweeper ...
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
The classic multimillion copy bestseller Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients. For over forty years, generations of readers...
Wine girl : the obstacles, humiliations, and triumphs of America's youngest sommelier
James, Victoria (Sommelier)
Paper Book
An affecting memoir from the country's youngest sommelier, tracing her path through the glamorous but famously toxic restaurant world  At just twenty-one, the age when most people are starting to drink (well, legally at least), Victoria James became the...
For the record
Jennings, Regina
Paper Book
Jennings Offers Another Delightful Blend of History and Romance Betsy Huckabee might be a small-town girl, but she has big-city dreams. Writing for her uncle's newspaper will never lead to independence, and the bigger newspapers don't seem interested in the Hart County news. Trying a...
Kiki's delivery service
Kadono, Eiko
Paper Book
Read the modern classic about a young witch and her clever cat that started it all! Nostalgic fans of the Hayao Miyazaki film, Kiki's Delivery Service and newcomers alike will love this exciting new translation of the beloved fantasy story. "A gentle story of magic-tinged...
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...
Never suck a dead man's hand : curious adventures of a CSI
Kollmann, Dana.
Paper Book
With plenty of insider insight - and without pulling any punches - Dana Kollmann introduces the real science and the actual process of crime scene investigation as she recounts her life as a CSI in fascinating and gritty detail. Whether explaining rigor mortis or insect infestation rates, speeding...
Incredible jobs you've (probably) never heard of
Labarre, Natalie
Paper Book
Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Why not work as a babysitter . . . for sloths? Or become a farmer . . . of corpses? You might even grow up to be someone who gets paid to actually sleep on the job! From taste testers to dinosaur dusters, there are all kinds of incredible jobs that...
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....
I want to be a teacher
Liebman, Daniel.
Paper Book
The I Want to Be... series gives young children a realistic insight into the working day of adults. Easy-to-read captions and color photographs of women and men from different cultures help children understand what's involved in each occupation. Young readers learn to respect the...
For the record : a novel
Lord, Emma
Paper Book
An electrifying rom com of rivalry and redemption, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Daisy Jones and the Six, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord. Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar...
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
A RUSA Award-winning novel! The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes-one that might just be killer.... When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical...
Playing off the rail : a pool hustler's journey
McCumber, David.
Paper Book
Award-winning author David McCumber reveals the unknown world of the pool hustler as he travels across the country with one of America's top players, Tony Annigoni. From elegant snookers clubs to high-pressure tournaments to chancy dives, this wise-cracking and occasionally hair-raising road trip...
The nanny diaries
McLaughlin, Emma.
Paper Book
Wanted: One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless-bordering on masochistic Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived pre-schooler Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by...
Wish you were her
McNicoll, Elle
An autistic YA homage to The Shop Around the Corner with a pinch of Cyrano, Elle McNicoll's Wish You Were Her is a triumph! Allegra Brooks is an eighteen year old actress who is secretly autistic. When a journalist publishes a scathing profile on Allegra,...
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...
On rotation : a novel
Obuobi, Shirlene
Paper Book
AS SEEN ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA! ONE OF TEEN VOGUE'S 25 BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORS THEY CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS YEAR ONE OF BETCHES' "22 BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS YEAR" "As a fan of Grey's Anatomy (and Chicago Med!), I couldn't put down On Rotation, and you won't be able to,...
Notes from a young Black chef : a memoir
Onwuachi, Kwame
Paper Book
"Kwame Onwuachi's story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world." --Questlove   By the time he was twenty-seven years old, Kwame Onwuachi (winner of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for ...
Keeping you safe : a book about police officers
Owen, Ann
Paper Book
An introduction to the important job of police officers. Through fun illustrations and easy-to-read text, this nonfiction picture book describes what a police officer is, how their police car works, and the heroic things they do to keep people safe. This read-aloud will give young citizen a glimpse...
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 : the classic kitchen maid's memoir that inspired Upstairs, downstairs and Downton Abbey
Powell, Margaret
Paper Book
Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants portrayed in Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, Margaret Powell's classic memoir of her time in service, Below Stairs, is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the...
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
GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review...
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
Paper Book
"Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer." --Chicago Tribune Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the...
Marisol acts the part
Rose, Elle Gonzalez
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 heart...
Luck and last resorts
Ruiz, Sarah Grunder
Paper Book
One of PopSugar's Best New Books of 2022! They have a second chance at love, but there are some rough seas ahead in the new contemporary romance from the acclaimed author of Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships. Commitment-phobe Nina Lejeune lives by two rules- ...
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!<...
Unusual and awesome jobs in math : stunt coordinator, cryptologist, and more
Simons, Lisa M. Bolt
Paper Book
Fascinating facts, figures, and pictures highlight informative text about some of the most interesting and extreme jobs that use math. Young readers will learn what kind of training it takes to be a stunt coordinator, how much money a cryptologist makes, and what exactly a fluid mechanics engineer...
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
The first behind-the-scenes account of life with the legendary ravens at the world's eeriest monument The ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall. The title of...
The bartender's cure
Straton, Wesley
Paper Book
"Compelling... [A] sure-bet read-alike for Stephanie Danler's Sweetbitter." --Booklist A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by BuzzFeed, Goodreads, Electric Lit, New York Post, LitHub, BookRiot, and Library Journal A fiercely relatable coming...
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 Color
Thammavongsa, Souvankham
WINNER OF THE GILLER PRIZE From O. Henry Award winner and two-time Giller Prize winner Souvankham Thammavongsa comes a revelatory novel about loneliness, love, labor, and class, an intimate and sharply written book following a nail salon owner as she toils away...
Heads in beds : a reckless memoir of hotels, hustles, and so-called hospitality
Tomsky, Jacob.
Paper Book
In the tradition of Kitchen Confidential and Waiter Rant, a rollicking, eye-opening, fantastically indiscreet memoir of a life spent (and misspent) in the hotel industry. Jacob Tomsky never intended to go into the hotel business. As a new college graduate,...
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...
The swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, a legacy of sisterhood, and their reclamation of a groundbreaking history
Valby, Karen
Paper Book
Meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members. They broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies. A young adult adaptation of...
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...
Waist-deep in dung : a stomach-churning look at the grossest jobs throughout history
Virnig, Christine
Paper Book
A hilarious illustrated middle-grade nonfiction offering about the most revolting jobs throughout history involving pee, poop, vomit, dead bodies, and all things disgusting, from Christine Virnig and Korwin Briggs, the author-illustrator team behind SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist Dung for...
Every time you hear that song
Voris, Jenna
Paper Book
"Beautifully explores the high and low notes of fame. . . . A must-read for anyone who loves layered characters, true-to-life personalities, and country music!"--Jason June, New York Times best-selling author Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and...
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 : a novel
Williams, Pip
Paper Book
A young British woman working in a book bindery gets a chance to pursue knowledge and love when World War I upends her life in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick The Dictionary of Lost Words. "Williams spins an...
Call the midwife : a memoir of birth, joy, and hard times
Worth, Jennifer
Paper Book
The highest-rated drama in BBC history, Call the Midwife will delight fans of Downton Abbey Viewers everywhere have fallen in love with this candid look at post-war London. In the 1950s, twenty-two-year-old Jenny Lee leaves her comfortable home to move into a...
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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