It's a Hardback Life

This is a weird book, and "favorite" is not quite the right word. But the philosophy of the particular bookstore still sticks with me, even though I've forgotten most of what "happened" (this novel is French and essentially plotless).

An heiress and a down-on-his-luck bookseller come together, with his knowledge and her money, to found a bookstore that only carries the best novels. No non-fiction, no bestsellers, no comics, no magazines. They use a secret panel of writers to select the titles they carry, and this causes a backlash among many people who feel snubbed by the selection process and righteously indignant about "snobbery" and all that. Frankly, I loved the idea of a genuinely curated bookstore, even if it is a bit snobby.