This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Books With Occupations in the Title (Submitted by Hopewell’s Public Library of Life)”.
There were lots of books I could have listed here, but I’ve chosen ten with different occupations in the title and have restricted myself to only using books that I’ve reviewed on my blog.
1. The Bookseller of Inverness by SG MacLean – Historical mystery set in Scotland in the aftermath of the failed 1745 Jacobite Rising.
2. The Tutor by Andrea Chapin – A fictional account of a year in the life of William Shakespeare.
3. The Glassmaker by Tracey Chevalier – This novel follows the story of a family of Murano glassmakers through several centuries.
4. The Butcher’s Hook by Janet Ellis – An unusual, unsettling novel set in Georgian London and with a protagonist more anti-heroine than heroine.
5. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor – Historical fiction about the life of Grace Darling.
6. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon – Non-fiction about a woman who starts her own dressmaking business in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
7. The Professor by Charlotte Brontë – Classic Victorian novel narrated by an Englishman who (like Brontë herself) becomes a teacher at a school in Brussels.
8. Death of an Author by E.C.R. Lorac – In this Golden Age crime novel from 1935, an author disappears without trace, leaving the police questioning whether he ever even existed.
9. The Pharmacist’s Wife by Vanessa Tait – A dark historical novel set in Victorian Edinburgh.
10. The Glovemaker by Stacia Brown – A glovemaker’s assistant is accused of killing her illegitimate child in 17th century England.
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Have you read any of these? Which other books with occupations in the title have you read?
She Reads Novels 
We have a couple in common – The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter and The Glassmaker! Great selection.
Here’s mine: Brilliant – spies, historians and Santa!
Ah – sorry, wrong paste! https://portobellobookblog.com/2025/09/02/top-ten-tuesday-2nd-september-2025-books-with-occupations-in-the-title-toptentuesday-amreading-bookrecommendations-tuesdaybookblog-booksky-%f0%9f%92%99%f0%9f%93%9a/
It’s a great topic this week, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing your post!
The Glassmaker getting a lot of picks today
Yes, it’s a popular one!
I’ve read The Glassmaker, which I really enjoyed, and The Professor, which didn’t do much for me. I love Jane Eyre, but CB’s other works, not so much.
I enjoyed reading your list!
I didn’t like The Professor much either. I’ve read all of Charlotte’s books and the only one I really enjoyed was Jane Eyre.
You’ve got some interesting books on your list! I’ve put The Bookseller of Inverness on my TBR list.
I enjoyed that one – hope you do too!
Nice job! The Dressmaker of Khair Khana was very good. I’ve also read The Professor.
It was years ago when I read The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, but I do remember thinking it was fascinating!
Yes, I read it when it came out. Last year? Lol–probably 10 years or more ago.
Just the Brontë title for me, but what a lovely range you’ve created!
Thanks – I tried to include a variety of genres and occupations!
Lighthouse Keeper…nice! Love the different occupations you found for your list of titles this week. 😀
I enjoyed this week’s topic – lots of books to choose from!
Great list, I’m definitely going to have to look into The Butcher’s Hook as an anti heroine sounds like a fascinating central character to follow. The last three titles sound very interesting too. The Pharmacists Wife sounds closest to my go to vibes but they all have premises that have left me curious.
I can’t remember much about The Pharmacist’s Wife now except that it had an atmospheric setting (Edinburgh’s Old Town). I’ve looked back at my review and it seems I liked it but thought the plot could have been more compelling. I enjoyed The Butcher’s Hook but the heroine/anti heroine is definitely a very disturbing character!
Its a shame to hear that the plot could have been stronger with the first. I want to say im up for disturbing central character wise but I thought I’d cope with the unsettling nature od Carrion Crow then was stunned by how disturbing it was. So we’ll see 😂