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Books With Occupations in the Title

 Happy Top Ten Tuesday! This fun topic was chosen by Hopewell's Public Library of Life. I also got a little creative with the idea of "occupation," but I do think all of these genuinely fit, even if some are a bit fantastical!

Books With Occupations in the Title

  1. The Fire Apprentice by Jane Buehler--A cozy fantasy romance I highly recommend (as long as you're ok with spice)--the title could refer to two characters who become blacksmith's apprentices--or to a character who becomes apprenticed to a fire-breathing dragon to learn to control her fire magic.
  2. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb--Probably needs no introduction to most fantasy readers; the title character is exactly what it sounds like!
  3. The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro--The fictional muralist in question works for the Works Progress Administration during the 1930s in NYC.
  4. The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro--Maybe not a technically legal occupation but the eponymous character really does make her living as an art forger!
  5.  The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa--This sweet novella offers two occupations for the price of one title!
  6. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer--Perhaps not a typical career path, but it offers lots of upward mobility judging by the titles of the sequels 😉 (Associate to the...and Accomplice to the..., respectively)
  7. The Orc and the Innkeeper by Cora Crane--The orc in question is a barkeep and a brewer, but I guess only the innkeeper's job is important.
  8. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo--Nikolai takes his role as king very seriously, so I think it's fair to treat as occupation here.
  9. The Conductors by Nicole Glover--Former underground railroad conductors who are also magic wielders and now solve crimes, to be more specific.
  10. The Rabbi Who Prayed With Fire by Rachel Lewis--Being a rabbi is as much vocation as occupation, and why not solve some mysteries too?

Comments

Rosie Amber said…
Now you've made me curious about the art forger!
Here's a link to my own post
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/%f0%9f%93%9atoptentuesday-10-books-with-occupations-in-their-titles-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-booktwt/
Stephen said…
The rabbi one sounds unusual!

My own is here:
https://readingfreely.com/2025/09/02/top-ten-books-with-occupations-in-the-title/
Oh, I highly recommend--it's a great book and you learn all about her forging process, plus it fictionally solves the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist!
It's pretty fun--a modern take on the Rabbi Small novels that came out in the 1970s, with a queer female rabbi!
Susan said…
Nice list! You found some unique ones.

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

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