If you had a secret room behind a bookcase, which book would you choose to open it?

[broccolibush]

I am in the midst of a slightly bonkers DIY project where I am replacing the door to my study with a hidden door/bookcase type affair. I want to hinge a book on one of the shelves and attach it to a latch to open the door but want to use something that would make sense to use as a handle.

DH thinks that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets would be best whereas I was thinking more The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (even though it's not a wardrobe). A musical friend suggested a book about Handel, which I quite like as a pun.

We're not the most literary of people so I wondered if anyone might have something clever/witty/amusing they could suggest.

Found the perfect one.....

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

it’s about 2 children hiding in a museum and following clues.

Ooh, this is perfect!

Being Jordan by Katie Price 🤣

The Surrendered Wife.

No fucker would ever pick that up for a read.

The Women's Room by Marilyn French

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I was going to say 1984 too but it’s been said lots of time too so how about the name of the rose? It’s centred around a murder in a huge library with forbidden texts or Fahrenheit 451 where books are banned and burnt!

How funny! We are working on a similar project and I started pondering the exact same thing today. I'm wondering about either a favorite book or I thought maybe The Secret History by Donna Tartt. But some great recommendations here!

Also if anyone on this thread who has done it before fancies sharing photos or has any they found online that were particularly inspiring or useful I'd love to see. This is my winter project and I'm so excited.

Oh, so many options spring to mind, but I would go full stealth and use a Winney the Pooh book.

But can you please please please explain how the mechanism works @broccolibush? This is my dream set up!! Although I suspect far beyond my DIY capabilities!

Unhinged by Vera Valentine.

Readers Digest DIY Manual

Please can you do this! I’d love to get inspo (live vicariously) through all the library doors!

A Room of One's Own by Virgina Woolf

The Whisperers by John Connolly

Mr Benn. But obviously have fancy dress in the room lol

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

I just had a look through Enid Blyton's bibliography, because I knew she'd surely have something perfect; no one loves a secret room like Enid. Lo, and behold:

The Mystery of the Secret Room

Winnie the Pooh - A.A Milne

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Colman

I thought The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when I read the title.

One Thousand and One Nights - the classic Arabian stories with the well-known “Open Sesame”.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" was the first that came to mind.

But I think I'd go for "Five go Adventuring Again". It's not my favourite Famous Five, but the first one I discovered secret passages in and was very disappointed to find out (built in 1970s) house did not have any hidden in wooden panelling.

What's the secret room for? Secret study, villains lair, sex dungeon? I think the usage would influence my choice of lever book!