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.

Something innocuous. Like Bugs in close up or diy for beginners.

Ulysses, mostly because I have tried several times but never got further than first 10 pages or so and if it was a lever to a secret room then at least it would have a use for me.

Sounds brilliant. I'd go Narnia myself.

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

I really really want a secret room now!

Lots of brilliant suggestions - and I absolutely LOVE this idea!!

My first thought was The Secret Garden, but I guess it's not into a garden,

Fahrenheit 451, for the irony.

https://www.secretbookcasedoors.co.uk/pro-gallery

Octagon Magic by Andre Norton (a child's book which touches on the Underground railroad).

Through the looking glass and what Alice found there.
Especially if your name is Alice 😁

You can't say this and then not share photos!

The Secret garden.

Piranesi.

Ali baba (as in - open sesame)

The Bible, and whenever that book is selected a deep voice should say,
"Thank you my child, you have chosen the the right way."

Or alternatively the voice of Ozzie Osborne singing one of his many happy-go-lucky songs e.g.War Pigs.

Either way the door should open smoothly without assistance.

Handel is a great plan- but it's reminded me that it's definitely done before, perhaps in a children's book that I read, and it's driving me crazy that I'll probably never remember where! Maybe in one of those Usborne Puzzle Adventures?

I'd go Secret Garden or Through the Looking Glass I think. Or A Room With A View (if it has one!)
Jealous, BTW!

Some fab suggestions - thank you all. Particularly love A Room of One’s Own as it was my study until lockdown when DH took it over. I suspect that whatever we use will have to be murdered to ensure the cable for the latch attaches properly.

@Somerandomerontheinternet shows how the mechanism works (ish) but might create a bit of a rabbit hole for you. So far we’ve squared out our doorframe and ordered the hinges and hardware we need. Hopefully should be done by the end of the month and I’ll share photos when we’re done (even if we fuck it up terribly).

The Bible. No one but me would be removing that sucker off the shelf and so my room stays a secret!

House of Many Ways

Came on to say exactly this!

Love this thread.

@broccolibush You need to reclaim that room! Once everything is working and completed, obviously…

Very jealous of how many of you have these wonderful secret rooms behind bookcases.

Off to plot one of my own…

Open Sesame

The secret rooms by Catherine Bailey

The book of doors by gareth brown

The hidden room by Stella Duffy

The midnight library by Matt haig

Oh how fabulous. The Secret Garden.

Either, The House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones or Knock Three Times by Marion St John Webb