Why we read : on bookworms, libraries and just one more page before lights out

Title:

Author:

Summary:

We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human. Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader, and New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else. In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud-funny collection, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. From the varied novels she cherishes (Gone Girl, Their Eyes Were Watching God) to the ones she didn<U+2019>t (Tess of the d<U+2019>Urbervilles), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them, and the ways in which literature can transform us for the better.-- Publisher.

Contents:

Preface: why I read -- To get to go to the library -- How I choose a book: a thirteen-step guide -- Because there was always another page -- To finish a series -- Calmed-down classics of American literature for the anxiety-ridden -- Because we had to -- To break the rules -- Signs you may be a female character in a work of historical fiction -- To learn about (and from) the past -- For love -- Signs you may be a character in a popular childern's book -- To make us cry -- Because I wanted free pizza -- To find the main point -- Because failure is most definitely an option -- But not Shakespeare! -- Signs you may be a character in a Shakespearean play -- To feel less alone -- To see ourselves across time -- Signs you may be an adult character in a YA novel -- To taste -- Questions I use to evaluate a new recipe -- Because someone gave me a book -- For comfort -- To feel superior -- To be shocked -- Town summer festival kickoff declared "success" -- To learn there's more than a single story -- Because it's fun -- To save my life -- To shake up your perspective -- The five people you meet when you work in a bookstore -- Because someone is paying you to teach a class about vampires -- To learn how to die (and how to live) -- Because once more was enough -- To try again -- To motivate us -- To make us cry (II) -- Because we are what we read -- List of books and works mentioned.

Physical Description:

329 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Essays.

Personal Subject:

Reed, Shannon.

Subject Term:

Books and reading -- Anecdotes.

Women teachers -- Biography.

Publisher:

Hanover Square Press,

Publication Date:

2024

ISBN:

9781335007964

Publication Information:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Hanover Square Press, [2024]

Call Number:

028.9 REED

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003614735	New Adult Nonfiction	028.9 REED	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

*NATIONAL BESTSELLER*

*A Good Housekeeping Reads pick*

A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a "beloved and wonderful writer" (George Saunders), teacher, bibliophile, and Thurber Prize Semifinalist

We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference, or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human.

Shannon Reed, a longtime teacher, lifelong reader, and New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else. In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud-funny collection, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. From the varied novels she cherishes (Gone Girl, Their Eyes Were Watching God) to the ones she didn't (Tess of the d'Urbervilles), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them, and the ways in which literature can transform us for the better.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this loving ode, Reed (Why Did I Get a B?), a creative writing lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, serves up witty reflections on the joys of books. When "reading, I was never lonely, the way I sometimes felt in real life," Reed writes, describing how as a child she found books to be a welcome respite from talking with others, whom she often struggled to understand because of a hearing impairment. Recounting notable episodes from her reading life, she recalls becoming an "excellent skimmer" as a kid by participating in a Pizza Hut program that rewarded students with slices for each book read and discusses drawing motivation from subpar books she reviewed in her 20s ("If they can publish a book, who's to say I can't?"). Reed blames elitist disdain toward genre fiction for turning off many would-be readers and encourages people to pick out whatever books they're personally drawn to. The meditations on reading are at once wry and heartening (she calls the habit "a dear friend who's always there for me but never, ever asks for a slice"), and the humor amuses (a list of "signs you may be a character in a Shakespearean play" includes "you are dead, but still speaking"). Bibliophiles will find much to love. Agent: Bonnie Nadell, Hill Nadell Literary. (Feb.)

Preface: Why I Read	11
To Get to Go to the Library	19
How I Choose a Book: A Thirteen-Step Guide	33
Because There Was Always Another Page	37
To Finish a Series	41
Calmed-Down Classics of American Literature for the Anxiety-Ridden	49
Because We Had To	51
To Break the Rules	63
Signs You May Be a Female Character in a Work of Historical Fiction	71
To Learn About (and From) the Past	75
For Love	85
Signs You May Be a Character in a Popular Children's Book	93
To Make Us Cry	97
Because I Wanted Free Pizza	103
To Find the Main Point	111
Because Failure Is Most Definitely an Option	123
But Not Shakespeare!	133
Signs You May Be a Character in a Shakespearean Play	141
To Feel Less Alone	143
To See Ourselves Across Time	151
Signs You May Be an Adult Character in a YA Novel	161
To Taste	165
Questions I Use to Evaluate a New Recipe	175
Because Someone Gave Me a Book	179
For Comfort	185
To Feel Superior	193
To Be Shocked	207
Town Summer Festival Kickoff Declared "Success"	219
To Learn There's More Than a Single Story	223
Because It's Fun	229
To Save My Life	243
To Shake Up Your Perspective	255
The Five People You Meet When You Work in a Bookstore	263
Because Someone Is Paying You to Teach a Class about Vampires	265
To Learn How to Die (and How to Live)	281
Because Once More Was Enough	289
To Try Again	293
To Motivate Us	301
To Make Us Cry (II)	305
Because We Are What We Read	309
List of Books and Works Mentioned	313
Acknowledgments	325

Available:*

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Summary

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Table of Contents