Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a 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.

Author: Shannon Reed
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Published: 02/06/2024
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.60h x 6.10w x 1.70d
ISBN: 9781335007964


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2023
Publishers Weekly 01/08/2024