Most weeks on Wednesday you’ll find posts about books here, part of an ongoing series entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.
I often post about books on Instagram, and from time to time I will write on the topic of books about reading and books. For example:
- A recent four-part series about books, beginning here
- An annual tribute to my father and his love of books
- Redesigning my office to feature my “main” library of Disney books – 500+ volumes
- How that Disney library creates an immersion of creativity
- How to experience a bookstore with all your senses
Here’s a view of my “books about books” bookshelf:
You are probably getting the picture that books and reading are not just pastimes for me – they are my passion.
Today’s post is about a book that beautifully captures the passion of reading.
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 entitled Why We Read, 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.
Listen to Reed’s passion for reading:
I have never lost my affection for and dependency on books. This is where I pull away from the pack of fellow bookworms, I sense. Much as I like videos and reels and whatever new thing has been invented by the time this goes to print, I’m always reaching back to the OG form, the book, looking for what I can read to help me understand.
Reading a book is quiet, clear, and organized. It’s not hard.
It waits until I am ready, pauses when I need a break, and is still happy to repeat. Reading absolutely never says “Just forget it” when I need clarification. It doesn’t care how I pronounce the words in my head (or aloud, for that matter). It never makes me feel worse and rarely makes me feel lonely.
Reading gives me the world.
And that, friends, is why I read.
If you are fortunate to be inspired to buy and read Shannon’s book, you will enjoy the closing chapter as she pays homage to the amazing literary journey she is on. I won’t spoil your reading pleasure by quoting any of it – except the last two sentences:
Without ever really experiencing any of it, I know it all.
Because books taught me.
Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader.
During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.
It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.
27gen.com 