by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness)
When I was thinking about what to review for Black Friday, I thought a book that I think makes an excellent gift would be perfect. That is why I chose to review I'd Rather Be Reading (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) by Anne Bogel. Do you know Anne Bogel?! If not, let me acquaint you. Anne Bogel is an author (Her previous book, Reading People, is great! And she also recently released a reading journal for book lovers.), a blogger--her Modern Mrs. Darcy blog is among my regular reads, and podcaster--seriously, I listen to What Should I Read Next every week. It is my TBR (To Be Read) Bible. If you aren't listening, you are missing out!
Imagine this. You are snuggled up on the velvety reading chair at your favorite corner coffee shop. Your feet are curled under you as you read your current favorite and sip your Americano, waiting for your favorite bookish friend to arrive. The air is warm and the aroma of coffee is wafting through the shop with a tinge of something sweet, you just can't identify. You sigh contentedly and wish the way you feel in this moment will last. This is how I'd Rather Be Reading makes you feel, and Anne is the bookish bestie you've been waiting for.
I'd Rather Be Reading is a collection of bookish essays, and when reading it, I felt as if I were sitting in the cozy coffee shop above, sipping a coffee, and speaking in hushed tones with a close friend. Anne has the gift of making you feel comfortable and heard within the pages of her book. The essays speak to all the bookish loves, sins, and traps we all fall into. And I love it. As I read, I found myself nodding at the turn of nearly every page. The chapter that spoke most to me at this point in my reading life is "Chapter 13: Keep Reading." In this chapter, Anne encourages readers to keep reading after reading the final page of the story. Read the acknowledgments! Read the Author's Note! And, alas, I rarely read either. (*bows head in shame*) She gives great examples of well-known books and authors who do acknowledgments and notes well. I have recently begun to read Acknowledgments and Author's Notes (thanks, Anne!) and one of my favorites is Kelly Yang's note in Parachutes (If you haven't read it--find it immediately!).
Anne makes us (readers) feel like we are not alone in all the ways we obsess over our books--arranging them, acquiring them, recommending them. She takes a topic that is very personal to a reader and helps her (me!) give herself some grace and self-awareness that as readers we are not alone. Because, after all, wouldn't we all rather be reading? I know I would!
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