Very reader-y book for readers.

4 stars
Read: October 2024
Type: Non-fiction
Format: Audible audiobook
Narrator: Anne Gobel (author)

This is a fun book to read that an avid reader can enjoy. It contained many relatable moments that fellow readers understand. I personally enjoyed the first 2/3 better than the end.

I will note that the narration by the author is a little fast. I don’t know if I’ve ever had to slow down a narration before but it was needed. I felt rushed and I wanted to listen without that distraction. I put it at .90 and I found that just right. Her reading voice is pleasant and expressive.

Something that stuck out to me is the worthiness of reading the dedication/acknowledgments area of a book. Sometimes I read it but not always. I realized that I typically do with physical books but not e-Books. The author gave some good insight on how a reader can possibly glean more about the author and/or the book by paying attention to it. It causes you to think about why they wrote what they did. Sometimes it’s just a simple dedication but other times it is more.

What I appreciated the most was the emphasis on the different kinds of readers. You don’t have to love all the classics or whatever you’ve been told that you have to read. You especially don’t have to like what others tell you that you SHOULD read. What is a winner for one may be a 2 stars out of 5 for you. Or vice versa. People are different. Read what you enjoy and develop your own taste. Keep in mind that your preferences and reading habits will have their own ebb and flow over the years.

Only the reading community *understands* the reading community and that’s what makes this book relatable. I didn’t know 2/3 of the titles or authors she referred to and that’s okay. She may not know a good chunk of mine either. I typically only read Christian and clean fiction. This is my first non-fiction for 2024. It may be my only NF for the year other than the Bible, which is in a class of its own. What matters is how she uses particular books to illustrate various points she is making. You can substitute your own title in your mind quite easily. Or you can think of your own realizations and conclusions that you reached as a reader and what books fit with each.

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Great book but was read too fast...

I wanted to experience amazing things from this book since I follow Anne through Modern Mrs. Darcy and her podcast but I think my problem with it was the reading performance not the book itself. I was excited that Anne was reading it herself when I bought it but it seemed like she was speed reading. Every sentence was read without a pause or breath in between and I felt like I had to concentrate really hard to keep up with.

As a fellow reader and book hoarder with a to be read list a mile long, I know I will love this one even more when I buy the book to read myself at a pace where I can reflect, commiserate and appreciate Anne's wisdom and love of books... Don't skip this book, just consider which format will help you get the most out of it!

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1 person found this helpful