I'd Rather Be Reading by Ann Bogel
As the plane plummeted to the ground I knew these could be my last moments on earth. It was happening so fast it seemed surreal and, to be honest, I was surprised to feel the cold water filling up the cabin after impact because I didn't expect to survive. I eventually found myself on the lake shore, surprised again because I not only survived the plane crash, but managed to break out of the sinking plane without drowning. The scent of pine trees I normally found so comforting (they remind me of Christmas) now served as a terrifying reminder that I was wet, cold, and alone in the dense forest with no food, supplies, or hope of rescue. Just me, and the hatchet. Do you remember the first book that gripped your heart? The first book to pull you into it's pages so deeply it felt like you were actually there? The book that showed you the power and joy of reading? For me, it was Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet." I read it in elementary school, but I still remember it so vividly- the plane crash, the adventure of survival, and the joy of Brian (the main character) finally being rescued. I had never before read a book that transported me so deeply into its pages with the main character, fighting for survival. And I loved it. From that moment on, I was hooked on reading. Since then, I've cherished the adventures I've had (I know I sound nerdy...and I am, so I don't mind) within the pages of my favorite books. Running from dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, wandering Spain with Ernest Hemingway in The Paris Wife, and sipping tea while making witty remarks in Pride and Prejudice- the power of stories to transport the reader into their pages is magical. I grow giddy with excitement when I walk into a bookstore (I almost fainted with joy when I walked into the one at the top of this post), and love the thrill of discovering a great book. And now for a quick photo journey through my love of books...
I discovered Ann Bogel when she released her first book, Reading People, last year, and her witty, warm writing style made me instantly feel we could be best friends. These feelings have certainly prevailed after reading her newest release, I'd Rather Be Reading.
This short, funny, heart-warming read is made of brief chapters about life as a bookworm. Along with personal stories and words of wisdom, the author includes an astonishing variety of book recommendations by mentioning titles that have had a deep impact in her life or that she thoroughly enjoyed. I highlighted them and now have an impressive list to take with me during my next trip to the used book store! For any fellow bookworm and literary lover, I'd Rather Be Reading will feel a bit like someone read either your mind or your journal and published it in this adorable tiny book. For example: "Your house is a disaster because books cover every surface (pg. 69)." This is a constant conversation between me and Jake...but I can't put them away because I'm reading them. All of them. At the same time. "You have more books than shoes. You have more books than bookshelves. You do some quick math and realize how much money is tied up in your book collection. You suspect your books equal the gross domestic product of a small nation (pg. 71)." Hence why I must now get all of my books through book blogging. "You can't put the book you just finished behind you because you still want to live it. You have a terrible book hangover, and it lasts three days (pg. 69)." Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. No further explanation needed. "They've had the same book sitting on their nightstand for three years and haven't opened it once (pg. 23)." Two years actually. A book on the Chinese communist party. Who was I kidding when I bought it. "I'm still the young mother- twenty-five, twenty-six- reading...aloud on the couch to my firstborn, who, being too young to reliably hold up his own head, neither understands nor cares what I read him (pg. 77)." I was literally reading this out loud. To my firstborn. On the couch. Who is too young to hold up her own head and doesn't understand what I read to her. It's a little uncanny how much I could relate to this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me reorganize my bookshelves by color (because it looks pretty and I remember book covers better than author last names most of the time anyway). Immediately after reading it I hopped on to Amazon and added a plethora of new books to my wish list, and pulled a few classics off the shelf to read with Elaina (right now we're in A Separate Peace and next is Pride and Prejudice). It reignited an excitement within me for reading again amidst the craziness/sleeplessness of life with a newborn (and I could easily hold it one handed as I rocked Lainey to sleep...a new criteria for any book we want to read). It even persuaded me to pick up the books I have lying around the house and place them in their proper homes on the bookshelf. Until I realized I have no more room on my bookshelf. So in piles around the house they shall remain. My rating? 5/5 I will undoubtedly read this book again. I will undoubtedly use it to find new books to read. I would undoubtedly recommend it to any fellow bookworm who loves literary jokes and the adventure of reading.
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