I picked up I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel and knew from the very first page that this book was going to speak straight to my book-loving soul. Anne writes, “Reading isn’t just a hobby or a pastime, it’s a lifestyle.” As someone who runs a book blog and basically organizes her life around reading, I could relate to it.

Later in the book, she says something that made me pause and nod: “To hand you a great book, I don’t just need to know about books; I need to know you.” The best book recommendations come from people who truly understand where you’re at, what you love, and what you need. Reading is personal.

I’ve read a lot of books, but if you asked me to name the ones I truly loved, I could probably count them on both hands. And when someone comes to me for a personal recommendation, one they’ll hopefully fall in love with, I don’t just hand over my favorites list. Because there’s a good chance I’d give them the wrong book. What if they end up hating reading because the book I chose gave them the wrong impression of what a “good” book could be? I believe a truly great book, the kind that connects on a personal level, brings meaning in layers. It adds context, resonates deeply, and meets the reader right where they are.

This little gem of a book talks about that very idea: the personal nature of reading. Anne Bogel explores the many layers of the reading life: what shapes us as readers, what we bring with us to the page, how we learn to choose the right books, what happens when we read the wrong ones, and why certain books speak to us so powerfully. She even shares glimpses into other people’s reading habits, which I found both comforting and endlessly interesting.

Reading her reflections reminded me of something I once wrote on my own blog: “You Don’t Hate Reading, You Just Haven’t Found the Right Books.” I still believe that with all my heart. The right books really do show up when we need them most. As if they’re waiting to walk beside us. That kind of timing feels like a gift.

Reading is about finding language for what we feel. Personally, I inhale books because they often say the things I can’t quite express. They name emotions I haven’t figured out how to put into words. And when that happens, it feels like being truly understood.

I’d Rather Be Reading is a love letter to the reading life, and if you’ve ever found pieces of yourself inside the pages of a book, this one will feel like a cozy, knowing conversation with a fellow book lover.

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Author: Anne Bogel

Publication date: 4 September 2018

Number of pages: 156 pages

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