*NATIONAL BESTSELLER*
*A WGN Radio Best Book of 2024*
*A Good Housekeeping Reads pick*

A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a "beloved and wonderful writer" (George Saunders), teacher, bibliophile, and Thurber Prize Semifinalist

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, 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.

• We started tracking this book on January 11, 2024.
• This book was $14.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 16 times in the past 563 days.
• The current price of this book is $19.49 last checked 16 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $2.99.
• The lowest price to date was $2.99 last reached on June 15, 2025.
• This book has been $2.99 4 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $19.99 last reached on June 22, 2025.
• This book has been $19.99 3 times since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionLiterary CriticismBooks & Reading

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 272 Pages
• File Size: 33 KB