Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

by Shannon Reed

Overview

*NATIONAL BESTSELLER*
*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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335007964
Publisher:	Hanover Square Press
Publication date:	02/06/2024
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	30,213
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Shannon Reed is a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh and a contributor to The New Yorker's “Shouts & Murmurs” pieces. Her work has also appeared in Real Simple, The Paris Review, Slate, LitHub, Longreads, The Guardian, AFAR, The Washington Post, and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and most notably, McSweeney's. She holds an MA in Educational Theatre and Teaching Secondary English, and an MFA in Creative Writing.

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2024

In this loving ode, Reed (Why Did I Get a B?), a creative writing lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh, serves up witty reflections on the joys of books. When “reading, I was never lonely, the way I sometimes felt in real life,” Reed writes, describing how as a child she found books to be a welcome respite from talking with others, whom she often struggled to understand because of a hearing impairment. Recounting notable episodes from her reading life, she recalls becoming an “excellent skimmer” as a kid by participating in a Pizza Hut program that rewarded students with slices for each book read and discusses drawing motivation from subpar books she reviewed in her 20s (“If they can publish a book, who’s to say I can’t?”). Reed blames elitist disdain toward genre fiction for turning off many would-be readers and encourages people to pick out whatever books they’re personally drawn to. The meditations on reading are at once wry and heartening (she calls the habit “a dear friend who’s always there for me but never, ever asks for a slice”), and the humor amuses (a list of “signs you may be a character in a Shakespearean play” includes “you are dead, but still speaking”). Bibliophiles will find much to love. Agent: Bonnie Nadell, Hill Nadell Literary. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"A lovely, funny read."—George Saunders

"Delightful reminiscences of a book lover."—Kirkus Reviews

"This hilarious, poignant book of essays explores all of the myriad ways reading enriches our lives. It’s an affirming read for bookworms, an encouraging one for reluctant readers and a great way to start off the year for us all."—Good Housekeeping

“In this charming collection of essays, Reed digs into the many pleasures of reading, interweaving poignant and amusing stories from her life as a bibliophile and teacher to advocate for the many joys of a life spent between the pages.”—The New Yorker

“A warm and funny memoir in essays… witty and joyful… Why We Read would be a delightful addition to any bookworm’s shelves. In exploring the comfort and companionship books offer us, Reed gives her reader those gifts, as well.”–Washington Post

"A joyous meander through the world of book love."—Shelf Awareness


"Shannon Reed gives us grace to love the books we love and reminds us, by sharing her own tender memories, why certain stories stick in our hearts for a lifetime. Shannon is one of my favorite writers—brilliant, humble, and wickedly funny. I envy her students and will return to these pages again and again. And I’m thrilled that she officially let me off the hook for never reading Middlemarch." —Elizabeth Passarella, author of Good Apple and It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway

"Why We Read is a rare thing—a joy on its own, as well as potent inspiration to revisit the formative books from your own reading journey. Shannon Reed's warm, authentic voice in these invigorating essays invites us into her literary universe while at the same time encouraging us to expand our own. I cannot wait to gift this marvelous book to all the readers in my life." —Caitlin Kunkel, coauthor of New Erotica For Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay

"What a charming book Shannon Reed has written, a love letter (or series of love letters) to reading as avocation and as art. The title, of course, is both question and declaration, and in response, Reed offers a variety of takes on why we read. In the end, there is no answer, which is only as it should be; reading is too capacious to be pinned down. Better, as Reed illustrates throughout here, to consider it a process, undertaken on no terms other than its own."—David L. Ulin, author of The Lost Art of Reading

"The more I know about Shannon Reed, the more I like her. This is a rich, funny, poignant book, and the author will be your new best friend."—Mary Norris, New York Times bestselling author of Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen


"Shannon Reed’s Why We Read offers an entertaining, life-affirming, and laugh-out-loud funny response to “how do I love thee, let me count the ways” for those of us who always have a book within arm's reach. And for anyone in your life who has until now resisted the restorative charm of reading, Why We Read is the perfect gift."—Annabelle Gurwitch, New York Times bestselling author, You'll Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility

"Why We Read is deeply delightful—a hug of a book that will remind you that there is simply nothing better than the King's Pastime. OK, I made that up, no one calls reading The King's Pastime—but they should, because it's the most sublime way to spend your time, and Shannon's funny, heart-tugging prose reminded me precisely why."—Jen Spyra, author of Big Time: Stories

From the Publisher

Paige McKinney offers a lively delivery of Shannon Reed's musings on her lifelong love of books. Listeners will quickly note that what's offered is an accounting of why the author reads--for her amusement, edification, and comfort. Listeners will likely find common ground, and those who share Reed's sense of humor will be amused. Sometimes Reed's background as a humor writer feels a bit TOO pronounced; correspondingly, Mckinney's presentation can come across as a bit forced or overly tongue in cheek. Still, many lifelong bookish folk will enjoy Reed's personal anecdotes on reading habits and preferences, interwoven with lesser-known literary facts. This audiobook is likely to send listeners to their own libraries and bookshelves. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2024 - AudioFile

2023-10-31
Confessions of a happy reader.

As a hearing-impaired child, Reed found safety in books. She chose her borrowed books carefully after receiving her first library card at around age 5. As a teenager, she signed up for Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! program, even though she needed no encouragement to read. Now an educator and writer, Reed offers a lighthearted memoir in the form of short essays about her experiences reading, teaching, and thinking about books. Growing up, reading made her feel smart. “And in reading,” she adds, “I was never lonely, the way I sometimes felt in real life.” She read in the bathroom, in the car, in the dentist’s chair, and on family vacations when she might have been looking out for flora and fauna. She writes about the pleasures of reading all the books in a series, her affinity for cookbooks, books that provide comfort, and books with surprising plot twists. As a student, she hated assigned reading, making her sympathetic to her own students who were faced with required summer books. Although her tastes are eclectic, she doesn’t like reading plays. “Plays,” she insists, “should be read aloud.” Popping up amid the essays are brief, funny send-ups of genre stereotypes, such as “Signs you may be a female character in a work of historical fiction.” One sign: Your name is Sarah. “Signs you may be an adult character in YA fiction”? For one, your children’s friends “think you are the best.” A list of books mentioned appends the memoir, with some elaborated on at length: George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo, for one, which Reed taught to her college students; and Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal. Reflecting on a life devoted to books, Reed writes, “My grave marker may someday read: She read every page.”

Delightful reminiscences of a book lover.

Kirkus Reviews