Books about reading are one of my favorite subgenres. I'm not entirely sure how I first discovered them, but I found community and love within these pages that reminded me of how I fell in love with this hobby in the first place. These books are always warm, thoughtful, and inspiring. And so I wanted to share the warmth with others, with these three spectacular entries into the "reading about reading" genre.
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
This book manages to be one of my biggest comfort reads, while simultaneously bringing us into a setting that's not used often in fiction: how people were rebuilding their lives after World War II. It's full of hope, but most importantly, it shows the power reading has. After an accidental book club was formed on the island of Guernsey, the residents discovered reading not only gave them hope but also a connection that helped them survive the war. It's a beautiful story, and one I come back to time and time again when I need the reminder the act of reading can be a way to quietly rebel.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is available through Penguin Random House
2. The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan
A cozy mystery with no dangerous stakes, The Lost Manuscript is a love letter to storytelling. Anne-Lise discovers a manuscript in her hotel room and instantly falls in love with the story. However, after reaching out to the original author, she discovers it had been lost 30 years ago - and he didn't write the last half of it! She goes on a mission to find who the writer is, and in the end, discovers how many people this book has touched. It's an amazing reminder of how important stories are, and the point of reading is to not only go on adventures in your mind but to find the community of people who have gone on that same adventure.
The Lost Manuscript is available through Macmillan Publishers
3. Entitled: The unexpected adventures of a book by Cookie Boyle
Have you ever thought of what it would be like if a book had thoughts? Cookie Boyle not only had the idea but wrote an entire story based on that idea. Entitled follows our main character "Book" as it lives through its life, being read, lost, borrowed, and every other possible thing a book could go through. It has thoughts, and dreams, and wants nothing more than to have a home of its own. It's a fun perspective that will keep you rooting for Book as they work towards getting the life it wants.
Entitled is available through Bespoken Word Press