Trisha D. (lectio) reviewed on 11/20/2011 + 88 more book reviews

As soon as I read the first sentence in the author's introduction I knew I was hooked: "It's not that I don't like people. It's just that when I'm in the company of others - even my nearest and dearest - there always comes moment when I'd rather be reading a book." My sentiments exactly! So I figured Maureen Corrigan and I must have a lot in common despite the fact that shes the book critic for NPRs Fresh Air and the only book reviews I ever publish are the ones that show up here on Goodreads and in my own collection of book reviews that Ive been adding to for the last 30 years or so! This book was a delight to read not only because the author is such an avid reader herself but also because shes a darn good writer. (unlike some authors of books about reading most notably Alice Ozma, author of The Reading Promise ) Corrigans book is a memoir of sorts because she has organized it around the books that shaped her at different periods and throughout the various circumstances of her life. She makes it clear that no matter what was going on, she always had a book within easy reach and often these books sustained her and formed her as her life unfolded. Like most other books about reading, this one has an extensive recommended reading section at the back, where Corrigan lists an eclectic collection of books she has read and loved and often re-read. In addition to the usual categories (fiction, non-fiction, biography, mysteries, etc.) she also lists titles that have to do with everything from books about Adopting infants from China (as she and her husband have done) to books about academic life, to books she first read in her Catholic grade school and have always loved. And while many of the titles on her lists were familiar because Ive read them and loved them too, there are also quite a few Ive never heard of but will definitely be adding to my TBR list because after reading her book I suspect that if Maureen Corrigan recommends them, they must be worth reading

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