This was such an interesting and intriguing look into the lives of readers, especially that of the author, and the influence reading can have on our lives. I appreciated the author's experiences with her students and the ways in which reading (or maybe its importance) has changed within the American school system. I listened to the audio and thought it was great!

Why We Read is less about why WE read and more about why the author reads. If you enjoy cute anecdotes, you might like this book. But if you are looking for any insights into the always fascinating question of Why We Read, I’d recommend you look elsewhere.

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed is an absolute gem for anyone who loves to get lost in a good book. Reed, a lifelong bibliophile and teacher, knows exactly how to capture the essence of what makes reading so special. Her essays are like a warm conversation with a fellow book lover, filled with humor and heartfelt moments that will resonate with anyone who has ever found comfort in the pages of a book. She takes us on a journey through her personal reading experiences, from cherished novels like Gone Girl and Their Eyes Were Watching God to the ones that didn't quite hit the mark for her, like Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

As the title would indicate, Reed explores the many reasons why we read. Whether it's to escape, learn, find love, or simply pass a rainy afternoon, she gets it. She shares touching anecdotes about how books have impacted her life and the lives of her students, emphasizing the importance of reading for pleasure rather than out of obligation.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

When you see yourself in the same category of rabid long time reader that the author identifies, you begin a book expecting to love everything about it. It didn’t quite work out that way. I found Reed’s style a poor combination of humor and memoir and not very good at either.,
She may be a good teacher, encouraging students to delve deeper into literature, but that is not what I was looking for. One bit of advice I did embrace is her permission to stop reading if a book is not for you. I was going to take her advice, but I felt a sense of responsibility to read to the end, and to be fair, she got less annoying as she settled into her role as Reading Champion, Although it pains me to say so, except for a long list of suggested titles included at the end, I really don’t think this book added much to the publishing world.

5 funny, reflective stars
“Reading gives me the world.”

As an avid reader, who once walked into a door while reading, I could relate to Reed’s thoughts. “Sometimes we read for comfort. Sometimes to feel superior. Sometimes to learn. Sometimes because we are told to.” Like her, “I feel a familial affection for my fellow longtime, intense readers. We are kin. Quiet, introspective, tea-and-quilt-loving kin.” “And people mostly left me alone when my nose was buried in a book. Reading was always safe and always good company.”

Reed clearly expresses her passion for books. Her sense of humor is subtle and abundant. “Good Readers don’t bend corners, or break the spine, or make notes in anything but very light pencil. Good Readers don’t leave books open and facedown.” (Occasionally Guilty.)

Describing sad books, she writes, “How dare books tap into our souls like that!” Books give us opportunities to rehearse loss. Reed’s relatable stories express many reasons for reading, including to earn a personal pan pizza. The book is encouraging, because even voracious readers have had bad experiences with books. “Now, try another book! Read out of your genre, whatever you find a little scary, give it a try. Failure is very much an option. It’s how we grow.

“Life is so much better with books than without.” Book people will relate to and love Why We Read. “Basically, put away your phone, get a nice drink of some kind, plop yourself into a comfy chair if you can, and just start reading. That’s how books work.” You will probably highlight as many passages as I did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why we read is really an account of why the author reads & her experiences becoming a reader . Which is cool but maybe the book title should have been Why I Read ..

Overall I didn't love this book 🙈
Sooorrryyyy ....

I could definitely relate to some things in here but to me it read more like a journal ??

#WhyWeRead #Netgalley #HonestReview

I so much loved this book. It captured what we all love as readers. A new book smell, the enjoyment of a quiet afternoon spent with a book and a cup of coffee or tea. Introducing young people or anyone else who don't usually read to a new book and starting them on their path of enlightment. A must read !

Such a fun read! This collection of essays is a love letter to the Joy of reading and the love of books.

What a lovely collection of essays about the joy of reading, both in childhood and in adulthood. The author is an English teacher and gets to share (through assignments) her love of reading with her students, broadening their horizons on what the experience of reading for pleasure can and should feel like.

She tackles a plethora of topics that book lovers are sure to relate to and reminisce about, such as the joy of earning a free Pizza Hut personal pizza from reading, the torment of assigned reading in school, and finding delight in reading for pleasure again as an adult.

One particular essay called, "To Make Us Cry," really spoke to me and helped me to understand why crying while reading or watching TV can be a truly cathartic experience.

"I eventually came to understand that while my students loved the book for many reasons, at least one of them was that its tragedy allowed them to rehearse loss. How badly can something hurt? How hard can losing someone be? How awful will profound grief feel? Those answers are not always present in a sad book, but glimmers of what’s ahead might be. And, of course, sad books offer us the chance to bounce back from our grief far more quickly than we can (or will or should) in real life."

These essays are well-written, relatable, witty, and heartwarming. Reading this collection made me feel like I was talking about books with an old friend, which is the best kind of comfort, in my opinion. As an added bonus, I already learned so much about specific works of literature (Gone Girl, Lincoln in the Bardo) and the analysis of literature in general.

This is a treasure of a book and should be read by all bookish people who have a genuine appreciation for the written language.

Why We Read by Shannon Reed is a nonfiction book of essays about the author's progression as a reader. She writes about her childhood reads, her reading life throughout her time in school, and then how she reads as a working member of society. She shares stories about the impact her lifetime of reading has had on her students and why it's so important to read for pleasure vs as an assignment. This book will appeal to readers who want to relive the nostalgia of their own favorite reads throughout their lifetime. Read and enjoy!

No matter how many times I tried to pick up this book and read it, I just could not get invested in it.

I love books about books and reading, and this essay collection was fantastic. I so enjoyed this and found myself highlighting several passages on my advance copy that captured the magic that I feel when I read. It is such a delightful book and one I will be returning to.

A love letter to readers. From having to read to loving to read, this is the book that touches upon it all.

3.5 Stars. There were several chapters in this book that I would easily rate 5 stars. Other chapters weren't nearly as exciting for me. Overall, I'm still glad that I stuck with this book...and I can finally remove "Gone Girl" from my TBR since Reed told me to go read that book before reading the chapter with spoilers in it.

I loved this book so much!! This series of essays is hilarious, thoughtful, poignant and just an overall fun read. It is clearly, by its title a book for readers, and I felt so seen in so many of the chapters. As a librarian, it felt like there were chapters written just for me. The author is very funny, but also clearly loves reading in a way that makes her well suited to comment on it. As social media has really affected the book business, this book feels well times to speak more deeply about this activity that is so uniquely human.

This can be best described as a memoir of one voracious reader’s love of books.

I enjoyed Reed’s musings and would recommend to those who love books about books and anyone in the literary field (librarians, booksellers, authors, etc).

I had to DNF this book. When I found Why We Read by Shannon Reed I thought it sounded intriguing. I thought we would be learning about why different people like different genres and why they read what they do. However, this was just a cumulation of short stories from the author's life and why SHE reads. I thought some of the stories were interesting or funny here and there but ultimately felt I got what I needed to from her and didn't need to read the rest.

3.5 stars
I am torn about this one... the subject here, understandably, is for a very particular audience. And yes, that would be me.

I think I first heard about this book from an excerpt in George Saunders' Story Club where Reed recounts how she went in to teach Saunders' <I>Lincoln at the Bardo</I> cold, having never read the book herself. I admit, I found this a little shocking, but admired her gameness in struggling through the plot in real time with her students. When I requested this book from NetGalley, I imagined charming essays (check), and some meaningful insight into why we make the reading choices that we do (not so much).

Like others have said, this seems more aptly titled "What I read", and positioned as a memoir. Having said that, I enjoyed Reed's writing, and especially her stories about teaching and getting kids to read for pleasure again. I also appreciated her conviction in not judging what others read, and her huge support of libraries.

Title: Why We Read
Author: Shannon Reed
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

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 surprising ways in which literature can transform us for the better.

I enjoyed this book! Nonfiction can be hit or miss for me, but this was definitely a hit. I loved the class anecdotes from the author’s teaching career, and all of the tidbits about her own reading life. She even made The Great Gatsby sound fascinating---and I don’t care for that read at all. This book encourages readers to try something new—and to think about old favorites in a new way.

Shannon Reed grew up in Pennsylvania. Why We Read is her newest book.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

If you're a booklover of any magnitude, this book is for you. See yourself in Shannon's reasons, as each chapter she shares is why we read. Perfect nonfiction for all readers.