I'd Rather Be Reading

For so many people, reading isn’t just a hobby or a way to pass the time–it’s a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can’t imagine life without them.

I’d Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.

The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone’s life, I’d Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.

"A book lover's delight."

— Annie Spence, librarian and author of Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks

Review by 1000 Libraries

Anne Bogel’s I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life is a charming, highly relatable collection of essays that functions as a warm embrace for the dedicated bibliophile. As the voice behind the popular blog Modern Mrs Darcy and the What Should I Read Next? podcast, Bogel establishes herself immediately as one of “our tribe,” offering an intimate and affirming look at what it truly means to be a “book person.” The book transforms the often solitary act of reading into a shared experience, making readers feel like they are having a cozy chat with a like-minded friend about their deepest literary loves and most embarrassing reading confessions.

“A good book, when we return to it, will always have something new to say. It’s not the same book, and we’re not the same reader.”

Readers will frequently find themselves nodding in agreement or chuckling as Bogel delves into the quirky, universal experiences that define the true bookworm. More than a simple book talk, she explores how books shape our identities, tracing the evolution of her own reading life from childhood favorites to the adult reader she is today.

I’d Rather Be Reading is a quick, delightful literary companion, highly recommended as a perfect gift for the bibliophile, or as a treat for yourself to remind you why you fell in love with reading in the first place.

“

“Anne Bogel's beguiling latest is a love letter to the reading life, infused with all the warmth, charm, and brilliance her fans have come to expect. I found myself--and my reading community--inside its pages, and you will too.”

Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Sisters

“

“Personal and fun, Anne Bogel's essay collection is a self-portrait in books--weaving together all the readers she has been. I'd Rather Be Reading is her winsome musings on books, not just as a way to enjoy a good story, but as a way to become a whole person.”

Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House

“

“I adore this book. Anne Bogel is so funny and down to earth. I think any true bibliophile could read this little gem and think 'yes, she's talking to me, this is how I feel about books and reading all the time.'”

CJOJ on Amazon

Explore More

/

/

/

I’d Rather Be Reading