WHY WE READ
On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out
A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a teacher, bibliophile and Thurber Prize finalist.
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 long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind,
A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a teacher, bibliophile and Thurber Prize finalist.
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 long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The 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’Ubervilles), 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.
- Hanover Square Press
- Hardcover
- February 2024
- 336 Pages
- 9781335007964
Buy the Book
$27.99
About Shannon Reed
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.
Praise
“Delightful reminiscences of a book lover.” —Kirkus Reviews
“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 readingMiddlemarch.” —Elizabeth Passarella, author of Good Apple and It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway
“Why We Readis 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
Discussion Questions
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How does Shannon Reed’s perspective on reading for pleasure resonate with your personal experiences with books? Can you share an instance where a book provided solace or joy in a difficult time?
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Reed shares stories about how books have impacted her students. Can you recall a book that had a significant impact on you during your formative years? How did it influence your worldview?
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The author mentions varied novels she cherishes and ones she didn’t. What are some books that have left a lasting impression on you, either positively or negatively, and why?
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Reed argues that literature can transform us for the better. Can you think of an example from your own life where a book brought about a meaningful change in your perspective or behavior?
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The author celebrates both books and the readers who love them. In your opinion, what is the relationship between a reader and a book? How does this relationship impact the reading experience?