Will I ever tire of books about books? (Answer: no.) This one was great fun, and was a pleasant reminder of my favourite course during my English Lit Will I ever tire of books about books? (Answer: no.) This one was great fun, and was a pleasant reminder of my favourite course during my English Lit undergrad, on the Female Gothic. It's a very brief overview, but I found the selections interesting, and I've added several new books to my to-read list. The more modern selections had some strange omissions (no Hotel World by Ali Smith? No Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel? No Amelia Gray or Camilla Grudova?) and focused on some lightweight YA authors when it would have made more sense to focus on literary authors who are writing great and unusual books while also really engaging with the topics mentioned. But still, I really enjoyed it, and would have happily read it at twice the length....more
I feel about this book the same way I did about Debbie Tung's previous book, 'Quiet Girl in a Noisy World': the pages would work well as Tumblr/InstagI feel about this book the same way I did about Debbie Tung's previous book, 'Quiet Girl in a Noisy World': the pages would work well as Tumblr/Instagram posts, but they feel a little flimsy collected together.
The ideas explored are very simplistic, and basically boil down to three things:
1. Books smell good. 2. Books give us emotional reactions. 3. People who like books buy a lot of books.
The way the ideas are shown visually. are simplistic too. For example, the concept of 'being grateful' is the character (presumably the author/artist) holding her hands to her chest in otherwise empty space; the concept of 'following my passion' is the character walking along a path with no scenery or goals visible (why not something exciting like a magical castle, an endless ocean, fantastical creatures, a bustling city, a sweeping landscape, or literally anything that's interesting or unusual?). The art isn't ugly, just functional.
I'm also not entirely sure who the audience is – one of my favourite things about the 'books about books' genre (a genre I love) is that I get recommendations for books I haven't heard about. Even a casual reader isn't likely to get that here – the recommendations are classics we all know (The Catcher in the Rye, Little Women, Anne Frank's diary) or Oprah's Book Club style bestsellers (Wally Lamb, Jodi Picoult, Paulo Coelho). Which is fine, if that's your thing, but as an avid reader I like to find out about books I don't already know.
That said, some of the pages are funny and unique (I liked 'Memoirs I Could Write' and "More Things You Can Do to Fall in Love With Reading') and some would make cute posters for school libraries. It's a sweet book to page through if you have a spare five minutes....more
Gorgeous little book about book towns around the world (although they’re mostly in western Europe). I wish there had been more photos, particularly ofGorgeous little book about book towns around the world (although they’re mostly in western Europe). I wish there had been more photos, particularly of the insides of the bookshops - what reader doesn’t love seeing bookshop interiors? It’s still very sweet though, and now I want to visit every place mentioned in the book. A great gift for a bookish friend. ...more
I loved this book! Of course I'm a sucker for this sort of thing anyway (I even co-host a podcast, Teenage Scream, about 90s teen horror; Point HorrorI loved this book! Of course I'm a sucker for this sort of thing anyway (I even co-host a podcast, Teenage Scream, about 90s teen horror; Point Horror, Nightmare Hall, Goosebumps, Christopher Pike – yes please) so I was predisposed to enjoy it.
The balance here is just right. There's the nostalgia of the plotlines, characters and issues; the soft watercolour covers of the 80s into the neon geometrics of the early 90s into the edgy black-and-white covers of the late 90s; the humour and wit of Moss's writing voice. But there's also a decent level of analysis going on. Moss doesn't allow it to be a pure nostalgia-fest; although she clearly loves these books, she re-rereads them with a critical modern eye.
This would be a great Christmas gift for a bookish 30-something friend – or for yourself....more
A short, intriguing read. I liked the personal voice (rather than the distant authorial voice usually used in books about books). The perfect read forA short, intriguing read. I liked the personal voice (rather than the distant authorial voice usually used in books about books). The perfect read for a rainy Sunday with a cup of coffee in a quiet library. ...more
What an absolute joy! I love books about books, and this is one of the loveliest I've read. Lucy Mangan's voice is so pleasant to read – like chattingWhat an absolute joy! I love books about books, and this is one of the loveliest I've read. Lucy Mangan's voice is so pleasant to read – like chatting to a funny, self-deprecating, book-nerd friend. I had a long, boring day consisting of 8 hours of train travel (all of it delayed, of course), and this book was the only thing that got me through. I left with a huge list of childhood favourites to revisit, as well as some new-to-me titles to investigate. I usually want books to be shorter, but I wish this one had been three times the length....more
Absolutely stunning illustrations - I'd frame any of them on my wall. The story is a little weak and the prose isn't great, but the illustrations makeAbsolutely stunning illustrations - I'd frame any of them on my wall. The story is a little weak and the prose isn't great, but the illustrations make it totally worth a look. ...more
Maybe I was expecting too much - metafiction AND a trashy fun thriller? But that's what this book promised, and for me it didn't quite deliver. It wasMaybe I was expecting too much - metafiction AND a trashy fun thriller? But that's what this book promised, and for me it didn't quite deliver. It was good fun for what it was but to be honest I've already mostly forgotten it. ...more
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