I'd Rather be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

I've been reading Anne Bogel's book blog Modern Mrs. Darcy for at least five years now, and I've gotten countless book recommendations from her and I feel like I know her. She's thoughtful, deliberate, interested in bookish things, and seems like the type of person I would be friends with in real life. I read her first book about personality types, Reading People, last year, even though I'm not super interested in personality types myself, just because I like her. But I definitely wanted to read this book, with essays about being a reader, because I love books about books. So I bought myself a copy when it was half off on Amazon as a Christmas present for myself, and I read it over a few short hours. It's very short--only twenty essays--but each one made me smile.

I definitely don't think this is a book that would be relatable to everyone, but for someone like me, it's perfect. It's meant for those of us who spend all our extra time reading, who love organizing our bookshelves. I had to laugh because she had a chapter on how to organize your library when you're a reader, and I had literally spent the whole day reorganizing my bookshelves just that morning. She said, "For beautifully styled bookshelves, follow this decorators' rule of thumb: each bookshelf should hold one-third books, one third accessories, and one-third empty space. You're a book lover; you don't have enough shelves to begin with. Ignore the decorators." Haha! And this: "Stay open to possibility; you'll change your system soon enough. Some people play tennis in their spare time. Others knit or scrapbook. You're a reader; your hobby is organizing your bookshelves." Yep! Or those of us who have longed to own a bookstore just because we want to be around books. "I've dreamed of working in a bookstore, or owning a bookstore, or at the very least, of spending enough dollars at a bookstore that its denizens cheer my arrival and greet me by name, since I was a kid." Yep, again. To me, this book felt like someone knew me and understood me. I don't expect my friends to share my total love of reading, because everyone has their own "things." But it was really nice to read this and know I'm not a total eccentric, because sometimes it feels like I am. This was really enjoyable and fun and I could totally see myself reading it again in a few years.