Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books

Description

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Act of Love. 'Reading has saved my life, again and again, and has held my hand through every difficult time' For as long as she can remember, Cathy Rentzenbrink has lost and found herself in stories. Growing up she was rarely seen without her nose in a book and read in secret long after lights out. When tragedy struck, books kept her afloat. Eventually they lit the way to a new path, first as a bookseller and then as a writer. No matter what the future holds, reading will always help. Dear Reader is a moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.

Cathy Rentzenbrink has lived in Cornwall, Yorkshire and London and recently returned to Cornwall, where she lives with her family and works as a writer and journalist. She is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling memoir The Last Act of Love, which was shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize and selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I've just turned the final page with tears in my eyes, and like all the best things, I'm so desperate for you all to share in its wonder . . . if you love books or if you need companionship during a difficult patch in your life or if you simply want to be taken by the hand by a writer who is kind, wise, funny, generous, insightful and profound, then this is the book for you -- Elizabeth Day Dear Reader celebrates reading as a means of connection and a vehicle for escapism. It's a heartfelt reminder that, for all the wholesome effects that reading arguably has, the first reason to do it is for pleasure. Fittingly, Dear Reader is a pleasure to read * Times * Dear Reader is a love letter to stories and reading from one of our very best memoirists. Joyful, poignant and essential reading for people who love books . . . it is a book to cherish -- Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina I will never, ever forget the way Dear Reader made me feel: it is profoundly tender, generous, joy-filled, love-filled and compassionate. I have read so many wonderful books this year but this is the one I would buy and give away to everyone in the world if I could -- Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown-Up Beautifully written and a joy to read, Dear Reader is a best friend of a book. Comforting and wise, and with lists of books to read, or read again, I highly recommend buying it as a present for someone you love -- AJ Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird Comfort reading has been to the fore lately, and you'll find it in abundance in this joyous memoir of a life immersed in the pleasures and consolations of books by the author of The Last Act of Love . . . It's chock-full of Rentzenbrink's splendid reading recommendations, from "Children's Books I Love to Reread" and books about "Bad Love", to "Posh People Behaving Badly" and "Helpful Non-Fiction", which her own book most certainly is -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller * Dear Reader restored my soul -- Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton A companion for readers everywhere . . . intimate, kind and self-effacing, it feels like someone is sitting right next to you, holding your hand and sharing their secrets. I loved it -- Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon Dear Reader is the best thing I've read for ages and it will stay with me forever. It is more than a book about books, it is a book about life . . . reading Dear Reader feels like going to a terrific party, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones too -- Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did) A wonderful warm bath of a book. Perfect for all bookworms to sink into -- Jenny Colgan, author of Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe This is a book that shows what can happen when reading becomes one of the foundation stones in someone's life, how it miraculously reveals a map when you've lost your path and how it will always provide a connection to the world when we feel alone . . . Cathy, prepare for adulation -- Diane Setterfield, author of The Thirteenth Tale Dear Reader is a comfort, an inspiration and a gift of a book for readers, reluctant readers and anyone who wants to feel better about themselves and the world. I applaud Cathy Rentzenbrink, she is a truly brilliant writer -- Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works Your first port of call if you're looking for a book to recommend or just a bit stuck on what to choose next. But it's more than a reference book; it's a personal account of how books have comforted the author and what they can do for the soul -- Kit de Waal, 'Books of the Year' * New Statesman * Cathy Rentzenbrink's exploration of reading books and the comfort they bring in Dear Reader feels like art in your hands * Stylist, 'Best Gift Books this Christmas' * Your first port of call if you're looking for a book to recommend or just a bit stuck on what to choose next. But it's more than a reference book; it's a personal account of how books have comforted the author and what they can do for the soul -- Kit de Waal * New Statesman, Books of the Year *