A collection of essays about reading and the way it does/can inform life. An enjoyable enough read, but I didn't mesh with White's conclusions as much as I might have and thus not a whole lot of this has really stuck with me. ( )

Books Promiscuously Read: Reading as a Way of Life by Heather Cass White was a joy to read and think about. This book will speak to every reader yet will speak to each of us a little differently.

First, I want to make a distinction between academic and literary. I see this referred to as academic and as literary criticism, both of which largely mean academic. I disagree on the basis of my belief that referring to works of literature, relating these works very clearly but keeping the tone more conversational than rigorously scholastic is a literary book, not an academic book. When I taught, I might have incorporated some of these ideas into a lit course but would not have assigned the book. I would have assigned the book in a writing class because how well one reads is reflected in how well one writes. The various connections made here, the paths into, through, and between different books is enlightening and, probably for a lot of us, put into words things we felt or knew about our own reading but never could quite articulate. White beautifully puts these feelings into words.

I mainly wanted to make that distinction because I would hate for a prospective reader to not read this book because they saw it called academic, which many people take to mean dry, boring, and formal. This is conversational, exciting, and begs for the reader to engage with it.

Yes, there are a lot of works cited, poetry and fiction, classics both modern and postmodern, but one needn't have read everything to appreciate her points, she explains what she is trying to say. On the plus side, any works you haven't read may sound interesting to you and send you off after another windmill.

I highly recommend this to people who love to read. While readers such as myself who make time to read with no apologies will certainly enjoy the book, I think readers who love to read but feel guilty making time for something so personal will gain the most from the book. Read! It is not a selfish thing to do. If it makes you a more open person, one able and willing to see things from more than one narrow viewpoint, then reading has made a positive impact on both you and the world around you. That is not selfish. Add in the pure enjoyment and there is no reason not to read. There was a time, many years ago, when I was working full time, part time, and going to college. My personal reading was limited, probably no more than 30 books of my own choosing a year. But making time for those books made me easier to get along with, kept me focused on what I needed to do in the other areas of my life, and helped me not waste money. There are 168 hours in a week, not using a few of those hours for reading is a choice one makes, not something forced on them and out of their control.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )