Book Review: I'd Rather Be Reading

Blogging is like attending a special art party, where all the people in the room connect through their love of a particular artist. When you find the blogging niche you most enjoy, you can often find other bloggers who share your passions. I love the friendships I've made through blogging. I can think of a slew of women I don't actually know, yet they feel like true friends because their blogging interests provide a sense of kinship. Through blogging I met Catherine of A Spirited Mind and joined her in-real-life book club. I made friends with other mothers raising sons, like Lucy, who blogs at Life is a Spasm Who Flow (you must check out her blog to make sense of that title) and Amy, who blogs at The English Geek. I think it was through Catherine that I discovered Sheila of The Deliberate Reader, and through Sheila, I heard of Modern Mrs. Darcy (although, I can't say I've been a regular visitor there).

I'm sure when I requested I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life from my library, I had no clue about the author, Anne Bogel. But when I sat down to read the book, I was delighted to see it was written by the creator of Modern Mrs. Darcy. Although we are a fair space removed (kind of like that parlor game, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon), I wanted to claim her as a blogging friend, as well. Indeed, she speaks of just such a sentiment in her book, when she created a bookshelf specifically for friends who've written books and extended the category to authors she'd like to have as friends.

The book is sure to delight any bibliophile as she outlines the common maladies we face (like all our holds coming in at the library at the same time) and the shared euphoria we feel (being first in line for a long-awaited sequel in a series). I loved the size and shape of the book (perfect for gifting), along with the bookshelves adorning the cover. I loved the name-dropping of titles (most I could relate to; several I may have to add to my own endless to-be-read list). If reading is your thing, join Modern Mrs. Darcy in contemplating what makes reading so special.