A memoir of a life spent immersed in the comfort and joy of books, from bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink.
A memoir of a life spent immersed in the comfort and joy of books, from Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink.
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Act of Love, Dear Reader is Dear Reader is the ultimate love letter to reading and to finding the comfort and joy in stories.'Exquisite' - Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups'A warm, unpretentious manifesto for why books matter' - Sunday ExpressFor 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, it was books that 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.A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.
“"Part of the draw of this book is seeing what titles Rentzenbrink will discuss. The experience is like scanning a great reader's bookshelf where I quickly identified books I'm familiar with ( Little Women, The Goldfinch, A Tale for the Time Being, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, What Belongs to You ); titles I've always meant to read ( The Diary of a Nobody, The Crimson Petal and the White, Jamaica Inn ); and novels that I've not heard of before but Rentzenbrink makes them sound so intriguing ( March Violets, Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Instructions for a Heatwave ). But many more books are discussed throughout. She groups lists of books under certain qualities or styles and summarises each with brief insights into how she personally connected with them. They're bracingly honest book recommendations like you'd get from a friend. When describing the novel A Little Life she accurately assesses "I won't lie to you, dear reader: there is little comfort or joy in this novel, but it is a work of genius that asks the hardest questions about the limitations of love." -- Lonesome Reader”
Celebrates reading as a means of connection and a vehicle for escapism . . . 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
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
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
Exquisite. Dear Reader is touching, beautiful and contains countless excellent book recommendations! -- Marian Keyes
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'
Joyful, poignant and essential reading for people who love books . . . it is a book to cherish -- Nina Stibbe
Beautifully written and a joy to read, Dear Reader is a best friend of a book -- AJ Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird
This love letter to reading, which is packed with recommendations, is pure joy Good Housekeeping
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
A warm, unpretentious manifesto for why books matter Sunday Express
Dear Reader is the best thing I’ve read for ages and it will stay with me forever -- Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did)
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
A wonderful warm bath of a book. Perfect for all bookworms to sink into -- Jenny Colgan, author of Meet Me At The Cupcake Café
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
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
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.
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