Unread: A Memoir of Learning (and Loving) to Read on TikTok

by Oliver James

As a result of childhood learning disabilities and educational neglect, Oliver James graduated from high school and became one of approximately 45 million functionally illiterate Americans. However, at age 32, with big dreams and few tools to actualize them, he dedicated himself to learning the key skill that had evaded him his entire reading.

Oliver has become a TikTok/BookTok sensation for the way he’s candidly documented his decision to learn to read as an adult, and his struggles and triumphs along the way. Here, he tells the full story behind his journey for the first time through the 21 key books that shaped and informed his experience. His story reveals the ways in which reading can teach each of us how to be better, more empathetic people.

In just 365 days, Oliver went from barely being able to read a restaurant menu to closing in on his goal of finishing 100 books in a year. Unread is a moving reminder to all of us that words and stories have power, and that, no matter our past, it's never too late to grow.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unread is a living testament to putting your mind to hard tasks to get the job done. Oliver James provides an eloquent and well-structured narrative to discuss the ways he has overcome hardships and continues to prevail. It is insightful how he has progressed from the being illiterate to finally taking the plunge to change his life. The true core of the story is showing how we can always preserve when we try. The effort that accompanies you will always lead to prevailing outcomes. This a memoir that deserves to be a recognized bestseller for the sheer acknowledgement of how well written it is from someone who taught themselves how to read and how to learn. This narrative will break you down, you will laugh and cry with him, and you will think about some hard factors that have cultivated your life choices.
Learning continues to challenge us in our adult lives. Unpacking trauma is one of the core themes in Unread. Trauma harms us all, and it is how we choose to unpack that to reach success that tells our heart. Oliver James is being vulnerable with the audience and stripping his soul for everyone to each. There is a true heart to the structure of a narrative that is rich with diction but does not lose the goal of the story. Oliver becomes a teacher through his narrative. A narrative that is designed to be accessible to everyone while enjoying the joy that comes from crafting a narrative that is relatable, digestible, and fluid in elaborate diction. This is THE memoir of 2026. Embrace your inner child and your inner healing and exploring those dynamics in depth with this beauty of a narrative.
Oliver is accountable and does this through his writing and showing how he has learned through his newfound accountability. Reading will change your life is his motto. He even states, "reading more than looking at words on a page" and the power in that sentence is that you need to read between the lines. There is an art to the words on the page, and that construction is what makes you think and reflect. The reflections are the testament to not just great writing - but intelligent writing that makes you question the reasons for your choices, how we can learn from each other's stories' to grow, and how we choose to expand our horizon of knowledge. Thank you Oliver James, Netgalley and Union Square and Co, for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

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