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The Gifts of Reading
With contributions by William Boyd, Candice Carty-Williams, Imtiaz Dharker, Roddy Doyle, Pico Iyer, Robert Macfarlane, Andy Miller, Jackie Morris, Jan Morris, Sisonke Msimang, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Ondaatje, David Pilling, Max Porter, Philip Pullman, Alice Pung, Jancis Robinson, S. F. Said, Madeleine Thien, Salley Vickers, John Wood and Markus Zusak
This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift.
The gift, like so many gifts, was a book...' So begins the essay by Robert Macfarlane that inspired this collection. In this cornucopia of an anthology, you will find essays by some of the world's most beloved novelists, nonfiction writers, essayists and poets. 'You will see books taking flight in flocks, migrating around the world, landing in people's hearts and changing them for a day or a year or a lifetime. 'You will see books sparking wonder or anger; throwing open windows into other languages, other cultures, other minds; causing people to fall in love or to fight for what is right. 'And more than anything, over and over again, you will see books and words being given, received and read - and in turn prompting further generosity.' Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of global literacy non-profit, Room to Read, The Gifts of Reading forms inspiring, unforgettable, irresistible proof of the power and necessity of books and reading. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane Curated by Jennie Orchard
This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift.
The gift, like so many gifts, was a book...' So begins the essay by Robert Macfarlane that inspired this collection. In this cornucopia of an anthology, you will find essays by some of the world's most beloved novelists, nonfiction writers, essayists and poets. 'You will see books taking flight in flocks, migrating around the world, landing in people's hearts and changing them for a day or a year or a lifetime. 'You will see books sparking wonder or anger; throwing open windows into other languages, other cultures, other minds; causing people to fall in love or to fight for what is right. 'And more than anything, over and over again, you will see books and words being given, received and read - and in turn prompting further generosity.' Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of global literacy non-profit, Room to Read, The Gifts of Reading forms inspiring, unforgettable, irresistible proof of the power and necessity of books and reading. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane Curated by Jennie Orchard
352 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2020
52 people are currently reading
924 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 11, 2021
Finished with this gorgeous book a week ago and felt such a rush of satisfaction. You know when you've read a really stimulating book with rich sentiments and the all the words have weight and gravitas! I found several essays in here that I absolutely fell in love with, and I can read them over and over. It's handy that they are bitesize and one can do that without needing to make time for it.
But it was the rereading that lead to me taking slightly longer getting through it, I prefer to take my time with each word/sentence /page with a book like this.
As its an anthology, every essay- which could be between 5 to 10 pages long - has been written by a world respected writer from diverse times and cultures. I got a real sense of their culture /voice/style from their pieces which is really what i enjoyed the most. They are obviously phenomenal at their craft and were able to deliver that with ease.
For example, Nigerian-born Booker-prize finalist, Chigozie Obioma wrote his essay titled 'The gift that cost me something' and listed a beautifully captured and deliver conversation between himself and a special lady in his life, completely with details and nuances that just lifted the conversation off the page (see an extract below) :
*****
'I like how you are writing inside the book. Look at all these, here' - she was thumping between the pages filled with pencilled notes, and the end pages on which I'd written favourite lines, new words,ideas of my own bracketed so I could identify them as mine, and even random things like what I wanted to eat on a certain evening so I didn't forget to cook it.
'I like it, you are brilliant, Chigoo'
I thanked her.
'OK, so, will you dash me the book?'
'Ah, dash you?'
'Yes, please jor. Please dash me naw, please'.
.. Then, because I could not resist her charm, I said, yes, that she could have it as a gift.
*****
Obioma talks about mourning the loss of books that he would annotate and scribble in describing it as 'something that was intricately connected to all that I had added to it, and was therefore not only a book, but an artefact.
After receiving a special book from a respected Pastor in an extremely kind gesture, Obioma said:
' Something had shifted in me and perhaps I had come to understand that I would not have lost too much if the book had gone or because the humility of Pastor Andrew's sacrificial giving had inspired in me and an unconscious zeal for replication.
Whenever I recall the day he gifted me the book and, what strikes me most of all is the trace of pain I had seen on his face as he gave it to me: the mark of a person whose gift had cost him something, but he had given me everything.
Sisonke Msimang, a South African Writer, names her essay 'The Solace of Sunday' and gives an account of her childhood and her mother back then as follows:
'Her need for independence and for breathing room was a gift. As she sought her own freedom, my mother pushed her girls towards books'
In terms of giving books away as gifts, Msimang writes:
'If I do not keep my books, my children will have nothing else of value to remember me by,even if I am no longer convinced that books will survive the decades to come..I will keep the books for them as a way of staying hopeful'.
'I keep my books - I hold on to them tightly because my mother pushed her girls towards books and I'm hopelessly nostalgic. I keep my books because if there is anything I have learned it is that nostalgia is the mother of posterity'
****
If you're a book lover that has struggled with giving your own books as gifts or indeed, relished in the same, then you'll appreciate the stories here
I no longer feel guilty about belonging to the former category, choosing to keep my favourites close by but preferring to gift new books always.
Personally I have only ever been gifted books twice in the last 20 years or so, once from my brother that knows me fairly well and once from a team member I didn't actually know very well.
As a Bibliophile I would have thought it was easiest thing for people to give me but having only ever been given a book gift twice I wonder if a gift actually says more about the gifter than the giftee. It depends a lot on what you deem worthy of presenting as a gift too.
I do think you have to truly love books yourself to think of them as a gift so I never expect to receive them from somebody that doesn't read.
Anyway, I think I will also keep this book, by my bedside, so I can revisit it when I want to read something heartwarming!
But it was the rereading that lead to me taking slightly longer getting through it, I prefer to take my time with each word/sentence /page with a book like this.
As its an anthology, every essay- which could be between 5 to 10 pages long - has been written by a world respected writer from diverse times and cultures. I got a real sense of their culture /voice/style from their pieces which is really what i enjoyed the most. They are obviously phenomenal at their craft and were able to deliver that with ease.
For example, Nigerian-born Booker-prize finalist, Chigozie Obioma wrote his essay titled 'The gift that cost me something' and listed a beautifully captured and deliver conversation between himself and a special lady in his life, completely with details and nuances that just lifted the conversation off the page (see an extract below) :
*****
'I like how you are writing inside the book. Look at all these, here' - she was thumping between the pages filled with pencilled notes, and the end pages on which I'd written favourite lines, new words,ideas of my own bracketed so I could identify them as mine, and even random things like what I wanted to eat on a certain evening so I didn't forget to cook it.
'I like it, you are brilliant, Chigoo'
I thanked her.
'OK, so, will you dash me the book?'
'Ah, dash you?'
'Yes, please jor. Please dash me naw, please'.
.. Then, because I could not resist her charm, I said, yes, that she could have it as a gift.
*****
Obioma talks about mourning the loss of books that he would annotate and scribble in describing it as 'something that was intricately connected to all that I had added to it, and was therefore not only a book, but an artefact.
After receiving a special book from a respected Pastor in an extremely kind gesture, Obioma said:
' Something had shifted in me and perhaps I had come to understand that I would not have lost too much if the book had gone or because the humility of Pastor Andrew's sacrificial giving had inspired in me and an unconscious zeal for replication.
Whenever I recall the day he gifted me the book and, what strikes me most of all is the trace of pain I had seen on his face as he gave it to me: the mark of a person whose gift had cost him something, but he had given me everything.
Sisonke Msimang, a South African Writer, names her essay 'The Solace of Sunday' and gives an account of her childhood and her mother back then as follows:
'Her need for independence and for breathing room was a gift. As she sought her own freedom, my mother pushed her girls towards books'
In terms of giving books away as gifts, Msimang writes:
'If I do not keep my books, my children will have nothing else of value to remember me by,even if I am no longer convinced that books will survive the decades to come..I will keep the books for them as a way of staying hopeful'.
'I keep my books - I hold on to them tightly because my mother pushed her girls towards books and I'm hopelessly nostalgic. I keep my books because if there is anything I have learned it is that nostalgia is the mother of posterity'
****
If you're a book lover that has struggled with giving your own books as gifts or indeed, relished in the same, then you'll appreciate the stories here
I no longer feel guilty about belonging to the former category, choosing to keep my favourites close by but preferring to gift new books always.
Personally I have only ever been gifted books twice in the last 20 years or so, once from my brother that knows me fairly well and once from a team member I didn't actually know very well.
As a Bibliophile I would have thought it was easiest thing for people to give me but having only ever been given a book gift twice I wonder if a gift actually says more about the gifter than the giftee. It depends a lot on what you deem worthy of presenting as a gift too.
I do think you have to truly love books yourself to think of them as a gift so I never expect to receive them from somebody that doesn't read.
Anyway, I think I will also keep this book, by my bedside, so I can revisit it when I want to read something heartwarming!
March 19, 2025
This book was a gift I made to myself to add to my books about books shelf. Essays by a variety of authors about books that had been gifted to them, or books they gave as gifts, or the intangible gifts afforded by reading a certain book, or by the act of reading itself. I found it a valuable resource as far as adding to my tbr (like I needed help) and the actual joy of reading these essays.
September 30, 2021
In the spirit of the title, our amazing co-blogger TS decided to send all of us at Novel Notions a copy of The Gifts of Reading. The entire idea of this book is lovely. Here is a collection of essays about the joys of giving and receiving stories, written by those who craft stories for a living. In some cases, it’s about books or authors who had some sort of profound effect on the essayist. In all cases, it was lovely to see the magic of the written word through the eyes of others, and to see how much it means to this each individual making up this host of writers. The first essay is Robert Macfarlane’s eponymous “The Gifts of Reading.” Macfarlane has a truly beautiful way with words. It’s the only essay in the collection that I had read previously, and I can see how it inspired the idea behind this book.
William Boyd, in his essay “Some Observations on Giving Books,” says the following: “Books can help you endure the most dire and inhuman of circumstances…” The situations he used as examples were mostly of those imprisoned, but this is something I’ve found to be true time and again in my life, when I was going through difficult times. This entire essay resonated strongly with me, and is among my favorites in the collection. As much as it was about the joy of giving books, it was also about what books, especially fiction, give us back. And the following quote sounded like it came from my own mind:
“But of all the people I’ve given books to over the years there is one person who is the wholehearted, uncontested beneficiary of my book-giving largesse. Me. I give myself books all the time, almost every day, in moments of book-obsession, book-need. Let’s be honest: book-addiction.”
He ended the essay with this lovely sentiment: “When you give someone a book you are making a present of part of yourself.”
Another of my favorite essays in this collection is Jackie Morris’s “Intimate Relations,” in part of which she details her relationship with books as a child and the very different relationship with books she made sure to foster in her own children. I loved the way she detailed reading to and with her children, and how that fostered a love of reading on their own. But this essay was also about being profoundly touched by a poem, about using whatever creative arts you have to fight for important things, and about how one of those important things is the public library as an institution.
David Pilling’s entry, “The Man I Was,” might be my absolute favorite essay I’ve ever read. He housed his book-giving within the framework of some fictional apocalypse, when he was leaving his five favorite books out for someone to find, along with an explanation of why he loved them. This was assuming that the world lasted long enough for someone to find the hastily gift-wrapped stack of books next to his rotting corpse. The framework was equal parts sad and hilarious, but the messages inside that framework, about which books he loved enough to leave out for others and why he chose them, was thoughtful and profound. It was a perfect blend of humor and philosophical musings, and I thought it was positively brilliant.
I absolutely love what SF Said has to say about the importance of children’s books, and how subversive they can truly be if you look beneath the surface. In his essay, “The Best Gifts You Can Give,” he stated: “This is what children’s literature is all about. It can express the biggest ideas in forms so beautifully simple that anyone can not only grasp them, but come to live by them, because they take up residence at your very core.” I found this sentiment incredibly lovely, and true. And the books Said chose! Some of these are among my own favorites, and I loved hearing exactly how they had impacted this author’s life and work.
The final essay in the book, Markus Zusak’s “The Will of Stories,” was by far one of the shortest in the collection. It was one of the few, if not the only, essay to not drop book titles throughout. And yet, it was a delight to read. There’s something about his writing style that is beautifully unique, and even in the few short pages of this essay, that style shone.
This collection as a whole was lovely. I can’t say that I adored every single essay, but there were some that I loved deeply. And even those that didn’t resonate with me still provided food for thought. If you’re a lover of books, and believe that reading is a gift best enjoyed when shared with others, this collection of essays should be on your shelves. And on the shelves of those who have fostered that love in your life, or shared that love with you in any way. It makes a truly wonderful gift.
William Boyd, in his essay “Some Observations on Giving Books,” says the following: “Books can help you endure the most dire and inhuman of circumstances…” The situations he used as examples were mostly of those imprisoned, but this is something I’ve found to be true time and again in my life, when I was going through difficult times. This entire essay resonated strongly with me, and is among my favorites in the collection. As much as it was about the joy of giving books, it was also about what books, especially fiction, give us back. And the following quote sounded like it came from my own mind:
“But of all the people I’ve given books to over the years there is one person who is the wholehearted, uncontested beneficiary of my book-giving largesse. Me. I give myself books all the time, almost every day, in moments of book-obsession, book-need. Let’s be honest: book-addiction.”
He ended the essay with this lovely sentiment: “When you give someone a book you are making a present of part of yourself.”
Another of my favorite essays in this collection is Jackie Morris’s “Intimate Relations,” in part of which she details her relationship with books as a child and the very different relationship with books she made sure to foster in her own children. I loved the way she detailed reading to and with her children, and how that fostered a love of reading on their own. But this essay was also about being profoundly touched by a poem, about using whatever creative arts you have to fight for important things, and about how one of those important things is the public library as an institution.
David Pilling’s entry, “The Man I Was,” might be my absolute favorite essay I’ve ever read. He housed his book-giving within the framework of some fictional apocalypse, when he was leaving his five favorite books out for someone to find, along with an explanation of why he loved them. This was assuming that the world lasted long enough for someone to find the hastily gift-wrapped stack of books next to his rotting corpse. The framework was equal parts sad and hilarious, but the messages inside that framework, about which books he loved enough to leave out for others and why he chose them, was thoughtful and profound. It was a perfect blend of humor and philosophical musings, and I thought it was positively brilliant.
I absolutely love what SF Said has to say about the importance of children’s books, and how subversive they can truly be if you look beneath the surface. In his essay, “The Best Gifts You Can Give,” he stated: “This is what children’s literature is all about. It can express the biggest ideas in forms so beautifully simple that anyone can not only grasp them, but come to live by them, because they take up residence at your very core.” I found this sentiment incredibly lovely, and true. And the books Said chose! Some of these are among my own favorites, and I loved hearing exactly how they had impacted this author’s life and work.
The final essay in the book, Markus Zusak’s “The Will of Stories,” was by far one of the shortest in the collection. It was one of the few, if not the only, essay to not drop book titles throughout. And yet, it was a delight to read. There’s something about his writing style that is beautifully unique, and even in the few short pages of this essay, that style shone.
This collection as a whole was lovely. I can’t say that I adored every single essay, but there were some that I loved deeply. And even those that didn’t resonate with me still provided food for thought. If you’re a lover of books, and believe that reading is a gift best enjoyed when shared with others, this collection of essays should be on your shelves. And on the shelves of those who have fostered that love in your life, or shared that love with you in any way. It makes a truly wonderful gift.
November 29, 2020
The Gift of Reading works on many levels — first as a reminder to never take literacy for granted, then as a gateway to the benefits of giving books, filled with the discovery of new books from new authors, and finally as a way to support the important work of Room to Read. Highly recommended.
June 30, 2021
Although I love getting suggestions from friends (why I follow Goodreads), and am an obsessive scanner of bibliographies, I don’t particularly love getting books as gifts or giving books unless I’m very sure of the recipient. It can feel like pushing religious beliefs. I do love to hear what Goodreads friends think of books.
This book is full of suggested reads (I appreciate) and opinions by noted authors as to gifting books. Some hit the mark some didn’t really follow the suggested guidelines set by the collectors and some just plain prostelized.
Obviously, I’ve mixed feelings here.
This book is full of suggested reads (I appreciate) and opinions by noted authors as to gifting books. Some hit the mark some didn’t really follow the suggested guidelines set by the collectors and some just plain prostelized.
Obviously, I’ve mixed feelings here.
October 31, 2021
4.5 stars.
5-stars for the spirit and motivation behind this collection of essays. 4-stars for the content itself - most of the essays here are beautifully relatable, while a few missed the mark a bit for me. One thing's for sure though, these authors can write! And there are so many recommended titles that I've not even heard of which only made me want to read even more diversely.
5-stars for the spirit and motivation behind this collection of essays. 4-stars for the content itself - most of the essays here are beautifully relatable, while a few missed the mark a bit for me. One thing's for sure though, these authors can write! And there are so many recommended titles that I've not even heard of which only made me want to read even more diversely.
January 4, 2021
I don't know where to begin. This collection of essays was just heartwarming. The passion for books and the written word bleeds from every page. It makes me want to drop all my responsibilities and just read all day. It made me long for hours of reading sessions in a cozy cafe or an old library.
A lot of essays made me think of my own connection to books looking back on the defining books that shaped me as a reader, writer, and human being. I take so much away from this: many book recommendations, a sense of calmness, and an ever growing love for books and the gift they are to our lives.
If you could give one book to a friend, a family member, a partner - which would it be?
A lot of essays made me think of my own connection to books looking back on the defining books that shaped me as a reader, writer, and human being. I take so much away from this: many book recommendations, a sense of calmness, and an ever growing love for books and the gift they are to our lives.
If you could give one book to a friend, a family member, a partner - which would it be?
January 10, 2021
A Book Group choice by a fellow member for January as she felt we all needed a positive read while in our 3rd lockdown - a wise choice. An anthology by authors expressing their feelings about books as gifts. Some authors are unknown to me (but not for long) as well as familiar ones. Some essays more interesting than others. My book list has grown yet again. Profits go to my favourite charity - Room to Read. I use to raise money when I was in another Book Group in another country specifically for the education of girls in Nepal via this charity. . If you love books and reading you should enjoy this book.
November 16, 2020
This will be a short review.
I liked this book a lot. Each writer's hymn to the joys of reading is different. Each is interesting in its own way. The way reading weaves in with their own lives or the lives of others.
It also provides more suggestions for reading too.
So, I suspect if you have a reader in your life or you are a reader - which being that you're on Good Reads seems to be a given - this might make a good gift. In a good cause too.
I liked this book a lot. Each writer's hymn to the joys of reading is different. Each is interesting in its own way. The way reading weaves in with their own lives or the lives of others.
It also provides more suggestions for reading too.
So, I suspect if you have a reader in your life or you are a reader - which being that you're on Good Reads seems to be a given - this might make a good gift. In a good cause too.
January 18, 2021
This is lovely. So many of these 'compendium' books are just full of essays from self satisfied writers, illuminating their own triumphs and testaments about books. But this one really pulls out what it is that we ( yes, ordinary readers) enjoy about particularly sharing books, gifting books and what those books give us back, and why the process of reading is so wonderful. A great cast of contributors and a book I would hugely recommend to fellow reading enthusiasts.
December 2, 2020
For book lovers each vignette is a reminder of why we fell and how much they have given us. What’s wonderful about these stories are the different angles from each wonderful author and the recommendations of favorite books at each chapter end. Most importantly, the book sales go to Room to Read to purchase more books for kids in need. A wonderful circle of sharing one of life’s great pleasures.
September 13, 2021
Gorgeous book and wonderful essays on the many different gifts of reading.
I enjoyed learning about each author's memories of reading and what kind of books they like to gift to others. It was also wonderful to see their own cherished memories of their favorite books and the feelings these books evoked in them at such a young age.
I enjoyed learning about each author's memories of reading and what kind of books they like to gift to others. It was also wonderful to see their own cherished memories of their favorite books and the feelings these books evoked in them at such a young age.
February 17, 2021
This wonderful book contains 23 essays by writers as Roddy Doyle, Michael Ondaatje, Chigozie Obioma, Jancis Robinson and many others about the Joys of Reading, Giving and Receiving Books. It starts with the essay that was the inspiration for the whole book, The Gifts of Reading by Robert MacFarlane, that was first published as a Penguin mini-book in 2017 and of which I have given many away to friends and family. For every book sold 1.35 £ goes to Room to Read, a wonderful non-profit organisation that promotes reading by children in low-income countries.
23 writers write about what made them read (and/or write) or have donated essays they wrote for another occasion. Every one of them is a little pearl, a little dose of happiness in these difficult times. For the reader and booklover it is full of titles (we never have enough books !) and the authors were so nice as to give in the end of the book the titles of the 5 books they give most as gifts to other people. That in itself is a great gift.
After reading MacFarlane’s essay I started buying copies of books I loved when priced off or second-hand and in a good state, and now have the habit of giving them away. I can now confirm that one of the easiest ways to get happy is to give. But don’t wait for me to give you this one: you should buy this one, now ! It’s the best advise I can give you if you love books.
23 writers write about what made them read (and/or write) or have donated essays they wrote for another occasion. Every one of them is a little pearl, a little dose of happiness in these difficult times. For the reader and booklover it is full of titles (we never have enough books !) and the authors were so nice as to give in the end of the book the titles of the 5 books they give most as gifts to other people. That in itself is a great gift.
After reading MacFarlane’s essay I started buying copies of books I loved when priced off or second-hand and in a good state, and now have the habit of giving them away. I can now confirm that one of the easiest ways to get happy is to give. But don’t wait for me to give you this one: you should buy this one, now ! It’s the best advise I can give you if you love books.
January 13, 2021
Absolutely beautiful. Reignited my love of reading and words. Joyous to read 💌
June 9, 2024
In some places interesting and insightful, but in many places this felt limited by its own nature. This series of essays about the joy of reading and of giving/receiving books had some contributions which stood out, but in truth these were mostly those which dealt less with the remit (Jan Morris' essay on reporting Hillary and Tenzing's ascent of Everest) or took a different approach to the question (David Pilling's 'The man I was').
Several of the others felt a touch similar. You ask umpteen authors, no matter how international and varied their backgrounds, to talk about books and reading and you're going to get some commonality in what is said. Consequently, whether they were talking about the joy of reading as a child in some far flung developing world, finding their calling as a young adult, or looking back on a life in books.. it was narrow. Frequently too I felt there was a sense of humblebrag, for all the good the non-profit Room to Read does, esp. in the case of Robert MacFarlane who irritates me a touch.
Several of the others felt a touch similar. You ask umpteen authors, no matter how international and varied their backgrounds, to talk about books and reading and you're going to get some commonality in what is said. Consequently, whether they were talking about the joy of reading as a child in some far flung developing world, finding their calling as a young adult, or looking back on a life in books.. it was narrow. Frequently too I felt there was a sense of humblebrag, for all the good the non-profit Room to Read does, esp. in the case of Robert MacFarlane who irritates me a touch.
February 26, 2025
A collection of essays from various authors speaking on the importance of books and reading in their life and their suggestions for the 5 books they would gift. There are many quotable sections , such as a passage on he importance of libraries that rang so true for me. I will now have to research the list of books suggested by each author. Books are truly the best gift.
December 17, 2020
There were some good, some okay, some boredom, some funny and some wonderful gems in this collection of essays from the founders of Room to Read about the gifts of reading - literally - not just about reading and books, but the act of giving books - the who, what, where, why and how the authors have gone about it. I tend to be a bit of a fussy reader, and a hoarder of books, so giving ones I've read is really hard, especially if I own them, but I'll recommended a thousand, no probs. I do give book vouchers though, as I believe in the browsing and picking up something that looks, feels 9and yes, even smells) great, whether the cover attracts you, the title intrigues you or the blurb says it all. But in all this, the point is to read, have others read, and as a librarian, it's the best part of my job to watch a kid's eyes light up when they choose a book, or tell you all about it. So read.
"This is what children's literature is all about. It can express the biggest ideas in forms so beautifully simple that anyone can not only grasp them, but come to live by them, because they take up residence at your very core. What an extraordinary set of gifts to give a person" ~ SF Said
"This is what children's literature is all about. It can express the biggest ideas in forms so beautifully simple that anyone can not only grasp them, but come to live by them, because they take up residence at your very core. What an extraordinary set of gifts to give a person" ~ SF Said
November 20, 2021
This collection of essays are beautiful reminders of the love and wonder held in books and the giving of books. That for many of us stories unite us and expose us. Book gifting is like giving peices of ourselves, to connect, to say, "this is me," or "I see you in this." These essays reminded me of why I love to read, and to cherish the gift of literacy and pass it on to future children, to my local community by supporting libraries and bookstores (but more importantly libraries and librarians), and the world wide community through organizations like Room to Read.
I would highly recommend gifting this book to the avid readers in your life.
I would highly recommend gifting this book to the avid readers in your life.
April 19, 2021
This book is a beautiful collection of memories, stories, essays on the love of books. Not only reading them, but too gifting or receiving them. Some essays resonated deeply within me, but all of them were interesting. I especially liked getting a glimpse of what kind of books shaped an author, and reading which books were gifted most often.
November 29, 2020
This book is wrapped-in-a-fluffy-blanket-sipping-a-hot-cup-of-tea-on-a-blustery-rainy-day kind of comforting. Just absolutely lovely.
May 9, 2022
rounding this up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. i have been thinking about this book a lot after devouring it in one sitting this morning. 😭 i truly have no words...i guess i just really dont know what my life would be without books......😭
since its a collection of essays, there were a few parts that didnt really get my fullest attention. but overall its still such a perfect book for book lovers, pick it up if you just wanna feel emo over books. 📕😭📗😭📘😭📙
it also made me feel nothing but truly grateful to be at where i am now even though life can be so difficult. :') "it wasnt just escaping into the world of a book, it was going to a place where i could be surrounded by the things i loved the most". 📚💚🌱
"in a way, i think i gift myself books. i love going to bookshops, browsing the shelves and taking it all in. i love looking at the little handwritten notes in which booksellers tell us, the readers, just what they loved about a certain title. one of my greatest satisfactions in life is leaving a bookshop with a fresh, crisp book (or two, three, sometimes even six) packed tightly in a tote bag. i dont really have any vices but buying books is probably my most serious addiction. my TBR is shocking but sometimes i buy a book just because i love the way it feels in my hands". 📚✨
since its a collection of essays, there were a few parts that didnt really get my fullest attention. but overall its still such a perfect book for book lovers, pick it up if you just wanna feel emo over books. 📕😭📗😭📘😭📙
it also made me feel nothing but truly grateful to be at where i am now even though life can be so difficult. :') "it wasnt just escaping into the world of a book, it was going to a place where i could be surrounded by the things i loved the most". 📚💚🌱
"in a way, i think i gift myself books. i love going to bookshops, browsing the shelves and taking it all in. i love looking at the little handwritten notes in which booksellers tell us, the readers, just what they loved about a certain title. one of my greatest satisfactions in life is leaving a bookshop with a fresh, crisp book (or two, three, sometimes even six) packed tightly in a tote bag. i dont really have any vices but buying books is probably my most serious addiction. my TBR is shocking but sometimes i buy a book just because i love the way it feels in my hands". 📚✨
August 21, 2022
Beautifully written essays, with each author taking their own unique approach to the topic. I loved that there was a section for the authors to put the books which they recommend/gift to people in their lives.
Nothing compare to reading a good book 😃📚
Nothing compare to reading a good book 😃📚
November 27, 2021
listen. this book was great. but it left me waiting for more, and was défini hard to finish — i got bored not even halfway through. breaks my heart to dislike it :(
July 30, 2022
A lovely, heartfelt collection of essays on what it is to read. I found these essays to be wonderful, deeply personal reminders of the joy that is found in simply being.
November 17, 2025
Escribiendo una review retrospectiva porque me he acordado de estos ensayos maravillosos.
“The gift of a book is both a covert search for a like-minded intellect and soul and a curious act of wooing”
“The gift of a book is both a covert search for a like-minded intellect and soul and a curious act of wooing”
June 4, 2021
A thoroughly engaging book for someone who is not only a voracious reader but who has for years given books as gifts....
This collection of essays was an absorbing read from people who just LOVE books (and libraries).
This collection of essays was an absorbing read from people who just LOVE books (and libraries).
August 4, 2021
Worthwhile read
This was an interesting read that thanks to the recommendations and contributions of so many authors has increased my "Want to Read", library Hold, recently purchased, and read again lists which have grown substantially!
This was an interesting read that thanks to the recommendations and contributions of so many authors has increased my "Want to Read", library Hold, recently purchased, and read again lists which have grown substantially!
January 1, 2024
Good but quite repetitive and a little boring
August 6, 2025
The Gifts of Reading is a series of essays on reading, books, and the giving of books. Anyone who reads this book will probably find some favorite essays in the grouping. My favorites were Jan Morris' "'A gift of writing' - An outsider on Everest" and Madeleine Thien's "Spinoza's rooms".
Reading about books and reading tends to be interesting to me, but reading about giving books to others was more problematic. The writers in the anthology seemed to give books with little concern as to how they might be received. Perhaps that's how it works for authors of varying renown. People are happy to receive a book from an author (or, perhaps, that's just the impression that the authors have.) In my experience, the giving of books tends to be a crapshoot and the dice tend to roll snake eyes more often than not. I've given up trying to unravel the mystery of what book an individual might appreciate. Better to give a gift card to their favorite independent bookstore and let them do the choosing.
Reading about books and reading tends to be interesting to me, but reading about giving books to others was more problematic. The writers in the anthology seemed to give books with little concern as to how they might be received. Perhaps that's how it works for authors of varying renown. People are happy to receive a book from an author (or, perhaps, that's just the impression that the authors have.) In my experience, the giving of books tends to be a crapshoot and the dice tend to roll snake eyes more often than not. I've given up trying to unravel the mystery of what book an individual might appreciate. Better to give a gift card to their favorite independent bookstore and let them do the choosing.
November 16, 2022
Interesting essays about how different people view books and their connection with them. I always love reading different points of views and this is one of the ones I really enjoyed! It introduced me to different people and I ended up following some of the authors mentioned because I really liked their writing styles!
When I had the book, I aim to finish one essay every time I pick up this book. It started out great but have been a slog on some days. I haven't gotten the chance to re-read the book, but I look forward to re-discovering things I missed!
P.S. Take care not to jump into buying books without first vetting them first though! The enthusiasm of the authors are so contagious I sometimes bought the books without hesitation! There are actually a couple of books that missed the mark for me, for the time being. I'm sure I will be the right person to read those books some time in the future, just not now!
When I had the book, I aim to finish one essay every time I pick up this book. It started out great but have been a slog on some days. I haven't gotten the chance to re-read the book, but I look forward to re-discovering things I missed!
P.S. Take care not to jump into buying books without first vetting them first though! The enthusiasm of the authors are so contagious I sometimes bought the books without hesitation! There are actually a couple of books that missed the mark for me, for the time being. I'm sure I will be the right person to read those books some time in the future, just not now!
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