One for the Books
One of America’s leading humorists and author of the bestseller Closing Time examines his own obsession with booksJoe Queenan became a voracious reader as a means of escape from a joyless childhood in a Philadelphia housing project. In the years since then he has dedicated himself to an...
show more
One of America’s leading humorists and author of the bestseller Closing Time examines his own obsession with booksJoe Queenan became a voracious reader as a means of escape from a joyless childhood in a Philadelphia housing project. In the years since then he has dedicated himself to an assortment of idiosyncratic reading challenges: spending a year reading only short books, spending a year reading books he always suspected he would hate, spending a year reading books he picked with his eyes closed.In One for the Books, Queenan tries to come to terms with his own eccentric reading style—how many more books will he have time to read in his lifetime? Why does he refuse to read books hailed by reviewers as “astonishing”? Why does he refuse to lend out books? Will he ever buy an e-book? Why does he habitually read thirty to forty books simultaneously? Why are there so many people to whom the above questions do not even matter—and what do they read? Acerbically funny yet passionate and oddly affectionate, One for the Books is a reading experience that true book lovers will find unforgettable.
show less
Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780670025824 (0670025828)
Publish date: October 25th 2012
Publisher: Viking Adult
Pages no: 256
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
Humor,
Autobiography,
Memoir,
Biography,
Writing,
Essays,
Language,
Literature,
Books About Books,
Literary Fiction,
Adult
In One for the Books, Queenan examines the entire culture of reading and what books really mean in people’s lives today. What does it suggest if a person has no books displayed in his living room? Can an obsession with reading prove detrimental to one’s well being? How useful are covers in selling b...
I am on a reading spree of books about books. After Michael Dirda's gentle paean to overlooked books, this was an abrupt shift. Joe Queenan is a little tough and very opinionated, but though our taste in books diverges wildly (he will not read any books where the main character attended prep school ...
Don’t you love books about books? I do. Books about books is my favorite genre. I love reading about reading. I’m a reader who loves to read about readers. I’m always searching the library shelves for books about libraries. I seek out bookstores where I can find books about bookstores.If you are lik...
I really liked this, but I'm not sure if I can explain why. I'm an avid reader, but we definitely don't read the same books. I have a nook; I don't write in books; I read science fiction and fantasy. I think he actually called me an idiot as well as implying that I don't love books, but I still enjo...
A most enjoyable memoir about books and reading. Perfect for fellow bibliophiles.