Fave Books About Books

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is My Favorite Books in whichever genre I choose. I choose Books About Books, because it really is my favorite genre. I could do lots of other ones, and there probably will be no surprises in this list. It's comforting for me to think about these books, and with my current state of upheaval with reading I need comfort.

1. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs - This is definitely no surprise as I reference this book at least once a month. This is my reading bible and I should probably read it again very soon, since I am having so much difficulty.

2. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - Here's another no-brainer. This whole series is wonderful and I feel like there should be another one. I like to go back through these books and mark the books I've read since the last time I went through it. Hey! That's a thing I can do that makes it look like I'm reading, when I'm actually not.

3. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch - The author was very close to her sister and they often read books together. After her sister died, the author decided to read a book a day for one year. She set up a reading place in a little-used room and put an old purple chair in it. She had the full support of her husband on this venture, and she pulled it off! This book is the story of that year.

4. The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma - So many books with death! In this one, the author's mother died when she was 12 and her father promised to read at least 20 minutes a day with Alice until she left for college. This book is about how he made that happen and what it meant for her life.

5. The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud - This is basically a guide to using reading to fix all your problems. Got a cold? Read. Broke up? Read. It basically recommends books for every situation.

6. All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith - I promise it's the only Austen book on the list, although I definitely could have added more. The author spent a year holding book club meetings in various South American countries to see how Austen holds up in other cultures. It was fascinating.

7. Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi - This book is dense! The author was a college professor in Iran when the revolution took over. She refused to cover her hair, so she was fired. She continued to hold book discussions in her home with some of the girls from her class. It's terrifying and intriguing. But their discussions are intense!

8. How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster - This is a fun book that gives you cues to interpreting fiction in ways that will impress your friends and teachers.

9. I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan - I can relate.

10. Thug Notes by Sparky Sweets, PhD - And of course, we have this gem. I love it.

What are your favorites?