About book Stop What You're Doing And Read This! (2011)
Even though I didn’t love this book, I think it’s unfair to give it a really bad review because I kinda knew that I wouldn't when I went in to it. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I was hoping that I could use this book to branch out of my comfort zone but, sadly, it’s plopped me right back into it.This book includes 10 essays from different authors. My favourite essays were that of Tim Parks (Mindful Reading) and Mark Haddon (The Right Words in the Right Order). The voices of these authors were my favourite and they covered very accessible topics. These two essays alone made it a decent read overall.The problem with this book was it’s surprisingly narrow view of reading. This book would be very suited to a lover of classics, or an English Literature student/teacher. The writing was absolutely lovely, but it wasn’t accessible to a wide audience. You know that (poisonous) idea that certain types of books aren’t ‘real’ books or that the people who read them aren’t ‘really reading'? That idea was hinted in this book a lot. Not in what was written, as such, but in what wasn’t written. It barely touched on the vastness that is literature. I would have preferred this book if there were a wider range of narrators, not just professors and authors of ‘high esteem’.Another little annoyance: it talked a lot of books that I hadn’t read (but the authors assumed I had), did way too much name dropping and included literary analysis that I had no interest in reading.The concept of this book alone pulled me through and made me give it a chance. I related to many of the author's views of reading and found myself going "you think that too?!" frequently. The ideas covered in each essay were mostly great ideas. It was the essays themselves that were too dull to keep me engaged.If you like reading about books, or you like short essays and can handle this sort of 'purist’ attitude to reading, you’ll really like this. Unfortunately, it didn’t suit me. I have been trying to get back into reading like I used to, and this was just the right book to kick in inspiration. The way it weaved in perspectives on reading/literature from various fields (from literary scholars to scientists and technologists) made it an interesting read all along. Being unable to find contemporary authors whose work I'd enjoy, this book is a good exposure to some of today's leading authors (mostly UK-based).
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This is a really nice book. I especially liked Jeanette Winterson's essay. Highly recommended.
—Ithaedral
Beautifully well-written essays from some of the most amazing and inspirational authors.
—Breeze601
I didn't need any more convincing about the joy of reading but loved it anyway.
—Charity
