One for the Books
-
-
4.8 • 4 Ratings
-
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
One of America’s leading humorists and author of the bestseller Closing Time examines his own obsession with books
Joe 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Humorist Queenan's (Closing Time: A Memoir) mordantly funny reflections on his relationships with books will resonate with many avid readers, particularly those burdened by guilt over the number of Great Books they never managed to complete. Many pages display his brilliant wit: "I do not listen to audiobooks, for the same reason that I do not listen to baked ziti; it lacks the personal touch." But woven around these one-liners are thoughtful musings on the importance of books in the author's life, including touching anecdotes about projects such as his effort to check out library books that no one has borrowed for five years in order to save the books from disposal. Among the book's highlights is Queenan's deft savaging of the sometimes banal "Questions for Discussion" that appear in the reading guides included in books.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyable and often hilariously funny
A thoroughly enjoyable and often hilariously funny read, particularly if you are a fan of reading fiction. I was even inspired by Mr. Queenan's practice of simultaneously reading 30 or so books to try it myself. So I am now a prisoner of my books, a sentence I am serving gladly.
A Book for Book Readers
As someone who has read books for most of his life it is hard not to enjoy this book. At times serious and funny, it chronicles Queenan's life-long love affair with books. I wish I was as well read as he is but also question some of his reading choices, i.e., are many of these books that the general public would enjoy? He also states he has read primarily fiction which is hard to understand for such an historically astute journalist. This book, like his others, provides plenty of laughs while providing keen insight into the world & people around us...EAF