Bookish cover art

Bookish

How Reading Shapes Our Lives

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Bookish

By: Lucy Mangan
Narrated by: Lucy Mangan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A love letter to all those who come alive when they pull a new treasure off the shelf, stay up late reading just one more page and pack their suitcases with clothes wedged between books instead of the other way around.

From exploring the stacks as a student, to finding her feet as a bookseller-turned-journalist, falling for a fellow bookworm in an independent bookshop, escaping the doldrums of new motherhood and finally building a (book) room of her own, Bookish is the story of a life spent falling in love with reading. Bookworm author Lucy Mangan chronicles her years of buying, borrowing and hoarding everything from well-worn literary classics to steamy bonkbusters, gripping thrillers, young adult novels and other not-so-guilty pleasures.

Brimming with literary insights, wry observations and stellar recommendations, this book is an ode to the bookish places – from local libraries to bookstores big and small – and the stories that make us who we are.

'A bookworm's delight' Sara Collins | 'A gorgeous hug of a book – funny, warm and charming' Marian Keyes | 'Comforting, funny and moving' Sali Hughes | 'Lucy Mangan on books is like butter on toast: perfect' Caitlin Moran

© Lucy Mangan 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Art & Literature Authors Literary History & Criticism Women Funny

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Critic reviews

An affectionate, warm guide on the healing power of reading.
Comforting, funny and moving - Bookish is wonderful to curl up with on good days and bad.
A bookworm’s delight. A joyous whistle stop tour through some books I’ve loved all my life as well as books I discovered through reading it. I devoured this book.
Lucy Mangan on books is like butter on toast: perfect.
Such a gorgeous writer… Funny, warm and charming… A beautiful, warm, comic voice. If you’re a passionate reader, this book feels like the best conversation ever with another of your kind. I was engaged, comforted, educated (about SO much). I laughed, and wanted to be part of your family, and made lists of all the books I need to buy, and was very moved.
What Mangan does brilliantly is express the experience of reading and articulate the emotional connections we make with stories. She understands how books become entwined in our lives and help us make sense of the world.
An unabashed paean to the pleasure of acquiring more books than you could ever possibly read in your life… a whirlwind tour through her [Mangan’s] voracious, encyclopedic adult reading habit… This is a book by someone whom reading is life
Bookish… tackles the myriad complexities of adulthood…[Mangan] makes for a wonderfully incisive critic and can pick apart a George Orwell with the same perspicacity with which she can, say, a Jack Reacher, or the lesser-known Brontë sister, Anne
Readers won’t share all of Mangan’s preferences, but that’s part of the point – it’s enjoyable enough to eavesdrop on the pleasures of a committed bookworm… A book on books needs marginalia, and this one doesn’t disappoint
Brimful of recommendations, packed with insights and sprinkled with wry observations, Bookish is a delight
All stars
Most relevant
Loved every minute with Lucy! She’s wise, warm, idiosyncratic and hilarious! And she loves books, what’s not to love?!!

Loved it!

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This is the third book I have read by the author and each time I like her more .
I chose an audio book this time and I like her voice and reading style.
I am always happy when she mentioned a book I have loved and take note of others she has loved making sure they are added to my pile .
Note to author
Thank you for reminding me of Kate at One end street I am reading the books again now .

A wonderful review of all the good books and some great trashy ones

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This is just lovely. It's a comforting journey through the writer's reading life. It gives plenty of autobiographical detail to 'shape' a narrative. The writer is not a natural narrator, but I always enjoy hearing writers read their own work.

A wonderful escape into a bookworm's world

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I love LMs writing very much from the newspaper columns. I love the humour and fast delivery. However I slow the speaking pace down to savour every line.

Love the quick delivery and humour

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Maybe because Lucy and I aren’t miles apart in age, a lot of the titles discussed I read at a similar age and lots of memories resurrected.
Narration by the author gives an authenticity to the audiobook and sounds natural and conversational.

Loved it

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