Dear Reader

The Comfort and Joy of Books

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Dear Reader

By: Cathy Rentzenbrink

Narrated by: Cathy Rentzenbrink

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About this listen

'I loved this book . . . I’m so desperate for you all to share in its wonder' - Elizabeth Day, author of How To Fail.

Dear Reader is a moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.

For as long as she can remember, Cathy Rentzenbrink has lost and found herself in stories. Growing up she was rarely seen without her nose in a book and read in secret long after lights out. When tragedy struck, books kept her afloat. Eventually they lit the way to a new path, first as a bookseller and then as a writer. No matter what the future holds, reading will always help.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Act of Love.

'A love letter to stories and reading . . . a book to cherish' - Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina

Cathy RentzenbrinkCathy RentzenbrinkPicador

Art & Literature

Authors

Grief & Loss

Literary History & Criticism

Personal Development

Relationships

Funny

Art & Literature Authors Grief & Loss Literary History & Criticism Personal Development Relationships Funny

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Critic reviews

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. I’ve just turned the final page with tears in my eyes, and like all the best things, I’m so desperate for you all to share in its wonder . . . if you love books or if you need companionship during a difficult patch in your life or if you simply want to be taken by the hand by a writer who is kind, wise, funny, generous, insightful and profound, then this is the book for you (Elizabeth Day)

Dear Reader celebrates reading as a means of connection and a vehicle for escapism. It’s a heartfelt reminder that, for all the wholesome effects that reading arguably has, the first reason to do it is for pleasure. Fittingly, Dear Reader is a pleasure to read

Dear Reader is a love letter to stories and reading from one of our very best memoirists. Joyful, poignant and essential reading for people who love books . . . it is a book to cherish (Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina)

I will never, ever forget the way Dear Reader made me feel: it is profoundly tender, generous, joy-filled, love-filled and compassionate. I have read so many wonderful books this year but this is the one I would buy and give away to everyone in the world if I could (Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown-Up)

Beautifully written and a joy to read, Dear Reader is a best friend of a book. Comforting and wise, and with lists of books to read, or read again, I highly recommend buying it as a present for someone you love (AJ Pearce, Sunday Times bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird)

Comfort reading has been to the fore lately, and you'll find it in abundance in this joyous memoir of a life immersed in the pleasures and consolations of books by the author of The Last Act of Love . . . It's chock-full of Rentzenbrink's splendid reading recommendations, from "Children's Books I Love to Reread" and books about "Bad Love", to "Posh People Behaving Badly" and "Helpful Non-Fiction", which her own book most certainly is (Caroline Sanderson)

Dear Reader restored my soul (Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton)

A companion for readers everywhere . . . intimate, kind and self-effacing, it feels like someone is sitting right next to you, holding your hand and sharing their secrets. I loved it (Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon)

Dear Reader is the best thing I’ve read for ages and it will stay with me forever. It is more than a book about books, it is a book about life . . . reading Dear Reader feels like going to a terrific party, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones too (Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will be Glad That You Did))

Most relevant

A firm favourite for memoirists and those who love reading books and books about books. Cathy narrates the book so well; I could listen to her reading all day. She wraps her life, her favourite books and how to get you reading a wider range of fiction and non-fiction. I'll listen to her again and again.