"I'd Rather Be Reading" by Anne Bogel

I believe it was Mel at Stirrup Queens who first piqued my interest in Modern Mrs. Darcy by mentioning her (several times, I think) in her blog.  Eventually I clicked over & wound up adding MMD to my blog reader.  (MMD, whose name is actually Anne Bogel, also hosts a book-focused podcast called "What Should I Read Next?"  which I have yet to actually listen to, but have on my to-do-someday list.)

"I'd Rather Be Reading" is an extension of both the book and the podcast:  21 chapters/mini-essays about books and reading and loving both, and how to get more out of your reading life.  I love books of essays & short stories like this that you can dip in & out of at your leisure -- each essay/chapter complete in itself but thematically linked to the others.  Among the topics Bogel writes about:

• literary "sins"
• books that "find" you at just the right time in your life 
• books that break your heart 
• living next door to the local library 
• the book that hooked you on the power of story 
• bookshelf envy 
• books & real life 
• organizing your bookshelves
• being "book bossy" 
• familiar bookworm problems
• the readers we have been at different stages of our lives 
• reading deadlines 
• reading the author's acknowledgements 
• coming of age as a reader 
• being a bookseller (the fantasy vs the reality) 
• book twins 
• re-reading books 
• "book people" and bookstores 
• keeping a reading log 
• how our favourite books are windows to our soul 

If you love books and reading (as I do), you are bound to love this book.  My one caveat: when I finally found it at the bookstore, I was surprised at what a slender little volume it was. My sister saw the price tag on the back, & commented, "$18.49 (Canadian)(the U.S. price is $14.99) is a lot of money for such a little book!"  It kind of is -- although I did enjoy it thoroughly. :)  Maybe I just wished there was more of it to enjoy. :)

I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

This was the 27th & final book that I read in 2018. I surpassed my 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 24 books by 3 books, or 113%!  :)