Anyone who has ever loved a book will relish this playful, yet deeply literate collection of essays celebrating the joy of reading. From building castles with books as a child, to the trauma of joining her library with her husband's, the author reveals, with much warmth and humor, the intimate details of her lifelong affair with books. For Anne Fadiman, books are not built for function, and certainly not for decoration. They are close personal friends who never fail to delight and amaze.

Fadiman gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "reading for pleasure" with her lyrical descriptions of the range of emotions evoked by literary experiences. And being read to is one of the greatest pleasures of all, according to Fadiman. You will understand just what she means as you sit back and enjoy Suzanne Toren's delightful reading.

Ex Libris