Dear Reader; The Comfort and Joy of Books, Cathy Rentzenbrink

'Reading built me and always has the power to put me back together again.'

In this book Cathy talks of how her love of reading has shaped her life. She takes us through her childhood, family tragedy, her working life and her journey to become an author herself. Her experiences and the books she loved at each stage in her life shaped the person she is today.

I struggled to get into this book at the beginning but the more I read the more I wanted to read. It reminded me of books I loved as a child and want to go back and reread now as an adult and added many more to my TBR list.

Cathy has many insightful observations about our relationships with books which any reader can relate to. 'It is part of the great magic of books that they reveal more aspects of themselves as we grow into them.' She talks of books she's always loved, books she fell out of love with and books she's recommended to others. As a booklover, bookseller and author Cathy really understands the relationship readers have with books and I really enjoyed the sections where she spoke of her work in bookshops.

This book is great for anyone who loves to read, its engaging and accessible. It discuses books and reading without judgment.

Gorgeous writing about the magic of reading, the way it helps us to grow, teaches empathy, and builds community. Part-memoir, part bibliography of Rentzenbrink's favourite and most affecting books from over the years, this is the perfect book for book-lovers.

I loved this book, a gentle and beautifully written memoir interspersed with great book recommendations. I found it fascinating to read more about what it’s really like to be a bookseller, a job I’ve always wanted to know more about. It was interesting to read about how the author’s career developed. Reading it has given me a sense of calm and topped up my “to read” book list. A quote from the section where the author is working in prisons has really stayed with me; “I wanted them to know the mind-expanding privilege of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, of being able to turn a page and be transported to another world.” I will look up other books Rentzenbrink has written and now I will recommend Dear Reader to my friends.

A truly delightful memoir. I always feel so understood when I read books about reading, and this one was no exception. Books truly can change your life!

Or Dear Writer, thank you.
We are completely taken into Cathy's magical world of the joy of books.
Engrossing, delightful, intriguing and honest.
From the first books that she reads through to biographies, books about loss and grieving each one mentioned had me searching for it and except for the ones I had read adding them to my wish list.
If you are excited by books, new, old, books in series this is for you.
I identified closely with Cathy, having worked in a library for most of my career, unpacking new books, the feel and smell, helping people to find books from scanty details and introducing .readers to my favourites.
Books help Cathy through the most difficult times in her life, offer advice and that much needed escapism..
Cazalet chronicles here I come.

*** ARC provided by Netgalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

I loved this book and quite clearly it was written for an audience, just like myself, who consider themselves book lovers. The subtitle of the book 'The Comfort and Joy of Books' quite accurately described how I felt reading this; reassured when an old favourite of mine is mentioned and revered and excited when a book is mentioned that I've never heard of/ If nothing else, this book has done wonders for my Goodreads to-read pile!

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who finds solace in books and I've immediately followed Cathy Rentenbrink on every platform I'm cool enough to be a part of and will be looking forward to her future releases.

This was pure bliss, an utter delight! I have never been so caught up in a non-fiction book, have never felt so engrossed by a rather unremarkable life story which is made extraordinary by the love of reading and the deep fondness for books. Every page allows the reader to experience the wonder, magic, desire, happiness, sadness, and greatness of reading. The whole book is a unique declaration of love, inspiring and uplifting.

Cathy Rentzenbrink’s writing centers around the way books have helped, guided, carried and accompanied her through her life, how reading has informed decisions and softened the tragedy of her personal story. I absolutely liked how she created connections between real life and fiction, how in retrospect, books found her or she found them at the right time. I also thoroughly enjoyed the look behind the scenes the author’s work experience as a bookseller provided, and the absolute honesty with which she addresses the moments in which she is “absent” from family life due to reading.

The author refers to some famous quotes by authors, but I liked it even better when she came up with some of her own memorable and notable insights on reading, the nature of books and life as a bibliophile. Her remarks and observations are spot on, I’ve jotted down quite a few.

Each chapter provides a themed reading list, which is thoughtfully put together and fits the preceding narrative well. It is fun to go through the lists and to discover how many of the titles one already knows and to mentally add more books.

I really loved and enjoyed “Dear Reader” and highly recommend this book. What’s not to like about a book that believes in Anne Shirley?

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is as much of a bookworm as I am.It’s a memoir, through books ,of the author‘s life as an avid reader,bookseller,author and reviewer,full of stories of the way that reading helped her to cope with the death of her beloved brother and her journey from bookseller to reading therapist working with prisoners and people who struggle to read.
As a former teacher and literacy development officer,I loved her passion for reading and her recognition of the difficulties faced by those who struggle with literacy.I was particularly interested in her involvement with Quick Reads after seeing for myself how successful these books were with adult readers who have problems with text.
As well as this, the book is full of recommendations,in categories ,of all sorts of reading material which I will definitely seek out.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

I whizzed through this book, it was so easy to get caught up in her endless enthusiasm for reading, books and the often dismissed but essential pleasure of re-reading books. I also enjoyed her stories of being a bookseller, as an ex-bookseller I could so relate, especially to tales of how surprisingly irate some people get in bookshops and for her expressing that what people really want in bookshops is someone with knowledge and enthusiasm to recommend something that they'll enjoy. There is also a lot about her life from the formative tragic loss of her brother and her relationships and miscarriage before she was able to have a child, to her work in prisons helping prisoners learn to read and fall in love with books, influenced by her own father's struggle with literacy.

Her writing style is very engaging, I wished sometimes that she would question some of the normative worlds that she found in books. At many points our reading journeys went in different directions but in childhood we were the same going from Enid Blyton to Agatha Christie which was fun to see. Although, I find those books almost impossible to revisit now my view of the world is broader and I don't think that's a bad thing, I like the new writers that I have discovered that would never have shown up in my little local library in Belfast. Overall Cathy Rentzenbrink's enthusiasm for reading and books is captivating and I recommend this book for anyone who feels the same.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Cathy Rentzenbrink for my copy. I really loved this book - such an honest, heartfelt and passionate account of reading and being a book lover. I love the various observations Cathy makes on books, grief, life and the absolute joy of reading. I was so happy to discover another person who doesn't like TV - hurrah for books over TV any day! Such a fabulous book.

My thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of “Dear Reader” for an honest review.

I loved this book. And cannot recommend it highly enough!
I have worked in libraries for 40 years and have found great comfort in books and visiting bookshops.
This was a real love letter to reading and I loved the passion that Cathy Rentzenbrink brought to every page..I have a couple of books on my list of ‘To read’ next’ from her recommendations , and I will be recommending this book as a must read to my fellow readers.

This beautiful book is perfect for anyone who looks books. Full of stories about stories, it is utterly enchanting, with a real feeling of coming home, and reading the words of a kindred soul.

Dear Reader – Cathy Rentzenbrick

If ever we needed a book to wrap ourselves up in and seek comfort through dark times, then this is it.
Dear Reader is a wonderful exploration of how books can help you escape the bad times and embrace the good times. As the author says,
'Reading has saved my life, again and again, and has held my hand through every difficult time'

This book is part memoir and part a glorious list of reading recommendations. Thanks to Cathy’s book descriptions, I found myself ticking off those books I had read, those I planned to read again, and those I had never come across before, but now plan to read. (note to ed, it would have been great to have had a list of the books Cathy mentions at the end of the book.)
Cathy Rentzenbrink takes us through the ups and downs of her life through books, showing us how, for as long as she can remember, she has lost and found herself in stories. Dealing with tragedy, it was books that kept her going and led to a career first as a bookseller and then as a writer.

Dear Reader is a love letter to reading and a moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life. It feels just like a friendly chat from one book lover to another. Like Cathy, I fell in love with books at a young age and remember hiding under the blankets reading a book by torchlight late at night. And like Cathy I have turned to books for comfort and understanding throughout my life.
So, however you are feeling right now, get yourself a copy of the book and a mug of tea and dive in for a warm, comforting and delightful literary journey that will not only bring you joy, but will also give you a highly recommended reading list that should see us through lockdown and beyond.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was really intrigued about the concept of Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink and was delighted when i got an early copy to read and review via #NetGalley. I really wasn't sure what to think when I began reading it though. I think I was a little frustrated that there wasn't more on each one of the fabulous books she mentions. I can now see that wasn't the point and that it is a bonus because it has made we want to read or re-read so many books.
It is basically the author's memoir, but focused on what books she was reading and when. It covers her childhood and the death of her brother, which was incredibly moving, and her young adult life. Books have been incredibly important to her and she has woven her short reviews into her own journey. It is well done and interesting.
I don't think it helped reading this before completion/publication and on Kindle as I got the impression it is probably a beautiful book in the flesh. I intend to go into a bookshop to see it. While I am there I will be buying a copy and my friend Anna is going to be getting it for her birthday.
Thank you to the author, the publishers and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this charming and touching book.
Now I am off to read Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively - her favourite book.

I’m a sucker for book and reading memoirs (bibliomemoirs?) so it’s no surprise that I loved this. Cathy Rentzenbrink takes you through her shelves, from childhood to adulthood, first reads and rereads, as she tells about her life with and around books. It’s gorgeous and a wonderful nod to the life-saving magic of reading.

I devoured it in two sittings and can't recommend it enough for fans of The Diary of a Bookseller and The Year of Reading Dangerously.

In Dear Reader, Cathy Rentzenbrink writes about her life with books, intertwining autobiography with lists of books that she loves in particular biographical categories. She is a very charming and down-to-earth writer, really honest about her struggles to become a writer and her career ups and downs.

And yet, for me the format of the book didn't quite work. The autobiographical aspects of the book are the most captivating. I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her dad and I would have enjoyed reading more about this, and the dynamic between her parents. I understand she has written about her family before, so perhaps she didn't want to retread old ground, but I felt the autobiography needed more depth.

The other part of 'Dear Reader' is the exploration of different books loved by the author. There is a short description, like a plot synopsis, for each book, along with a sentence or two about why the author likes it. It reminded me a little of something like Lucy Mangan's Bookworm, but it tries to cover a lot more ground, with six or so different books per chapter. It doesn't quite work - it feels like an unsatisfactory half way house between a real exploration of particular works and a basic list of titles - and there isn't really much genuine exploration of any particular novel or the role it has played in the author's life. However, as an autobiography of an avid reader, I did enjoy it.

Cathy Rentzenbrink fell in love with reading at an early age and spent much of her childhood and adolescence with her nose in a book. When her life was upended by tragedy, reading was the raft she clung to. Books helped Cathy find consolation, and eventually led her on a new path - first as a bookseller, and then as an author.
In this moving, funny, comforting and inspiring memoir, Cathy shares the story of her lifelong love-affair with reading and introduces the books that shaped her.

Give me a book about books and love of the written word any day and you'll find, like most bibliophiles, I will devour it and then regret not savouring it more. This part memoir, part homage to the books that shaped her as a girl in her formative years, is a captivating and engrossing read from start to finish. It's beautifully written and relatable as she explains how reading helped her overcome adversity and devastating incidents in her life.

She also gives recommendations based on a particular theme which I found interesting and many of them were added to my already mountainous TBR pile. A perfect escape from the reality happening outside our doors right now, let Cathy whisk you away on an enchanting and immersive journey of quiet contemplation and one full of reflection, nostalgia and soul-searching. This is the ideal gift for a bookworm and reminds us all that in times of crisis, books will always be there to provide relief through the power of their words. Many thanks to Picador for an ARC.

Ode To A Book..
A love affair with books, reading, literature. A beautifully written memoir of the ways in which books can change, influence and, indeed, save your life. Perfectly relatable on every level this is a delight. For every reader, bibliophile, book lover, everyone, everywhere. Joyous.

I LOVE reading books about books, but they’re usually fiction titles so I was quite intrigued by this - and what a gem it is!

Dear Reader is a literary memoir that begins with the author arranging her bookshelf in chronological order of reading (now that’s something different!) and it’s how we’re taken on a very bookish journey through life. Besides offering a wonderful reading list with every chapter and stage from childhood to current times, Rentz highlights the absolute power and necessity of reading; how it can be a source of comfort, inspiration and healing amongst other things.

Reading about her experiences working as a bookseller, especially her time at Harrod’s, was fascinating and like an exclusive sneak peak at what really goes on in those magical worlds of books. .

A friendly, encouraging ode to all sorts of readers, thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

What an absolute delight of a book. I will be buying this for all of my fellow bookworm friends that understand the joy and comfort to be found from opening a book.

Cathy Rentzenbrink captures the essence of why reading and books are a huge part of people's lives. In this book it feels as if she is talking directly to you, opening up the conversation and sharing how much she values the written word. The recommendations she gives come with explanation and it was an honour getting to know the author through her stories and those she has read. This book is wonderful.

Thank you for much for the ARC.