This is an academic book that deserves to be consulted on more than one occasion. It was not what I expected and yet it was of great interest to me.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read it before publication.

Ultimately, I found this to be of very little interest and of no real practical use. I did not find the style engaging. I would not recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academy for the opportunity to review this book. How to Read Like a Writer was very informative. As an English language learner, I learned so much from this book. It was easy to read and easy to understand. Well-written book, that I think will be helpful for others.

How to Read Like a Writer is a critical writing course in book form, written and collated by Erin M. Pushman. Released 13th Jan 2022 by Bloomsbury Academic, it's 216 pages and is available in hardback, and ebook formats,with a paperback edition out in Feb 2022. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function. The interactive format in this case rendered the read much more accessible and comprehensible for me. Special concepts and references are hyperlinked in the text making it simple to click back and forth without losing one's place.

This is set up as a critical reading/writing course in book form. The 10 chapters provide reading examples with questions and discussion prompts to allow the student to evaluate and analyze particular salient points concerning: genre, inter-genre works, short forms and digital media, plot, structure, character, point of view, setting, scene, and language.

As a reader who spends a lot of time reading for critical analysis and review, there were a lot of valuable salient points offered here. It is an information dense and academic look at literature analysis and students in secondary and post-secondary studies will find it useful. The writing is dry and precise but quite accessible and not couched in overly convoluted or academic obfuscation. I didn't have any trouble figuring out the point of the exercises or prompts. Some of the choices for reading excerpts were odd for the points which they were supposed to illuminate - but overall the book is a good resource.

It would make a good choice as an adjunct text for literature studies as well as for the writer's home reference library.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

An interesting insight into how writers read books. This has definitely changed how I myself read and enhanced my experience as a reader.

This book was a wonderful insight into elevating my reading experience. For fellow book reviewers like me, this is a great help for really getting the most out of a book to make my reviews just that little bit more insightful! I can't wait to get started on my next read so I can apply everything I learnt.

need this book in my life. thank you. especially since i'm writing my own stories. it helps bring out the details so much and has helped me think of things that didnt even occur to me.

This book basically seems like reading comprehension from primary school but with a different explanation for why you are doing it. Some of the examples and exercises are pretty good, and the general premise may be useful for some people. Personally I think it just made me realise I often read like this anyway. This could be useful to people who want to learn to focus more on what they are reading.

I think "How to Read Like a Writer" was a little less accessible than I expected it to be. While I really did appreciate Pushman's advice and information, it did feel a little bogged down and academic when I was hoping for an easier read. I would return to it if I wanted to spend more time taking in the information and taking notes, but that isn't a read I typically want—and I know there are other books out there of the same topic that are less "heavy."

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this ARC.

Interesting and informative. I am a avid reader and this will help me to take a more critical look at a story. The only thing I didn’t really like was that same example stories were used in each chapter. I understand why, but it felt a bit repetitive.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Premier exegesis of English literature, especially the canonical variety, tends also to resonate philosophically or aesthetically. Through expert explanation, a framework for understanding the meaning and beauty of literature is erected. The magisterium of the painted word is revealed. This is true even in mundane pedagogical contexts. At the very least, such attempts to dissect literature should precisely and propulsively guide expert and novice readers alike through the land of language.

Erin Pushman's <i>How to Read Like a Write</i> is a desultory effort - poorly organized and tediously written. Pushman ties herself in circles with her own reasoning, muddling through basic aspects of literature without substantially providing practical guidance towards the titular aim. The book has left me decidedly puzzled. Who exactly is the target audience? Mommy bloggers with a penchant for penning experimental literature with predictably breathy pseudoprofundity? Or young, precocious autodidacts?

I don't want to ridicule <i>How to Read Like a Write</i> too harshly (I typically really enjoy primers on literature even simplistic ones), but I felt the book as currently constituted is at best a rough draft. It is in desperate need of substantial editing. It also needs to be built around better source readings. The chosen reading material is almost invariably unremarkable. I cannot recommend it.

I wanted to read this book with the intention of reading future books with a critical and writer’s eye. I love to read and to review books and have wanted to dabble in writing for some years now and this book gave an excellent insight on how to do both. The examples and writing style of the author provided a good base, along with excellent creative writing prompts, to propel the reader into the mindset of an author. I’ve taken wonderful notes and will apply what I’ve learned.

This book is a FANTASTIC reference for people who are or want to become writers. The author is very knowledgeable about all things writing and reading, and is able to distill that knowledge to the reader in a way that doesn't make you feel stupid for not knowing it ahead of time. The tips and tricks, the exercises, the writing excerpts - everything in this book is great at making the reader exponentially better at reading and writing. Highly recommend this book if you're looking to improve your skills as a writer.

There are a lot of books out there to make you a better writer, and I am glad of this book's premise, that you should read many other works (not just "how to be a writer" books!) to develop your own style and abilities. It focuses a lot on the "how" of other writers' works, less so on the "why"--the aesthetic effect. It also uses examples from a wide range of writers, some of whom, er, maybe just aren't the most skilled writers, so it isn't always helpful. There are at least a couple of other books out there that accomplish what this book sets out to do, so you have options. But if you like an academic approach that follows a thematic arrangement. this book may be your cup of tea.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book because, like many others, I believe that in order to be a good writer, you have to read. I won't dictate in what way or how much, but I'd say that reading plenty could be the key. I didn't expect, however, that this "self-help" work would be shaped like a manual. That fact alone really dimmed down any urge I had to even pick up the book in the first place. I'm a student, I do a lot of readings in my daily basis, and although the character of this one was clearly stated in the synopsis, it still didn't expose itself fully as some sort of academic read.

Some parts felt interesting, and I even liked the idea of adding various examples, exercises and prompts. Still, it wasn't what I was picturing or looking for. It could be perfect if you have plenty of time and headspace to fully dedicate yourself and dive into it, but I wouldn't recommend this book if you were looking for something more casual.

Useful resource to learn strategies for critical reading across 10 steps. Some of it is common sense, but lots of useful strategies, too. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

How to Read Like a Writer is a great succinct guide to open any reader up to the basic thought process of writer’s craft. Note for teachers the example stories are not kid friendly.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Quite a brave statement to name your book 'How to read like a writer, I did analytical reading at university, so I get where the author is coming from, trouble is it does tend to spoil your reading experience. Still an informative read.

I learned so much about writing from this thoughtful well written guide.Like anyone else dreaming of becoming an author I really value books that shares techniques that will help me reach my goal this book was excellent.#netgalley #bloomsburyacademic

I requested this book because (a) it has a fantastic cover, and (b) the title reminded me of Francine Prose’s ‘Reading Like a Writer,’ which I enjoyed and found extremely helpful, especially in terms of self-editing. I wanted to compare the two books, to see what new information was on offer here.

The “new” is that the book goes beyond discussion of stories and novels to include creative non-fiction, graphic novels, etc. Some of the exercises are useful, but they are, in the most part, not much different from those contained in other writing craft books.

Also, taking the book on its face, reading it as a writer, I spent a lot of time evaluating whether or not the information was conveyed clearly and in a way that made me want to keep reading/learning from it.
“How to Read like a Writer” isn’t a bad book, by any means, but it feels both over-broad and generic at the same time.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley/Bloomsbury Academic in exchange for an unbiased review.