This book is an absolute treasure, and must read for anyone who loves books. Rentzenbrink writes like a friend chatting to you about the books that have shaped her life, and I believe anyone who doesn’t consider themselves a reader may well be tempted after reading this.
I have read essays by authors in the past about books which have felt condescending and at times difficult to understand, but Rentzenbrink never does this. You can really see how important it is to her that no reader feel excluded - she mentions that books should be accessible to everyone regardless of education, and this is a perfect example. The writing is warm, friendly and open, and had me both smiling and crying - no doubt I will pick this book up again and again for comfort, like a favourite sweater.

Oh I loved this! It's a love letter to reading and books, but with critique and inspiring reading recommendations. Cathy writes warmly and I think anyone whose ideal afternoon involves coffee and bookshops would love this.

Part memoir and an exploration about how books can change the course of one's life and offer comfort and temporary escape during difficult times. The author offers recommendations of her favourite books. Touching when writing about her lifelong personal grief over the loss of her brother, mixed with a quiet humour when she talks about the people she has met through her love of books.

Many thanks to Picador Books and Netgalley.co.uk for my ARC.

This is a wonderful book for book lovers, readers. I loved it!
It will definitely grow your TBR pile.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Cathy Rentzenbrink’s Dear Reader is an absolute gem of a book, an absolute masterpiece which I enjoyed tremendously. I love books, I love reading and reading takes me to so many wonderful places that I have not visited and takes me to many worlds which never exist in real life. Books for me help me in so many different ways - they take you through every emotion possible. They provide help and they provide wisdom and knowledge. Books are steadfast and comforting and always with you whatever your situation, to pick up and take you to a completely different world.

Dear Reader shows Cathy Rentzenbrink's absolute love for everything about books ... owning them, holding them, reading them, working with them, talking about them and sharing her love and knowledge with everyone. Every bookshop needs a Cathy! Not that I do but no one would ever leave a bookshop empty handed if Cathy was working there - she has immense knowledge and love for books and her experience is amazing.

There are so many book recommendations that my TBR has grown considerably since reading Dear Reader! I have read quite a few of the books already talked about and it was lovely to have Cathy Rentzenbrink's insight into them and her passion shines through and through on every page. It was such a fascinating and awe-inspiring read and insight into Cathy Rentzenbrink's love of books and her life as a bookseller. A delightful memoir which I will pick up again and again to read Cathy Rentzenbrink's book recommendations! A book to treasure and keep forever.

Cathy Rentzenbrink’s ‘Dear Reader’ has been an absolute joy to read and I have loved every moment of it. It was a comforting and captivating read, and it certainly found me at the right time. While I often rush through books, ending them too quickly, I purposely slowed down while reading ‘Dear Reader’ wanting to cherish every word.

You can feel Cathy Rentzenbrink’s love for reading and books throughout each and every page of ‘Dear Reader’. It was heart-warming, this feeling of books speaking to some readers in such a manner, and I felt the instant kinship with the author since the very first page of ‘Dear Reader’.
Essentially the love letter to books and all readers, ‘Dear Reader’ is a beautiful memoir filled with some many book recommendations from one reader to another.

Some of the books mentioned by Cathy Rentzenbrink I have read, others I have not even heard about it, but each of them has meant so much to her, and in many ways many of them helped the author through the hardship of her experiences. Each of our experiences is different, we live through different hardships and different joys, and yet books are often the bridges between so many different people. ‘Dear Reader’ does a perfect job of underlying that, especially with Cathy Rentzenbrink’s job at prison and making people fell in love in stories, even if they had not felt like they had that right in the very first place.

The author’s life is expressed through some many different books, accompanying Cathy Rentzenbrink throughout different parts of her life - from young age as a young pupil, to her bookselling career and finally writing.

‘Dear Reader’ is so much more than just a book. It’s in many ways like a friend taking you on a journey that comfort and brings joy to you, while still dealing with so many heartbreaks and grief. It’s beautiful and endearing, and it’s the book I will read more than once.

As soon as I saw Cathy Rentzenbrink was writing another book, I knew I had to read it. Dear Reader is an ode to the joy of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of autobiography and book recommendations. Her writing is so easy to read that I was able to race through Dear Reader in an afternoon, emerging with a new list of books to enjoy once lockdown is over. As a bookseller, I found her experiences immensely relatable as well as comforting. Thanks Cathy, I can't wait to see what you write next


Edit: I was really intrigued by Cathy's work with Quick Reads and her thoughts on encouraging adults - who might not have read a book since school - to read.

I smiled and chuckled all the way through this book, which I read most of sitting in the garden so I was thankful our neighbours weren’t nearby. Or at least, if they were, they were polite enough not to mention that I was giggling to myself.

I hadn’t come across Cathy Rentzenbrink's writing before, but the description of the book as ‘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’ sounded perfect. I think, as we head into our eleventy hundredth week of lockdown, I’m finding it really hard to settle on a book, or a podcast, or something – I always seem to be jumping from one thing to another. I currently have no fewer than 6 half read books, which I have vowed to go back to and finish soon. Of course.

So this book, released in September this year, is an author’s ode to reading. It had such a great balance between memoir and chatty book loving friend, Cathy Rentzenbrink is clearly a book lover as well as a great writer. Her candid-ness, her gentle wit and the way she’s so upfront about devastating parts of her life reminded me a bit of Nora Ephron’s writing.

Against the backdrop of something of an unorthodox childhood which saw her and her family live in lots of different places and go to lots of different schools, she talks through her favourite books from childhood in the first section. She explains that books were her constant, her escape – not that she is saying she had a bad childhood, of course, but books allowed her to experience different things and to travel to different places.  Her list includes the Narnia books, which she references a few times and always elicited a feeling of nostalgia and a desire to read them again.

There were so many books like that – memoirs, legacy sagas, love stories, mysteries – all handily broken into phases while our author and guide grows up, marries, moves to New York and loads of other amazing things. For every book I’ve read and loved, there were two that I immediately added to my Goodreads list. It might not have solved my #FirstWorldProblem of having too many books to read, but it also resurrected my love for reading and reminded me how it feels to make new friends in far away lands.

I can think of at least a dozen friends of mine I know who would love this – it’s so accessible and engaging, and impossible to put down. I had hoped it would come with an index so I didn’t have to remember all of the books, but the digital ARC didn’t. Maybe the published version will!

Rentzenbrink has written a couple of more standard memoirs before this one, The Last Act of Love and A Manual for Heartache – I’m looking forward to reading those ones, too.

As usual, a big thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher, PanMacMillan, for the ARC.

This is a perfect read for the current moment. It is honest, introspective and touching. Cathy tells her story through the power of stories themselves. Part memoir, part reflection on the power of reading and part analysis of what it is to be a reader and a writer.
I loved the behind the scenes glimpses of Waterstones and found the aspects linked to adult literacy and accessing books incredibly moving.
I will definitely be sharing this one with the teenagers in my library- there are some inspired recommendations.

What a wonderful little meditation on the love tangle of life and books, the pleasures of memories and reading!
In the tradition of "Howard’s End is on the Landing" by Susan Hill and Lucy Mangan’s "Bookworm", this is a splendid personal love declaration to books, as only fanatical and lifelong readers can appreciate.
Interweaving her own memories with the books that seasoned them, drove and comforted her until her own departure as a writer, Cathy Rentzenbrink’s little tome is like having your own tiny book club in your reading nook where you can rave and reminisce to your heart's content. If you’re one of those people who’d rather probe other people’s bookshelves than their Facebook profile in search of a clue of who they are, who has a book on the go in every room of the house, a quote for every occasion, who has aspired to live like a novel and lived vivaciously through stories, this book will delight you to no end.

Rentzenbrink is so generous with herself and her experiences you feel so welcomed into her story. Once again, she’s created something beautiful and engaging - just as The Last Act of Love was. I’ve been completed transported by this perfect book for book lovers. I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t even notice the time passing I was so engrossed. Just frustrating that it restores your hunger to read books and provides you with more suggestions than you could ever get through at a rate satisfactory to quell that desire.

'We are all in the gutter, but books allow us to see the stars.'

I was looking through my Netgalley to-read list and didn't much feel inspired by any of the selections. Normally, I try to read by when the book will be released, but something about 'Dear Reader' was calling to me.

In this book, Rentzenbrink talks about how she gets a 'tingle' in her fingers when she knows it will be a great read, touching the covers of the books. And I like to think that I got the same feeling when I clicked on this book on my Kindle screen, hoping it would offer me a brief respite from the world.

Book lovers rejoice - this is the read for you. Comforting, warm and charming, this sort-of memoir is a celebration of the reader and how books have acted as a balm for our soul's throughout our lives. Rentzenbrink tracks her life- from her eventful childhood moving all over the UK, to her career selling books - first as a temp before rising to Waterstones' head office - and how books have had a profound impact on her life. This is the kind of book that will remind you WHY you're a reader, why you buy far too many, why you fear ever reaching the end of your TBR list.

It took a moment for me to get into, but once I was hooked, I absolutely raced through this book, drinking in her descriptions of life as a bookseller, of her recommendations, of how she pressed books into the hands of customers in the hallowed walls of our favourite bookshops. I think this is definitely an instance where I read the right book at the right time. I've been feeling a little bit of a burnout recently with reading and this was a reminder of why I love to sit and read, why I spent my childhood with a nose in a book. This is a book that will re-ignite your passion and love for the written word.

My only hope is that the book would be released just a little earlier so everyone could get the same comfort and calm that I felt reading this.

Reading, for me, is one of life’s greatest pleasures. In fact, I have begun to think of it as more than just a pleasure but as a necessity. It provides education, nourishment and escapism. It introduces you to people, places and ideas you may not otherwise have encountered or thought about. It changes you. No where is that better articulated than in this book. Cathy Rentzenbrink discusses her relationship with books from childhood through to the present; how books have gotten her through the darkest times but also how they have shaped the very person she is now.
I devoured this book in one sitting. It felt very much like we were sat together over a cup of tea having a chat about the books we have read and loved. In fact, I loved it so much as soon as I finished I felt so bereft I had to turn back to the beginning and start all over again. The ease with which I was able to digest this was testament to the skill of the author as a writer there were so many poignant and relatable moments within this text that it made me want to read all of the books she wrote about, not least her own.
I feel this is a book I will return to time and time again, as well as buying it as a gift for all my friends. It is a perfect companion in this current climate when so many people are turning to Literature for solace.

Having heard so much about this in the world of twitter, I was so pleased to have been approved to read it via netgalley.

It is a fascinating and reflective book about how reading has shaped Cathy Rentzenbrink’s life. Momentous moments are remembered by particular books and other books are remembered by momentous moments. In between sharing snippets of her book life, and book work, she shares amazing mini reviews of classics, adult fiction, and children’s literature.

I was amazed by the level of detail and history of the books shared...I can remember a few pivotal book moments in my life but this is more than that. This is written by a true bibliophile, someone who lives and breathes books- not just reads for pleasure. It is more than that.

I cam away with a great long list of books to re-read, try out and research for myself. Thank goodness for libraries and audio books, else I would have no money or time for all the books on my list.

It was wonderful to see the impact and influence of Anne Shirley. The entire LM Montgomery series sat on my bookshelves my entire childhood and I still dip back in now and again for the home comforts.

An inspiring book, that prompted my deeper thinking into how books have shaped my own life and which ones would be part of those pivotal moments in my life.....food for thought!

This is a book to recommend to everyone you know!

‘Dear Reader’ is a perfect book for anyone who loves reading, for anyone for whom reading is a relatively new way of life, and for anyone who is interested in other people’s stories. Cathy Rentzenbrink is a bookseller, campaigner, teacher and a wonderfully accessible writer. Whether or not you have read the majority of her references and recommendations is neither here nor there. What she does, through her own story, is to give everyone permission to read whatever they want, be it mainstream, niche or classic, stating, ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that what you like isn’t proper, that what brings comfort and ease to your soul isn’t good enough.’
Throughout the book, there are lists of novels that have brought her joy. The synopses are recorded under customary titles such as ‘Crime’ or less traditional such as ‘Cornwall’ or ‘Orphans’. They are long enough to give us a sense of the narrative, an amuse-bouche which tempts us to reach for the main course. Just as fascinating are her tales of the bookselling world, the behind-the -scenes details of literary festivals, chain and independent bookstores and face-to-face meetings with authors.
At the end of her book she quotes Hilary Mantel’s ‘Bring Up the Bodies’: ‘There are no endings. If you think so you are deceived as to their nature. They are all beginnings. Here is one.’ Not only does this proclamation nudge the reader to seek out one of Rentzenbrink’s recommendations but it also reinforces her point that re-reading can be a wonderful experience. She reminds us that when we revisit a story, we are different people from when we first opened those pages. So, once more, discoveries await us.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

As a librarian - I had to get my hands on this book! It is wonderful! If you are a reader, this book is a must-read! As a celebration of reading and books, it really is a delight!

I love books about books and dropped everything else I was reading when I got approved for this. I've loved Rentzenbrink's other books and this disappoint. Our reading and working lives seem to be very similar in many ways which led to a very cosy feeling as I was reading. I've still come away with a long list of new books to look for and like Mangan' Bookworm this will be a book I return to time & time again.

I received this book yesterday and couldn't put it down until I finished. All the while, I sat with a notebook and pen alongside me to write down all of the wonderful recommendations that form part of this beautiful homage to all things reading.

'Dear Reader' is such a treat for book-lovers like me, interweaving the author's poignant personal stories and experiences with thoughts on the wider significance that books and reading can play in our lives. I particularly loved the insights into her time working as a bookseller (especially the less glamorous parts of the job) and initiatives to widen access to reading for those who had few opportunities to fall in love with books in early life.

Reading this book is also like having a lovely conversation with a knowledgeable and intelligent bookseller. I shall be returning to it again and again to pick up some of the books mentioned and will be gifting / recommending it to all my bookish friends!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh what an utter joy this gorgeous book was to read ! I finished it in two sessions and wanted to start reading it all over again when I’d finished. This is definitely a book I will go back to and I found it to be a real comfort in these difficult times.
This book is part memoir ( I loved hearing about Cathy’s work as a bookseller) and part a celebration of books. Reading it, I felt that I was in the company of a chatty, funny friend who shared my taste in books. From Narnia to Harry Potter to the Cazalets this book took me on a journey through many of my favourite reads. I found my own feelings about books shared by Cathy on these pages from how books are her retreat when real life is hard, how books have the power to put her back together and how being a reader defines her identity.
I would highly recommend this book and plan to give it as a present to many of my friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC.

I’ve been a voracious reader all my life, so I am probably right in the target market for this amiable and chatty memoir of a life around books. Rentzenbrink mixes autobiography with easy conversation about her favourite books. Her family, especially her father, are well drawn and charming, and there are little nuggets of joy to be had when she alights on a book that you also love. It’s a great comfort read, warm and inclusive, with no “oh, you haven’t read Proust?” snobbery. My only real complaint is that it’s too brief, I could have read twice as much again.

This is a joy to read. Cathy’s love of books shines through every page. Descriptions of her favourite books are intertwined with her life story, from being a schoolgirl who was told by a teacher that she couldn’t possibly have finished a book yet, to becoming a published author, via a career encompassing Waterstones, the Bookseller and Book Trust, a charity which publishes short fiction for new adult readers.

As someone who works for Waterstones, I recognise everything she says about bookselling, the customers, the campaigns and most of all the joy of handselling a book to a customer, who then comes back and says they loved the book and can you recommend anything else.

I was drawn to the book by the Waterstones connection, but also by the fact that not only does Cathy love reading, she loves re-reading, as I do. Even though I have read a lot of the titles she talks about, I have found quite a few that I seem to have missed, and have added them to the to be read pile.
If you enjoyed Lucy Mangan’s “The Bookworm” and Susan Hill’s “Howard’s End is on the landing” you will love this book.

Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink

A beautiful book which is part memoir and part ode to reading.

I absolutely loved this book and abandoned everything else I was doing until I'd finished it! What a comforting book for these times - Cathy writes so warmly and it was like spending a couple of hours with a treasured friend, drinking tea and chatting about books. I must be a similar age as I nodded throughout at our similar reading and life experiences. I will be buying the hardback when it comes out, even though I've already read the ARC, as I want to follow up on some of Cathy's recommendations and re-read some books that she reminded me about. I'm sure I'll return to this book time and again. VERY highly recommended - buy it for yourself and all your book loving friends and family!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

just love reading books about how much people love reading books. So you can imagine how much I enjoyed Dear Reader – an ode to the joy and comfort of reading by author and book-lover Cathy Rentzenbrink. This is her memoir about how books have shaped her life, with a lot of great reading recommendations scattered throughout too.

Cathy Rentzenbrink’s love of reading started from an early age, her story is made even more interesting as her dad struggled with literacy when she was a child, so it was something he learnt after her. She was there to see him discover the joy of reading.

Her career trajectory fascinated me too. She began as a Waterstone’s bookseller (in the Harrod’s concession) working her way up the Waterstone’s chain to managing her own stores (I loved finding our more about the inner workings of the stores). Then her bookish career continued as she moved to The Bookseller and Quick Reads, a charity that encourages adults to read and where she helps prisoners on their reading journey. Finally, she became an author herself.

I really enjoyed Cathy’s inclusive, friendly writing style and found myself relating to lots of her experiences: how Narnia sparked her imagination at a young age, how Enid Blyton made her wish she went to boarding school, how long and dull (whisper it) Dickens is, how she goes to Agatha Christie for a comfort read and she loved The Railway Children, which now holds a special place in my heart as the author Edith Nesbitt lived just down the road from where I live now.

I also loved how she speaks about her love for Jilly Cooper. Often reading is laced with snobbery and Cathy has such a refreshing take on it, reminding us to ALWAYS read what we want, never mind what other people think.

Her recommendations are very helpfully divided up into interesting sections such as ‘books about pubs’, ‘books about reading’, ‘books about writers’. Weirdly, just this week I created a similar section on my blog: Books by Mood, where I do this very thing and have created little edits of books based around things they have in common. Due to all the amazing book recs in Dear Reader, I have now complied a massive list of books to add to my TBR from the must-read way Cathy spoke about them.

You can feel Cathy’s enthusiasm and true love of books flying from these pages. I finished Dear Reader feeling like I’d had a lovely chat with a friend – a wise friend who loves books as much as me – and that I just want to dive straight into one of the amazing novels she recommended. Truly a delight to read!

Cathy Rentzenbrink's 'Dear Reader,' is a beautiful book. It is a homage to the power of books and reading; as well as a warm and funny memoir. I devoured it in one day, in much the same way Cathy devours the books she depicts within it and I've taken notes of the books she loves I haven't yet read, with hopes of continuing my enjoyment (we seem to have similar tastes).

In short, I absolutely loved this book and I will be buying copies for myself and other lovers of books I know. I would highly recommend it.