We read to escape, to learn, to find love, to feel seen. We read to encounter new worlds, to discover new recipes, to find connection across difference or simply to pass a rainy afternoon. No matter the reason, books have the power to keep us safe, to challenge us, and perhaps most importantly, to make us more fully human. Shannon Reed, a long-time teacher, lifelong reader and The New Yorker contributor, gets it. With one simple goal in mind, she makes the case that we should read for pleasure above all else. In this whip-smart, laugh-out-loud funny collection, Reed shares surprising stories from her life as a reader and the poignant ways in which books have impacted her students. Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers who love them and the surprising ways in which literature can transform us for the better.