Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence

I have mentioned many, many times how much I love my local library. That fondness has increased after reading The Library Book and my most recent read, Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence. I stumbled across this book on a display in my library for Love of Reading Month. It was small, epistolic, and looked like a quick fun read.

Written by a librarian and life-long book lover, Spence shares with us letters she has written to books she has loved and some she hasn't loved, all drawn from the various shelves that have filled her life. These books range from the titular Fahrenheit 451 (a book I can't believe I've never read) to To Kill a Mockingbird (a book Spence can't believe she's never read). It ranges from books she has loved- The Goldfinch which she has recommended to so many people it's falling apart- to books she has really, really hated- Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian which made her say "erotica" to an old lady. And she talks about books that have changed over the years as her perspective and life stages have changed- The Time Traveler's Wife.

This book was just as expected: quick and fun and a walk down memory lane of books I've read and a list of additions to my Goodreads Want to Read list. I love books and I love book lovers (I'm looking at you, SmartGirl!) and so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book. In the introduction, Spence describes her affection for the literary this way:

Reading has shaped me, guided me, reflected me, and helped me understand and connect with, and this is not hyperbole, HUMANITY.

This was the written form of exactly the way I find myself walking through bookstores: gently caressing and murmuring to all those I've loved, glaring at the ones that betrayed or irritated me, but mostly wishing I could find the time to read them all.