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A review by chrissie_whitley
Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence
5.0
I don't even know how to begin. First, though I have not read many, I really like a good book about other books. My first was probably [b:84, Charing Cross Road|368916|84, Charing Cross Road|Helene Hanff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1287338794s/368916.jpg|938626], which I immediately adored. I have also read [b:Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home|6657509|Howards End Is on the Landing A Year of Reading from Home|Susan Hill|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347764026s/6657509.jpg|6852149] (which got me through staying at my mom's house just after the death of her mother). Other than that, I've mainly got a longer list of to-read books about books than what I've read.
So, seeing this book—and I cannot remember where I spotted it...probably just somewhere on Goodreads?—made me add it immediately to my to-read list. What really spoke to me, even before cracking open the cover, was the title. I fell in love with [b:Fahrenheit 451|4381|Fahrenheit 451|Ray Bradbury|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351643740s/4381.jpg|1272463] in middle school and have reread it several times (something I typically do not do) since then.
The idea Spence explores here of writing directly to the book, really should hit home with many, many self-proclaimed bibliophiles out there. This is the same level of devotion and connection we feel with books that makes us, upon finishing certain books, go through the dreaded book withdrawal. Please, just give me back my characters! Don't let it be over.
Spence's insight and humor was spectacular and so, so relatable. I was literally laughing out loud and slapping my leg. Some of my responses were brought on by sweet, dear nostalgia with things Spence would mention, and some was just the sheer hilarity her words created.
The summary touts Spence as a Gen-Xer, and in most instances, I am as well. But I have, honest to God, been snapped at and argued with about my place at the end of the Gen-X line. The angst, the hopelessness, the Punk Rock,...none of that really resonated with me, but I'm too old to be a Millennial/Gen-Y. I happen to fall into this micro-generation that has apparently been dubbed Xennials (which, I'm not even sure how to say properly).
Regardless, I got almost every reference Spence made and I loved her all the more for it. I don't think this is necessary to enjoy this book at all, but it only improved its face value. Her biting wit is just damned funny. She's this generation's [a:Erma Bombeck|11882|Erma Bombeck|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208791191p2/11882.jpg] (extra points to me, because I have read a Bombeck, and Spence mentions Bombeck in this book). She's topical, insightful and (did I mention this?) hilarious.
This one I could read again and keep on hand just to have book recommendations ready to go.
I received this book for free from the publisher via a Goodreads Giveaway. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.
So, seeing this book—and I cannot remember where I spotted it...probably just somewhere on Goodreads?—made me add it immediately to my to-read list. What really spoke to me, even before cracking open the cover, was the title. I fell in love with [b:Fahrenheit 451|4381|Fahrenheit 451|Ray Bradbury|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351643740s/4381.jpg|1272463] in middle school and have reread it several times (something I typically do not do) since then.
The idea Spence explores here of writing directly to the book, really should hit home with many, many self-proclaimed bibliophiles out there. This is the same level of devotion and connection we feel with books that makes us, upon finishing certain books, go through the dreaded book withdrawal. Please, just give me back my characters! Don't let it be over.
Spence's insight and humor was spectacular and so, so relatable. I was literally laughing out loud and slapping my leg. Some of my responses were brought on by sweet, dear nostalgia with things Spence would mention, and some was just the sheer hilarity her words created.
The summary touts Spence as a Gen-Xer, and in most instances, I am as well. But I have, honest to God, been snapped at and argued with about my place at the end of the Gen-X line. The angst, the hopelessness, the Punk Rock,...none of that really resonated with me, but I'm too old to be a Millennial/Gen-Y. I happen to fall into this micro-generation that has apparently been dubbed Xennials (which, I'm not even sure how to say properly).
Regardless, I got almost every reference Spence made and I loved her all the more for it. I don't think this is necessary to enjoy this book at all, but it only improved its face value. Her biting wit is just damned funny. She's this generation's [a:Erma Bombeck|11882|Erma Bombeck|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1208791191p2/11882.jpg] (extra points to me, because I have read a Bombeck, and Spence mentions Bombeck in this book). She's topical, insightful and (did I mention this?) hilarious.
This one I could read again and keep on hand just to have book recommendations ready to go.
I received this book for free from the publisher via a Goodreads Giveaway. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, nor the content of my review.