This is a collection of reasons why, according to essay authors, you should read essays and more.
I read basically fiction I must admit, and when I read essays, I always buy the same authors, so most of the authors of the opinions collected in this text, I did not know, with some famous exceptions. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about different reasons and opinions and the one that stuck in my mind the most, although I don't remember who said it, is that you read it because every book leads to another book, which pretty much sums up my philosophy of life.

Questa é una raccolta delle ragioni per cui, secondo degli autori di saggi, bisognerebbe leggere i saggi e non solo.
Io leggo fondamentalmente fiction devo ammettere, e quando leggo dei saggi, sono solita comprare sempre i soliti autori, quindi la maggior parte delgli autori delle opinioni raccolte in questo testo, non li conoscevo, tranne alcune famose eccezioni. Ciononostante, mi é piaciuto leggere di ragioni e pareri diversi e quella che piú mi é rimasta in mente, anche se non mi ricordo chi l'ha detta, é che si legge perché ogni libro porta ad un altro libro, il che riassume praticamente la mia filosofia di vita.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I have been incredibly lucky to grow up in a household and family who value reading. From fiction to non-fiction I was always encouraged to read, once I could, and question. I have to admit in my younger years non-fiction was a tad secondary unless it was on one of my obsessions; Ancient Egypt or Dinosaurs! Both of which I still read about when I have the time. This love of reading transferred into my degrees where the joy of non-fiction arose again. From critical theory to philosophy to biography (although this one can potentially fall into fiction too) I discovered the joy of non-fiction again. The great feeling of being able to discuss a topic you love in depth, to learn and retain a bit more knowledge. Needless to say when I saw this collection I was intrigued. Did others find the same feeling. Did people do what I do with my family, discuss our own loves and obsessions sharing information and facts to delight and entertain. I can certainly say I was not disappointed.

The premise of the book is simple. Why do we read non-fiction? Is it just to find answers to questions be it for school, university or work? Or is it for pleasure, a challenge or meaning? The collection of 70 writings include a range of people including Hilton Als to Nicci Gerrard. The result is a celebration of seeing the world in new ways and for potentially having our minds and points of view changed.

I found something to take away in each entry of this collection but I particularly liked Scott Hershovitz entry that likens reading of any kind to a superpower as well as Ananyo Bhattacharya who likens reading to ‘a necessity. Like drawing breath.’ I would highly recommend this collection to those who want to consider and open discussion about why we read and maybe not just non-fiction. It gives a fascinating insight into the minds of contemporary writers and thinkers and is a wonderful reminder that the art and joy of reading be it fiction or fact is still very much alive and well.

As always thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to an E-ARC of this collection.

Such an interesting book. We all read for many different reasons. Personally it is to learn new things, revisit old passions and to travel without leaving home. It was so interesting to listen to others perspectives on the matter.

I've recently started reading more and more non fiction recently, so this book feels very timely.
A lot of commentary felt very relatable, and I found myself regularly nodding and smiling at many comments. A wonderful mix with diverse point of views that keeps the reader fully engaged.

Insightful read.

An interesting and varied set of essays on the thing that unites many; reading. This is definitely literary and rather wordy, so be warned if you're looking for a light set of writings.

A really interesting read. I enjoyed the short essays and the different experiences.
It definitely made me think about the reasons I read and what circumstances drive me to reading at that point.

Why We Read: 70 Writers on Non-Fiction
by Edited by Josephine Greywoode
Published by Penguin
ISBN 9781802060959

It’s no secret that I love books and reading, both fiction and non-fiction. It’s an integral part of who I am and has been for as long as I can remember. I like reading books about books and books about people’s relationships with books. I like reading what their favourite books are and why. So when I saw this book, I figured it’d be right up my street. And it was! It’s a great read. As I was reading the short essays on why these writers read non-fiction and what they get out of it, I was thinking about why I read non-fiction. Sometimes I seek out a book because I am interested in the topic already and want to learn more about it. At other times, I come across a book about something that I never thought about before or that I didn’t think I was particularly interested in, but that seems compelling enough to read. Since I grew up a misfit in US suburban culture, I’ve always been interested in understanding how other people live, memoir, life story, biography, and autobiography provide me with a wealth of choice. I am a generally curious person and books are the best way for me to learn. Beyond all of these reasons why though, there is one that contains them all. I have always been fascinated by people’s passions in life—the things that make them light up, dig deeper, spend time stuck in, and get excited. Non-fiction provides a window into this. To write a good non-fiction book, writers have to be willing to spend a very long time researching, thinking, and following sometimes obscure information where it leads. They have to be passionate about their topic to do all that and then spend the time turning what they’ve learned into a book that will enlighten others and possibly set readers off on new voyages of discovery. One of the writers in this book, Ananyo Bhattacharya, wrote this:
‘The only pattern I can find in all that ceaseless reading is that one book invariably led to another, and I never felt that there would be the time to read all that I wanted and needed to. And perhaps that is why we read; because it is a habit, an addiction, a compulsion, an affliction and a necessity. Like drawing breath.’ (p 15, italics in original)

I definitely recommend this book.