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. From the varied novels she cherishes ( Gone Girl, Their Eyes Were Watching God ) to the ones she didn’t ( Tess of the D’Ubervilles ), Reed takes us on a rollicking tour through the comforting world of literature, celebrating the books we love, the readers w