How long have you loved books? Chances are you started young, and now think back fondly to the characters you met there. Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading recalls titles you may have forgotten, library visits and birthday tokens.
Lucy Mangan, columnist and journalist, shines a bright torch on the books she enjoyed as a child with acerbic wit and firm opinions. Touching on the history of publishing, illustration and development of literature, she zooms in on the stories that were particularly important to her. Reflecting on them all now that she is a parent sheds new light on old views, and helps with our own reassessment of the classics.
You can watch the author talking about her book at Waterstones.
This reviewer is reminded of a time ‘when reading was a kind of enchantment’ and still finds it miraculous ‘that something as flat as a piece of paper can create a world so fully realised and richly textured’.
Our BookLove e-course explores the desires of reading and collecting books, and guides you through the process of designing, writing and binding books of your own. Read more about it here.
Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading by Lucy Mangan is published by Square Peg.
