For some reason I thought this was a novel (perhaps it was the title and whimsical cover) but was delighted to find it was a book about books themselves - their physical form, the quirks of their history, their controversies, and ultimately why they are totally and utterly brilliant. Portable magic indeed.
It isn't a linear read, so you can pick and choose chapters depending on your own interests without losing track of things, and there is a lovely mix of history, anecdote, and personal perspective from the author. It made me fall in love with books and reading all over again, and gave me ideas for follow-up reading and themes for reading.
I ended up reading large chunks out to my Mum on the phone, which is a great test for quality! The chapter questioning the very definition of what makes a book a book was my favourite, though there were no duds.
It isn't a linear read, so you can pick and choose chapters depending on your own interests without losing track of things, and there is a lovely mix of history, anecdote, and personal perspective from the author. It made me fall in love with books and reading all over again, and gave me ideas for follow-up reading and themes for reading.
I ended up reading large chunks out to my Mum on the phone, which is a great test for quality! The chapter questioning the very definition of what makes a book a book was my favourite, though there were no duds.