a lifestyle blog for book lovers

COVER REVEAL for my next book: I’d Rather Be Reading!

Readers, I have some big news and I’m thrilled to finally be able to share it. My next book I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, is coming your way on September 4. And today I get to show you the cover!

I’m delighted (see what I did there?) with how this turned out. The book is hardcover and beautifully illustrated, yet the retail price is cheaper than your typical paperback.

(And yes, that is a watercolor of my very own library.)

If you’re intrigued by this essay collection on the reading life and know you’ll want to read it when it comes out, I very much appreciate your pre-orders. They truly make a big difference for authors, by creating buzz among readers and booksellers, by influencing how many copies retailers order for release day (thus no terrible OUT OF STOCK situations), and they influence where my book will be sold come September. The more pre-orders, the more my book will be stocked in actual, physical bookstores—everywhere from Barnes and Noble to Target to your local indie. As a book and bookstore-lover, I would dearly love the actual, physical book to be available wherever YOU get your books.

If you think you’d be interested in reading I’d Rather Be Reading, and you’re inclined to do so, you can pre-order from any of these retailers:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

• Indiebound
• Books-a-Million
Book Depository
Christianbook.com

And don’t forget about your local indie! You can preorder wherever new books are sold. It’s also not too early to put in a purchase request at your local library.

Here’s a bit more about what you’ll find inside:

For so many people, reading isn’t just a hobby or a way to pass the time–it’s a lifestyle. Our books shape us, define us, enchant us, and even sometimes infuriate us. Our books are a part of who we are as people, and we can’t imagine life without them.

I’d Rather Be Reading is the perfect literary companion for everyone who feels that way. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads readers to remember the book that first hooked them, the place where they first fell in love with reading, and all of the moments afterward that helped make them the reader they are today. Known as a reading tastemaker through her popular podcast What Should I Read Next?, Bogel invites book lovers into a community of like-minded people to discover new ways to approach literature, learn fascinating new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their lives.

The perfect gift for the bibliophile in everyone’s life, I’d Rather Be Reading will command an honored place on the overstuffed bookshelves of any book lover.

I’m so excited to share more about this book as publication day draws near. It is so good to be among people who are reading, and this essay collection is bursting with enthusiasm for the literary life and the readers who love and live it.

Once again, I’ll narrate the audiobook, and we’ll have great pre-order bonuses for you like we did with Reading People. We don’t know exactly what they are yet, but they’re gonna be good—just hang on to your receipt and you’ll be set.

I so hope you enjoy this book. Thank YOU for teaching me how good it is to be among people who are reading, and for supporting this work so I get to keep doing it.

xoxo
Anne

65 comments

  1. Meghan says:

    I will definitely be pre-ordering this, Anne; thanks very much for the explanation of why pre-ordering matters so much – I had no idea! I only recently read your Reading People and I loved it! Your skill at matching personality types to books is spot in – I got Margaret Hale from North and South, and I did my PhD on Elizabeth Gaskell because of my love for that very book!

  2. elizabeth says:

    Congratulations, Anne! Love the cover art, and I love the gist of this collection of essays. Definitely pre-ordering from my local indie. :-).

  3. Carey Hall says:

    That watercolor is still my screensaver and background. It is so calming and peaceful ! Can’t wait to read your new book.

  4. Emily S says:

    As an artist who loves bright, simple watercolor, I absolutely love this cover! If I was on the fence about getting your book before, I’m obliged to do so now—simply because the cover is so pretty!

  5. Sarah B. says:

    So exciting, Anne!! Pre-ordered. I can’t wait to read! Also, I LOVED having the audiobook gift for the pre-orders with your last book. I ended up reading it half hard copy and half audio because hearing it read in your voice was so much fun! But the hard copy is so pretty on my shelf AND has the reference availability needed for a personality book. Anyway, big cheers to you today, excited to hear more!

  6. Hannah Rodewald says:

    Happy to pre-order. Congratulations!!!
    Your blog has enriched my life – losing count of how many books I’ve read based on the recommendations from you and other readers.

  7. Coreline says:

    Just love, love, love the cover. I instantly knew it was your library and it is therefore so you! Looking forward to reading it!

  8. Nickie says:

    This cover is so pretty and I am super excited the book will be hardcover. I will pre-order my copy now!! So excited and happy for you Anne!

  9. Elisabeth says:

    Absolutely love the cover! Just pre-ordered two copies, one for myself and one for someone yet-to-be-determined. 🙂

  10. Pam says:

    Done – weeks ago! I hope you’ll be using that watercolor for publicity!!! Postcards, magnets, t-shirts, etc!!!!

  11. Donna H. says:

    I LOVE the cover and my pre-order is in. Congratulations Anne, what a perfect idea this is for a book from you.

  12. Krysta Manning says:

    Thank you so much for the bookstore tip!! I’m going to walk over when I work at Home of the Innocents next week.

    • Krysta Manning says:

      I’m obviously not good at commenting…this was meant for your last post. But, I wanted to add that I’m super excited about your next book. Right up my alley 🙂

  13. Sarah Christy says:

    Beautiful cover…love it. Can’t wait to read it. Interesting subject. I come from a family where reading is a family lifestyle, sharing and discussing books. Recently My mom & I were discussing The Great Gatsy. My granddaughter, a junior in high school has to read it. My mother will be 100 in May…still reading and discussing books.

  14. Adrienne says:

    I just placed my pre-order, and it will be a birthday present from me to me. Love the cover! So pretty….

  15. Christine says:

    Such exciting news! I love everything about this… title, subtitle, cover, description, etc. Really looking forward to reading it and adding it to my growing collection of books about reading and the reading life!

  16. Dana says:

    Just ordered two copies! The cover is beautiful!I’m as anxious for the book as I am to hear if you’ll be doing signings around the country. Exciting!

  17. Adie says:

    So beautiful!!!! And I’m pretty excited because the release date is my birthday, I might just have to gift this to myself! Congratulations on another beautiful book and I can’t wait to read it.

  18. amanda says:

    Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! I’m so excited! I want to buy this just for the cover, but I also know that the inside will be everything I’ve ever wanted as well! Pre-ordering now!

  19. Greg says:

    Just requested that my local library purchase your book. Waiting until I get down to my local indie bookstore (“The Curious Iguana” in Frederick, MD) to make my pre-order. Looking forward to it.

  20. Sarah Dailey says:

    I am so excited for your new book and for YOU, Anne! I always love your “book-shelfies,” so I am crazy about the cover! Pre-ordering now!

  21. Courtney says:

    Oh I can’t wait!!!! This sounds awesome!!! Absolutely adore the cover. Going to preorder now!

  22. Ioana says:

    Yes, the cover is lovely and invites to reading.
    Will the bonuses be available with one pre-order, or are there different bonuses at different times?

  23. Beverly says:

    The cover is so pretty. Congratulations. I just love the colors and look of it. I’ll definitely preorder mine. All the best to you.

  24. Leanne says:

    I love the cover! The beautiful cover alone would make me want to read it, but the content sounds amazing! Congratulations!

  25. Jamie says:

    Congrats! Cover is gorgeous. I’m hoping that you were able to keep the original painting for yourself?
    Also, your first book shares a birthday with our fourth son. He was born on September 19th last year. 🙂

  26. Erin in CA says:

    Hope you got to keep the watercolor original! Gorgeous. (And it would be so meta to have a watercolor of the library hanging IN THE LIBRARY! Sorry, I crack myself up.) Just pre-ordered on Amazon.

  27. Prachi says:

    This is awesome news! I read your book reading people recently on kindle but wanted to own a hard copy of it, so had it ordered at waterstones. I’m definetly going to pre order this as a bday gift to myself! All the best Anne!

  28. I’m a long time follower of Modern Mrs. Darcy, am sending my congratulations on your book and what a lovely cover.
    I would be honored to review your book on my book blog, Bookbarmy.com, if you wish. Just let me know.

    Again, congratulations!
    Deborah @ Bookbarmy.com

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