A memoir of a life spent immersed in the comfort and joy of books, from bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Act of Love, Cathy Rentzenbrink's Dear Reader is the ultimate love letter to reading and to finding the comfort and joy in stories.

'Exquisite' - Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups
'A warm, unpretentious manifesto for why books matter’ - Sunday Express

Growing up, Cathy Rentzenbrink was rarely seen without her nose in a book and read in secret long after lights out. When tragedy struck, it was books that kept her afloat. Eventually they lit the way to a new path, first as a bookseller and then as a writer. No matter what the future holds, reading will always help.

A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how books can change the course of your life, packed with recommendations from one reader to another.

"Celebrates reading as a means of connection and a vehicle for escapism . . . a heartfelt reminder that, for all the wholesome effects that reading arguably has, the first reason to do it is for pleasure. Fittingly, Dear Reader is a pleasure to read" - Times

"Cathy Rentzenbrink’s exploration of reading books and the comfort they bring in Dear Reader feels like art in your hands" - Stylist, 'Best Gift Books this Christmas'

"This love letter to reading, which is packed with recommendations, is pure joy" - Good Housekeeping

"A warm, unpretentious manifesto for why books matter" - Sunday Express

"Your first port of call if you’re looking for a book to recommend or just a bit stuck on what to choose next. But it’s more than a reference book; it’s a personal account of how books have comforted the author and what they can do for the soul" - New Statesman, Books of the Year

"Your first port of call if you’re looking for a book to recommend or just a bit stuck on what to choose next. But it’s more than a reference book; it’s a personal account of how books have comforted the author and what they can do for the soul" - New Statesman

"Comfort reading has been to the fore lately, and you'll find it in abundance in this joyous memoir of a life immersed in the pleasures and consolations of books by the author of The Last Act of Love . . . It's chock-full of Rentzenbrink's splendid reading recommendations, from "Children's Books I Love to Reread" and books about "Bad Love", to "Posh People Behaving Badly" and "Helpful Non-Fiction", which her own book most certainly is" - The Bookseller