Intriguing title? Check. Cool cover? Check. A book about books? Check. As a librarian and self-proclaimed “book nerd”, I was very excited to receive a copy of this book. Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me. Although the book contained some very interesting facts, the delivery was very dry - at times I thought I was reading a textbook! There is some humor, but it gets drowned out in the dryness of the overall text. Some of the anecdotes were too short and left me wanting more, and I feel like the author jumped all over the place in the organization. This may have worked for a physical book, but this made it very confusing when listening to the audiobook. This was a short read with some interesting facts, but I ended up disappointed. 2.5 stars.

Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For the Love of Books is one part 'coffee table' book, one part 'Uncle John's Bathroom Reader', and one part almanac. And the end result is quite pleasing and pleasant.

The factoids, anecdotes, and historical vignettes presented in this book are sure to be interesting to anyone who enjoys literature. The information is presented in a logical fashion, with lots of interjected lists, 'true stories', and other bite-size facts. I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot of new information.

This was like the Guinness Book of World Records for literature. It was just a list of random facts about books. It jumped from one fact to the next without much to connect them. Nothing was really expounded upon so it didn't flow well.

For the Love of Books by Graham Tarrant is full of interesting facts from the literary world. If you enjoy learning about authors, books, and genres, then this is the book for you. I can definitely see some (including myself) listening to this book numerous times. It is the kind of book where a new gem of information will shine forth with every reading.

Book Review:
I loved the trivia that is included in this book. The audiobook version of For the Love of Books suffers from the numerous birth and death years included. In fact, the beginning of the book is difficult to get through. The last 30 minutes of the book were the most interesting to me. Every chapter is about something new and different, so the sections you enjoy most can only be determined by your interests.

To truly enjoy this audiobook, I would suggest listening to it 30 minutes at a time. You really need time to let all of the information soak in. Don’t forget the physical book! This would be the perfect gift for your family bookworm.

"The dementors, the dark creatures who feed off of human happiness, were inspired by J. K. Rowlings own struggles with depression following the death of her mother." Graham Tarrant, For the Love of Books

Narration Review:
For the Love of Books is narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies. Considering that he is reading quite a few lists with interesting trivia bits thrown in, I think he did an amazing job.

This book would have benefitted from multiple narrators alternating chapters. Please note that I do not mean to diminish Matthew Lloyd Davies' talents with that statement. In today’s society of ever-shortening attention spans, publishers must consider alternatives that will keep a reader’s attention.

Source: I received a free copy of this book at my request in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting insight into authors, history, and facts about books. I would be curious how the physical book is organized. It seems like short bits of information scattered across the pages – some quotes, some paragraphs, some lists, etc.

Overall, this book as an audiobook is rather hard to follow because of the format of the book. The narration is excellent, but I would rather physically read this book instead of listening to it in an audio format (or listen to it in conjunction with reading it). The information is interesting and engaging and the setup is good.

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC. I think I will purchase a physical copy of the book. It would be a great addition to our library! I don’t think the audio version would make the cut.

This book is perfect for book lovers! I loved learning so many little known facts about writers at their work. My only complaint was that I received the audiobook version, and I was very distracted by all of the dates of the authors’ lives and their works. These dates wouldn’t have been as jarring while reading a physical copy of the book, but they interrupted the flow of almost every sentence in the audiobook. I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book for my shelves.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

So interesting! I loved the narrator of this audiobook. He really made the book come to life. There was so much information in here I had no idea. This is a must read/listen for any book lover!

Fun facts! Do you like them?

Books! Do you love them?

Books about books! Do you read them?

You need to answer a resounding YES to all three of these questions to enjoy Graham Tarrant's For the Love of Books. This is not your favorite book blogger's "warm and fuzzy love letter to the books that changed my life," but rather a text of anecdotes and factoids covering anything from when paper was invented to how many books Danielle Steel churns out in a year.

It oddly feels like it either belongs in the classroom or the bathroom. Great for passing a test or just passing the time. You'll for sure get a leg up in the Arts & Culture category of Trivial Pursuit next time you play, but overall it's a pretty dry read. Even this book lover was ready to wrap it up at about the 50% mark.

For the Love of Books was originally published in 2018, but the audiobook releases March 30, 2021. I received an advance listeners copy from Tantor Audio via NetGalley.

For the Love of Books is a great little book filled with information and trivia about the written word, notable published works, and famous authors. I found it delightful to listen to and learned a lot of facts about works and writers I love. The quotes are great as well!
The audiobook is narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies, who sounds very bookish and does a fabulous job with the book.
Many thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.