I forgot to mention a couple other favorite books about books: "84, Charing Cross Road" and Jim Trelease's "The Read-Aloud Handbook".

84,CCR is such a heart-warming book. The letters make you want to go unearth some long forgotten books and start reading.

The Read-Aloud Handbook gave some great choices for children that are just starting to read independently.

Maybe this isn't what you're thinking of, but I find The List of Books by Frederic Raphael interesting and useful.

>Michael Dirda's "Readings" and "Bound to Please".

I love him! Also any of Hanffs books, and the Faidman.

Nicholas Basbanes has written several books about books and book collectors. His first two are very readable: A Gentle Madness and Among the Gently Mad. Splendor of Letters gets a bit in to publishing issues, but is still fascinating.

For book lists: Noel Perrin A Readers Delight, and a very old book by Thomas Costain -Read With Me. I also have a wonderful book called Much Loved Books: Bestsellers of the Ages, copyright 1929 by James Odonnell Bennett. Finally, Faidman's father wrote a book about reading plans which includes a basic synopsis of many wonderful books. The name escapes me, and I don't have time to look now.

Oh, have you read Sixpence House by Paul Collins! All about Hay on Wye, Wales.

Now I really do have to go...

I'll have to check out Sixpence House since it sounds like just the type of book I'm looking for.

I've read good things about Noel Perrin's Reader's delight. Have you ever read the similar book he did on children's books? Wondering if that is worth trying to get also?

Has anyone ever read Book Lust by Nancy Pearl? Just wondering if it's worthwhile.

Another book on books that I read a while back was For the Love of Books edited by Ronald Schwartz. The book is another good source of reading ideas. It's a collection of several authors' musings on books that made the greatest impact in their life. It's interesting to see which books get multiple recommendations.

I've read both Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl. Yes, they were worthwhile but be forewarned - I added loads of titles to my TBR list!

>Have you ever read the similar book he did on children's books?

Yes, but because I am looking for preschool age books I didn't get as much from it as others would. I have a friend who loved it.

Oh, I forgot about the Schwartz book! Very good book. And another is Passion for Books ed by Harold Rabinowitz and Rob Kaplan. (from the cover) "Its a collection of stories, essays, humor, lore, and lists on collecting, reading, borrowing, lending craing for and appreciating books." Says it much better than I could. My favorite list btw 15 Books we would memorize if we were Living Books in Fahrenheit 451. Several others of interest.

If you like book lists, look for The King's English by Eliz Burton. She is the owner of a fantastic indie in Salt Lake City, and along with her anecdotal tales of life as a bookstore owner and tons of interesting lists she has gathered over the years.

Ah, Helene Hanff! I can't say enough good things about 84 Charing Cross Road . Sorry to be a little off topic but yesterday I found Quiller-Couch's On the Art of Writing available to read online. "Q" inspired Hanff's 84 book.

I bought Jackson's Anatomy of Bibliomania, The Fear of Books and The Reading of Books. I began Anatomy months upon months ago and am only to page 308. It seems every other line is a sentence of latin. Very eccentric. I have a fear of even cracking the other two.

Cindy said:
"Nicholas Basbanes has written several books about books and book collectors."
I haven't read him but have seen him speak on Booktv and he seems very knowledegable and Every Book Its Reader looks good.

I've read parts of Corrigan's Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading and enjoyed it thus far.

Currently I'm admiring Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern. These two ladies share their childhood in the first part of the book and then get into the details of book hunting. It started well and I expect it to end well.

I have one book about books that I haven't started but looks tasty: The Literary Companion. It has tidbits and trivia about famous books and their authors. I know I'm judging by the cover but it's so cute! A textured khaki dustcover with a navy ribbon sewn in the middle on the binding.

I do like books about other's obsessions with books.

books4joy, so you are liking Corrigan's Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading? . I am of two minds about it. On the one hand it has made me want to reread Jane Eyre and the rest of the Brontes but to be honest I am a little tired of her theme of the female adventure/feminist slant she sees everywhere. But then she is very well educated in literature and I am not. Still I will finish the book and that alone says something.

Gooseberrygirl, I am. I agree that the slant is there and will try to overlook it. She does seem very confident about literature and her career. Now I'd like to read a little of Dorothy Sayers writings.

books4joy,

Thanks for the feedback on Anatomy of Biblomania -- it sounds like it may be a little too eccentric for me.

Since you and a few other people have endorsed Nicholas Basbanes' books I may have to look at his books to see if one strikes my fancy.

I came across mention of Hanff in an unexpected quarter. I rented Peeping Tom, recommended by Frieda, and it turned out that the scriptwriter, Leo Marks, was the son of the owner of the bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Rd. I can't remember too well if she was mentioned by Marks himself or another commentator or where on the DVD it was.