The Year of Reading Dangerously cover art

The Year of Reading Dangerously

How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life

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The Year of Reading Dangerously

By: Andy Miller
Narrated by: Andy Miller
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About this listen

An editor and writer's vivaciously entertaining, and often moving, memoir — a true story that reminds us why we should all make time in our lives for books.

Nearing his fortieth birthday, author and critic Andy Miller realized he's not nearly as well read as he'd like to be. A devout book lover who somehow fell out of the habit of reading, he began to ponder the power of books to change an individual life—including his own—and to define the sort of person he would like to be. Beginning with a copy of Bulgakov's Master and Margarita that he happens to find one day in a bookstore, he embarks on a literary odyssey of mindful reading and wry introspection. From Middlemarch to Anna Karenina to A Confederacy of Dunces, these are books Miller felt he should read; books he'd always wanted to read; books he'd previously started but hadn't finished; and books he'd lied about having read to impress people.

Combining memoir and literary criticism, The Year of Reading Dangerously is Miller's heartfelt, humorous, and honest examination of what it means to be a reader. Passionately believing that books deserve to be read, enjoyed, and debated in the real world, Miller documents his reading experiences and how they resonated in his daily life and ultimately his very sense of self. The result is a witty and insightful journey of discovery and soul-searching that celebrates the abiding miracle of the book and the power of reading.

©2014 Andy Miller (P)2014 Audible Studios
Literary History & Criticism Comedy Heartfelt Witty Memoir

Critic Reviews

"Andy Miller writes so well he could make shopping at Sainsbury’s sound amusing." (The Independent)
"An eye for comic detail worthy of the young Evelyn Waugh." (The Observer)
"Fresh, joyfully uncynical and, above all, very funny." (Time Out)
All stars
Most relevant
Really enjoyed this reading. Very funny and relatable. Loved the Douglas Adams references. Like the definition of literature it refers to, I want to read this again immediately (and am now considering attempting War and Peace as well).

Laugh out loud, made me want to read more

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Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, as I learned much about a number of books I had never read, considered reading, or, in some cases, heard of at all.

Cute and interesting

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.