{"title":"On Reading","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-haunted-wood-a-history-of-childhood-reading-by-sam-leith-pre-order","title":"The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading by Sam Leith","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"productInfo\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productContentWrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productContent\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Sunday Times, Irish Times, Financial Times, Independent, Daily Mail, TLS, Economist, Prospect, Evening Standard and New Statesman Book of the Year 2024\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eCan you remember the first time you fell in love with a book? The stories we read as children matter. The best ones are indelible in our memories; reaching far beyond our childhoods, they are a window into our deepest hopes, joys and anxieties. They reveal our past – collective and individual, remembered and imagined – and invite us to dream up different futures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn a pioneering history of the children’s literary canon, The Haunted Wood reveals the magic of childhood reading, from the ancient tales of Aesop, through the Victorian and Edwardian golden age to new classics. Excavating the complex lives of our most beloved writers, Sam Leith offers a humane portrait of a genre and celebrates the power of books to inspire and console entire generations. \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e'A MARVEL' PHILIP PULLMAN 'A DELIGHT' JULIA DONALDSON 'GLORIOUSLY ENTERTAINING' TOM HOLLAND\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"productDescription\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"purchaseBlock\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-ean=\"9781529442342\" class=\"singleTitleContainer\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaperback | ISBN: 9781836430407, Extent: 160 pages\u003cbr\u003ePublication: 4 Sept 2025, Sphere\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55731232506238,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9781836430407.jpg?v=1749804143"},{"product_id":"look-closer-how-to-get-more-out-of-reading-by-robert-douglas-fairhurst-pre-order","title":"Look Closer: How to Get More Out of Reading by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"[ lg:columns-2 lg:gap-gutter-lg ]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-wysiwyg lg:c-wysiwyg--tight-spacing\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eA joyful and enlightening masterclass in how reading attentively can change our lives. As an English literature professor, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst has delighted in sharing his love of reading with his students. Bringing together more than twenty years of teaching, Look Closer explores the iconic works of literature that have formed, sustained and entertained him, from timeless classics like Wuthering Heights and Dracula to modern masterpieces such as Normal People and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as children’s books, poetry, plays, short stories and comics. It is a masterclass in how to be human.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBy revealing the simple techniques to slow down, take note and bring a text to life, Look Closer is the culmination of a life spent reading. This book is for anyone interested in how literature works and makes clear why reading is more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. Funny, illuminating and personal, Look Closer ultimately shows us how great writing can change a person’s life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is a celebration of the simple joy of reading, and how becoming more attentive readers can open up worlds and bring us closer to ourselves in delightful and unexpected ways.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-wysiwyg lg:c-wysiwyg--tight-spacing\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-wysiwyg lg:c-wysiwyg--tight-spacing\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eHardback | Extent: 352 pages\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublication: 6 Nov 2025, Fern Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781911717317\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55931252769150,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9781911717317.jpg?v=1752151611"},{"product_id":"bookish-a-love-letter-to-reading-by-lucy-mangan","title":"Bookish: A Love Letter to Reading by Lucy Mangan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA love letter to all those who come alive when they pull a new treasure off the shelf, stay up late reading just one more page and pack their suitcases with clothes wedged between books instead of the other way around. From well-worn literary classics to steamy bonkbusters, gripping thrillers, young adult novels and other not-so-guilty pleasures Bookish brims with literary insights, wry observations and stellar recommendations. This is an ode to the bookish places – from local libraries to bookshops big and small – and the stories that make us who we are.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaperback | \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublication: 12 Mar 2026, Ebury\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eISBN: 9781529967180 | \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eExtent: 304 pages\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David's Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56794147488126,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/0892\/5225\/files\/9781529967180.jpg?v=1767958454"},{"product_id":"look-closer-how-to-get-more-out-of-reading-by-robert-douglas-fairhurst","title":"Look Closer: How to Get More Out of Reading by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"[ lg:columns-2 lg:gap-gutter-lg ]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"c-wysiwyg lg:c-wysiwyg--tight-spacing\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eA joyful and enlightening masterclass in how reading attentively can change our livesAs an English literature professor, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst has delighted in sharing his love of reading with his students. Bringing together more than twenty years of teaching, Look Closer explores the iconic works of literature that have formed, sustained and entertained him, from timeless classics like Wuthering Heights and Dracula to modern masterpieces such as Normal People and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as children’s books, poetry, plays, short stories and comics. By revealing the simple techniques to slow down, take note and bring a text to life, Look Closer makes clear how literature works and why, in these turbulent times, reading is more relevant than ever.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFunny, illuminating and personal, this book ultimately shows us how great writing can change a person’s life. 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In this ultimate guide to authors and their novels from around the world, discover over 200 recommendations on what to read, wherever you're travelling. Helping you find the perfect book, written by an author who was born or lived in the country you're visiting, this is a fun and insightful way to elevate your trip experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith beautiful illustrations throughout and chapters organised by continent, discover a diverse selection of book recommendations from a wide variety of countries. From must-read classics, by the likes of Hemingway and Camus, to contemporary fiction, including Elif Shafak to Olga Togarczuk, as well as notable non-fiction, such as Zeinab Badawi's An African History of Africa and Naomi Klein's Doppelganger – this is a treasure trove for enthusiastic readers. 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