Pamela Paul, editor of the New York Times Book Review and author of five books, introduces you to Bob in her most recent book out earlier this year, My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues. Bob is her Book of Books, a journal in which she has listed every book she has read for the past 28 years. My Life with Bob isn’t really about those books, though. It’s about what it is to be a reader and what your reading says about you.
In this review about the book on Bookpage, one line struck me as particularly interesting and significant: My Life with Bob is a love story about books, and it will be irresistible to bookworms who recognize that what you read reflects who you are.
What you read reflects who you are. I love to think about that statement and wonder if it’s true. Is it true for you? What would your own Bob say about you?
What books touch your heart? What books do you dislike? Do you have any books that represent a particular period in your life? Which books have been memorable and which haven’t? Why do you pick the books you pick to read, and what does that tell you about yourself? What genres are you drawn to? Why?
Think about that a bit, and if you gain any insight from your personal reflections, please share.
I’m also curious if you have your own Bob. Maybe, instead of a book, you record your reading history on a spreadsheet or in an app. If so, please share a little about that, too.
