Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks

“A winsome volume . . . in which the librarian Annie Spence writes letters to books she has loved, or not.” —New York Times Book Review

If you love to read, and presumably you do since you’ve picked up this book, you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the way you think about the world. Some books, on the other hand, disappoint you so much you want to throw them against the wall. Either way, it’s clear that a book can be your new soul mate or the bad relationship you need to end.

In Dear Fahrenheit 451, librarian Annie Spence has crafted love letters and breakup notes to the iconic and eclectic books she has encountered over the years. From breaking up with The Giving Tree (a dysfunctional relationship book if ever there was one), to her love letter to The Time Traveler’s Wife (a novel less about time travel and more about the life of a marriage, with all of its ups and downs), Spence will make you think of old favorites in a new way. Filled with suggested reading lists, Spence’s take on classic and contemporary books is very much like the best of literature—sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes surprisingly poignant, and filled with universal truths.

“Terrifically funny.” —Library Journal, starred review

“A smart, funny, forthright librarian in book form.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Dear Dear Fahrenheit 451, thanks for the lovely reminder of the ways we find ourselves in books.” —Booklist, starred review

“[Spence] has a unique ability to capture the thoughts and feelings of book lovers.” —NPR

© 2024 Flatiron Books (Ebook): 9781250113887

Release date

Ebook: 1 May 2024