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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Review: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession By Allison Hoover Bartlett

 The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession


Genre: Nonfiction
Sub-Category: Books About Books, Crime
Publisher/Publication Date: Published September 17th 2009 by Riverhead Books
Audio Publisher:  Tantor Media

Did I finish the Book?:  Yes, this was my swimming book.  I usually have three books going at a time.  One, I read/listen to while swimming laps for an hour each day; another, I listen to in the car; and a third or fourth, I am reading as an ebook and/or physical book.

Two Sentence Summary:  I love books.  I love new books, old books, inscribed books, antiquarian books, ebooks and audiobooks.  I can't imagine my life without books, however, I don't love books enough to steal them, which is what The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession is about a man, John Charles Gilkey, who loved rare books so very much he became a thief in order to obtain them.


Why did I get this book?:  It has been on my TBR Shelf for about two years.  I first heard about the book in the magazine Book Marks and on Books on the Nightstand's podcast.

First Line: I listened to this one, but here is the first line..."At one end of my desk sits a nearly 400 year-old book cloaked in a tan linen sack and a good deal of mystery."

Buy, Borrow, Listen, or Avoid?:  I'd recommend either buy/borrow or listen.  I don't know if I'd have finished the book quite so quickly if I had not been listening.

Does this sound like a book for you?  Let us know here at The Things You Can.

Happy Reading!
The Things You Can Read!
Believe In Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love, and the Power of Books!
 




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2 comments:

  1. Beatnik MaryJuly 9, 2013 at 10:24 AM

    I remember getting this book from the library at least two different times, thinking I would love it, but I never ended up reading it. I can't remember why. Maybe I started it and it didn't grip me as much as I hoped it would, and it got pushed off my TBR list.

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  2. The Writing WhispererJuly 9, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    I hear you. I listened to this one, and I honestly don't think I'd have finished it if I'd been reading it. I checked out the audio version of the book from my library.

    Cynthia
    The Things You Can Read

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