Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading

There should be a special word — perhaps there already is — for books about the love of books, like Anne Fadiman’s Ex Libris. “Bibliobibliophilia” or something like that. The latest book in this line is Leave Me Alone I’m Reading by Maureen Corrigan, book reviewer for NPR.

Corrigan weaves stories from her life as a reader, reviewer, daughter, parent, and scholar with observations on “female extreme adventure tales.” These extreme adventures, unlike the male version, don’t usually involve mountain-climbing or sailing the ocean in a skin boat. Think of heroines like Jane Eyre, the Little Women, Nancy Drew, or your favorite female detective, characters whose lives are no less strenuous and meaningful for being domestically inclined.

Corrigan ranges widely through many genres in this loosely organized book. She is good at evoking nostalgia for girls’ literature of the 50s and 60s, particularly the books given her to read for inspiration during her Catholic schooldays. I never read the Beany Malone series, but after listening to Corrigan describe them I almost feel as though I had.