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I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Graphic Novels & Comics (2020)A look at the culture and fanaticism of book lovers, from the beloved New York Times illustrator and creator of Incidental Comics.
It’s no secret, but we are judged by our bookshelves. We learn to read at an early age, and as we grow older we shed our beloved books for new ones. But some of us surround ourselves with books. We collect them, decorate with them, are inspired by them, and treat our books as sacred objects. In this lighthearted collection of one- and two-page comics, writer-artist Grant Snider explores bookishness in all its forms, and the love of writing and reading, building on the beloved literary comics featured on his website, Incidental Comics. I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf is the perfect gift for bookworms of all ages.
“This playful, self-aware collection of strips and gags on the joys and frustrations of reading and writing is equal parts lighthearted and sincere . . . The panels range from gently clever to surprisingly profound to laugh-out-loud.” — Publishers Weekly
“A prescient book for these times.” — Newsarama
It’s no secret, but we are judged by our bookshelves. We learn to read at an early age, and as we grow older we shed our beloved books for new ones. But some of us surround ourselves with books. We collect them, decorate with them, are inspired by them, and treat our books as sacred objects. In this lighthearted collection of one- and two-page comics, writer-artist Grant Snider explores bookishness in all its forms, and the love of writing and reading, building on the beloved literary comics featured on his website, Incidental Comics. I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf is the perfect gift for bookworms of all ages.
“This playful, self-aware collection of strips and gags on the joys and frustrations of reading and writing is equal parts lighthearted and sincere . . . The panels range from gently clever to surprisingly profound to laugh-out-loud.” — Publishers Weekly
“A prescient book for these times.” — Newsarama
128 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2020
About the author
Grant Snider
17 books613 followersGrant Snider began drawing and writing before he knew what he was doing. Soon it was too late to stop.
He is the author of the picture books WHAT COLOR IS NIGHT? and WHAT SOUND IS MORNING? and the creator of Incidental Comics. His comics were collected and published in the books THE SHAPE OF IDEAS and I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF. Grant's comics about creativity and the human condition have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Best American Comics.
Grant lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife, daughter, and three sons, where he also practices orthodontics. You can often find him carrying a sketchbook, lost in his own thoughts.
He is the author of the picture books WHAT COLOR IS NIGHT? and WHAT SOUND IS MORNING? and the creator of Incidental Comics. His comics were collected and published in the books THE SHAPE OF IDEAS and I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF. Grant's comics about creativity and the human condition have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Best American Comics.
Grant lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife, daughter, and three sons, where he also practices orthodontics. You can often find him carrying a sketchbook, lost in his own thoughts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,394 reviews
August 3, 2020
Comics about books. Loving reading. It's okay.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't really care for books that celebrate reading. I prefer actual reading. Reading actual books. Books that have the "plot" of "Yay, reading" bore me. I already know I love reading. I don't need to talk about it non-stop.
I also disagree with the accepted premise that anyone who is an avid reader and loves reading must also write and desire to write a book. It's simply not true.
December 31, 2022
نحن لسنا سوي ما نأكل و ما نقرأ !لذا ليس غريبا ان يحكم علينا البعض من خلال مكتباتنا ان وُجدت
و مكتباتي عموما مثيرة للعجب و احيانا الجدل كاي قارئ يجمع الكتب بهوس منذ سن الثانية عشر
اي نعم مكتبة ادبية في المقام الأول ؛لكنها ايضا تحيرك بموسوعاتها؛ وكتبها التاريخية و الدينية ؛ و السير المكدسة بجانب بعض كتب المعمار و الاطفال و مجلات اثرية و ديكورية و كتب الطهي الأجنبية و سلاسل عديدة على راسها كل مجموعة دكتور احمد خالد توفيق كاملة و محمود سالم بالطبع
كتابنا المصور هذا يصنف القارئ لمن حوله و لذات نفسه ايضا
فتجده يتعرف عليك بخبث من خلال استبيان
الكتاب الذي لم تستطع تركه من يدك: هاري بوتر ٧ بالطبع
الكتب التي فشلت في تحريكها من مكانها:القواميس فوق ٥٠٠ صفحة
الكتاب الهدية الذي لم افض غلافه:مئات بلا مبالغة
الكتاب الذي بهدلته على الشاطئ:رواية :١٩١٩اخر كتاب ورقي عالبحر
الكتاب الذي كافحت لتحبه. : اسم الوردة
كتاب أمتلك منه ثلاث نسخ بشكل ما :الغث من القول 😂بانسي اني اشتريته
الكتاب الذي انقذ حياتك :لا يوجد مثل هذا الكتاب السحري في حياتي
لكن هناك كتب غيرت أفكاري و جعلت الحياة اكثر احتمالا
مثل سلسة هاري بوتر؛ ربع جرام ؛ رباعية نابولي و كتب مطاوع
كناب اعرته َ كافحت لاعيده؛ مزرعة الرياح
كتاب انتظر عودته؛ ظلام دامس بلا نجوم
كتاب قد انام عليه كل ليله؛ ما وراء الطبيعة كلها ❤️
كتاب حسبته قبعة؛رواية الشئ الأمريكية تجولت معي بكل الأوضاع لشهر كامل
الكتاب الذي احاول كتابته؛الحمد لله الذي تاب على من داء الكتابة منذ عشرين عام
كتب غيرت حياتي؛ كنت أتمني انهم يكونوا اكتر
ينطلق الكتاب في تصنيف القراء حسب: هوسهم بانهاء الكتاب من عدمه
علامات الكتب
رائحة الكتب
سرقة الكتب
اعارة الكتب
تبني الكتب
اماكن القراءة
كتب الأطفال
الكوميكس
ما تفعله في الحفلات
ديونك للمكتبات
وَهناك فصول كاملة عن الكتابة َ سدة القارئ َ/ الكاتب ايضا و طقوس و طرق الكتابة َو حجج التوقف عنها
َ لنتذكر دوما ان؛ الجهل يفني بيوت العز و الشرف
المراجعة ١٢٠٠
٢٨ سبتمبر٢٠٢٢
و مكتباتي عموما مثيرة للعجب و احيانا الجدل كاي قارئ يجمع الكتب بهوس منذ سن الثانية عشر
اي نعم مكتبة ادبية في المقام الأول ؛لكنها ايضا تحيرك بموسوعاتها؛ وكتبها التاريخية و الدينية ؛ و السير المكدسة بجانب بعض كتب المعمار و الاطفال و مجلات اثرية و ديكورية و كتب الطهي الأجنبية و سلاسل عديدة على راسها كل مجموعة دكتور احمد خالد توفيق كاملة و محمود سالم بالطبع
كتابنا المصور هذا يصنف القارئ لمن حوله و لذات نفسه ايضا
فتجده يتعرف عليك بخبث من خلال استبيان
الكتاب الذي لم تستطع تركه من يدك: هاري بوتر ٧ بالطبع
الكتب التي فشلت في تحريكها من مكانها:القواميس فوق ٥٠٠ صفحة
الكتاب الهدية الذي لم افض غلافه:مئات بلا مبالغة
الكتاب الذي بهدلته على الشاطئ:رواية :١٩١٩اخر كتاب ورقي عالبحر
الكتاب الذي كافحت لتحبه. : اسم الوردة
كتاب أمتلك منه ثلاث نسخ بشكل ما :الغث من القول 😂بانسي اني اشتريته
الكتاب الذي انقذ حياتك :لا يوجد مثل هذا الكتاب السحري في حياتي
لكن هناك كتب غيرت أفكاري و جعلت الحياة اكثر احتمالا
مثل سلسة هاري بوتر؛ ربع جرام ؛ رباعية نابولي و كتب مطاوع
كناب اعرته َ كافحت لاعيده؛ مزرعة الرياح
كتاب انتظر عودته؛ ظلام دامس بلا نجوم
كتاب قد انام عليه كل ليله؛ ما وراء الطبيعة كلها ❤️
كتاب حسبته قبعة؛رواية الشئ الأمريكية تجولت معي بكل الأوضاع لشهر كامل
الكتاب الذي احاول كتابته؛الحمد لله الذي تاب على من داء الكتابة منذ عشرين عام
كتب غيرت حياتي؛ كنت أتمني انهم يكونوا اكتر
ينطلق الكتاب في تصنيف القراء حسب: هوسهم بانهاء الكتاب من عدمه
علامات الكتب
رائحة الكتب
سرقة الكتب
اعارة الكتب
تبني الكتب
اماكن القراءة
كتب الأطفال
الكوميكس
ما تفعله في الحفلات
ديونك للمكتبات
وَهناك فصول كاملة عن الكتابة َ سدة القارئ َ/ الكاتب ايضا و طقوس و طرق الكتابة َو حجج التوقف عنها
َ لنتذكر دوما ان؛ الجهل يفني بيوت العز و الشرف
المراجعة ١٢٠٠
٢٨ سبتمبر٢٠٢٢
September 11, 2020
So funny. So true.
October 22, 2022
يقدم الكاتب الفنان " جرانت سنايدر" مجموعة رائعة..مُدهشة من رسوم الكومكس لعُشاق القراءة والكتابة...
كعاشقة للكتب..مهووسة بإقتنائها لم أتوقف عن إسقاط تجربتي الذاتية مع الكتب ها هنا....ولابد أنك ستفعل ذلك عندما تُقدم على قراءة هذا الكتاب المُذهل....
أجل..أنا من تقرأ بالحافلة...في المقهى..على شاطيء البحر...
وأنا برفقة أصدقائي ، أختلس النظر إلى الكتاب تحت طاولة الطعام ، وتأتيني أصواتهنّ لتقبض عليُ مُتلبسة " ماذا تفعلين ؟!!..."....
أتسلل من الإجتماعات الهامة بالعمل لأنني لا أستطيع التوقف عن قراءة الكتاب الذي بين يديّ ..." إعترافات خطيرة "...🤪
أدمنتُ إقتناء الكتب ، كلما مررت بمتجر الكتب ، لا أس��طيع مقاومة النداء الداخلي الذي يردد عليّ " أنتِ بحاجة للمزيد من الكتب "....لابد من إيجاد حل سريع جداً وإلا سأعلن إفلاسي قريباً جداً....
أن أقرأ كتاباً....فهذا يعني إنني أغوص فيه...أتنفس هناك...أتجول في عالم الحكايات ، انطلق مغامرة في عوالم جديدة ، مُدمرة أنا وصانعة للكلمات بأي نص دون أن أجازف بخسارة الصداقة التي عقدتها مع الكتاب...أعشق النص المراوغ..المُربك بالانعطافات والإلتواءات...الذي يُسلمني لنهاية لم أكن أتوقعها أبداً...
مُغرمةٌ أنا بالكتب المنسية ، المجهولة ، وتلك التي لم يقرأها أحدٌ بعد....
أتمنى يوماً أن ألتقي بقصيدة على جناحي فراشة...على بتلات ناعمة ..أو حتى على ورقة شجر يابسة...
ستلتقي هنا بمقتطفات عن الكتابة بديعة سأدعها لأصحابها يتحدثون بشأنها...
وأخيراً.... يبدو إنني لا أستطع شرح أي شيء على الإطلاق....🤗
كعاشقة للكتب..مهووسة بإقتنائها لم أتوقف عن إسقاط تجربتي الذاتية مع الكتب ها هنا....ولابد أنك ستفعل ذلك عندما تُقدم على قراءة هذا الكتاب المُذهل....
أجل..أنا من تقرأ بالحافلة...في المقهى..على شاطيء البحر...
وأنا برفقة أصدقائي ، أختلس النظر إلى الكتاب تحت طاولة الطعام ، وتأتيني أصواتهنّ لتقبض عليُ مُتلبسة " ماذا تفعلين ؟!!..."....
أتسلل من الإجتماعات الهامة بالعمل لأنني لا أستطيع التوقف عن قراءة الكتاب الذي بين يديّ ..." إعترافات خطيرة "...🤪
أدمنتُ إقتناء الكتب ، كلما مررت بمتجر الكتب ، لا أس��طيع مقاومة النداء الداخلي الذي يردد عليّ " أنتِ بحاجة للمزيد من الكتب "....لابد من إيجاد حل سريع جداً وإلا سأعلن إفلاسي قريباً جداً....
أن أقرأ كتاباً....فهذا يعني إنني أغوص فيه...أتنفس هناك...أتجول في عالم الحكايات ، انطلق مغامرة في عوالم جديدة ، مُدمرة أنا وصانعة للكلمات بأي نص دون أن أجازف بخسارة الصداقة التي عقدتها مع الكتاب...أعشق النص المراوغ..المُربك بالانعطافات والإلتواءات...الذي يُسلمني لنهاية لم أكن أتوقعها أبداً...
مُغرمةٌ أنا بالكتب المنسية ، المجهولة ، وتلك التي لم يقرأها أحدٌ بعد....
أتمنى يوماً أن ألتقي بقصيدة على جناحي فراشة...على بتلات ناعمة ..أو حتى على ورقة شجر يابسة...
ستلتقي هنا بمقتطفات عن الكتابة بديعة سأدعها لأصحابها يتحدثون بشأنها...
وأخيراً.... يبدو إنني لا أستطع شرح أي شيء على الإطلاق....🤗
June 16, 2022
BIRTHDAY GIFT! WELCOME SIXTY-ONE!
My Review: My old friend Stephanie sent me this! W00t!
I loved this. I love the collection!
This resonates....
Too, too right, Grant Snider.
I love his cartoons just as much as I love Tom Gauld's cartoons. I don't want either of them to stop cartooning for a very, very long time.
Thanks, Stephanie! *smooch*
And POWER TO THE PANGOLIN!!
My Review: My old friend Stephanie sent me this! W00t!
I loved this. I love the collection!
This resonates....
Too, too right, Grant Snider.
I love his cartoons just as much as I love Tom Gauld's cartoons. I don't want either of them to stop cartooning for a very, very long time.
Thanks, Stephanie! *smooch*
And POWER TO THE PANGOLIN!!
March 16, 2021
The cool die-cut cover was an interesting start! Inside the book, we have 1-2 page cartoons focusing on readers AND writers. My personal favorites were titled "Choose Your Own Memoir" and "My Holiday Wish List".
I noticed that some pages:
- have such small print that a magnifying glass was needed;
- require the reader to have background knowledge re: the topic (if you don't have this, you're hooped!); and,
- were somewhat funny, but most were quite philosophical.
3 stars = I liked it, but I've read better (i.e. more personal to me.)
I noticed that some pages:
- have such small print that a magnifying glass was needed;
- require the reader to have background knowledge re: the topic (if you don't have this, you're hooped!); and,
- were somewhat funny, but most were quite philosophical.
3 stars = I liked it, but I've read better (i.e. more personal to me.)
December 13, 2020
I seem to be an outlier. This book of cartoons seemed like it would be funny but ended up disappointing and boring me. The author is an illustrator for the New York Times and, if he's the one responsible for that tempting title, I congratulate him on that. The tempting title was the best part for me. It didn't tempt me after that; this book should take about a half hour to read and it took me six days.
The illustrations are just okay. And most of all, or should I say least of all, the text is nothing book lovers haven't seen or said or heard before, maybe not in those exact words or in diagrams but there's nothing new here other than presentation. And it wasn't long before that orange, because every page is that orange, began to bug, and incredibly it wasn't because orange triggers me now; it's because there was nothing amusing to distract me from it.
I was taken in by that great title and I also goofed because somehow I thought I was getting a book by a New Yorker cartoonist, not an illustrator from the NYT. (You can judge me by that.) I love New Yorker cartoons, even the ones I can't figure out. There isn't a single panel in this short book that wouldn't be a quick reject by the New Yorker.
The illustrations are just okay. And most of all, or should I say least of all, the text is nothing book lovers haven't seen or said or heard before, maybe not in those exact words or in diagrams but there's nothing new here other than presentation. And it wasn't long before that orange, because every page is that orange, began to bug, and incredibly it wasn't because orange triggers me now; it's because there was nothing amusing to distract me from it.
I was taken in by that great title and I also goofed because somehow I thought I was getting a book by a New Yorker cartoonist, not an illustrator from the NYT. (You can judge me by that.) I love New Yorker cartoons, even the ones I can't figure out. There isn't a single panel in this short book that wouldn't be a quick reject by the New Yorker.
September 23, 2024
A cure for reading slumps.
How can I not possibly like this collection?!
Let's say things are not new here and that everything in this book has been already illustrated or as is written everywhere, try arguing with me on this: readers have some things in common that even you and I cannot deny and it will never get old. I can relate with many of the things mentioned: the discovery phase, the hoarding phase, the never-satisfied phase, the confusion phase or the many 'problems' that we readers face on a daily basis!
The illustrations are just like comic strips. Absolutely adore them.
I feel there are some areas where things get over exaggerated but that's how crazy people think and hence the overreaction in the description and the illustrations but we all know we love it when our kind speak for all of us. Kudos!
I liked everything about the collection starting from the cover. However, I just wish the illustrations and the presentation were better.
But I still like it and I am going to re-read it whenever I hit a Reading Slump. It helps!
How can I not possibly like this collection?!
Let's say things are not new here and that everything in this book has been already illustrated or as is written everywhere, try arguing with me on this: readers have some things in common that even you and I cannot deny and it will never get old. I can relate with many of the things mentioned: the discovery phase, the hoarding phase, the never-satisfied phase, the confusion phase or the many 'problems' that we readers face on a daily basis!
The illustrations are just like comic strips. Absolutely adore them.
I feel there are some areas where things get over exaggerated but that's how crazy people think and hence the overreaction in the description and the illustrations but we all know we love it when our kind speak for all of us. Kudos!
I liked everything about the collection starting from the cover. However, I just wish the illustrations and the presentation were better.
But I still like it and I am going to re-read it whenever I hit a Reading Slump. It helps!
March 12, 2021
1.5 Stars
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf is a standalone Graphic Novel, I read it cause it sounded cool, which I was wrong, cause I didn't like it.
The plot well, I don't really know what the plot was, cause in a way it didn't really have a plot, I'm not sure, cause I didn't really understand, what happened in the book, it was super confusing, and also some of the text bubble things were very tiny so it was kinda hard to read.
The Writing well since it was a Graphic Novel, I don't really know what to say about the writing, but, what I am gonna say is that, there were times when the text was too small for me to read, I said it above, but still.
I would make a heading for The Characters but, there really weren't any characters except, one guy, which I don't really know how to feel about, he okay, I guess.
Why'd I rate this 2 stars or 1.5 technically?
I didn't like it, straight of, I bet other people might like it, but I just wasn't in sync with this, I just didn't get it, this book, just wasn't for me. at all. No click!
Overall, this is probably, one of my least favorite graphic novels, and that's a lot to say, cause I usually really like all graphic novels.
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf is a standalone Graphic Novel, I read it cause it sounded cool, which I was wrong, cause I didn't like it.
The plot well, I don't really know what the plot was, cause in a way it didn't really have a plot, I'm not sure, cause I didn't really understand, what happened in the book, it was super confusing, and also some of the text bubble things were very tiny so it was kinda hard to read.
The Writing well since it was a Graphic Novel, I don't really know what to say about the writing, but, what I am gonna say is that, there were times when the text was too small for me to read, I said it above, but still.
I would make a heading for The Characters but, there really weren't any characters except, one guy, which I don't really know how to feel about, he okay, I guess.
Why'd I rate this 2 stars or 1.5 technically?
I didn't like it, straight of, I bet other people might like it, but I just wasn't in sync with this, I just didn't get it, this book, just wasn't for me. at all. No click!
Overall, this is probably, one of my least favorite graphic novels, and that's a lot to say, cause I usually really like all graphic novels.
December 19, 2020
What a great title! I downloaded this from Hoopla and spent a couple mildly pleasurable hours with it. I have the same problem with this book as with other collections of cartoons - overload. There were a couple illustrations that I loved and would have torn out and put on my refrigerator if I had stumbled across them in a newspaper or magazine. But one page after another, the cumulative effect was sameness - and ultimately boredom.
October 29, 2020
surprisingly pretentious
July 14, 2022
You really know you are a bona fide reading / writing / language nerd when a delightful book like this elicits rueful laughter at nearly every page.
January 28, 2021
Grant Snider’s I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf is another collection of newspaper strips with a bookish flavour, in the vein of Debbie Tung’s Book Love and Tom Gauld’s strips - except it’s not as good as either.
Snider’s art style is a blend of Dr Seuss and Quentin Blake so I can see why it gets published in places like The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review - it’s appealingly mainstream.
The pieces are about books and writing. Snider likes books - and says so multiple times in multiple strips! Snider says literary creation is tough - and says so multiple times in multiple strips!
Some stand out like the splash page visuals of Stages of the Reader and The Writer’s Block (an imaginative representation of a street with literary features). Pig Latin is a clever strip, as is A Writer’s Routine (presented in A-Z form), and Haruki Murakami Bingo is on point, as any Murakami fan will spot.
The strips might work just fine in the corner of an article/page but reading them in sequence in a book gets tiring as you notice that the vast majority are banal, repetitive, unmemorable and dull. Maybe if you enjoyed Tung/Gauld’s cartoons and want more, this might be for you, but I wouldn’t expect much if you’re gonna pick this one up.
Snider’s art style is a blend of Dr Seuss and Quentin Blake so I can see why it gets published in places like The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review - it’s appealingly mainstream.
The pieces are about books and writing. Snider likes books - and says so multiple times in multiple strips! Snider says literary creation is tough - and says so multiple times in multiple strips!
Some stand out like the splash page visuals of Stages of the Reader and The Writer’s Block (an imaginative representation of a street with literary features). Pig Latin is a clever strip, as is A Writer’s Routine (presented in A-Z form), and Haruki Murakami Bingo is on point, as any Murakami fan will spot.
The strips might work just fine in the corner of an article/page but reading them in sequence in a book gets tiring as you notice that the vast majority are banal, repetitive, unmemorable and dull. Maybe if you enjoyed Tung/Gauld’s cartoons and want more, this might be for you, but I wouldn’t expect much if you’re gonna pick this one up.
June 24, 2023
I loved this book. It is funny, beautiful, creative, and instructive. For readers wh0 are book addicts, who can't finish one book before starting another, who have more than one bookcase (or 3), for those who like cartoons and good illustrations (or comics). Most of this is 98% humor, but there is a bit more underneath speaking to writers and aspiring writers.
The latter is the only pause I have in my praise. I mean those pages are equally good and creative and funny; however, does every book addict want to be a writer? Well, yeah, I do, but do all readers? Are the two inextricably linked? You can answer that, or just read this book to lighten the load and add some brightness to your day and remind your face what it is to smile and look happy.
The latter is the only pause I have in my praise. I mean those pages are equally good and creative and funny; however, does every book addict want to be a writer? Well, yeah, I do, but do all readers? Are the two inextricably linked? You can answer that, or just read this book to lighten the load and add some brightness to your day and remind your face what it is to smile and look happy.
November 28, 2020
I thought Grant Snider's book about creativity, The Shape of Ideas, was pretty good, just okay. I do like his simple, cute art style, that I find inviting and warm. I read this book because it was one of the nominated books for the Goodreads 2020 Graphic Novel/Comics category. Each year a booklover's book or two seem to get nominated, and this (again) sweetly and invitingly illustrated book of cartoons and one or two page comics about books, writing, and reading seems designed to appeal to we sixty million Goodreads readers. And of course, he's right, we do judge each other by our bookshelves! Well, anyway, I think it's just fine, again, okay, and as before I am adding a point for the design, color, simple linework.
July 26, 2023
A book about books; warm and delightful.
August 25, 2021
This book is a piece of Art.
Everyone should read it.
Everyone should read it.
May 4, 2020
Sorry, Not Sorry. I drowned myself in books today to drown out the rowdy "temporarily schooling from home" kids. And this seemed like a perfect title for a book-filled day. So, while my 2 bundles of joy were attacking each other with water balloons in the name of completing a task on their Phys Ed Bingo board, I read this glorious little book full of short comics about the joy of reading and writing.
I've seen (and probably even shared) a few of these comics before. As a book lover I find a lot of truth and humor in these. I recommend this to any book lover looking for a quick light read. And to my local friends... this is currently available on HOOPLA, so check it out!
I've seen (and probably even shared) a few of these comics before. As a book lover I find a lot of truth and humor in these. I recommend this to any book lover looking for a quick light read. And to my local friends... this is currently available on HOOPLA, so check it out!
July 20, 2021
I am a fan of Grant Snider’s work – I used one of his illustrations (Haruki Murakami Bingo) in my review of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. He gets it. Humorous little treat, one you can quickly flip through while having a cup of coffee. And really, once in a while, isn’t that all we want anyway? Book lovers and aspiring writers will love Snider’s thoughts on buying too many books, having commitment phobia, aspiring to write something that may dare to become part of the “canon”, and of course, judging others (quite ruthlessly) on their bookshelves – “Is that Lord of the Flies? Really?”
August 25, 2022
This book taught me a lesson about myself: while I love reading, I do not care reading about reading. While I found some of the early comics amusing, I simply got bored as there appeared to be no other content than “YAY, I love books! Can’t you tell that I love books?” And, “I want to write a book but I can’t! Can’t you tell that I have writer’s block? No?” And pun upon pun about the same thing.
I think the idea of “I like books” in general is not meaningful. Do I prefer reading the book instead of watching the movie? Yes. Do I enjoy searching for books I would enjoy? Yes. Do I like reading ANY book? Absolutely not! There are a tremendous amount of books worth reading. And even more that are not. Or ones that are just not for me - like this book.
I thought this book would be more about the types of books one would read; references; quotes, etc, you know, content. But books in general? No, I don’t like the smell of old books, I have dust allergy, just the thought makes me sneeze. And while I very much like the library’s ability to lend me the books I want to read, hanging out in the library, or worse, browsing, would make my claustrophobia act up and my ADHD to overwhelm me. So I am the type who grabs the books then out, thank you!
I like to converse about books I read with people; nothing like hitting on the same books, or someone who reads the same types of books. But if someone exclusively reads romance or YA or horror, I will have about the same connection with them as someone who only talks about baseball.
I learned exactly zero amount of what kind of books Grant Snider likes, so we ran out of common material. Gave up about halfway - I was bored. I’d rather be reading.
I think the idea of “I like books” in general is not meaningful. Do I prefer reading the book instead of watching the movie? Yes. Do I enjoy searching for books I would enjoy? Yes. Do I like reading ANY book? Absolutely not! There are a tremendous amount of books worth reading. And even more that are not. Or ones that are just not for me - like this book.
I thought this book would be more about the types of books one would read; references; quotes, etc, you know, content. But books in general? No, I don’t like the smell of old books, I have dust allergy, just the thought makes me sneeze. And while I very much like the library’s ability to lend me the books I want to read, hanging out in the library, or worse, browsing, would make my claustrophobia act up and my ADHD to overwhelm me. So I am the type who grabs the books then out, thank you!
I like to converse about books I read with people; nothing like hitting on the same books, or someone who reads the same types of books. But if someone exclusively reads romance or YA or horror, I will have about the same connection with them as someone who only talks about baseball.
I learned exactly zero amount of what kind of books Grant Snider likes, so we ran out of common material. Gave up about halfway - I was bored. I’d rather be reading.
February 19, 2021
If I were a writer, I would have enjoyed this more. But, since I am a book lover, I could relate to and liked those parts.
August 7, 2022
❤️❤️❤️
March 1, 2024
DNF @ 52%.
I will judge this book for being pretentious.
I borrowed this from the library. THE DIGITAL LIBRARY. And I read it (half of it, HALF OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL) on my PHONE. Because THIS reader absolutely is not tired of reading on screens. I love my kindle, and my phone. I love the convenience of having thousands of books at my fingertips and can be as indecisive as I want and never be stuck without something to read. I love the customizability of them. How when my eyes are tired, I can just increase the font size a bit. Or bold it. I love that I can read whatever I want without advertising it to the world at large. I love that I don't have to schlep around a huge, heavy bag just to have a book with me. I love that it lights up so I don't need a separate light source to read at night, and I can adjust it to not disturb those around me. I love that I can just look up a word I don't know, or translate something, or make a note without needing to hit up an office supply store, or mark my page without having to scramble for something flattish. So many things to love about my e-reader, that when I saw "The Book of the Future" claiming that "we are tired of reading on screens", and describing the "ideal" book as basically a hardcover, I just had to roll my eyes. And it was at that point that I decided to DNF this.
Enjoy your hardcovers, I guess. If you're into that sort of thing. You do you.
I just didn't find this enjoyable. Most of the half of it that I went through was not relevant to me.
I don't like poetry. I'm certainly not trying to MEMORIZE it in order to assault casual passersby with my renditions of it. Ugh. Hard pass.
I have recently come to appreciate magical realism a bit more than I used to, but I'm actually more on the "I'll take my realism with a side of evidence based facts, thanks". (I read a lot of nonfiction these days.)
I'm not a writer, have no aspirations to be a writer. Just because I read doesn't mean that I want to write.
I'm not a book-sniffer, and I'm downsizing my hoard, and definitely don't confuse fiction with reality. I don't stress over whether to finish a book or not. If it's not working for me, or I'm not enjoying it, then I'll DNF it. Or I'll push through if I feel like it's either going to be worth it in the end, or at least to hone my shredding blades for my review. Whatever I feel like in the moment regarding that book. Or THIS book.
Just about the only thing that I can agree with is that punctuation matters. I criticize confusing or misused punctuation and grammar a lot in my reviews, even though I am not a perfect punctuator myself. (But I'm also not professionally publishing anything to be purchased either.)
Like... I guess I just didn't vibe with this that much because, to me, it's really just not that serious. I love books as a medium for sharing ideas and information and stories. I love reading, I love admiring other people's bookshelves and seeing what they are into and getting some recommendations from them and talking about books, and just sharing the love of reading. I love audiobooks (which I skimmed the rest and notice Mr. Snider didn't deign to offer an opinion about) AND count them as reading.
I don't care what other people read or how they read. I will never tell someone they are doing it wrong, or that MY way is the right way. That someone is reading at all is great, and I love it and encourage it.
I will judge this book for being pretentious.
I borrowed this from the library. THE DIGITAL LIBRARY. And I read it (half of it, HALF OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL) on my PHONE. Because THIS reader absolutely is not tired of reading on screens. I love my kindle, and my phone. I love the convenience of having thousands of books at my fingertips and can be as indecisive as I want and never be stuck without something to read. I love the customizability of them. How when my eyes are tired, I can just increase the font size a bit. Or bold it. I love that I can read whatever I want without advertising it to the world at large. I love that I don't have to schlep around a huge, heavy bag just to have a book with me. I love that it lights up so I don't need a separate light source to read at night, and I can adjust it to not disturb those around me. I love that I can just look up a word I don't know, or translate something, or make a note without needing to hit up an office supply store, or mark my page without having to scramble for something flattish. So many things to love about my e-reader, that when I saw "The Book of the Future" claiming that "we are tired of reading on screens", and describing the "ideal" book as basically a hardcover, I just had to roll my eyes. And it was at that point that I decided to DNF this.
Enjoy your hardcovers, I guess. If you're into that sort of thing. You do you.
I just didn't find this enjoyable. Most of the half of it that I went through was not relevant to me.
I don't like poetry. I'm certainly not trying to MEMORIZE it in order to assault casual passersby with my renditions of it. Ugh. Hard pass.
I have recently come to appreciate magical realism a bit more than I used to, but I'm actually more on the "I'll take my realism with a side of evidence based facts, thanks". (I read a lot of nonfiction these days.)
I'm not a writer, have no aspirations to be a writer. Just because I read doesn't mean that I want to write.
I'm not a book-sniffer, and I'm downsizing my hoard, and definitely don't confuse fiction with reality. I don't stress over whether to finish a book or not. If it's not working for me, or I'm not enjoying it, then I'll DNF it. Or I'll push through if I feel like it's either going to be worth it in the end, or at least to hone my shredding blades for my review. Whatever I feel like in the moment regarding that book. Or THIS book.
Just about the only thing that I can agree with is that punctuation matters. I criticize confusing or misused punctuation and grammar a lot in my reviews, even though I am not a perfect punctuator myself. (But I'm also not professionally publishing anything to be purchased either.)
Like... I guess I just didn't vibe with this that much because, to me, it's really just not that serious. I love books as a medium for sharing ideas and information and stories. I love reading, I love admiring other people's bookshelves and seeing what they are into and getting some recommendations from them and talking about books, and just sharing the love of reading. I love audiobooks (which I skimmed the rest and notice Mr. Snider didn't deign to offer an opinion about) AND count them as reading.
I don't care what other people read or how they read. I will never tell someone they are doing it wrong, or that MY way is the right way. That someone is reading at all is great, and I love it and encourage it.
May 13, 2020
Writer & artist Grant Snider is a very funny man. Here he explores many book related things in a wryly observant & witty style.
Theses one or two page comics may be short, but they are very amusing. I especially liked the Fahrenheit 351 cartoon, which is a gem. Some of the pages focus on the difficulties of being a writer & offer amusing tips on how to beat writer's block & find inspiration.
This is a nice light read that may not always make you laugh out loud, but it will bring a smile to your face.
Theses one or two page comics may be short, but they are very amusing. I especially liked the Fahrenheit 351 cartoon, which is a gem. Some of the pages focus on the difficulties of being a writer & offer amusing tips on how to beat writer's block & find inspiration.
This is a nice light read that may not always make you laugh out loud, but it will bring a smile to your face.
November 10, 2020
Don't listen to the mixed, embittered reviews... This book is a joy! I highly recommend this adorable, quick read to bibliophiles everywhere. This was a real pick-me-up and gave me something to relate to.
July 11, 2020
I read in English but this review is in Bahasa Indonesia
Nama Grant Snider sudah tidak asing untukku. Berkat The Shape of Ideas (edisi bahasa Indonesianya sudah diterbitkan oleh GPU), buku Snider layak mendapatkan slot waktuku. Apalagi ketika aku gali lebih jauh, ternyata Snider-lah yang membantu Susan Cain untuk memproduksi ilustrasi di buku Quiet.
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf sungguh terlihat pretensius. Bentuk seperti apakah yang akan dihadirkan oleh Snider? Memangnya bakal ada klasifikasi pembaca yang seperti apa lagi? Namun rupanya Snider tidak bertujuan untuk menghakimi.
Dalam buku ini, Snider berfokus memberikan "penjelasan" kepada pembaca tentang nikmatnya menjadi seorang pembaca buku. Dengan ilustrasinya yang "di luar persepsi awam", Snider mengajak pembacanya untuk menghargai bahwa kegiatan membaca bisa sangat beragam. Ada yang bisa sambil bermalas-malasan. Ada juga yang punya posisi duduk yang tegak. Snider mengatakan bahwa hal itu biasa saja.
Yang aku suka dari buku ini ialah bagaimana Snider menghadirkan premis kalau membaca dan menulis adalah seperti sekeping koin. Seseorang tidak akan bisa menulis apabila dia tidak banyak membaca. Maka dari itu, separo bagian dari buku ini juga membahas tentang menulis dan ketakutan serta hambatan yang sering dijadikan alasan oleh banyak orang.
Secara keseluruhan, buku ilustrasi ini memanjakan mata dengan hal yang gemas dan jenaka. Sebuah bacaan ringan yang bisa dilahap ketika butuh sesuatu yang menghibur.
Nama Grant Snider sudah tidak asing untukku. Berkat The Shape of Ideas (edisi bahasa Indonesianya sudah diterbitkan oleh GPU), buku Snider layak mendapatkan slot waktuku. Apalagi ketika aku gali lebih jauh, ternyata Snider-lah yang membantu Susan Cain untuk memproduksi ilustrasi di buku Quiet.
I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf sungguh terlihat pretensius. Bentuk seperti apakah yang akan dihadirkan oleh Snider? Memangnya bakal ada klasifikasi pembaca yang seperti apa lagi? Namun rupanya Snider tidak bertujuan untuk menghakimi.
Dalam buku ini, Snider berfokus memberikan "penjelasan" kepada pembaca tentang nikmatnya menjadi seorang pembaca buku. Dengan ilustrasinya yang "di luar persepsi awam", Snider mengajak pembacanya untuk menghargai bahwa kegiatan membaca bisa sangat beragam. Ada yang bisa sambil bermalas-malasan. Ada juga yang punya posisi duduk yang tegak. Snider mengatakan bahwa hal itu biasa saja.
Yang aku suka dari buku ini ialah bagaimana Snider menghadirkan premis kalau membaca dan menulis adalah seperti sekeping koin. Seseorang tidak akan bisa menulis apabila dia tidak banyak membaca. Maka dari itu, separo bagian dari buku ini juga membahas tentang menulis dan ketakutan serta hambatan yang sering dijadikan alasan oleh banyak orang.
Secara keseluruhan, buku ilustrasi ini memanjakan mata dengan hal yang gemas dan jenaka. Sebuah bacaan ringan yang bisa dilahap ketika butuh sesuatu yang menghibur.
June 25, 2020
I regret reading this collection of cartoons in two sessions as I probably would have enjoyed it more at, say, a page or two a day. As it stands, with cleverness tending to the lukewarm and humor heavily reliant on puns, I wearied of reading it by the end. But it is all about books, reading, and writing so we'll give it a mercy star.
For fans of Book Love and Reading Quirks: Weird Things that Bookish Nerds Do!.
For fans of Book Love and Reading Quirks: Weird Things that Bookish Nerds Do!.
January 14, 2023
1.5
Đầu tiên là mình rất thích những gì Wingsbooks đã làm với cuốn sách này, dịch giả cũng cố gắng truyền tải nội dung của cuốn sách.
Mình đã hy vọng chút ít rằng cuốn sâch này sẽ thú vị, hài hước vè "sách" hay việc "đọc sách". Và đúng là nó có hài hước, nhưng chỉ ở những phần đầu hay những phần mà mình hiểu ý của tác giả.
Còn những phần còn lại nó không dành cho mình. Mình cảm thấy cách tác giả nói về "sách" hay việc "đọc sách" hơi quá - không phải ai cũng nghĩ vậy (trong đó có mình). Và mình cảm thấy nhàm chán, bởi phần sau của sách tác giả tập trung vào việc "lên ý tưởng" về nghiệp viết, cảm hứng các thứ... nó không phải chủ đề mình trông đợi.
Và mình tự hỏi, có phải do mình không đủ kiến thức không? Mình có đọc sách, nhưng những chủ đề mà tác giả đưa vào không dành cho mình - mình chưa đọc hay biết qua về những phần đấy. Mình chỉ cảm thấy may mắn ở phần "Haruki Marakami bingo", ít nhất mình hiểu ý tác giả :))) dù chưa đọc Haruki Murakami nhưng cảm ơn Group Nhã Nam nhiều, lướt fb thôi mà cũng đủ biết về sách.
July 5, 2020
For years, I have clipped some of the cartoons published by Grant Snider on the back page of The New York Times Book Review, as they are amusing. I have even framed some and given them as holiday gifts. I have a recent one (Reading Goals) taped to the wall, next to my computer. They are about reading and/or writing and will be appreciated by anyone on Goodreads. Light stuff, but appropriate for readers/writers of all ages.
January 28, 2021
Ne visas grāmatas, kas ir par grāmatām, ir foršas grāmatas. Gadās arī virspusēji savārstījumi, kuru vienīgais uzdevums ir stutēt kādas personas ego ar faktu, ka viņš/a ir kļuvis par autoru/i. Nu jā, šis nav tas gadījums. Šis ir ar smaidu un patiesi par lasīšanu, rakstīšanu un dzejošanu, par cīņām, problēmām un priekiem, kas saistīti ar šīm nodarbēm.
Ar Granta darbiem var iepazīties arī instiņā - @grantdraws
Ar Granta darbiem var iepazīties arī instiņā - @grantdraws
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