Ali Smith (ed.): The Book Lover / The Reader

This was a collection of poems, short stories, and excerpts of novels that Ali Smith put together when asked to reflect upon books, or literary works, that have influenced her.

I enjoyed this. I loved that a print of the comic strip Beryl the Peril features alongside the poetry of Margaret Tait and others as well as parts of several novels.

There were many selections that I only sampled in this book and that I was happy to move on from sooner than later, but there were also some that I would not have stumbled upon in any other way and of which I really want to read more of.