Book World: The appeal of books about books Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Jan. 27, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail 1of3Seven Kinds of People You Find in BookshopsGodine - handoutShow MoreShow Less 2of3Studying with Miss Bishop: Memoirs from a Young Writer's LifePaul Dry Books - handoutShow MoreShow Less 3of3 Much as I value serious literary fiction, I find reading it to be exceptionally draining. All that raw emotion! Unhappy families being unhappy in their own ways! Bad things happening to good people! Tragic endings. Faced with a potentially heart-rending novel, I've always found it wise to take a few deep breaths and steel myself for the worst.