By-ways in Book-land: Short Essays on Literary Subjects

"By-ways in Book-land: Short Essays on Literary Subjects" by W. H. Davenport Adams is a set of essays from the 1800s that looks at different angles of books; it's not just about the super famous stuff. Adams wants to show how fun and weird books can be and what people like to read. He talks about how cool it is to read new and old stuff, how detailed the past of books can be, and what poems are. He starts by talking about the "paper-knife pleasures," which means how fun it is to find new books and to read old ones. Adams thinks it's awesome to hold new books and see what might be inside of them. He matches these fresh books against worn books that already have their own histories. He wants people to think about how they feel about books, and believes that every new book is like going on a new trip inside of reading.