"In the stillness of reading, the silence save for the sandpapery sound of my fingers turning the page, I was born. In the quiet of a summer afternoon spent in a hammock, of a winter night spent sneaking under the covers with a flashlight, dawned the awareness, slow but unmistakable, that I was not alone."
-Dani Shapiro, page 50

This book is just what it claimed to be- a collection of letters by various well-known (and some not quite as well-known) readers to younger readers. It is what I might label as a coffee table book; it's an imposing size, has a beautiful cover, contains beautiful artwork inside, and doesn't have to be read in order. Each spread had a letter on the left page and an accompanying illustration on the right page.

For me, it was much more than the kind of book you buy just to impress guests by keeping it in a prominent spot in your living room. Since the title says the letters are written to a "young" reader, I was not quite as young as the intended audience. But the letters I found within helped me feel understood as a young adult reader. Some of the letters I loved the most were those by Laura Brown-Lavoie (page 18), Dani Shapiro (50), and Pamela Paul (218). ( )

A Velocity of Being is a wonderful collection of letters written by writers, performers, celebrities and others about their own experience of reading, about their own love of reading and about how important reading has been in their lives. The letters are addressed to young people and offer plenty of encouragement to read, read broadly and read more.
Each letter faces a wonderful picture that illustrates the points made in the letter.
Both the artwork and the letters are worthwhile on their own, but combined they create a wonderful, inviting and memorable book.
My personal favorite was the illustrated story by Chris Ware, a story about reading a book, turning it up unexpectedly decades later and then preserving it to pass along to someone else. It is a charming, heartwarming and enchanting story and is alone worth the time to read this wonderful volume. ( )

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever held in my hands. I may or may not have hugged it (yes, I hugged the book) after reading the first few pages. I bought it as a birthday present from me to me and I am now savouring it slowly, and I am sure I will re-read the letters and look at the art regularly. Just beautiful. ( )

A Velocity of Being is a wonderful collection of letters written by writers, performers, celebrities and others about their own experience of reading, about their own love of reading and about how important reading has been in their lives. The letters are addressed to young people and offer plenty of encouragement to read, read broadly and read more.
Each letter faces a wonderful picture that illustrates the points made in the letter.
Both the artwork and the letters are worthwhile on their own, but combined they create a wonderful, inviting and memorable book.
My personal favorite was the illustrated story by Chris Ware, a story about reading a book, turning it up unexpectedly decades later and then preserving it to pass along to someone else. It is a charming, heartwarming and enchanting story and is alone worth the time to read this wonderful volume. ( )