November 2025 Book Recommendation
Three things I didn’t know before I read A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader edited by Maria Popova and Claude Zoe Bedrick and published by Enchanted Lion Books.
1) This book took eight years from start to finish.
2) This book includes 121 letters to young readers written by artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, musicians, entrepreneurs and more.
3) That each letter is accompanied by an original illustration from an artist.
A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader was one of those books someone told me about so I waited until my to-be-read pile got a wee bit smaller before I checked it out from the library. After only a few pages I knew I had to own it.
This beautifully designed hardcover book disguises itself as a love letter to reading, each letter explaining why we read and what books can do.
But in truth it’s a soft lesson carried on whispers (so as not to frighten both young and more seasoned readers alike) with the message that connection matters, you’re not alone and you can make a difference.
Whether you decide to read the letters, look at the pictures or both, I hope you’ll find a letter/image that resonates with you.
Buy from the publisher Enchanted Lion
Art by Beatrice Alemagna for a letter by Adam Gopnik from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader.
Art by Cindy Derby for a letter by Rose Styron from A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader.