Nelson is a journalist and an editor. She writes in a comfortable and familiar voice that draws the reader into the project and into her life. This is much more than a list of weekly book reviews; each entry discusses the book that Nelson was reading along with other related books or books she decided not to read. There are many more than 52 books included here. The books selected range from Solzhenitsyn: Soul in Exile to Straight from the Fridge, Dad: A Dictionary of Hipster Slang.

A love of books and reading is clearly a prerequisite for such an undertaking. Nelson explains why she was attracted to this project in the first entry of her chronicle: "Reading's ability to beam you up to a different world is a good part of the reason people like me do it in the first place -- because dollar for dollar, hour per hour, it's the most expedient way to get from our proscribed little 'here' to an imagined, intriguing 'there.' Part time machine, part Concorde, part ejector seat, books are our salvation."

Nelson also spends a fair amount of time discussing how she chose the books, or how the books found her. She was drawn to a memoir that talks about a father who volunteered to coach his son's baseball team (Henry Dunow's The Way Home) because her son was having difficulty in little league. A book about a man struggling through rehab (A Million Little Pieces) seemed a good fit when she happened upon it in her office after a fight with her husband. And Charlotte's Web made the list because it appeared on her son's required reading list. Through her discussion of each of the books, Nelson explains how the books we read fit into and change our lives at the same time.

While readers will find plenty of books to add to their "Must Read" list, not every book in Nelson's chronicle comes highly recommended. She is not afraid to admit that she didn't like or finish certain books. And for those who like lists, Nelson has included several book lists in the appendices. All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will, in turn, lead you to other good reads.