Reading is life, and books are its assistants: information, help, inspiration, wake-up call, companions in life! They are friends, lovers, and sometimes even lasting disappointments. The authors of this volume explore these very phenomena and have gathered a collection of personal accounts and analyses that are critical, book-loving, enlightening, and passionate. From Pippi Longstocking to the tragic fate of Nesthäkchen in the Third Reich, to Loriot's comedic escapades. The word is not just at the beginning – it also wants to be shaped and well-formed. Indeed: to be literature. A book for literature lovers, book friends, bookworms, and people who simply appreciate free expression. Because books can do all this. And they really can.