Mental Floss

BOOKS









‘De integritatis et corruptionis virginum notis.‘

The macabre practice is known as anthropodermic bibliopegy, and the motivations behind it include everything from punishment of criminals to doctors wanting symbolically meaningful covers for their medical tomes.

Lorna Wallace








Though post-apocalyptic literature is experiencing a recent boom, the genre is anything but new. From a 19th-century tale of catastrophe to a modern-day classic made into a film, these are books you’ll want to add to your reading list.

Chris Wheatley


From moving stories of the Black American experience to imagined worlds of breathtaking vision, here are 13 books that had an influence Gen X—and help shaped the world as we know it today.

Chris Wheatley