books

Once a beloved teaching tool, Dick and Jane was later denounced as dull, counterproductive, and even misogynistic. Still, whether you loved or hated them, there’s no denying that little Dick and Jane have earned their place in history.

In honor of her 125th birthday, below are 15 of the countless influences the late Queen of Crime culled for her popular novels.

These odd (or oddly named) books would look great on your shelf.

An annotated page from Roal Dahl's 'The BFG' by Quentin Blake is displayed at Sotheby's auction House on December 4, 2014 in London, England.

The BFG is a whoopsey-splunkers tale about a young orphan girl and her friend, the Big Friendly Giant. Learn more about Sophie and her adventure in propsposterous Giant Country.

'The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep' uses a variety of techniques to get children to fall asleep quickly.

Hilary Mantel's cunning novel details Cromwell’s rise from blacksmith’s son to right-hand man of Henry VIII.

Titian Ramsey Peale II went to his grave in 1885 believing that his life’s greatest work would never be published. It finally has been.

Paul Gorbould via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Human Library takes interactive storytelling to a whole new level.

It's not really about the Salem Witch Trials.

Guinness World Records has been taking note of superlative records for 60 years now.

This coming-of-age story featuring swaggering pirates, sea battles, and a quest for buried treasure is one of the most enduring adventure tales of all time.

Dryer sheets have a number of uses outside of the laundry room.

They're not just for softening your shirts.

There's a tiny fellowship of people who know how difficult it is to sit in a room and read 'Infinite Jest' out loud.

A portrait of the writer Mark Twain—author of several unfinished manuscripts—circa 1900.

When an author dies with their work unfinished, do we let it molder in vaults, stash it away in archives, or publish it for all the world to see—even if that’s not what the writer wanted?