BOOKS
15 Facts About ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’
Based on his experiences as a POW during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945, 'Slaughterhouse-Five' propelled author Kurt Vonnegut, who had been largely ignored and classified as a sci-fi paperback writer, to fame and literary acclaim.
16 Facts About The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' is the best known book from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. But it's not the first.
7 Famous Author Feuds
No matter which popular author you disdain, you're bound to find yourself in good company: There's no love lost between these writers.
Read a Previously Unpublished Chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
15 Pieces of Furniture Made Out of Books
Some of these look more sculptural than cozy, but we’d be happy to have any of these genius bookish creations to furnish our apartment.
The Magical Origins of Harry Potter Words
Whether you're a wizard, squib, or just plain muggle, you're probably celebrating the Chosen One's birthday today. And what better way to do it than by examining the origins of some of the wonderful words J.K. Rowling used to create the world of the Boy W
First Book Printed in English Sells for Over a Million Dollars
How to Procrastinate Wisely
If you’ve ever been on the Internet, chances are you’ve stumbled across a thought-provoking essay by hyperprolific writer and English professor Roxane Gay. We wanted to find out how she finds time to watch Law & Order.
11 Facts About Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"
“It was not my first published story, nor my last,” the writer recounted in a 1960 lecture, “but I have been assured over and over that if it had been the only story I ever wrote and published, there would still be people who would not forget my name.”
Shel Silverstein's Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom
Shel Silverstein bridged the worlds of adult and children's art, while becoming wildly popular in the process.
6 Beach Reads From 100 Years Ago
Ditch the dry, stodgy classics and hunker down with these delightfully enticing reads from over a century ago.
Celebrate Bloomsday With a Look at Joyce's Handwritten Manuscript
11 Drafts of the Most Famous Phrase from The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry didn't come by the phrase "What is essential is invisible to the eye" easily.
5 DIY Projects to Defend Your Home From Invaders
In Defending Your Castle: Build Catapults, Crossbows, Moats, Bulletproof Shields, and more Defensive Devices, William Gurstelle poses the question: Using modern materials and construction techniques, could you successfully defend your home from history's
10 Ways Monsters Were Made (According to a Medieval Doctor)
Besides “God’s will” and “evil,” here are 10 ways Ambrose Pare believed that monsters like man-goats and brain scorpions were created, from his book 'On Monsters and Marvels.'
8 How-To Books From 100 Years Ago That Are Still Useful
19th and early 20th century authors knew a thing or two about baby-naming, football-watching, drink-making, and more.
Decipher These Mysterious Margin Notes and Win $1000
In a special collection at the University of Chicago, in a rare 1504 edition of Homer’s Odyssey, there are two pages—and only two pages—covered with notes in a strange language. As if that wasn’t strange and spooky enough, those pages are in Book 11, the
A Brief History of "Choose Your Own Adventure"
As an unproven assistant editor in her early twenties, Joëlle Delbourgo got an unwelcome message: Her boss at Bantam wanted to see her. Immediately.
10 Famous Literary Characters Based on Real People
Like Charles Dickens and JK Rowling, countless authors have based their famous literary characters on friends, family members, and mean teachers.
11 Parodies of Notable Self-Help Books
When a book’s sole purpose is to help the reader change their life, it is only a matter of time before someone finds problems or inaccuracies within the text. And where there are problems, there is comedy. Here are 11 parodies of self-help books that (sho