BOOKS

Where does this literary device come from, and why is it named after a fish?

Where Did the Phrase 'Red Herring' Come From?

The figurative phrase is more than 200 years old, but the obscure etymology of a 'red herring' is a fishy story that is itself a red herring.

Man reading from a microfilm machine, which uses a similar technology to Brown's "Readies."

Before E-Readers, a 1930s Writer Reinvented the Book With “Readies”

Machines called “Readies” were writer Bob Brown’s answer to “talkies” in the 1930s.

8 Things You Might Not Know About 'The Joy Luck Club'

Amy Tan's 1989 book represented a breakthrough for Chinese American representation in popular culture.

7 Fascinating Facts About Jhumpa Lahiri

Nilanjana Sudeshna Lahiri, otherwise known as Jhumpa Lahiri, first came to prominence with her award-winning 1999 debut, the short story collection 'Interpreter of Maladies.' Here's what you need to know about 'The Namesake' author.

From left: Gabriela Mistral, José Rizal, Anna Cooper.

6 Little-Known Writers of Color Who Transformed Their Countries

Though their contributions were immense, many aren’t well-known outside of their nations’ borders.

Charles Bukowski on "Apostrophes" French Talk Show

7 Facts About Charles Bukowski

The late, great American writer Henry Charles Bukowski, Jr. was once called the “human embodiment of a raised middle finger”—an analogy that Bukowski would probably have welcomed, or possibly even written about himself. Here's what you should know.

Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’ was the first novel written in English by an Afghan author.

10 Fascinating Facts About Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner'

'The Kite Runner'—which was the first novel written in English by an Afghan author—started as a short story that was rejected by 'GQ' and 'Esquire.'

Edited previously published works is nothing new. There's even a name for it: bowdlerization.

Bowdlerized: 8 Famous Authors Whose Works Have Been Rewritten by Their Publishers

Everyone from Richard Scarry to Ian Fleming to Agatha Christie has had changes made to their books by their publishers long after they were released.

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with these gripping reads.

25 Amazing Books by Asian American and Pacific Islander Authors You Need to Read

For AAPI Heritage Month, check out these incredible books by Celeste Ng, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Helen Hoang, and others.

There are around 2.5 million used, new, and rare books housed inside New York City's multiple Strand Bookstore locations.

The Best Bookstores in All 50 States

In honor of Independent Bookstore Day, we've picked the best bookshop in every state—plus a few others we loved. Did your favorite make the list?

Admont Abbey Library in Admont, Austria is the largest monastic library in the world.

25 Amazing Facts About Libraries

Libraries are a reader’s best friend. In honor of National Library Week, here are 25 things you might not know about these hallowed halls of book worship.

The 13 Most Challenged Library Books of 2022 Point to an Alarming Trend in Censorship

The American Library Association logged a record number of complaints in 2022.

These book dedications are anything but nice.

7 Book Dedications that Basically Say “Screw You”

Not all authors’ dedications are nice. Some—like these—are just plain mean.

Our planet looks even more amazing from above.

8 Incredible Images of Earth From Above

Benjamin Grant’s Overview: A New Perspective of Earth stitches together satellite images to show our planet as we’ve never seen it before.

For Sale: The Hampshire Estate Where Jane Austen Wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and Other Books

The house where Jane Austen grew up is now ritzy enough to suit her wealthier characters.

11 Facts About Shakespeare’s First Folio

Officially titled 'Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies,' the more than 900-page tome collected together 36 of the Renaissance writer’s plays for the first time.

8 Facts About Marcel Proust’s ‘In Search of Lost Time’

Marcel Proust’s madeleine was originally a different baked good.

Emily Hampshire's new graphic novel, 'Amelia Aierwood - Basic Witch' is out April 11.

Emily Hampshire on Her New Graphic Novel, ‘Amelia Aierwood - Basic Witch’

Actress Emily Hampshire has graced TV screens in shows like '12 Monkeys,' 'Schitt’s Creek,' 'Chapelwaite,' and 'The Rig,' and now, she’s coming to bookstores, too: Her new graphic novel, 'Amelia Aierwood - Basic Witch,' is out on April 11.

10 Fascinating Facts About Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary Wollstonecraft broke new ground in the battle for women’s rights with the publication of 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman'—but there's far more to her legacy than just one book.

Mental Floss’s ‘The Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words’ Features Fun Slang, Strange Phrase Origins, and More

Sure, all books are filled with words—but not quite like this.

'Kryptos' at CIA headquarters in Virginia.

8 of History’s Most Mysterious Uncracked Codes

The world of cryptology is full of stumpers. Here are the stories behind eight especially infamous ones.

It took Tolstoy a solid year to write the introduction to 'War and Peace.'

22 Novel Facts About ‘War and Peace’

Leo Tolstoy's epic novel is the literary equivalent of a marathon and features a battle scene that goes on for more than 20 chapters.

Agatha Christie's work is under fresh scrutiny.

Agatha, Edited: Mystery Author Agatha Christie’s Work Is Being Reworked to Remove Objectionable Content

Some passages from Agatha Christie’s library are being eliminated in an effort to address concerns over alleged xenophobia and racist descriptions.

These award-winning books are worth adding to your reading list.

13 Must-Read Books by Women’s Prize for Fiction Winners

Here are some of the most unforgettable books to earn the Women’s Prize for Fiction from celebrated authors like Zadie Smith, Téa Obreht, and others.

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