BOOKS

Virginia Woolf

Find out more about Virginia Woolf’s best books, quotes, and the fascinating life she led.

Pitch Your Novel Idea on Twitter and You Could Win a Writer's Retreat in the British Countryside

Can't find time to write your novel? Pitch your idea on Twitter and you could win a week-long writer's retreat in the British countryside.

12 Surprising Facts About Evelyn Waugh

Evelyn Waugh was one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century, and his works are beloved by both literary critics and readers. But most people don’t know much Evelyn Waugh, the man. Here's what you need to know.

American ornithologist James Bond, circa 1974.

License to Bird: Meet the Real James Bond

On January 4, 1900, a child was born in Philadelphia. His name was Bond. James Bond. He would grow up to become an ornithologist, and lived a fairly quiet, normal life—until someone borrowed his name.

Mark Twain

Explore the life and legacy of writer Mark Twain, one of America's most-often quoted (and misquoted) authors.

Kyle MacLachlan stars in David Lynch's Dune (1984).

12 Epic Facts About David Lynch's Dune

After several different filmmakers tried (and failed) to adapt Frank Herbert's 'Dune' for the big screen, the movie finally arrived via David Lynch, a then up-and-coming filmmaker who’d never been tested on a film of that size and scope.

Charlotte Brontë's Final "Little Book" Returning to Haworth After $665,000 Auction Bid

The matchbox-sized item is one of five remaining miniscule books that Charlotte Brontë had written as a young teenager.

Letters From James Bond Creator Ian Fleming Detailing His Infidelity Hit the Auction Block

The James Bond author spent time away from home to write and argue with his wife over his infidelity, according to a collection of letters offered by Sotheby's.

Why Don’t Bugs Eat People’s Bones?

In "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs," Caitlin Doughty explains why human bones usually don't make a very good snack.

Internet Archive Book Images, Flickr // Wikimedia Commons

12 Facts About William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

'Romeo and Juliet,' William Shakespeare’s 16th-century play about the tragic story of two star-crossed lovers, continues to intrigue readers today.

Can You Guess the Harry Potter Book From a Single Line?

See how well you know the Harry Potter books by testing whether you can guess the title from a single line alone!

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [LC-USZ62-93318] // No known restrictions on publication

13 Reading Tips From Theodore Roosevelt

According to Teddy Roosevelt, “The reader’s personal and individual taste must be the guiding factor” when choosing a book to read.

The New York Public Library's Rose Main Reading Room

10 Strange Questions People Asked NYPL Librarians Before Google

A few years ago, NYPL librarians found a small gray box containing a host of unusual questions patrons asked between 1940 and 1980. 'Peculiar Questions and Practical Answers,' excerpted here, rounds up some favorites.

6 Puzzling Anachronisms That Made It Into Shakespeare’s Plays

From the clock in ‘Julius Caesar’ to Machiavelli in ‘Henry VI,’ the Bard made a few (possibly intentional) mistakes.

Jane Austen's Handwritten Letter About a Nightmarish Visit to the Dentist Is Up for Auction

“We heard each of the two sharp hasty screams,” the ‘Pride and Prejudice’ author wrote of her niece’s turn in the dentist’s chair.

A Book Fair for Grown-Ups Is Coming to New York

Still chasing the high of the Scholastic Book Fair? This one promises snap bracelets, spin art, books, and more—for adults.

Stephen King's Maine Home Will Become a Museum and Writer's Retreat

The best-selling author has won approval to rezone his home in Bangor, Maine, into a museum of his work as well as a writer's retreat.

Ewan McGregor stars in Doctor Sleep (2019).

Everything We Know About Doctor Sleep

Director Mike Flanagan revisits the Overlook Hotel, site of Stephen King's 1977 novel and Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, in 'Doctor Sleep.'

Everything We Know About Amazon's The Lord of the Rings Prequel Series

The highly anticipated prequel series from Amazon Studios will likely cover the rise of Sauron, the fall of Númenor, and more.

UBC Library Communications and Marketing, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Rare First Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Sold for More Than $56,000

The first edition print of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' had been locked away for decades. Experts say it was one of the most pristine copies they had seen.

Lyceum Theatre, London, 1897, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

When Bram Stoker Adapted Dracula for the Stage

For one of literature’s most enduring works, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' didn’t receive much of a turnout when it was first adapted for the stage: A total of two people showed up.

LightFieldStudios/iStock via Getty Images

New Jersey Elementary School Has a Vending Machine That Dispenses Books to Stellar Students

Instead of using reading as a way to earn prizes, this vending machine teaches that reading is the prize.

How Nosferatu Ripped Off Dracula and Became a Plagiarism Success Story

On March 4, 1922, spectators filtered into the Marble Hall of the Berlin Zoological Garden to witness horror movie history—and a plagiarism success story in the making.

Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen in Greta Gerwig's Little Women (2019).

Why Little Women Still Matters, More Than 150 Years Later

Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' has been adapted more than two dozen times, for film and television but also for the stage, as an opera, and as a Japanese anime series. What makes the tale so timeless?

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