BOOKS

6 Fascinating Facts About Ha Jin’s ‘Waiting’

He got the idea from a story his wife told him while they were visiting her parents: “I joked, ‘This would be good for a novel. I am going to write a novel based on this.’ ”

Mel Wiley, the Ohio Police Chief Who May Have Authored His Own Demise

In 1985, Chief Wiley went for a swim and was never seen or heard from again. What he left behind shocked his community.

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history in these gripping reads.

12 Fascinating Books on History’s Most Notorious Diseases

Get a better sense of how illnesses have shaped history with these gripping reads about history’s most notorious diseases.

Bram Stoker's bibliography just got richer.

A Long-Lost Short Story by ‘Dracula’ Author Bram Stoker Has Been Rediscovered After 130 Years

The tale was composed as Stoker was working on his iconic vampire.

10 Famous Uses of the Ouija Board

Sylvia Plath often broke out her Ouija Board to speak to her spirit guide, Pan.

1984 was a banner year for movies and music.

7 Reasons Why 1984’s Pop Culture Is the Gift That Keeps On Giving

From ‘Ghostbusters’ to Madonna’s VMA performance, 1984 was a memorable year for pop culture.

R.L. Stine—the father of children’s horror lit.

It Came From the Kid Lit Section: Remembering the Children’s Horror Boom of the 1990s

Series like R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps introduced '90s kids to horror at a young age.

5 Famous Authors Who Were Awarded MacArthur “Genius” Grants

‘Severance’ author Ling Ma is a 2024 MacArthur Fellow; here are some other famous authors who were awarded the grants.

Looks like she's reading a novel, not a novella.

Novella vs. Short Story: What’s the Difference?

As Stephen King once said, novellas are “too long to be short and too short to be really long.”

11 Women Horror Writers You Need to Read

Women have written some of the most blood-curdlingly scary stories of all time, but they haven’t always gotten the credit they deserve. Explore some delightfully spooky Halloween reading from 11 masters of horror literature.

You won’t believe what scared Alfred Hitchcock.

The Worst Fears of 7 Horror Icons

You’ll never guess what frightens these masters of horror.

Washington Irving, the Knicks' biggest fan.

The Disappearance of Diedrich Knickerbocker: How Washington Irving’s Clever Hoax Named the New York Knicks

‘Knickerbocker’ has many meanings. Without Washington Irving, it would likely only have one.

‘The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature’ (Sasquatch Books).

10 Historical Pigments—and Their Surprising Origins—from ‘The Universe in 100 Colors’

In their new book, Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge explore the origins of colors found rocks, animals, plants, and even space—including these 10 historical pigments with surprising histories.

These books were banned for silly reasons.

13 Books That Were Banned For Ridiculous Reasons

Each year, the American Library Association complies a list of books that are challenged and banned. There are some books that get banned because of insensitive material; however, others get banned for completely ludicrous reasons.

The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023

In honor of Banned Books Week, the ALA published its list of 2023’s most contentious titles.

10 Fascinating Facts About Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’

Hawthorne’s most famous novel—a mainstay on high school reading lists—has been the subject of some interesting myths and misconceptions.

The Song of Fire and Ice author voices his concerns about AI.

George R.R. Martin Shares His Stance on AI Amid Author’s Guild Lawsuit

George R. R. Martin has a lot to say about the rise of AI in the arts.

Let’s see how well you know your literature.

Can You Match the Last Line to the Famous Novel?

See if you can figure out how these celebrated works come to a conclusion.

7 Fun Facts About ‘Strega Nona’

Of all Tomie dePaola’s books, ‘Strega Nona’ is by far the most beloved. Here are seven things you might not have known about the story.

Harry Potter is returning to the screen.

Calling All Wizards: HBO Is Holding Open Casting for Its New Harry Potter Series

The open casting call for HBO’s rendition of the original Harry Potter series has officially begun.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star in 'Twilight' (2008).

11 Illuminating Facts About the Movie ‘Twilight’

It’s never a bad time to talk about the baseball scene in ‘Twilight.’

The Not-So-Nice Origins of ‘Bookworm’

‘Bookworm,’ which now implies someone is well-read, once meant that you were a total loser.

10 Facts About Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’

A lewd drawing contained in an early printing could have destroyed the book’s chances—and Twain’s reputation.

10 Books Turning 50 in 2024

Whether they’re iconic horror novels or classic kids’ lit, these books still resonate five decades after they first hit shelves.