BOOKS

The Rocky Mountain Land Library, Kickstarter

A Colorado Ranch Is Being Transformed Into a 'Land Library'

Guests can read about the landscape outside their window.

Initially, no one wanted to publish William Golding's novel, which would go on to become a staple of English class reading lists.

11 Things You Might Not Know About Lord of the Flies

A fixture of English class syllabi, William Golding’s 1954 novel 'Lord of the Flies' keeps winning over new generations of readers.

Terry Pratchett's Unfinished Works Were Just Crushed By a Steam Roller

The author asked that his unfinished manuscripts be destroyed after he died, preferably by steamroller. His longtime assistant complied.

10 Pun-derful Facts About Puns

Puns can be divisive: Some find them irresistible, some find them groan-worthy. But for others, punning is a way of life. Here's what you should know about this ancient art.

10 Ways Artists Imagined Dinosaurs Before the 21st Century

Paleoart: Visions of the Prehistoric Past explores the first 160 years of illustrating extinct species.

9 Things You Should Know About Ray Bradbury

For such a visionary futurist, Bradbury—who was born on this day in 1920—was rather old-fashioned.

A Voice Recognition App Adds Sound Effects While You Read to Your Kids

Bedtime reading can get a boost from technology without screens.

Harry Potter's Childhood Home Can Be Yours for $1.3 Million

It's every muggle's dream house.

10 Amazing Crispy Rice Creations

Food artist Jessica Siskin gives us a peek into her new book, Treat Yourself!: How to Make 93 Ridiculously Fun No-Bake Crispy Rice Treats.

Audible Launches 'Audible for Dogs' to Help Pet Parents Calm Their Stressed Canines

Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' is among the titles that the experts have deemed suitable for doggy ears.

George R. R. Martin at Worldcon 75, Helsinki, before the Hugo Awards.

August 1996: A Game of Thrones Debuts

When the 704-page 'A Game of Thrones' hit shelves on August 1, 1996, it received positive notices and respectable sales, but there was little hint of the hysteria that would follow.

9 Strange and Surprising Woodcuts From Early Printing

Witches, demons, and wondrous creatures appear in a new book from the British Library, Graven Images: The Art of the Woodcut.

New PEN Archive Offers 1500 Hours of Audio/Video of Your Favorite Authors Online

You can hear and watch interviews with writers like Norman Mailer, Toni Morrison, and Maya Angelou.

26 Famous Authors' Favorite Books

One key to being a good writer is to always keep reading—and that doesn't change after you've been published.

13 Things You May Not Know About The Dark Tower Series

Before you see the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King’s world-traversing fantasy epic, pick up a few new nuggets and theories about the sweeping work.

6th-Century Writing Discovered Inside Medieval Bookbinding

Researchers at Northwestern University developed a new way to see inside old books.

Total eclipse of the sun, observed July 29, 1878, at Creston, Wyoming Territory, by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot.

The American Eclipse of 1878 and the Scientists Who Raced West to See It

In this excerpt from 'American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World,' science journalist David Baron writes about the morning and afternoon just before the eclipse, when national anticipation was at