BOOKS

12 Things You Didn't Know About Sarah Vowell

The author tells us about her musical beginnings, dirty laundry, and love of index cards.

From Donation Bin to Sotheby's: How a Rare 19th-Century Bible Almost Got Away

20 Movies You Might Not Know Were Based on Books

Hollywood often turns to books for movie ideas, but sometimes the films are so popular they overshadow their source material.

5 Bookish Facts About American Reading Habits

Who reads more, young people or old people?

Kansas City and Toronto Libraries Exchange Literary Insults on Twitter

Even the librarians are getting caught up in playoffs fever.

Official Art and Plot Synopsis for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Revealed

As Rowling promised, it’s not a prequel, but a story about Harry and his youngest son—and it seems that all is not well after all.

Become an Expert Witch-Finder at Cornell University

The library’s extensive Witchcraft Collection is open to the public and available online.

The tales in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark have terrified kids for decades.

13 Terrifying Facts About Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

The first installment of Alvin Schwartz’s 'Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark' trilogy hit bookshelves in 1981. The series would become a preteen cult classic and among the most banned books of the following decades.

The Quest to Discover the World's Books Bound in Human Skin

The Mütter Museum recently discovered it owns the nation's largest collection of books bound in human leather—and now a research team is trying to track down the rest of the world’s examples.

The Earliest-Known Version of the King James Bible Was Found in a Cambridge Library

The historic 400-year-old manuscript gives historians a glimpse into the seminal work's translation process.

Ghostwriter and Ghost: The Strange Case of Pearl Curran & Patience Worth

9 Ways Artists Have Imagined Alice in Wonderland

In the past 150 years, more than 300 artists have illustrated Lewis Carroll’s classic book.

The 1980s Book Series That Literally Claimed It Had To Be Read To Be Believed

9 Spooky Spells from an Icelandic Book of Sorcery

'Sorcerer's Screed' was first published in 1940.

7 Gorgeous Old Illustrations of Sea Creatures

The ocean is full of incredible creatures vying for our attention. The Rare Book Room at the American Museum of Natural History is giving them the spotlight they deserve

21 Bone-Chilling Secrets About R.L. Stine

The author who terrified (and enthralled) you as kid spills on writing, the state of horror, and his history with humor.

11 Not-So-Miserable Facts About A Series of Unfortunate Events

How the elusive Lemony Snicket turned some rather, well, unfortunate events into a literary juggernaut.

Midnightdreary via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

The Search for Baltimore’s Next Poe Toaster

As in the local tradition, not the kitchen appliance.

5 Reasons Physical Books Might Be Better Than E-Books

Studies have shown that if you want to really remember something, it's easier to do with paper.

Edwin H. Manchester, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

H.P. Lovecraft’s Spooky Poem About Edgar Allan Poe

"Espy amidst these tombs the shade of Poe"

When Ancient Texts Vanish, Scientists Can Make Them Reappear

Science is making text that hasn't been visible for hundreds of years reappear. Here's how.

11 Unusual Bookstores You Can Visit

Sure you can buy books on Amazon, but there’s something about going to a bookstore and picking the right title out by hand. Here are some unique bookstores that have almost as much charm as they have books.

Artist Uses Google Street View to Create Postcards from Around the World in Eighty Days

This illustrator is bringing a classic novel to life using modern technology.

This Medieval Manuscript Has Stumped Codebreakers for More Than a Century

Some scholars have dedicated decades of their lives to cracking the code.

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