BOOKS

Ransom Riggs, Belgium, and the Difference Four Years Makes

Author Ransom Riggs is hanging out in Belgium with Tim Burton and the cast of the new Miss Peregrine movie as they shoot. Four years ago, he was about to become a first-time novelist, making his own short film...in the same town.

John Tenniel (1820–1914), “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?” (The Mad Tea Party), 1885, Hand-colored proof. Gift of Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., The Morgan Library & Museum, Photography by Steven H. Crossot, 2014.

12 Absurd Facts About Alice in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll's masterpiece turns 150 years old this year.

15 Things You Might Not Know About Cat’s Cradle

Get familiar with the tale behind one of Kurt Vonnegut's most beloved stories.

Harry Potter's Sorting Hat is Right in Real Life, Too

In real life, Ravenclaws really are smart, and Slytherins are as shady as we thought.

Secret Pizza Party! (or How to Write the Best Kids' Book)

Secret #1: Get your narrator in cahoots with the reader.

Pizza for Reading: Pizza Hut's Book It!

If kids wanted a free pizza from Pizza Hut, all they had to do was start reading as part of the Book It! program.

12 Things You Might Not Know About I, Claudius

"I, Claudius" follows an emperor who played dumb to survive, and this historical fiction novel by Robert Graves became an immediate success.

15 Post-Harry Potter Revelations from Pottermore

Since J.K. Rowling launched Pottermore in 2012, she's been steadily revealing secrets of the wizarding world.

15 Things You Might Not Know About The Count of Monte Cristo

Most everyone knows the story of Edmond Dantès, the wrongfully-incarcerated hero of 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' But how familiar are you really with the classic?

The Author Who Wrote in Bookstore Windows

In case of narrative emergency, break glass.

You Can Now Buy a Waterproof Book

Now, you no longer have to stop reading when you do the dishes, float on a raft, or gallivant in a fountain.

Gutenberg Bible Pages Up For Auction

Image Credit: ColetteFu's Pop-up Books, Facebook

10 Pop-Up Books That Are Works of Art

When done well, pop-up books can be engaging, imaginative, and even works of artistic brilliance.

10 Cases of Extreme Writer's Block

Even the world's most accomplished authors and poets occasionally suffer from this terrifying affliction.

See a Gorgeous Book on the Animal Kingdom From 1895

The title page of this guide to the world's fauna rightly boasts "13 coloured plates and numerous illustrations in the text." The illustrations are the best part.

orwell and "we" // public domain, courtesy of wikimedia commons

We: The Novel That Inspired George Orwell’s 1984

Orwell never acknowledged that he borrowed from 'We,' but the uncanny similarities make it hard to conclude otherwise.

10 Facts About Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar

'The Bell Jar,' which came out just one month before Sylvia Plath died by suicide at age 30, is the writer's only published novel.

13 Things You Might Not Know About 'The Catcher in the Rye'

What's Different Between 'The Shining' Book and Movie?

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" isn't in the book, for one thing.

Why It Should Have Been Carter and Gray's Anatomy

You don't have to be pre-med (or a fan of medical soaps) to know this iconic textbook. But did you know about the drama behind its title?

George Orwell endured a case of tuberculosis and a near-death experience while writing Nineteen Eighty-Four.

14 Things You Might Not Know About Nineteen Eighty-Four

Even if you’ve already read about Winston Smith’s struggle against Big Brother, there are a few facts, stories, and theories about 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' that are worth a closer look.

7 Stories Stephen King Refuses to Publish

The horror icon would really rather you not read any of these.

12 Things You Might Not Know About The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis’s most popular non-Narnia novel is a delicious, perceptive treatise on the weaknesses of human nature. Here are 12 little-known facts about The Screwtape Letters, its development, and its enduring impact.

istock (wood) / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (cover)

5 Ways North Korea Is Much Worse Than You Think

Horror stories from someone lucky enough to escape.

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