LITERATURE

Bram Stoker is pictured a few years after publishing his masterpiece, Dracula.

11 Enlightening Facts About Bram Stoker

Today, Bram Stoker is best known as the author of 'Dracula.' But in life, he was better known as a theatrical manager.

Anna Rich knows what you should read after Outlawed.

6 Genre-Defying Westerns to Read, Recommended by Author Anna North

Today’s best Western books don’t revolve around John Wayne wannabes and other Old West tropes. ‘Outlawed’ author Anna North recommends her favorites.

It's OK if Joan Didion's favorite book doesn't make your list.

Make the Most of Your Reading Experience With The Curious Reader: A Journal for Book Lovers

The perfect place to keep track of all your favorite books and also your list of dream guests for a literary dinner party.

James Mato (background); HarperCollins Publishers (cover)

9 Facts About The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas’s 2017 debut novel, 'The Hate U Give,' has held its place in our hearts (and on the New York Times Bestseller List) for half a decade now. Here's what you need to know.

8 Cool Bookstores and Libraries You Can Spend the Night In

Paris’s Shakespeare and Company has hosted some 30,000 “Tumbleweeds” passing through town. Want to be the next one?

The Most Popular Children’s Book From Every Country

The best children’s books of all time come from all over the world, from Ed Young’s ‘Seven Blind Mice’ to Ana María Machado’s ‘Niña Bonita.’

Edgar Allan Poe is depicted in an engraved portrait, circa 1845.

9 Intriguing Facts About Edgar Allan Poe

The life of Edgar Allan Poe, author of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and other horror stories, was as strange as his fiction.

11 Classic Books Adapted as Graphic Novels

If you want to get into the classics but aren't quite ready to crack open a book that was written centuries ago, these comic book versions should be far more accessible.

The Tay Bridge Disaster: William McGonagall and the Worst Poem Ever Written

Is William McGonagall the best poet ever? Absolutely not. Is he the best bad poet ever? Quite possibly yes.

Napoleon Sarony, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

9 Fascinating Facts About Oscar Wilde

'My own business bores me to death; I prefer other people's,' Oscar Wilde once said. Read on for more about this master wit, poet, and playwright.

10 Facts About King Arthur, the Legendary Ruler of Camelot

The legend of King Arthur has continued to evolve across generations. Though there’s little evidence to suggest the man existed, the world is still enthralled by the myth and the world of Camelot.

5 Fascinating Facts About bell hooks

Gloria Jean Watkins, who was better known by her pen name bell hooks, is widely considered as one of the most influential intellectuals and writers of the late-20th century.

Introducing The Curious Reader 2022 Desk Calendar, Full of Facts About Your Favorite Books and Authors

Which punctuation did Cormac McCarthy hate? Which sci-fi series inspired ‘Outlander’? Those answers and more, coming to a desk near you.

New Teeth author Simon Rich recommends some funny books to add to your to-read pile.

9 Hilarious Books to Read, Recommended by Comedy Writer Simon Rich

‘Saturday Night Live’ alum and ‘An American Pickle’ screenwriter Simon Rich shares which books he considers comedic genius.

Jeremias Reinoso, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0

11 Fascinating Facts About Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the most rational detective in literature. But he also believed in fairies.

11 Lesser-Known Fairy Tales

Almost everyone knows the classic fairy tales like 'Cinderella' and 'Sleeping Beauty.' But you probably haven't heard of 'Hans-My-Hedgehog.'

Andy Serkis and his precious at the premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies in 2014.

Andy Serkis Will Narrate The Lord of the Rings Audiobooks

Andy Serkis’s Gollum is back—and this time, he’s scheming, snarling, and sniveling right into your headphones.

Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in Pride & Prejudice (2005).

14 Facts About Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice

When Joe Wright was shooting Mr. Darcy’s misty morning proposal for 'Pride & Prejudice,' a nearby makeup artist whispered, "I wish that was my life."

A Pride and Prejudice-Inspired Reality Dating Show Is Currently Casting Contestants

Calling anyone who has ever wished Mr. Darcy would appear on the misty horizon and ask you to marry him.

The Reason Reading Makes You Sleepy

If you’re trying to teach yourself how to fall asleep faster, reading before bed is a good habit to pick up—here’s why.

Jackie Collins at her home in Beverly Hills, California in 1995.

Lady Boss: 10 Facts About Jackie Collins

Before there was 'Sex and the City' or 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' Jackie Collins was delivering unapologetically raunchy tales of glamour and seduction with a treasure trove of erotic novels.

Authors Khaled Hosseini (left), Ralph Ellison (top center), Octavia E. Butler (bottom center), and Toni Morrison (right).

The Early Careers of 12 Famous Novelists

As recent graduates start exploring the job market, they should take comfort in the fact that these noteworthy authors—featured in Mental Floss’s new book, 'The Curious Reader: A Literary Miscellany of Novels and Novelists,' out now—took a sometimes windi

15 Facts About Flowers for Algernon

Daniel Keyes’s 'Flowers for Algernon' is a poignant science-fiction novella that has won critical acclaim and popularity around the globe.

8 Facts About Summer of My German Soldier

Bette Greene’s 1973 debut novel, about a 12-year-old Jewish girl in rural Arkansas who befriends a German prisoner of war in the early 1940s, was embraced by critics and readers alike, and it’s still a mainstay on school reading lists.

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