But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax's books in existence. Soon Daniel's seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.--back cover

    With passion and humor, acclaimed author and internationally respected literacy expert Mem Fox tells readers how she herself became aware of the astonishing effects that reading aloud and bonding through books have on very young children.She speaks of when, where, and why to read aloud and demonstrates how to read aloud to best effect and how to get the most out of a read-aloud session. She walks readers through the three secrets of reading which together make reading possible. She gives guidance on defining, choosing, and finding good books and closes with tips on dealing effectively with the challenges that sometimes arise when children are learning to read.Filled with practical advice, activities, and inspiring true read-aloud miracles, this book is a must for every parent-and for anyone interested in how children learn to read.

    It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags. During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves—young, determined, and earning just $28 a month—who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains.

    Your chance to read the first four volumes of one of the most thought-provoking and tremendously humorous epics in modern publishing. Join the quest in THE EYRE AFFAIR, where Fforde introduces the fresh and delightfully original literary detective, Thursday Next. With the wit and imagination of Lewis Carroll, and the ability to grip the reader from the start, Jasper Fforde has created a feisty, loveable heroine and a plot of such richness and ingenuity that it will take your breath away. Follow her adventures as she continues her exciting journey into the world's best books in LOST IN A GOOD BOOK, THE WELL OF LOST PLOTS and SOMETHING ROTTEN.

    Original. 12,500 first printing.

    Honey for a Woman's Heart explores: * The wonder of words, language, and reading * What good books offer thoughtful readers * What makes a good book * The value of reading fiction * Best books in genres of fiction, nonfiction, spirituality, and poetry * How to enjoy the best of books: the Bible * The pleasure of sharing books with others * Something for everyone, no matter what age or reading experience * Recommendations for over 500 books to enjoy Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

    Now, Basbanes continues his adventures among the “gently mad” on an irresistible journey to the great libraries of the past—from Alexandria to Glastonbury—and to contemporary collections at the Vatican, Wolfenbüttel, and erudite universities. Along the way, he drops in on eccentric book dealers and regales us with stories about unforgettable collectors, such as the gentleman who bought a rare book in 1939 “by selling bottles of his own blood.”Taking the book’s grand title from the marble lions guarding the New York Public Library at 42nd Street, Basbanes both entertains and delights. And once again, as Scott Turow aptly noted, “Basbanes makes you love books, the collections he writes about, and the volume in your hand.”

    Even if you already know your Hunter S Thompson from your Jim Thompson, you''ll still find it hard to resist a book which tells you which cult novel has been implicated in assassinations, which world famous novelist offered to throw himself off a train to prove his devotion to his literary idol and which cult poet and prose stylist inspired a Broadway musical and the Velvet Underground. There''s a critical guide to over 150 cult authors - from Kathy Acker to Yevgeny Zamyatin, including potted biographies, their must reads, and their surprising influences. Reviews of 100 cult novels - seminal works by authors who never quite achieved cult status themselves but still produced one classic work. Finally, there''s a cult collection - a feast of literary trivia which categorises writers by the diseases they suffered for their art, reveals 12 literary giants who wrote standing up, and pores over the little known fictional epics of Sarah Bernhardt and Benito Mussolini.

    Expert readers' advisor Joyce Saricks offers groundbreaking reconsideration of the connections among genres, providing 1) Key authors and themes within fifteen genres2) An explanation of how the different genres overlap3) The elements of fiction most likely to entice readersProvocative and spirited, this second edition offers hands-on strategies for librarians who want to become experts at figuring out what their readers are seeking and how to match books with those interests.

    Nancy Drew's Guide to Life is a loving tribute to the young sleuth and the wisdom she imparted.This book is filled with practical tips, as well as seemingly whimsical (but surprisingly sound) advice. Her sage counsel is accompanied by the classic covers and artwork from her yellow-spined books.

    250 illustrations, 200 in color.

    

    One should always have something sensational to read in the train. -- Oscar WildeA Book Lover's Diary is a journal for noting personal discoveries from the books read and recording the books on a wish list. A Book Lover's Diary is a welcome companion during forays to libraries and bookstores when the titles of books wanted can vanish from memory.Well-organized and practical, this book features separate sections for:Books to read Books read and a personal review Books to buy Books loaned out or borrowed Favorite books Memorable passages Addresses of libraries and book stores Beautifully detailed woodcuts illustrate the pages and quotations describe the joy of books and reading. By keeping track of the books read and noting their effect, this journal becomes a valuable personal history.

    

    Beckett is a writer whose relevance to his time and use of poetic imagery can be compared to Shakespeare's in the late Renaissance.John Calder has examined the work of Beckett principally for what it has to say about our time in terms of philosophy, theology and ethics, and he points to aspects of his subject's thinking that others have ignored or preferred not to see.Samuel Beckett's acute mind pulled apart with courage and much humour the basic assumptions and beliefs by which most people live. His satire can be biting and his wit devastating. He found no escape from human tragedy in the comforts we build to shield ourselves from reality – even in art, which for most intellectuals has replaced religion. However, he did develop a moral message – one which is in direct contradiction to the values of ambition, success, acquisition and security which is normally held up for admiration, and he looks at the greed, God-worship, and cruelty to others which we increasingly take for granted, in a way that is both unconventional and revolutionary.If this study shocks many readers it is because the honesty, the integrity and the depth of Beckett's thinking- expressed through his novels, plays and poetry, but also through his other writings and correspondence- is itself shocking, to conventional thinking. Yet what he has to say is also comforting. He offers a different ethic and prescription for living – a message based on stoic courage, compassion and an ability to understand and forgive.

    H. Auden, and Lionel Trilling joined together to form the editorial board of the Readers' Subscription Book Club. Thus began a venture unique in the annals of American culture. Never before or since have three such eminent intellectuals collaborated to bring books to the attention of the general public. Now, a half century later, "A Company of Readers" tells the story of this extraordinary partnership and presents for the first time a selection of essays from the publications of the Readers' Subscription Book Club and its successor, the Mid-Century Book Society.As they composed their comments to club members, these distinguished editors freely shared with each other their notes and drafts. The result is criticism of the highest order: smart, humane, learned -- in short, stuff that makes for damn good reading. And because these pieces were written for the general public by men who knew that books still mattered, perhaps no other collection of essays gives so natural and vivid a picture of the cultural landscape at midcentury.Together, Auden, Barzun, and Trilling would plunge into a pile of books and pick out what they liked, what they thought would instruct and delight. What they chose may surprise you. Here is Auden on J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring, " Barzun on Virginia Woolf's "Writer's Diary, " and Trilling on Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows." Each book, whether weighty or light, summoned from the editors a spirited appraisal, in language that welcomed any kind of reader.The Mid-Century club disbanded in 1963, but its legacy lives on in these pages. "A Company of Readers" is essential to admirers of thisillustrious trio, and it offers a window on an America in which books took center stage.

    Their first biographer, Mrs Gaskell, transformed their story of literary ambition into one of the great legends of the 19th century, a dramatic tale of three lonely sisters playing out their tragic destiny on top of a windswept moor. Lucasta Miller reveals where this image came from and how it took such a hold on the popular imagination.Each generation has rewritten the Brontës to reflect changing attitudes - towards the role of the woman writer, towards sexuality, towards the very concept of personality. The Brontë Myth gives vigorous new life to our understanding of the novelists and their culture. It is a witty, erudite and refreshingly unsentimental unravelling of what Henry James described as "the most complete intellectual muddle ever achieved on a literary question by our wonderful public."

    A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. The books in the series will all follow the same structure:a biography of the novelist, including other works, influences, and, in some cases, an interview; a full-length study of the novel, drawing out the most important themes and ideas; a summary of how the novel was received upon publication; a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, including film or TV adaptations, literary prizes, etc.; a wide range of suggestions for further reading, including websites and discussion forums; and a list of questions for reading groups to discuss.

    An exceptionally ghoulish child, obsessed with graveyards, owls, wolves and horror stories, she very early on decided to devote her life to books, reading and writing. Elizabeth Young?s collected writings exhibit her singular attraction to the bizarre and her dedication to the high standards of a critic. Witty, incisive, wide-ranging and also moving, Pandora?s Handbag chronicles the journey of a modern arts critic and Young?s personal journey from childhood to critic. Each previously published article is presented in its entirety, with original titles and additional notes. This collection includes two of Young?s crusading articles (on Drug Legislation and the Hepatitus C virus), which have become seminal texts.

    A team of contemporary fiction scholars from both sides of the Atlantic has been assembled to provide a thorough and readable analysis of each of the novels in question. The books in the series will all follow the same structure:a biography of the novelist, including other works, influences, and, in some cases, an interview; a full-length study of the novel, drawing out the most important themes and ideas; a summary of how the novel was received upon publication; a summary of how the novel has performed since publication, including film or TV adaptations, literary prizes, etc.; a wide range of suggestions for further reading, including websites and discussion forums; and a list of questions for reading groups to discuss.

    S. EliotThe great fourteenth-century poet has been an unequaled influence on many writers in the twentieth century, whose "confessions" may well foster a deeper appreciation of Dante. Previously published essays by some of this century's most renowned poets-Pound, Eliot, Mandelstam, Robert Fitzgerald, Borges, Merrill, Montale, Lowell, Duncan, Auden, Yeats, Charles Williams, Nemerov, Heaney-join new essays commissioned by the editors. Contemporary poets Mary Campbell, W. S. Di Piero, J. D. McClatchy, W. S. Merwin, Robert Pinsky, Rosanna Warren, Alan Williamson, and Charles Wright reflect on Dante as well as on their own complex (and often contentious) relationship to his legacy. Their engagement with his work offers a fresh perspective on the Commedia and its author that more academic writing does not provide.As the editors write, a new consideration of Dante "should generate insights not only about his work but also about poetry written in our own language and time.

    His first covers appeared in 1958, and since then he has painted over one thousand of them, for all the major publishers in all genres. He is most renowned for his portraits of women. The elegant, sexy and intelligent McGinnis Woman is as distinctive and recognizable as was the Gibson Girl in the early 1900's. McGinnis was elected to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1993.McGinnis's paperback work is avidly sought after by collectors. However, collecting McGinnis covers has been a huge challenge, not only because of the unprecedented volume of his work, but because he was often uncredited, he worked in a wide variety of styles, and many illustrators imitated him. No reliable checklist has been available until now. This book provides a complete and definitive bibliography documenting McGinnis's work as a paperback cover artist. With the artist's cooperation, it has been compiled by two long-time fans and collectors of his work, who began comparing notes and exchanging checklists in 1985.Over 250 paperback covers are reproduced in this book, along with many examples of the original art, model photos and preliminary sketches which afford an inside-the-studio look at the artist's working methods. The parade of covers-mysteries, westerns, romances, bestsellers-is a capsule graphic survey of trends in American mass market fiction of the last forty years, and of the extraordinary career of a gifted illustrator, Robert McGinnis.

    This book explores the places where she grew up and discovers the settings of her most famous works of fiction.Green Gables, once the home of Montgomery's relatives, is now furnished and decorated based on descriptions in her most famous novel. Nearby is the author's childhood home--her grandparents' farm--and at New London, her lovingly preserved birthplace. At Park Corner, visitors can enjoy one of her favourite places--Silver Bush, the home of her Campbell cousins.This book offers beautiful contemporary photographs and historical images of the sites. Author Deirdre Kessler provides detailed background on these places, putting them in the context of rural life on Prince Edward Island a century ago.

    Families who love to read will find the time to read - the distractions of life are simply crowded out .... Such families invariably become inveterate and unapologetic list makers. There are lists of books that must be read. There are lists of books that must be reread. There are lists of books that must be read by others. This book will most certainly appeal to that breed apart. It will sate even the most inveterate of list makers. How appropriate that a mother and her daughter (Elizabeth McCallum and Jane Scott) should have given us such a delectable treat. They have provided a guide to the best of children's literature serviceable for both veteran families and those just beginning their great journey of the imagination. (George Grant, from the foreword)

    Includes a handy pocket for review clippings.

    The examples of truly great combinations of photographic image and text, great design and typography bound together as books are numerous, and make up an impressive artistic, social, and documentary statement of the 20th century. Writer and rare book expert Andrew Roth has selected for this volume a group of 101 of the best photography books ever published: books that bring all of the elements of great bookmaking together to create, ultimately, a thing of beauty, a work of art. Mostly made up of publications in which the photographs were meant to be seen in book form, as opposed to the book being merely a repository of images, this list includes many artists and titles that will be familiar to the collector, but also not a few surprises. Chronologically, the first book is Volume One of Edward Curtis's seminal 1907 "The North American Indian," the last is David LaChapelle's "LaChapelle Land" from 1996, and in between are books by Walker Evans and Berenice Abbott, Atget and Brassai, Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand, and many other seminal photographers from all over the world. Each book in the catalogue receives a double page spread including publication information, several image spreads, and a short text about it. "The Book of 101 Books," however, is far more than simply an annotated and illustrated catalogue. Six important new essays on a variety of related topics from respected scholars, critics, and artists are included as well: here you will find Richard Benson on the history of printing techniques, Shelley Rice on the societal significance of photography books, May Castleberry on reprints, exhibitions, and keeping books alive for the public; Daido Moriyama on his personal memories of making his classic "Bye Bye Photography, Dear," Neville Wakefield on the particular attributes of one of the most recent books in this group: Richard Princeís 1995 "Adult Comedy Action Drama," and Jeffrey Fraenkel on the myriad perils of publishing photography books. The catalogue entries themselves are written by the well known critics Vince Aletti and David Levi Strauss. Taken together, the depth and beauty of these essays and images makes "The Book of 101 Books" both an essential reference and an aesthetically compelling object. In order to insure safe delivery for this item we can only ship Federal Express 3rd Day. An additional charge of $25.00 will be added to your purchase.

    Both a bedside companion and an imaginative travel guide, it leads you through the literary history of each district. Discover Boswell's Fleet Street, the Dickensian London of The Pickwick Papers and Little Dorrit and look at London Bridge through the eyes of T.S. Eliot. Packed with anecdotes about the lives of the city's writers, the book allows you to locate Dr. Johnson's favourite haunts and drink in the same bars as Dylan Thomas and Jeffrey Bernard. Accompanied by specially commissioned photographs of London today, and hundreds of illustrations of writers, manuscripts, prints and memorabilia, A Reader's Guide to Writers' London is a must for any lover of either literature or London.

    In this award-winning book, now in paperback, Schroth discusses fifty works - from books of the Old Testament to contemporary works - that challenge the social conscience and raise moral and religious issues in a provocative way.

    An A-Z guide to finding rhymes.- 55,000 words- Easy-to-use alphabetical listing of rhyming sounds- Includes one-, two-, and three-syllable rhymes

    As general editor at Angus and Robertson from the late thirties to the early seventies, she nurtured the talents of a host of well-known writers, including Thea Astley, Miles Franklin, Xavier Herbert, Ruth Park, Hal Porter and Patricia Wrightson. Her position as a judge of several major prizes, including the prestigious Miles Franklin Award, reinforced her pivotal role in Australia’s literary culture – a role that saw her by turns respected, feared, courted and berated. Jacqueline Kent’s compulsively readable, erudite and witty biography portrays a woman whose passion for living was as great as her passion for Australian literature.

    This book, written by eminent authorities on Scandinavian art, is the first to bring Strindberg's dramatic and highly original artistic works to an English-speaking audience. The book begins by examining Strindberg's paintings, photographs, drawings and decorated manuscripts and discussing the importance of pictorial arts to other areas of Strindberg's oeuvre. It then focuses on Strindberg's photography, relates the experimental photographs he took during the 1890s to the natural philosophy he developed during the same period, describes his relations to artistic circles in Paris and examines his influence on the Swedish painter Carl Larsson. Richly illustrated in full colour, the book sheds new light on the achievements of this innovative and deeply troubled genius.

    obscenity laws, and you may find yourself hours later absorbed in the imaginary worlds of Camelot and The Matrix or sidetracked by the fascinating history of "The New Yorker. Designed to satisfy the curious browser as well as the serious researcher, this exciting new resource offers the most up-to-date information on literature available in English from around the world, from the invention of writing to the age of the computer. Interwoven throughout the more than 2,500 succinct and insightful entries on Creators, Works of Literature, and Literary Facts and Resources are the fascinating facts and quirky biographical details that make literature come alive. Readers will discover, for instance, that Walt Whitman was fired from his government job after his personal copy of "Leaves of Grass was discovered in his desk by the Secretary of the Interior, who was scandalized by it; that James Baldwin remembered listening to blues singer Bessie Smith ("playing her till I fell asleep") when he was writing his first book; and that a publisher turned down the serialization rights to "Gone with the Wind, saying, "Who needs the Civil War now -- who cares?"Looking for information about book burning or how many Nobel laureates have come from Japan? You'll find it here. Trying to remember the name of that movie based on a favorite book? Read the "Variations" section -- you'll be amazed at the pervasive presence of great literature in today's entertainment. From Aristophanes to Allende, from Bergson to Bloom, thebiographical entries will inform readers about the men and women who have shaped -- and are shaping -- the literary world. Look into "Works of Literature" to discover the significance of "Beowulf, The Fountainhead, Doctor Zhivago, and nearly 1,000 other titles. Check the "Dictionary of Literature" to find out what the critics and theorists are talking about. And if you wish to delve even deeper, "Websites for Literature" and "Literary Factbooks and Handbooks" are just two of the bibliographies that will point readers in the right direction.Unique in scope and design and easy to use, "The New York Public Library Literature Companion will be at home on every reader's shelf. Whether you are immersed in Stephen King or "King Lear, this book has the insights, facts, and fascinating stories that will enrich your reading forever. With four major research centers and 85 branch libraries, The New York Public Library is internationally recognized as one of the greatest institutions of its kind. Founded in 1895, the library now holds more than 50 million items, including several world-renowned collections of literary manuscripts and rare books. Among the books published from the library in recent years are "The New York Public Library Desk Reference (1998); "The Hand of the Poet (1997); "Letters of Transit: Reflections on Exile, Identity, Language, and Loss (1999); "A Secret Location on the Lower East Side: Adventures in Writing, 1960-1980 (1998); and "Utopia: The Search for the Ideal Society in the Western World (2000).

    Based upon unrestricted access to all of Richter's letters, journals, notebooks, and private papers, this biography offers an intimate account of Richter's personal struggle to achieve success in his own and in other people's terms.Johnson's biography will engage anyone interested in the art of biography and in a novelist's act of writing. Admirers of Richter's novels will also find much of interest in his life. So, too, will those who find value in the story of a man who, despite his sense of himself as an imperfect vessel for God's plan for human evolution, lived his life with as much grace, determination, and courage as he could.

    And Saul Bellow said, "The country has changed so, that what I do no longer signifies anything, as it did when I was young." But to judge from this collection, writers and writing aren't done for quite yet. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, sometimes caustic, always passionate, the twelve writers in Endangered Species memorably state their case for what they do and how they do it. And they even offer an opinion or two about other writers and about the entire publishing food chain: from agents to publishers to booksellers to critics.