Books
CategoryPros and cons of “Bleak House” characters we’d like to fuck
Mr. Jarndyce
Pros:
Rich
Patient
Okay-looking, for his age
Cons:
Slow to warm up
Likes to call lovers “Little Woman” (or, presumab..
How We Imagine Harry Potter is Spending his 35th Birthday
Experiencing erectile dysfunction due to mid-life malaise.
Watching Albus Severus’s Quidditch game and muttering “I would have caught t..
Harper Lee’s “Go Set a Watchman”: Discussion questions
1. Why do you think the author chose to name the benevolent Maycomb attorney “Tonya”?
2. What explains Atticus’s obscene rant against t..
“In Cold Blood” at 50: Mockingbird’s shadowy cousin still chills
50 years ago this spring, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock were hanged by their necks until they were dead. The crime that earned the death pe..
Hey, America: Stop making excuses for “Gone With the Wind”
Nearly 80 years after its publication, Gone With the Wind remains one of the most cherished stories in American culture. Margaret Mitchell..
“Watership Down” is so fucking good
I know what you’re thinking. “A book about fucking bunnies? Not just a book, but a novel? 476 goddamn pages? No fucking way can that be an..
Coffee House Press partnering with Emily Books
I was pretty psyched about Emily Books when it was launched in 2011 by Emily Gould and Ruth Curry. I’ve long been a fan of Emily’s writing..
Why is Pioneer Press movie critic Chris Hewitt reading every Agatha Christie mystery?
When I was growing up aspiring to be the next Roger Ebert, Chris Hewitt was the movie critic for my local paper—the Pioneer Press of St. P..
Can Audiobooks Save You from a Shameful Life of Not Reading?
I don’t read much anymore. I’ll admit it, even though it’s kind of a bummer. As a kid I read everything within reach, including all my dad..
Ed Emberley: The man who inspired me to draw, not to be an artist
As a kid, I spent a lot of time drawing. Is that because Ed Emberley’s drawing books unlocked the key to my imagination, or was it just be..
Publishing’s New Gatekeepers, and Why They’re Better Than the Old Ones
At the end of a well-reported and largely fair article on the rise of Amazon, George Packer can’t resist a little hand-wringing. “When the..
Advice From My Mom The Librarian on Writing YA Fiction
My mom is a high school librarian who is really into her job. As long as I can remember, there have always been stacks of books around our..