blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to an illustrator whose work on a children's book represents some of the best art in the field. Today, we focus on a writer/illustrator whose books were named a Caldecott Honor book in 1979 and who won the Caldecott Medal in both 1982 and 1986. Chris Van Allsburg's Caldecott-winning books were met with critical and commercial success and have been adapted into much-loved films. This master of his craft has created some of the most beloved books of the last few decades, now considered classics. Join us as we look at Van Allsburg's impressive career in today's edition of our Caldecott Winning Illustrators series.

American novelist, short story writer, and journalist Ernest Hemingway is widely considered one of the most important and influential writers in American literature. Throughout his decades-long career, he produced seven novels, multiple short story collections and novellas, and non-fiction pieces, which include three decades of war coverage and travel journalism. Several of his novels, including For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, and A Farewell to Arms, have earned the unofficial status of Great American Novel and are considered classics outside of America. Hemingway is known for his simple, clear style that conveys complex meaning without overly complex structure or wording. He is the recipient of both the Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes. Today, we look at some of the best passages in Hemingway's classic style.

There are many places to shop for rare books in the United States, and rare book collectors often think about major cities and urban areas where antiquarian bookstores are open for browsing and antiquarian book fairs come to town annually. Yet there are also many smaller towns and cities across the country that can be exciting locations for rare book shopping. We want to introduce you to used and rare bookstores, as well as special collections libraries, in some of America’s best-loved college towns.

Michel de Nostradame, more commonly known by the Latinised Nostradamus, is arguably the most famous psychic in history. He is best known for his book of poetic quatrains, Les Prophéties, each of which is said to predict figure events. According to believers, his quatrains have predicted numerous key events throughout history, such as The Great Fire of London, the rise of Adolph Hitler, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Kennedy assassination, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But what many people don't realize is that while Nostradamus may be best known as a seer and prognosticator, he began his career as a scholar and apothecary. How did someone previously dedicated their life to academic pursuits become one of the most-known figures in mysticism and the occult? Let's take a closer look at the life of Nostradamus as we explore this question.

Renowned horror writer Anne Rice passed away on December 11, 2021, at 80, due to complications relating to a stroke. Born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien in 1941, Rice developed an interest in writing at an early age. She spent much of her young life in New Orleans, a city featured prominently in some of her most famous works.

With hundreds of years of literary canon under its belt, horror literature is more popular now than ever before. Numerous subgenres, such as psychological horror, gothic fiction, and supernatural horror, there are all kinds of terrors to explore. Horror fiction finds its roots in religious stories and folklore in which death, the afterlife, and evil often transpose these concepts onto people or creatures, thereby creating many of the core tenets of horror today, like witches, monsters, ghosts, and other such staples. These creatures and spirits appear in classical Greek and Roman texts. Gothic fiction arose in the 18^th century with classic books like The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. Horror as we know it took off in 19th-century fiction with the popularity of novels and novellas like Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, generating a buzz around the budding genre. Horror fiction exploded in the 20^th century, gaining new traction with the advent of motion pictures and has become an enduring staple of modern collections thanks to popular writers such as Stephen King and Anne Rice. Let's take a look at a compilation of terrifying quotes from the best books throughout the history of horror:

Since the 17^th century, horror has been one of the most popular fiction genres. With roots in religion and folklore, horror has grown to encompass all manner of subgenres from gothic stories to supernatural fiction to psychological horror. This subgenre of speculative fiction is designed to terrify, unsettle, and provoke thought as it serves as a metaphor for the fears that plague society. Today we take a look at some of the most beloved classics of horror.

Fall is here, and that means Halloween is on its way. Whether or not you plan to dress up and party or stay home and pass out candy, we've gathered various middle-grade and young-adult books that are perfect for sharing with your family or with children in your life. These books will help you enter the Halloween spirit as we enter the spooky season. Join us as we take a look at some of these creepy books that are great for children and adult collectors alike:

Irish writer, professor, and amateur theologian C.S. Lewis is best known for his children's fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Inspired by Beatrix Potter and his strong Anglican faith and strong friendship and rivalry with another British fantasy heavyweight, JRR Tolkien, Lewis' Naria series has captivated readers for years with its imagination, heart, and allegory. The Chronicles of Narnia have been adapted numerous times for television, film, and radio, most notably as a BBC series and as a series of several films by Walden Media. It was recently announced that director Greta Gerwig will adapt at least two Narnia films for streaming service Netflix. Let’s take a look at some of the more moving passages from this timeless and beloved fantasy series:

Acclaimed science fiction writer Anne McCaffrey was born in 1926 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. McCaffrey published her first short stories in the 1950s, both to great success. While one earned a $100 prize, another was published and later anthologized in The Year's Best Science Fiction. She attended her first Milford Writer's Workshop in 1959. It was at a later workshop that she began work on her first novel Restoree, which was inspired by the desire to see a powerful woman in a science fiction story instead of one needing to be rescued. She began publishing her first dragon stories in the late sixties, earning both the Hugo and Nebula awards for her short fiction. She was secretary-treasurer for Science Fiction Writers of America from 1968 through 1970. In 1970, emigrated to Ireland, where she lived for the rest of her life. McCaffrey was one of the science fiction writers to make it to the New York Times Best Sellers list. She was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Indicted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and received the prestigious Robert Heinlein Award. She passed away in 2011 at the age of eighty-five.