Books Tell You Why. All About Collecting Rare Books (47)

Hilary Knight Outside of Eloise

By Abigail Bekx. Nov 1, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Illustrators, Children's Books

Illustrator Hilary Knight has brought joy to many children through his work. Despite his large collection of work, Eloise, easily his most popular series, tends to overshadow all of his other books. Understandably, the characters and stories in the Eloise books have been loved by many readers, allowing for the lesser known works to be overshadowed. Both original works and collaborations are often glossed over in favor of the incorrigible Eloise. Many of Knight’s works outside of Eloise are still well loved and receive high praise from readers. Let's examine some of them today.

A Brief History of Bram Stoker and His Horror Classic, Dracula

By Lauren Corba. Oct 31, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Horror, Literature

In the history of the horror novel, some works have come alive in popular imagination. One of these is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818); almost everyone is familiar with the plot regardless of whether they've read the book. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is similarly ubiquitous. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire legend, his classic work has defined and popularized the myth across continents and generations.

We all know who Dracula is, but what about Stoker? Who was the man who made "vampire" a household name?

Celebrating the (Literary) History of America's Presidents

By Kristin Masters. Oct 30, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History, Rare Books, Book Collecting, Biographies, Libraries & Special Collections

Presidents are famously men of letters: educated, erudite, and charismatic. John Adams (whose birthday we celebrate today), Thomas Jefferson, and other founding fathers established their reputation by contributing to beautifully written documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

A Literary Look at Hillary Clinton

By Leah Dobrinska. Oct 26, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History

Hillary Clinton’s resume is an impressive one. Secretary of State. Democratic Party Presidential nominee. First Lady. Lawyer. Advocate. Author. Her life and work has been scrutinized thoroughly—as is the case with most politicians and public figures—in countless books, articles, and op-ed pieces. Whether you agree or disagree with Clinton’s political beliefs, it is difficult to argue with her impact on politics, the country, and the literary landscape over the past several decades. Today, we’d like to explore a few of the books written by Hillary Clinton.

Caldecott Winning Illustrators Series: Louis Slobodkin

By Adrienne Rivera. Oct 25, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Caldecott Medal, Children's Books

The Caldecott Medal has stood as a pinnacle of excellence and achievement in the field of book illustration for eighty-one years. Caldecott-winning books have long been sought after by teachers, parents, libraries, and collectors. Illustrators talented enough to be awarded the medal receive esteem from their contemporaries and often can rest assured that their work will be remembered. Not many awards can claim such wide recognition outside of the scope of their field, but the Caldecott Medal is truly well known and its importance is acknowledged even outside of the world of children's literature. Continuing our celebration of these incredible illustrators in our Caldecott Winning Illustrators Series, we look now at the seventh illustrator to be given the honor, writer and illustrator Louis Slobodkin who was awarded the medal in 1944 for his illustrations in James Thurber's Many Moons.

Harold Pinter: Playwright, Actor, Cricketeer, Nobel Prize Winner

By Kristin Masters. Oct 24, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Fine Press, Book Collecting, Literature, Nobel Prize Winners

This month, we celebrate Harold Pinter, whose varied career spanned over fifty years. Born on October 10, 1930, the Nobel laureate was more than a legendary writer. He was also a political activist, actor, director, and cricketeer.

Happy Birthday, Doris Lessing!

By Kristin Wood. Oct 22, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, Nobel Prize Winners

When it comes to literature, Doris Lessing has her hand in every dish. She claims the titles of novelist, poet, playwright, short story writer, and biographer – if anyone proves that it’s possible to do it all, and well, it’s Lessing. She won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Literature, along with the David Cohen prize in 2001.

Four Philip Pullman Articles to Celebrate His Birthday

By Leah Dobrinska. Oct 19, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, Awarded Books

Legendary English author Philip Pullman turns 72 years old today. You know Pullman for the His Dark Materials trilogy, his thought-provoking novel The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, and, most recently, for his The Book of Dust trilogy, which is still in progress. In honor of his birthday, we've rounded-up four of our top posts about Pullman, collecting his works, and why many consider him a modern-day literary mastermind.

Five Interesting Reads About the JFK Assassination

By Abigail Bekx. Oct 18, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History

Some events continue to fascinate and haunt the public long after their occurrence. Even over fifty years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the public is still interested in the actions of Lee Harvey Oswald. Many popular television shows from The Twilight Zone to The Simpsons reference the Kennedy assassination. They go about it in different ways with different results, but they each show the hold Oswald’s actions still have on the public. Films are still being made about Kennedy and his family. Novels and non-fiction books are still being published and devoured by readers. As more formerly top-secret information is released to the public, interest in the Kennedy assassination will continue to grow and remain relevant. Here are five books about the assassination that make for fascinating reads.

Collecting the Works of Arthur Miller

By Leah Dobrinska. Oct 17, 2018. 9:00 AM.

Topics: American History, Legendary Authors

Arthur Miller was born on October 17, 1915 in Harlem. He would go on to be one of the most legendary playwrights of the twentieth century. Miller's most famous plays like Death of a Salesman (1949) and The Crucible (1953) remain widely studied and have continued to be performed and adapted today. Miller won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949. Perhaps making him just as much of a household name as his plays is Miller's personal life.