2014 was a great year for blogis librorum. We'd like to thank all of you who came along for the ride - we're so grateful for our loyal readership! Thanks to all of you who read, subscribed, and commented on our blog. Your participation reminds us of why we do what we do.
In case you missed anything, we've compiled our ten most popular blog posts of 2014. Take a moment to explore our list, then tell us your favorite or what should have made the cut.
Happy New Year!
1. J. K. Rowling Writes New Harry Potter Story |
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J. K. Rowling published a new short story about Harry Potter on her website, Pottermore.com. The story is written as a gossip column by character Rita Skeeter and describes many of the Harry Potter characters as adults. While Rowling had written other short pieces for the website, this was the first to feature Harry Potter. |
2. 10 Surprising Facts about Albert Einstein |
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Celebrate the life of Nobel laureate, Albert Einstein, by testing your knowledge against these ten facts. Did you know his parents thought he was deformed as a child? That he had an illegitimate daughter? That he never used his Nobel Prize money? That he was offered the Presidency of Israel? |
3. Five Interesting Facts about Charlotte Brontë |
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Charlotte Brontë, the oldest of the legendary Brontë sisters, is best known for her classic novel Jane Eyre. Celebrate her life by testing your knowledge about her life and works. Find out about the real life inspirations for her famous work, as well as her infatuation for her married teacher and the mysterious causes of her early death. |
4. Famous Authors Who Wrote Only One Novel |
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Anna Sewell completed Black Beauty in 1877, only five months before she passed away. She did, however, live long enough to enjoy the book's initial success. Though Sewell finished only one novel during her lifetime, that book has survived as a wonderful literary legacy. Sewell is one of many legendary authors who managed to publish only a single novel during their lifetime. |
5. Six Famous Horror Novels Based on True Stories |
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Author Robert Bloch penned the novel Psycho in 1959. Its deranged, mother-obsessed protagonist, Norman Bates, is based on Edward Gein. The novel was later turned into an eponymous movie by Alfred Hitchcock. And Thomas Harris again borrowed Gein's story for his classic thriller Silence of the Lambs, in which the serial killer Buffalo Bill kidnaps and murders women to make a suit out of human skin. Here's a look at six other famous horror tales based on true stories. |
6. Watson & Crick: Controversy, Immodesty, DNA, and Books |
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The Double Helix, James D. Watson’s account how he and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, is both highly acclaimed and controversial. Listed as number seven on the Modern Library’s list of the “100 Best Nonfiction Books of the 20th Century”, and one of the Library of Congress’ 88 “Books that Shaped America,” the work nearly remained unpublished due to the strong objections of Watson’s former colleagues. |
7. Five Controversial Pulitzer Prize Winners (and Losers) |
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The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the most highly sought literary awards in the United States. Since its inception in 1917, 86 writers have won the prize—among them, some of the nation’s greatest talents. Yet not all has gone smoothly. Here are five instances where the awarding (or withholding) of the Pulitzer has erupted in controversy. |
8. How to Identify First Editions from Doubleday |
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Since its inception in 1897, Doubleday has been a powerful presence in the American publishing landscape. Collectors often encounter books from the publishing house, so it's useful to know a bit about Doubleday's history and how to identify its first editions. |
9. How Do I Identify a Facsimile Dust Jacket? |
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In June 1914, the first book edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes was published. It brought Burroughs new attention as an author, paving the way for 24 more Tarzan books, along with other science-fiction and adventure series. Burroughs has long been a popular focus among collectors of modern first editions and science fiction. Building a Burroughs collection offers an interesting case study in some important issues that may face all collectors of modern firsts. |
10. How Well Do You Really Know Grimms Fairy Tales? |
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The Brothers Grimm collected and recorded folktales, which have been translated countless times and adapted into some of today's most beloved children's stories. But these adaptations often bear little resemblance to their roots, which are, indeed, quite grim. These tales express fundamental ideas and reactions to the human experience, including hopes and joys, fears and sorrows, cruelty and harshness often censured by parents of today’s children. |
Thanks again for following our blog and have a wonderful New Year!
