Spring Break Responsibly: World Tour
A much-needed spring break is coming up. I’m one of those people who dreams of traveling. But right now, traveling is dangerous and highly discouraged. Reading books helps scratch that … Read More
Staff Picks
Reading for Recovery: Alcohol Memoirs
Note: we are reposting a series of pieces written to accompany the ALA-funded Reading for Recovery Project. The following was originally published in the December 2015 issue of the Information … Read More
Tom Jones and the History of the Chapter: What’s on the Menu?
When I was very young, perhaps five or so, I remember that one of the major milestones in reading was starting to tackle “chapter books”: books divided into chapters. A … Read More
Book for a Desert Island: Nick’s Pick
Jenny’s post is right: the obvious, and boring, choice would be a survival guide of some sort. As an eighteenth-century specialist, I’d even be tempted to get too cute and … Read More
Books for a Desert Island: Jenny’s Picks
When asked the dreaded desert island question (What’s the one book you would bring with you when stranded on a desert island) I always complain and drag my feet. How … Read More
Books for a Desert Island: Judit’s Pick
A copy of The Good Soldier Švejk by Czech humorist-anarchist-writer, Jaroslav Hašek, is the book I have kept around me all my life. In my office I also display a sketch … Read More
Books for a Desert Island: Julie’s Pick
Usually, when I tell someone that I love to read, I can anticipate (and dread) their next question: “What’s your favorite book?” I have read many books at many ages, … Read More
Staff Picks: Flowers for Algernon
Flowers for Algernon, written by Daniel Keyes, is the third short story we read in Tales We Read, the Fall 2020 semester recreational reading program at Rutgers – New Brunswick. … Read More
Literary Celebrities as Musical Celebrities: An Exploration
Because I teach literature, the idea for this blog post came from the classroom: how do you explain the persona of an author in terms that students can immediately grasp? … Read More
Summer Tales Update: Our First Discussion is in the Books!
Over at the Summer Tales project we’ve wrapped up a successful month-long discussion of Neil Gaiman’s short story “How to Talk to Girls at Parties“! Students brought a lot of … Read More