National Network for Equitable Library Service

The New York Times bestselling author of State of Wonder, Run, and Bel Canto creates a resonant portrait of a life in this collection of writings on love, friendship, work, and art. "The tricky thing about being a writer, or about being any kind of artist, is that in addition to making art you also have to make a living ..."

Great mystery and suspense writers have created some of the most unforgettable stories in all of literature. Even readers who don't consider themselves fans of this intriguing genre are familiar with names such as Hercule Poirot, Sam Spade, and Robert Langdon, and understand the deep and lasting impact this writing has had on literature as a whole. An utterly captivating and compelling genre, mystery and suspense has leapt off the pages of the old dime store paperbacks onto big screens, small screens, radio serials, and more.

Written by mortician and forensic expert Carla Valentine, The Science of Murder explores the real-life cases that inspired Agatha Christie and shows how the great mystery writer may have kept up to date with the latest developments in forensic science, from ballistics to blood-splatter analysis. Valentine examines the use of fingerprints, firearms, handwriting, impressions, and toxicology in Christie's novels, before finally revealing the role the dead body itself played in offering vital clues to dastardly crimes.

An authoritative, wide-ranging, and incredibly timely history of 1984-its literary sources, its composition by Orwell, its deep and lasting effect on the Cold War, and its vast influence throughout world culture at every level, from high to pop. 1984 isn't just a novel; it's a key to understanding the modern world. George Orwell's final work is a treasure chest of ideas and memes-Big Brother, the Thought Police, Doublethink, Newspeak, 2+2=5-that gain potency with every year.

Born to the ranks of the lower English gentry in 1775, Jane Austen led what some have mistakenly described as an ordinary and unremarkable life--a life that ended all too soon at the age of 41. But from this life, Austen drew inspiration for six novels that all rank as literary masterpieces, including the widely beloved Pride and Prejudice.

Stephen Fry investigates the phenomenon of gibberish - what it is, why we write and speak and sing it, and why we enjoy it so much. Words like awaopbopbaloobop awop bam bam and Bill and Ben's contemporary sounding catchphrase: blogalog. Stephen sets out to unravel some of these threads in the company of Stanley Unwin, George Melly, Gryff Rhys-Jones, Eric and Ernie, Max Bygraves, The Goons, Bill and Ben The Flowerpot Men, and Frank Sinatra, along with experts in language development, in the first ever Radio 4 programme intentionally devoted to the totally unintelligible.

Through the enduring eye of Sherlock Holmes, noted historian Jeremy Black traces how Holmes and his milieu evolved in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books and how Holmes continues to resonate today. Black explores the context of Doyle's ideas and stories and why they struck such a chord with readers in London, and ultimately the world. He portrays a complex man with eclectic interests, from soccer to spiritualism, from cricket to divorce law reform.

Everyone knows that if Scarlett O'Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she'd constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she'd text you to pick her up after she totaled her car. Based on the popular Web feature, Texts from Jane Eyre is a witty, irreverent mash-up that brings the characters from your favorite books into the twenty-first century.

It's every novelist's greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page-one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot).

Speaking Proper - Stephen Fry looks at the changes in what we used to call 'elocution'.