Science fiction rarely predicts the future accurately, but it is excellent at exploring possibilities and their consequences. Some books also look ahead using real research. Classics of science fiction Modern science fiction Nonfiction about the future Why read about the future? Science fiction gives us words and images for debates about technology, surveillance, climate and … Read more
Literary movements are groups of writers who shared ideas about what literature should do and how it should be written. Knowing them helps you see why a book was revolutionary in its time and how writers responded to one another. Start with an overview Romanticism (late 18th to mid-19th century) Emotion, nature, imagination and the … Read more
Music affects our mood, memories and identity, yet it is hard to put into words. These books manage it: some explain the science, others tell the history, and the best memoirs show what music means to the people who make it. The science of music History Memoirs by musicians Fiction inspired by music Listening while … Read more
Most people who say they “don’t have time to read” are not short of time so much as of a routine. A reading habit is built like any other habit: small, regular and easy to start. Start small Aim for 10 pages or 10 minutes a day rather than a big weekly target. Tie reading … Read more
Some books have been banned, burned, taken to court or fought over in school boards. Looking at why tells us as much about the societies that reacted as about the books themselves. Books tried in court Books that provoked outrage Challenged in schools and libraries Books like The Catcher in the Rye, Adventures of Huckleberry … Read more
