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Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life
George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans was already an accomplished writer and author by the time she adopted the pen name George Eliot. It’s thought that she wanted the fiction she produced to be free from bias stemming from her already massive body of work, or perhaps she wanted to insulate herself from stereotypes against female authors in 19th century England. Regardless, one could reasonably be forgiven for assuming that Evans and Eliot were separate people entirely, as each name is associated with a lifetime of masterwork.
For over 150 years, Middlemarch has been a focal point in exploring the class conflict and social mobility of mid-19th century England. Set in the years leading up to the First Opium War, Middlemarch first masquerades as a simple tale of love and friendship. Most of the residents' lives overlap in some way or another over the 30-year period in which the book is set. But in the contrast of the characters—the morally questionable doctor, the passionate artist, the childhood sweethearts—George Eliot reveals the more complex social dynamics at play.
Twenty years after its publishing, Middlemarch won the very first prize offered by the London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Children.
The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches
W. Du Bois
The Souls of Black Folk is remembered as one of the first and most important sociological studies in history. While the subject matter deals with American society, the findings and key takeaways of the essay are applicable worldwide. Du Bois, often referred to as "The Father of Black Studies" and a leading figure during the Harlem Renaissance, outlines the discrepancies between the treatment of white Americans and black Americans, and seeks to further understand the main causes of racial inequality.
Though both informative and illuminating, The Souls of Black Folk is also remarkable for its syntax and prose. Du Bois relied heavily on poetic imagery and metaphor to convey the weight of his findings. In one particular instance, Du Bois masterfully describes the psychological and mental toll of freed slaves in Reconstruction-era America: ""They were held and pushed and dragged; they were squeezed until they could take it no more; they were beaten until they could take it no longer; but still they remained, fixed as fish in a jar.”
A portion of the proceeds from this book will be used to support initiatives by various social justice organizations, including Southern Poverty Law Center and Barbershop Books.
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There
Lewis Carroll
From Wikipedia:
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (also known as Alice Through the Looking-Glass or simply Through the Looking-Glass) is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, University of Oxford, and the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Alice again enters a fantastical world, this time by climbing through a mirror into the world that she can see beyond it. There she finds that, just like a reflection, everything is reversed, including logic (for example, running helps one remain stationary, walking away from something brings one towards it, chessmen are alive, nursery rhyme characters exist, and so on).
Through the Looking-Glass includes such verses as "Jabberwocky" and "The Walrus and the Carpenter", and the episode involving Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The mirror above the fireplace that is displayed at Hetton Lawn in Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire (a house that was owned by Alice Liddell's grandparents, and was regularly visited by Alice and Lewis Carroll) resembles the one drawn by John Tenniel and is cited as a possible inspiration for Carroll. It prompted a newfound appreciation for its predecessor when it was published.
We Did That?
Sophie Stirling
Buckle up for a very odd ride through history with entertaining trivia about the odd things humans have done . . .
This book is packed with fun facts about:
Quirky inventions: Everyone knows about mousetraps, but did you know they were originally inspired by burglar alarms?
Bizarre beauty and fashion fads: Discover wooden bathing suits, breast enhancers in the shape of toilet plungers, and death-inducing cosmetics.
Strange superstitions and folklore: Do you know about the centuries-old Banana Curse, the origin of the Tooth Fairy, or our weird obsession with shoes*?*
Covering these and other subjects from very odd jobs to gross medical cures, this collection of our species’ accomplishments is likely to leave you wondering, we did that?
The Origin of Names, Words, and Everything in Between
Patrick Foote
Name Meanings Explained “From the casually curious to etymology junkies (or anyone who’s ever halted a conversation to search the internet for the origin of a word) this book will have something for everyone.” ––William C. Fox of the YouTube channel "Exploring History"
#1 Best Seller in Popular Culture, Puzzles & Games, Curiosities & Wonders, Fun Facts, Questions & Answers, Trivia, and Slang & Word Lists
From Patrick Foote and his popular YouTube channel "Name Explain", comes a book for trivia fans that explains the name meanings of a multitude of things. From toys and animals to countries and cities to planets in our solar system, learn the etymology of words in a fun and entertaining way.
Explore the world of names. What is something that literally everything in existence has in common? It all has a name! With The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between, you can learn the origins of a multitude of names.
Learn new things. Why is New York called New York? The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between has the answer for you. While author Patrick Foote doesn’t claim to know everything, he has garnered a lot of knowledge about language over the years and he’s excited to get to share it with you in The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between.
The Book of Extraordinary Impossible Crimes and Puzzling Deaths
Maxim Jakubowski
The Book of Extraordinary Impossible Crimes and Puzzling Deaths is the latest collection from legendary murder mystery editor and writer Maxim Jakubowski. Filled with impossible murders and puzzling plot twists that keep your eyes on the page and brain on the mysteries until the last page.
Clever fictional crime stories. Some of mystery fiction's most inventive talents from the USA and UK offer a series of brand-new ingenious murder stories that will have you scratching your brow until the very last minute and delighting in Machiavellian solutions. Enjoy the third volume in Mango's innovative collections of the best crime stories fiction has to offer.
Enigmas and puzzling plot twists. Crime mystery fiction can be full of impenetrable conundrums and endless question marks when the story itself becomes a reality-defying puzzle for the sleuth to solve. A murder has been committed but how could it have happened? Was the room locked from the inside? Why does the body show no sign of violence? Where is the murder weapon?
Fresh innovative murder stories. Maxim Jakubowski’s latest book features never before seen stories by some of the most renowned American and British crime and thriller authors of today, including British Science Fiction Award winner Eric Brown, Derringer Award winner O'Neil de Noux, and multiple CWA Dagger Award winners and nominees.
The Best New True Crime Stories
Mitzi Szereto
#1 New Release in Forensic Psychology — Serial Killer? Your Neighbor, Friend, Even Your Spouse?
Serial killers: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer are often the first names that spring to mind. Many people assume serial killers are primarily an American phenomenon that came about in the latter part of the twentieth century. But such assumptions are far from the truth. Serial killers have been around for a very long time and can be found in every corner of the globe—and they’re not just limited to the male gender either. Some of these predators have been caught and brought to justice whereas others have never been found, let alone identified. Serial killers can be anywhere. And scarier still, they can be anyone.
Edited by acclaimed author and anthologist Mitzi Szereto, The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers reveals all-new accounts of true crime serial killers from the contemporary to the historic. The international list of contributors includes award-winning crime writers, true-crime podcasters, journalists, and experts in the dark crimes field such as Martin Edwards, Lee Mellor, Danuta Kot, Craig Pittman, Richard O Jones, Marcie Rendon, Mike Browne, and Vicki Hendricks.
If you are a fan of true crime books such as I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Mindhunter, The Devil in the White City, or Peter Vronsky’s Sons of Cain; you will want to read Mitzi Szereto’s The Best New True Crime Stories: Serial Killers. This book will leave you wondering if it’s ever really possible to know who’s behind the mask you’re allowed to see.
His Last Bow
Arthur Conan Doyle
From Wikipedia:
His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes is a 1917 collection of previously published Sherlock Holmes stories by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle, including the titular short story, "His Last Bow. The War Service of Sherlock Holmes" (1917). The collection's first US edition adjusts the anthology's subtitle to Some Later Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes. All editions contain a brief preface, by "John H. Watson, M.D.", that assures readers that as of the date of publication Holmes is long retired from his profession of detective but is still alive and well, albeit suffering from a touch of rheumatism.
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame
From Wikipedia:
The Wind in the Willows is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble. It also details short stories about them that are disconnected from the main narrative. The novel was based on bedtime stories Grahame told his son Alastair. It has been adapted numerous times for both stage and screen.
The Wind in the Willows received negative reviews upon its initial release, but it has since become a classic of British literature. It was listed at No. 16 in the BBC's survey The Big Read and has been adapted multiple times in different media.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Doyle
From Wikipedia:
The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the Strand Magazine in Britain and Collier's in the United States.
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
From Wikipedia:
The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who is raised in the jungle by wolves. The stories are set in a forest in India; one place mentioned repeatedly is "Seeonee" (Seoni), in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
A major theme in the book is abandonment followed by fostering, as in the life of Mowgli, echoing Kipling's own childhood. The theme is echoed in the triumph of protagonists including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal over their enemies, as well as Mowgli's. Another important theme is of law and freedom; the stories are not about animal behaviour, still less about the Darwinian struggle for survival, but about human archetypes in animal form. They teach respect for authority, obedience, and knowing one's place in society with "the law of the jungle", but the stories also illustrate the freedom to move between different worlds, such as when Mowgli moves between the jungle and the village. Critics have also noted the essential wildness and lawless energies in the stories, reflecting the irresponsible side of human nature.
The Jungle Book has remained popular, partly through its many adaptations for film and other media. Critics such as Swati Singh have noted that even critics wary of Kipling for his supposed imperialism have admired the power of his storytelling.The book has been influential in the scout movement, whose founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was a friend of Kipling. Percy Grainger composed his Jungle Book Cycle around quotations from the book.
Future Rising
Andrew Maynard
Human beings can―and do―change the future. Humanity has gained the ability not only to imagine the future, but to design and engineer it. At times entertaining, and at others profound, Future Rising provides an original perspective on our relationship with the future.
We have a responsibility to change the future for the better. As a species, we have become talented architects of our future. And yet, we so often struggle to come to terms with what this means. As innovation and rapidly shifting norms and expectations drive our world at breakneck speed, we sometimes need to find a still, quiet place to pause and think. Future Rising sets out to create such a quiet place, where we can take advantage of our species' knowledge of world history, and the importance of science to piece together a positive future.
To create a good future, rediscover the past. Our relationship with the future is inextricably intertwined with where we've come from, who we are, and what we aspire to. Written to be easy to pick up and hard to put down, Future Rising starts at the beginning of all things with the Big Bang and traces a pathway along the emergence of intelligent life, through what makes humans uniquely capable of imagining and creating different futures.
If you enjoy nonfiction science and history books like Life 3.0, The Future of Humanity, or Superintelligence, then you'll love Future Rising. In a series of sixty short reflections, Future Rising will take you on a journey into:
- What "the future" actually is
- How it molds and guides our lives
- How we can use the history of the world to change our future