Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Books like War and Peace, David Copperfield, and Ulysses are classics we think everyone should read—but when you take a look at our bookshelves, you might see an entirely different set of volumes. When the classics feel daunting, you can turn to this list, full of titles even self-described “non-readers” will love, ones we turn to when we want […]

“Antagonist” is one of the most frequently misunderstood words in the literary world. Many make the mistake of assuming a story’s antagonist is, by definition, evil, but an antagonist is merely a force, character, or group that opposes the protagonist (who, similarly, is not necessarily heroic). Good and evil need not come into it, only opposition. While […]

Fiction can show us lives and worlds that don’t exist, or that we have no access to. History can help us understand our world. Biographies can help us understand the people in it. But many books are written at a remove—no matter how well-researched or how well-written, the author didn’t actually experience what they’re writing […]

Memoirs tell a story or a collection of particular stories from someone’s life, but the best ones are able to transcend just being about one person’s experience to relate something that not only entertains, but deeply resonates with readers. Sometimes these stories are hilarious, heartbreaking, horrifying, or a combination of all three. Whether it’s a […]