In This Issue Book Review: Beartown> Fredrik Backman's popular novel set in a small, struggling Swedish town captivated by hockey. Book Review: War & Peace> Leo Tolstoy's big, intimidating book is a masterpiece set during the era of the Napoleonic Wars. Book Review: Rope Burns> F.X. Toole, a veteran boxing trainer and cut man, paints a beautiful portrait of boxing's "sweet science" and emotional toll on fighters. Literary News: Why Reading Matters Even More in 2026> Reading f

by William Weger F or many readers, War and Peace  is the Mount Everest of classic books. The novel is big, intimidating, and feels like a brick in your hand. It seldom makes anyone’s TBR list—not with a whopping 1,300-plus pages. Yet It stands alongside Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Don Quixote as a giant in literature. W ar and Peace , widely acclaimed as one of the greatest novels ever written, was Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece. Some argue that the Russian aut

Book Review by Jeff Rosenberg I spent the better part of 2025 learning how to box. Then, my eye doctor told me I risked serious eye injury and to stop sparring. The next several weeks I mourned the loss of my short-lived boxing career. Top amateurs and professional boxers train at the gym where I trained. They welcomed me into their warrior culture with an abundance of respect and support. I lost my connection to this boxing community. So I returned to my dog-eared copy of Ro

Book Review by Jeff Rosenberg E very parent of a teenager strives, within the limits of reality, to keep their child safe. And every parent of a teenager tries to find the humor in it all, if only to stay sane. It’s a difficult balancing act. Fredrik Backman, the prolific writer from Sweden, captures this tension perfectly in Beartown , the first novel in a trilogy. Backman sprinkles the novel with sparkling insights about what it means to be human—and to be a parent. And he

Started in 2016, the Online Literary Apparel Company Continues to Grow, with more than 400 Products BALTIMORE, MD — Books & Bards celebrates its 10th Anniversary today. The online literary apparel company opened in 2016 on January 19 — Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday. The company specializes in online literary gifts, apparel, accessories, and classic books. With more than 400 literary-themed products, Books & Bards offers book lovers a full spectrum of shopping options, including

by William Weger T he new year is upon us, and we eagerly await anticipated 2026 book releases. Among them Vigil by Booker Prize winner George Saunders, The Things We Never Say by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout, and Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead, the final entry to the Pulitzer Prize winning author's celebrated Harlem trilogy. While we crave these upcoming literary treasures and many others, an alarming trend casts a shadow over the promise of the new year. Reading

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May you enjoy your favorite holiday traditions. Be Bookish, Merry, and Bright!

Profiles in Classic Literature Jane Austen ( 1775–1817), who remains immensely popular today, was an English novelist whose keen observations of society, wit, and mastery of free indirect discourse helped shape modern literary realism. She died at age 41. Literary Works Born in Steventon, Hampshire, she grew up in a close-knit family that encouraged her writing from an early age. Austen’s novels— Sense and Sensibility , Pride and Prejudice , Mansfield Park , Emma , Northanger

Profiles in Classic Literature Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was an English novelist, journalist, and social critic, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Victorian era. Born in Portsmouth, England, Dickens experienced childhood poverty when his father was imprisoned for debt. These early hardships profoundly shaped his views on social justice and inspired much of his writing. Literary Works Dickens began his literary career as a reporter before gaining fame wit

Short Story by William Weger Halloween Series Dr. Raymond Wescott cleared his throat. He was about to walk on stage before a packed house at the International Academy for the Advancement of Science. He waited for his gracious introduction to conclude. Journalists from around the world and some of the most eminent scientists on the planet fidgeted in their seats waiting to hear the eminent doctor speak. Others had strongly rebuked Wescott's controversial research. Others calle

Short Story by William Weger Halloween Series In the spirit of the Halloween season, here’s a spooky tale about a campus serial killer....

Buy Now Book Review Released February 4, Source Code, the first of a three-part memoir series by Bill Gates, focuses on his early life, his childhood, early passions and pursuits, which helped mold the man behind Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. This memoir, an easy read that moves quickly, is filled with Gates' personal stories growing up and how he evolved into the business leader and philanthropist he is today. Wise, witty and warm. A sure read for those interested in a

Short Story by William Weger Halloween Series I don’t have much time left. The full moon will rise soon, and I feel compelled to share my...

Short Story by William Weger Halloween Series The main doors at Corbett’s opened promptly at 10 o’clock. The Saturday morning shoppers...

Book Trivia: Moby Dick by Herman Melville - "Call Me Ishmael." Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - "I am an invisible man." Pride and...

Literature Essay: by William Weger Herman Melville, on writing Moby-Dick or, The Whale, keenly observed that “to produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.” Few American novels pack more literary punch than Moby-Dick and few have sustained such a fervent fan base. Published in London in 1851, Melville’s magnum opus centers on Captain Ahab and his relentless quest to kill a giant white whale. The revenge that rages inside Ahab drives his every move. This compelling

Literature Essay: by William Weger Shirley Jackson has in recent years enjoyed a revival of sorts. Some might say she has become a literary pop icon. Her brilliant and absorbing short stories, novels, essays, and letters are deservedly in the spotlight more than a half century since her untimely death of heart failure on August 8, 1965. She was just 48 years old. At the time, Jackson was working on a new novel, Come Along with Me, that she never finished. It was published pos

Literary Essay: by William Weger “Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that." T hese rather grim words began A Christmas Carol published in London in 1843 by Chapman and Hall. The first edition was released on December 19 and was sold out by Christmas Eve. Warm reviews, including glowing praise by critic William Thackeray, helped to spark immediate interest. Word of mouth quickly spread about this heartfelt, ghostly story that remains a holiday cla

Literature Essay: by William Weger “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins.” ​ -The Premature Burial, Edgar A. Poe On a "dark and gloomy day, not raining but just kind of raw and threathening," Edgar A. Poe was buried on October 8, 1949. Only a handful of people attended the funeral at Westminster Church and Burial Ground in Baltimore, Maryland. Presided over by the Reverend W.T.

Literature News: The American Association (ALA) released its annual list of the most challenged books of 2020. The ALA Office of...