There is something unique about genre fiction. Perhaps it is the notion that great fiction should offer an escape. Perhaps it is with only these types of stories that true escapism can be attained some small path to temporary nirvana not found in other genres. That’s what we like to […]
It’s happened to you before. You’re invested in a great book, in the flux and flow of a twisting plot, of multidimensional characters that make you mad, make you cry, maybe even make you scream out loud. Then, after all the hours you’ve invested in the book, all the possibilities, […]
Sometimes, when we love a great book, we feel the smallest bit of dissatisfaction at the idea that one, perhaps two books, will be all we get. It kind of bums us out. We know we can always go back and reread, but it’s the lingering ideas of what would […]
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of getting our hands on a book we’ve been waiting to read. Kicking off our new “we can’t wait” feature here on LitStack, we begin with the books that we are eager to yank right off the shelf. These selections are far reaching…from SciFi […]
This week, we’ve got a lot on our minds. From stories that stuck with us, to the frustration and exhilaration of the writing (and publishing) process, this week’s picks are as varied and unique as the writers who penned them. We hope you enjoy. Have a great week, LitStackers.
Traditions are important. They cultivate in us a continuum of the normal. They give us comfort, remind us of where we have been and how we came to be the people we are today. Some of the most important traditions are ones that we create for ourselves. It can be […]
Labor Day usually marks the end of summer and the return to bells, books and professions that Algebra will never, ever be used in life! It’s back to school time for most of the country and when we think about our time in school, particularly in those formative years when […]
Our favorite books are a bit like a good pair of shoes. We have our preferences, those that are comfortable, easy to slip into, the ones that manage to relax us, make us feel at home. And sometimes the authors that pen our favorite books do something, say something, stand […]
The books closest to our hearts become a part of us. We love them for various reasons, and when a story is great, we tend to gravitate toward its author. Their worlds speak to us. Their characters resonate with us. And while it’s true that even our favorite authors and […]
One of our favorite things about literature is the impact it has on our lives. A really great book can inspire, enrage or become a part of the many and varied aspects that form the people we become. They can remind us of our past and shape the foundation of […]
On this day, December 3, in 1857, Joseph Conrad was born in Berdichev, Imperial Russia (modern
Ukraine, then a part of Poland). While he settled in England and wrote in English, he always considered himself a Pole. Heart of Darkness, one of the most famous of his 20 novels (which explores colonialism and the attitudes regarding what constitutes a barbarian versus civilized society) is considered one of the best English novels of the 20th century, as is his novel Lord Jim, which chronicles a crew’s abandonment of its disabled ship. Conrad died in England in 1924 at age 66.