The late John Updike was a virtuoso of both fiction and non-fiction forms. Here is a sampling of his best work.

Rabbit Novels Vol. 1

Rabbit Novels Vol. 2

Due Considerations

Hugging the Shore

Feast your eyes on these books showcasing the beautiful tradition of manuscript illumination.

Masterpieces of Illumination

Marvellous to Behold

A History of Illuminated Manuscript

Bibles and Bestiaries

We've come a long way from the days of Dickens and Clement C. Moore. Here are new classics in the Yuletide tradition.

Holidays on Ice

The Stupidest Angel

A Christmas Story

The Christmas Chronicles

Marvin Terban gets kids laughing (and learning) about language with these illustrated books of funny idioms.

Mad as a Wet Hen!

Punching the Clock

In a Pickle

We asked David Wolman, author of Righting the Mother Tongue, to suggest a few books about English orthography and people who have dared to modify it. Here are his recommendations.  Continue reading...

We recently interviewed Orin Hargraves about his new book, Slang Rules!: A Practical Guide for English Learners. Orin consulted a wide range of sources to build his guide to American slang, including works of fiction. We asked Orin to recommend books by writers with a keen ear for the American vernacular.  Continue reading...

The "backstory" of the English language is endlessly fascinating. Here are some of our favorite tellings of the tale.

The Adventure of English

Inventing English

The Story of English

The Secret History of the English Language