There is no simple or easy place to start talking about William Shakespeare; a man widely regarded as the greatest writer and wordsmith of the English language, and possibly beyond. Shakespeare’s plays and poetry remain as popular today as they ever have been, and much of that is down to his mastery of language and …
Willow Heath
Oscar Wilde was arguably the finest wordsmith the English language has ever known. Outside of Shakespeare, nobody could ever turn a phrase like Oscar Wilde. These Oscar Wilde quotes, from his various plays, stories, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and from his everyday life, all demonstrate that with boldness and clarity. Wilde was …
Jane Austen was an early 19th century English author known for her wit and observational skills. Across six novels and many letters, she expressed so much wit and wisdom over and over again. These iconic Jane Austen quotes are spoken by her most beloved heroes and hated villains. They are lines of passion and disgust, …
Memoirs are a very special form of literature. Not just a vessel for the rich and famous to tell their life stories, memoirs present ordinary people with a medium for telling stories of change, discovery, perseverance, and so much more. A great memoir can offer the reader an opportunity to connect with a stranger in …
There’s a lot that goes into writing a successful and poignant biography: honesty, detailed research, clear context, empathetic writing, and so much more. Biographies hold a unique place in the world of nonfiction. The best biography books often appeal to people who may not even explicitly care about the book’s subject. It’s all about human …
The best history books are ones which manage to captivate the reader, either through their subject matter or their presentation. Many of the best history books present us with an almost novel-like narrative that envelops us and hits us with revelations, reminiscent of those found in a drama or a thriller. Others are simply so …
While literary fiction is a relatively broad genre (if it can be called a genre at all), and a relatively young definition, there is still a great wealth of literary fiction books out there. Here you’ll find some of the best literary fiction books ever written, some of which are beloved classics from the 20th …
The twentieth century saw the publication of many of the greatest works of literature ever written. All around the world, writers were inventing entire genres, pushing boundaries, blending fiction and philosophy, and so much more. Many of the great novels that we call modern classic books today were written in the 20th century. And beyond …
Declaring anything one of the best books of all time is a bold statement that we are sure will be met with plenty of disagreement from fellow readers. That said, what you’ll find amongst these very best classic books are novels that have stood the test of time and become beloved, well-studied, well-revered works of …
Historical fiction is a brilliantly broad genre of fiction, with the potential to span so much of human history and culture. Because of this fact, many of the best historical fiction books come from far and wide — from Latin America to Japan, and everywhere in-between. But, of course, the UK has a particular affinity …