Shelf Indulgence

Books for book lovers!

Updated June 30, 2025
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Remarkable books : a celebration of the world's most beautiful and historic works
Collins, Michael
Paper Book
Imagine a world without Principia Mathematica, Rights of Man, the Bible, Shakespeare, or the Mahabharata.  Remarkable Books features 75 of the world's most momentous titles - from The Art of War to Anne...
Great short books : a year of reading--briefly
Davis, Kenneth C.
Paper Book
This entertaining guide to some of the best short novels of all time, from a bestselling historian, is the "perfect gift for busy bibliophiles" (BookPage). Experience the joys of literature with this this "exciting guide to all that the world of fiction has to offer" (...
Browsings : a year of reading, collecting, and living with books
Dirda, Michael
Paper Book
Journalist Michael Kinsley has described Michael Dirda as "the best-read person in America," then added "but he doesn't rub it in." Michael M. Thomas called him, in the New York Observer, "the best book critic in America." Nevertheless, no one named Michael was involved when Dirda was awarded the...
Gallery of clouds
Eisendrath, Rachel
Paper Book
A personal and critical work that celebrates the pleasure of books and reading. Largely unknown to readers today, Sir Philip Sidney's sixteenth-century pastoral romance Arcadia was long considered one of the finest works of prose fiction in the English language....
Banned in the U.S.A. : a reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries
Foerstel, Herbert N.
Paper Book
Since the first edition was published to acclaim and awards in 1994, librarians have relied on the work of noted intellectual freedom authority Herbert N. Foerstel. This expanded edition presents a thorough analysis of the current state of book banning in schools and public libraries, offering...
Bibliophile : diverse spines
Harper, Jamise
Paper Book
It's time to diversify your reading list. This richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection uplifts the works of authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. Using their keen knowledge and deep love for all things literary, coauthors Jamise Harper (founder...
Ex Libris
Kakutani, Michiko
Paper Book
Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic Michiko Kakutani shares 100 personal, thought-provoking essays about books that have mattered to her and that help illuminate the world we live in today--with beautiful illustrations throughout. "A book tailormade for bibliophiles."--Oprah...
Why I read : the serious pleasure of books
Lesser, Wendy.
Paper Book
"Wendy Lesser's extraordinary alertness, intelligence, and curiosity have made her one of America's most significant cultural critics," writes Stephen Greenblatt. In Why I Read, Lesser draws on a lifetime of pleasure reading and decades of editing one of the most distinguished literary magazines in...
Bibliophile : an illustrated miscellany
Mount, Jane
Paper Book
Searching for perfect book lovers gifts? Rejoice! Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, is a love letter to all things bookish. Author Jane Mount brings literary people, places, and things to life through her signature and vibrant illustrations. It's a must-have for every book...
My ideal bookshelf
Mount, Jane
Paper Book
The books that we choose to keep -- let alone read -- can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves. In My Ideal Bookshelf, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find...
The books that changed my life : reflections by 100 authors, actors, musicians, and other remarkable people
Patrick, Bethanne Kelly
Paper Book
One hundred of today's most prominent literary and cultural icons talk about the books that hold a special place in their hearts and made them who they are today. Leading authors, politicians, CEOs, actors, and other notables share the books that changed their life, why they love them, and their...
Why we read : on bookworms, libraries and just one more page before lights out
Reed, Shannon
Paper Book
*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* *A WGN Radio Best Book of 2024* *A Good Housekeeping Reads pick* A hilarious and incisive exploration of the joys of reading from a "beloved and wonderful writer" (George Saunders), teacher, bibliophile, and Thurber...
Dear Fahrenheit 451 : love and heartbreak in the stacks : a librarian's love letters and breakup notes to the books in her life
Spence, Annie
Paper Book
A librarian's laugh-out-loud funny, deeply moving collection of love letters and breakup notes to the books in her life. If you love to read, and presumably you do since you've picked up this book (!), you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the...
A well-read woman : the life, loves, and legacy of Ruth Rappaport
Stewart, Kate
Paper Book
The inspiring true story of an indomitable librarian's journey from Nazi Germany to Seattle to Vietnam--all for the love of books. Growing up under Fascist censorship in Nazi Germany, Ruth Rappaport absorbed a forbidden community of ideas in banned books. After fleeing her home in...
The catalogue of shipwrecked books : Christopher Columbus, his son, and the quest to build the world's greatest library
Wilson-Lee, Edward
Paper Book
"Like a Renaissance wonder cabinet, full of surprises and opening up into a lost world." --Stephen Greenblatt "A captivating adventure...For lovers of history, Wilson-Lee offers a thrill on almost every page...Magnificent." --The New York Times Book Review

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