The Bibliophile's Compass

1837  Ralph Waldo Emerson gives his famous "The American Scholar" speech to Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, declares American literary independence from Europe 2020 Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi The novel follows 28-year-old Gifty, a PhD candidate in neuroscience in her fifth year at Stanford University, and her Ghanaian-American mother, who is suffering from a deep depression. Longlisted for the 2020 Prix Médicis Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence Longlisted for the 2021 Aspen Words Literary Prize Shortlisted for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones published Two Dutch tourists are murdered while skinny-dipping in Indian Lake near the small town of Proofrock, Idaho. Winner of the 2021 Bram Stoker Award Winner of the 2021 Shirley Jackson Award Finalist for the 2022 British Fantasy Award Nominated for the...

2012 Boneland by Alan Garner is published A sequel to  The Weirdstone of Brisingamen  and  The Moon of Gomrath . The boy Colin from the earlier novels is now an adult, still living near the top of Alderley Edge but now a professor working at the nearby Jodrell Bank Observatory. 2012 If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura is published  ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ When an unexpected diagnosis turns his world upside down, a lonely man, with only Cabbage the cat for company, is faced with an impossible choice. 2017 Late author Terry Pratchett' unfinished works destroyed by steamroller as per his instructions 2018 The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker published It recounts the events of the  Iliad  chiefly from the point of view of Briseis. 2022 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell is published It brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duches...

1838  Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm announce their intention to publish a German Dictionary, eventually completed in 1961, after 123 years 1883  First Carnegie library financed by industrialist Andrew Carnegie opens in Dunfermline, Scotland, the 1st of 2,509 libraries built around the world 2023 Freida McFadden’s The Coworker published Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can't be taken back 2023 Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias is published A lush and lyrical debut novel about a Costa Rican family wrestling with a deadly secret 2023 Empty Spaces by Jordan Abel is published Reimagining James Fenimore Cooper’s nineteenth-century text The Last of the Mohicans from the contemporary perspective, it is a hypnotic and mystifying exploration of land and legacy, investigating what it means to be an intergenerational, Indigenous survivor of Residential Schools.

1844 The Oblong Box by Edgar Allan Poe published It is about a sea voyage and a mysterious box. 2014 Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood is published Atwood describes the pieces in the collection as "tales" rather than short stories, as they draw from the mythical and fantastical aspects associated with fables and fairy tales, rather than from conventional literary realism. 2014 How to Be Both by Ali Smith is published The story is told from two perspectives: those of George, a pedantic 16-year-old girl living in contemporary Cambridge, and Francesco del Cossa, an Italian renaissance artist responsible for painting a series of frescoes in the 'Hall of the Months' at the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara, Italy. 2014 Man Booker Prize (shortlisted) 2014 Goldsmiths Prize (won) 2014 Costa Book Awards (won) 2015 Folio Prize shortlisted 2015 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (won) 2014 Standi...

2012 NW by Zadie Smith is published The novel is experimental and follows four different characters living in London, shifting between first and third person, stream-of-consciousness, screenplay-style dialogue, and other narrative techniques in an attempt to reflect the polyphonic nature of contemporary urban life. Nominated for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction 2015 "The Shepherd's Crown" by Terry Pratchett published by Doubleday, 5 months after the author's death, last book in the Discworld series It is the 41st novel in the  Discworld  series, and the fifth based on the character Tiffany Aching. Winner of the 2016 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book Winner of the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

1691  Charles Perrault's poem "The Marquise of Salusses or the Patience of Griselidis" read aloud at the French Academy, later attached to his "Tales of Mother Goose" (1697) 2014 The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton is published Set in Amsterdam in 1686–87, the novel was inspired by Petronella Oortman's doll's house on display at the Rijksmuseum. It does not otherwise attempt to be a biographical novel. 2014 Specsavers National Book Awards: Book of the Year 2014 Specsavers National Book Awards: New Writer of the Year 2014 Waterstones Book of the Year (won) 2015 Desmond Elliott Prize (nominated)

Title : Reluctant Immortals Author : Gwendolyn Kiste Publication Year : 2022 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Horror, Fantasy, Vampire, Gothic, Retelling Source : Audiobook @storytel.tr Opening Sentence : It’s almost sundown in Los Angeles, and Dracula’s ashes won’t shut up. I have mixed feelings about this book, primarily due to my personal preferences when it comes to style and genre. You might wonder why I picked it up, especially since horror, fantasy, and modern vampire stories aren’t typically my favorites. However, this book offers a fresh retelling of two classic tales from the perspectives of unvoiced or silences female characters—Lucy and Bertha—from Bram Stoker's “Dracula” and Charlotte Brontë's “Jane Eyre.” It's hard to resist reading something that gives a voice to often overlooked women in literature! My ambivalence comes from a couple of reasons. First, I personally shy away from fantasy and horror, and I prefer to watch them on the screen, of course those that a...

1835  New York Sun publishes Moon hoax story about John Herschel and the supposed discovery of life and civilization on the Moon 2005 My Cleaner by Maggie Gee is published The story is told from the viewpoint of Vanessa Henman, an English writer, and Mary Tendo Ugandan graduate of Makerere University. Vanessa's 22-year-old son Justin refuses to get out of bed with depression. Justin asks for Mary who looked after him as a child so Vanessa writes to her. 2019 Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi This is a love story and a story about betrayal—not between lovers but between a mother and a daughter. Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize

1847  Charlotte Brontë sends the manuscript of her novel "Jane Eyre" to publisher Smith, Elder and Co., in London under her pen name "Currer Bell" (UK) It is a bildungsroman that follows the experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Mr Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall. 2021 The Women of Troy by Pat Barker published (UK) Largely unnoticed by her captors, the one time Trojan queen Briseis, formerly Achilles's slave, now belonging to his companion Alcimus, quietly takes in these developments. She forges alliances when she can, with Priam's aged wife the defiant Hecuba and with the disgraced soothsayer Calchas, all the while shrewdly seeking her path to revenge. 2021 The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers It explores the history of an African-American family in the American South, from the time before the American Civil War and slavery, through the Civi...

2021 Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead It is the follow-up to Whitehead's 2019 novel  The Nickel Boys and is a work of crime fiction and a family saga that takes place in Harlem between 1959 and 1964. Finalist for the 2021 Kirkus Prize for Fiction 2022 Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang is published Babel is set in an alternative reality in which Britain's global economic and colonial supremacy are fueled by the use of magical silver bars. 2022 Winner of the Blackwell's Books of the Year 2022 Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2022 Listed for the Best of Kirkus Reviews 2022 Winner of the Nebula Award 2022 Shortlisted for the New England Book Award 2022 Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2023 Winner of the Alex Award 2023 Winner of the British Book Award 2023 Shortlisted for the Dragon Award 2023 Shortlisted for the Ignyte Awards 2023 Winner of the Locus Award 2023 Shortli...

1913  Jack London's 15,000-square-foot stone mansion, called Wolf House, burns down two weeks before he planned to move in with his family 2017 I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell (UK) An astonishing memoir of the near-death experiences that have punctuated and defined her life. 2023 Prophet Song by Paul Lynch is published (Ireland) 2023 Winner of Booker Prize The novel depicts the struggles of the Stack family, in particular Eilish Stack, a mother of four who is trying to save her family as the Republic of Ireland slips into totalitarianism. 2023 The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang is published 2023 Finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel 2024 Finalist for Ignyte Award for Best Novel 2024 Finalist for Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel It is a genderbent reimagining of the classic Chinese novel  Water Margin .

2012 Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan is published (UK) It deals with the experiences of its protagonist, Serena Frome (an MI5 agent), during the early 1970s.

2024 Magpie: And Other Stories by Sarah Hegarty is published (UK) Set in a range of deftly realised locations, these compelling stories take the reader from the hutongs of Beijing, on the cusp of change in 1980, to present-day Syria. 2024 The Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones is published A riveting tale set in the Post WWII South, narrated by a Black soldier who returns to Jim Crow and searches for a mythical ideal Finalist for The 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction

1843 The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe published ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ An unnamed narrator, who suffers from alcoholism, has a strong affection for pets, until he perversely turns to abusing them.  1914 Elmer Rice's play "On Trial" premieres in NYC It was the first play to employ on stage the motion-picture technique of flashbacks, in this case to present the recollections of witnesses at a trial. 1999 Ghostwritten by David Mitchell is published (UK) The story takes place mainly around East Asia, but also moves through Russia, Britain, the US and Ireland. It is written episodically; each chapter details a different story and central character, although they are all interlinked through seemingly coincidental events.

🔴 1674 Jean Racine's dramatic tragedy "Iphigénie" premieres in Versailles 🔴 1958 Novel "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov is published 🔴 2014 After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones published 🔴 2020 When These Mountains Burn by David Joy is published

Title : Small Things like These Author : Claire Keegan Publication Year : 2015 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction Source : Book (thrifted in the UK for 2 pounds) Opening Sentence : In October there were yellow trees. Then the clocks went back the hour and the long November winds came in and blew, and stripped the trees bare. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan tells the story of Bill Furlong, a decent coal worker, husband, and father of five daughters. The narrative focuses on Bill’s dilemma about whether to act when he witnesses injustice and trauma inflicted on poor women by those who are supposed to represent God. This experience prompts him to question who he is and what he should do—if anything at all. Despite being a kind and decent man, he grapples with the warnings from those around him and ultimately chooses to act according to his moral principles. The book is short, easy to read, and based on historical events, prompting readers to co...

🔴 1903 Joseph Pulitzer donates $1 million to Columbia University and begins the Pulitzer Prizes in America 🔴 1946 George Orwell publishes "Animal Farm" in the United Kingdom

Title : Grief Is the Thing with Feathers Author : Max Porter Publication Year : 2015 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Literary Fiction, Poetic Prose, Postmodern Source : Book Opening Sentence : There’s a feather on my pillow.  Pillows are made of feathers, go to sleep. Max Porter is a unique author known for his distinctive style and structure, which he showcases in his debut novel, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers. This short novel, written in poetic form and narrated like a drama, explores the process of grief and loss through the eyes of a father—a scholar of Ted Hughes—and his two sons, along with a crow. The narrative is deeply poetic and symbolic, which may initially leave you feeling confused about its meaning. The crow's parts may seem elusive, as if its language is beyond your understanding. However, each mythical monologue, dream, and dialogue resonates profoundly, subtly touching your heart without you even realizing it. While this is not an easy read, it is undeniably beautiful. U...

🔴 2007 The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson published

Title : The Summer Book Author : Tove Jansson Publication Yea r: 1972 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Literary Fiction Source : Audiobook @storytel.tr Opening Sentence : IT WAS AN EARLY, VERY WARM MORNING IN JULY, and it had rained during the night. "The Summer Book" by Tove Jansson is an absolutely delightful and heartwarming read. It has a charming quality reminiscent of a children's book, beautifully capturing the essence of summer through the adventures of Sophia and her grandmother. The bond they share is wonderfully complex—Sophia can be quite the handful, making their interactions both humorous and endearing. After finishing Harvey's "All Is Song," where two brothers engaged in endless philosophical discussions, I found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused by the heavy nature of those talks. In contrast, "The Summer Book" explores some of those themes, but with a lightness and joy that makes the profound feel accessible and engaging. ...

🔴 1917 Poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon first met at Craiglockhart War Hospital, Edinburgh, go on to have an profound influence on each other's work (actual date 15-19 Aug) 🔴 2024 The Voyage Home by Pat Barker published

🔴 1457 Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer publish the Mainz Psalter, the first printed book with a complete date 🔴 1846 American naturalist Henry David Thoreau jailed for refusing to pay taxes

🔴 1605 Controversial play " Eastward Hoe " by  Ben Jonson , George Chapman , and John Marston premieres at the Blackfriars Theatre , London, landing two of the authors in prison for offending the King James I [date approximate] 🔴 1608  John Smith 's story of Jamestown 's first days submitted for publication 🔴 1732  Voltaire 's tragic play " Zaire " premieres in Paris 🔴 1894 Regret by Kate Chopin published 🔴 1921  Simon Kaufman &  Marc Connelly 's comedic play " Dulcy " premieres in NYC

Title : All Is Song Author : Samantha Harvey Publication Year : January 4, 2012 Pages : 320 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Literary fiction, Philosophical Fiction Source : Audiobook @storytel.tr Opening sentence : THEY’VE COME, THEY’VE come, he was thinking, and there they were all around him spinning through the darkness, and lighting the darkness. It was all just an illusion, they said. You weren’t ever alone. There is no surprise that Samantha Harvey, a graduate in philosophy, naturally writes philosophical fiction: “All Is Song.” I noticed it received mixed reviews, which made me apprehensive about potentially being disappointed; no one enjoys a lackluster read. However, I’m pleased to report that, at least in the beginning, the book exceeded my expectations. The first 70 to 80 pages were quite engaging, as the story centers on two brothers, William and Leonard. Leonard comes back to London after their father's death and the end of a romantic relationship, embarking on a quest to better ...

🔴 1813 Robert Southey is appointed British Poet Laureate by King George III 🔴 1915 "Of Human Bondage" by William Somerset Maugham, published

🔴 1937 "The Life of Émile Zola" directed by William Dieterle and starring Paul Muni premieres in New York (Best Picture 1938)

   Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh ℹ️  Played out against the snowy landscape of coastal New England in the days leading up to Christmas, young Eileen’s story is told from the gimlet-eyed perspective of the now much older narrator. Creepy, mesmerizing, and sublimely funny, in the tradition of Shirley Jackson and early Vladimir Nabokov, this powerful debut novel enthralls and shocks, and introduces one of the most original new voices in contemporary literature. (Goodreads) 🏆 Awards 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize (longlisted) 2015 National Book Critics Circle Awards (finalist) 2015 Shirley Jackson Award (finalist) 2016 Man Booker Prize (shortlisted) 2016 Crime Writers' Association Awards (shortlisted) 2016 Gordon Burn Prize (shortlisted) 2016 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel (won) 2017 Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize (longlisted) The Green Road by Anne Enright ℹ️ The novel concerns the lives of the Madigan family - four children and their moth...

🔴 1988 Alan Ayckbourn's play "Man of the Moment" premieres at Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough

🔴 1854 American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau publishes "Walden" 🔴 1943 Bertolt Brecht's play "Life of Galileo" premieres in Zurich 🔴 2011 The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson is published 🔴 2018 Where Shall We Run To?: A Memoir by Alan Garner is published

Title : Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls Author : David Sedaris Publication Year : 2013 Pages : 275 Rating : ⭐⭐ Genre : Essay, Humor Source : Audiobook @storytel.tr Opening Sentence : One thing that puzzled me during the American health-care debate was all the talk about socialized medicine and how ineffective it’s supposed to be. After reading "Me Talk Pretty One Day," I found myself approaching this book with high expectations, and it didn’t quite resonate with me in the same way. I read that Sedaris was inspired by a fan’s suggestion to explore his inner feelings, and while I appreciate the intention, I felt that some of the content leaned more towards a rage-talk rather than comedy. The essays certainly convey a strong sense of emotional depth, revealing his experiences and perspectives, especially regarding his family dynamics. At times, I felt uncomfortable with how he was treated as a son or how narrated some stories. Sedaris does manage to highlight othe...

🔴 1606 Possible first performance of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, performed in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace for King James I 🔴 1934 US Court of Appeals uphold lower court ruling striking down government's attempt to ban controversial James Joyce novel "Ulysses" 🔴 2007 "Eclipse" 3rd book in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" is published by Little Brown - initial print run 1 million copies 🔴 2018 Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine: Stories by Kevin Wilson was published

🔴 2019 Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro and Emily Henry is published

🔴 2008 The Long Trial of Nolan Dugatti by Stephen Graham Jones is published

🔴 1772 English poet and artist William Blake aged 14 is first apprenticed to engraver James Basire in London 🔴 1944 Anne Frank is arrested in Amsterdam by German Security Police (Grüne Polizei) following a tip-off from an informer who is never identified 🔴 1983 Danielle Steel’s romance novel “Thurston House” is published

Title : The Wilderness Author : Samantha Harvey Publication Year : 5 February 2009 Pages : 372 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genre : Literary fiction Source : eBook Awards : AMI Literature Award (won), Betty Trask Prize (won), Guardian First Book Award (shortlisted), Man Booker Prize (longlisted), Orange Prize for Fiction (shortlisted) Opening sentence : In amongst a sea of events and names that have been forgotten, there are a number of episodes that float with striking buoyancy to the surface. There is no sensible order to them, nor connection between them. I believe Samantha Harvey captures the essence of the entire book and the experience of Alzheimer's disease within the very first sentence. I must warn you that “The Wilderness” is not an easy read, but if you persevere, it opens up—and in some ways closes—many perspectives on Alzheimer’s disease, both for those who suffer from it and for the caregivers of these patients. To summarize, “The Wilderness” tells the story of Jake, who ...