The Bibliophile's Compass

1632 Robinson Crusoe born in York. 1659 Robinson Crusoe’s shipwreck 1895  The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. 1908 Maurice Maeterlinck's play "L'Oiseau bleu" ( The Blue Bird ) premieres at the Moscow Art Theatre The story is about a girl called Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl seeking happiness, represented by The Blue Bird of Happiness, aided by the good fairy Bérylune. 2021 Sharpe's Assassin by Bernard Cornwell (UK) The story is set in June 1815, immediately after the Battle of Waterloo, and during the occupation of Paris. 2024 The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich In this stunning novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award–winning author Louise Erdrich tells a story of love, natural forces, spiritual yearnings, and the tragic impact of uncontrollable circumstances on ordi...

1896  Stephen Crane is threatened with arrest after intervening when a woman he was interviewing, Dora Clark, is arrested on suspicion of prostitution 2021 The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (UK) Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life. 2023 Soft Inheritance by Fawn Parker Fawn Parker meditates on grief, illness, and the open-handed relationship between material objects and memory. 2025 A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay (UK) A chaotic young doctor might be the only person who can catch a killer in this "hilarious, macabre, and heartrending" (Lucy Foley) debut mystery from Adam Kay, former doctor and BAFTA-winning author of This is Going to Hurt. 2025 Boy from the North Country by Sam Sussman A son returns home to his dying mother to discover the astonis...