The Bookish Elf

English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. Born: 25 June 1903 Motihari, Bengal Presidency, British India. Died: 21 January 1950, University College Hospital, London, England. Birth Name: Eric Arthur Blair Pen Name: George Orwell Early Life Born on June 25, 1903, Eric Arthur Blair who later decided on George Orwell as his pen name was the second child of British parents Richard Walmesly Blair and Ida Mabel Limonzin who then resided in Indian Bengal where Richard was an employee of the British Civil Services. George Orwell created some of the sharpest satirical fiction of the 20th century with such works as Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. He was a man of strong opinions who addressed some of the major political movements of his times, including imperialism, fascism and communism. The son of a British civil servant, George Orwell spent his initial days in India, where his father was stationed. His mother brought him and his older sister, Marjorie, to England about a year aft...

English dramatist and poet [caption id="" align="alignright" width="246"] Buy Shakespeare's Complete work from Amazon [/caption] Born: April 23, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, England Died: April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon, England Mysterious Origin Known throughout the world, the works of William Shakespeare have been performed in countless hamlets, villages, cities and metropolises for more than 400 years. And yet, the personal history of William Shakespeare is somewhat a mystery. There are two primary sources that provide historians with a basic outline of his life. One source is his work—the plays, poems and sonnets—and the other is official documentation such as church and court records. However, these only provide brief sketches of specific events in his life and provide little on the person who experienced those events. Early Life Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Ch...

You might think that reading groups are simply an arena for book worms to indulge in their favorite passion or for you to have enjoyable argument about your favorite story or characters with like-minded individuals, but book clubs actually offer more lifelong benefits than you realize: Everyone knows that reading expands your horizons and book clubs help to do this at an even greater level, with the in-depth discussions and assimilation of different viewpoints all contributing to increasing your knowledge and appreciation of the world around you. Joining a reading group can also help to extend your reading, as you'll be tempted to try different types of books that you might not otherwise have chosen by yourself. Many people can become accustomed to the comfort of reading in a favorite genre and may not realize how much they might actually enjoy an altogether different type of book, until they are persuaded to try by other members of the reading group. Despite not having ...

What is a Book Club? If you are a bibliophile and admire books  and reading is your hobby and  first love , then Book Club could be one of the best place to encourage your hobby. There you’ll meet like-minded individuals and you can have regular discussions about books and authors you’ve read, and will get a lot of recommendation for new books and authors. Sometimes you can have opportunity to meet the Authors and discuss their books. Types of Book Clubs: Traditional Book Club These are reading groups made up of several individuals who meet in person at regular intervals - usually each month - to discuss a specific book. Such gatherings tend to be more personal and intimate since members have the chance to meet often, face-to-face and they usually have a strong social dimension. Popular places for reading groups to meet include private homes, libraries, bookstores, cafes or even in restaurants over meals. In addition, they tend to be smaller so as a member, you have more control over t...

Author: John Green Genre: Young Adult, Mystery First Publication: 2008 Language: English Setting Place: Jefferson Park, Florida Protagonist: Quentin "Q" Jacobsen Major Characters: Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, Margo Roth Spiegelman, Ben Starling, Marcus "Radar" Lincoln, Lacey Pemberton Theme: Identity, Dissatisfaction, Friendship, Exploration, Perseverance, Admiration. Narrator: Quentin "Q" Jacobsen, The story is told in the first person through Quentin’s eyes. Book Summary Paper Towns begins with a prologue that takes place nine years before the events of the novel. When Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman are nine years old, they find a dead man in a nearby park. This experience is formative for Quentin and Margo, and forges a vaguely implied but long lasting bond between them. Most of Paper Towns is set in suburban Orlando, and the main characters are all seniors in high school, just a few weeks away from graduation. In Part One, Margo...