This collection of essays and reviews from the Book-of-the-Month Club offers a unique literary history of American readership in the twentieth century. From The Sun Also Rises to The Accidental Tourist, the judges, editors, and reviewers of the Book-of-the-Month Club help readers all across America find their next favorite book. In this comprehensive anthology compiled from the Club’s monthly News, astute reviewers praise and critique a diverse array of authors including Dashiell Hammett, Barbara Tuchman, Sinclair Lewis, Saul Bellow, Margaret Mitchell, James Baldwin, Willa Cather, and Evelyn Waugh. Harper Lee affectionately profiles Truman Capote, poet laureate Robert Penn Warren praises his friend Bill Styron, and Gore Vidal interviews himself. John le Carré shares why it was particularly hard to write A Perfect Spy, and E. L. Doctorow reveals the intentions of his masterpiece, Ragtime. A celebration of the life-affirming power of the written word and a treasure trove of reviews, essays, and author portraits related to classic books we all know and love and less famous titles well-deserving of rediscovery, The Book of the Month is a must-read for bibliophiles everywhere.

At the age of seventeen, Nora Falcon is already a best-selling author of vampire lit, with fans lining up around the block to read the next installment of her Better off Bled series. So it might seem like she’s something special. But at the Nightshade Preparatory Academy for Exemplary Boys and Girls in Beverly Hills, Nora is just another student. One day a handsome stranger shows up at one of Nora’s book signings. Reece Rothchild is not only tall, dark, and handsome—he’s downright irresistible, and he has recently transferred to Nightshade Academy. But Reece is not just eye candy: he’s an actual vampire who wants Nora to write a book specifically for vampires—and he’s very persistent. So persistent he kidnaps Nora’s friends to get her to comply. Nora is torn. If she does what Reece wants, thousands of vampires will converge on an unsuspecting town and use its inhabitants as a human snack bar. If she doesn’t, her friends will die. Now Nora must find a way to defeat Reece and save her friends—all while juggling a full course load!

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.

LIFE Magazine is the treasured photographic magazine that chronicled the 20th Century. It now lives on at LIFE.com, the largest, most amazing collection of professional photography on the internet. Users can browse, search and view photos of today’s people and events. They have free access to share, print and post images for personal use.