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The Only Difference Between a Tax Man and a Taxidermist: Great Literary Quotes for Tax Day

By Emily Temple on

Tax day: it happens to everybody, whether we like it or not (and as Margaret Mitchell points out, despite the fact that we’ll never find it the least bit convenient). In order to offer a little camaraderie and condolences on this stressful occasion, we’ve put together a selection of our favorite tax-related sayings from literature and literary figures. Check them out after the jump, and if we missed your favorite financial zinger, be sure to add it to our list in the comments. … Read More

Books

10 Books Guaranteed to Make You Cry

By Emily Temple on

This week, we read about a study, recently published in PLOS ONE, in which researchers found that ”the emotional content of published English has been steadily decreasing over the past century, with the exception of words associated with fear, an emotion which has resurged over the past decades.” Well, we don’t doubt it. But that’s not to say that literature has lost any of its power to elicit emotions. To prove it, we’ve selected ten books that make us cry every time — and not always because they’re sad, but because they elicit some kind of strong internal reaction that, well, ends in tears. Read through our picks after the jump, and since everyone has different triggers, let us know which books are guaranteed to make you cry in the comments. … Read More

Books

10 Best-Selling Novels and the Directors Who Should Adapt Them

By Emily Temple on

Yesterday, we heard that David Fincher, director of Fight Club and The Social Network (among numerous other things), is considering signing on to direct the adaptation of Gone Girl, the thriller that took this year’s book world by storm. Fincher is great and all (and, as Deadline so awkwardly points out, “has handled female-themed Panic Room with Jodie Foster”), but we don’t think he’s the best man for the job. After the jump, we’ve taken a look at ten contemporary bestsellers, including Gone Girl, and picked the directors that we think would be the best at adapting them (even if, er, film versions have already been made). Click through to see our choices, and feel free to argue us down in the comments. … Read More

Books

The Books That Made the Most ‘Best Of 2012′ Book Lists

By Emily Temple on

December means a lot of things. Our normally latent shopping gene starts itching like crazy, mint-flavored coffee starts sounding like a good idea, and every single media outlet (ourselves included) puts up their “best of” everything lists. Well, ’tis the season. In an effort to distill all those year’s end book round-ups — and let’s face it, be a little meta — we looked at 16 lists from 14 media organizations and counted up the books that tickled the most critics this year. Turns out, they had quite a few differing opinions — on those 16 lists alone, we noted more than 150 unique titles — but also agreed across the board on a few knock-outs. After the jump, feast your eyes on the most popular books of the 2012 best book list season — and let us know if you agree with consensus or think the world’s gone mad in the comments. … Read More

Books

Read 15 Literary Figures’ Responses to Philip Roth’s Retirement

By Emily Temple on

We were surprised and a little saddened when Philip Roth announced his retirement plans last week. Click through to read how other noted writers and critics responded to the news on… Read More

Books

Our 10 Favorite Manic Pixie Dream Girls in Literature

By Emily Temple on

Oh, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She just won’t go away, will she? The romantic dramedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World opens in theaters tomorrow, and it seems to be only the newest incarnation of an age-old cinematic trend of young, whimsical women redeeming somewhat depressed and uncertain men with their quirky wiles. But though you know her as Zooey Deschanel, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is also a literary figure, identified by her charming left-of-center personality, her pronounced (and sometimes left-of-center) beauty, and her function as a usually rather flat character who serves to lead the male protagonist into self-discovery before disappearing (or dying). Click through to read about a few of our favorites, and then look at this Manic Pixie Dream Squirrel for extra credit. … Read More