Browse our literary musings.

Here, Bas Bleu’s editors present you with an amusing assortment of astonishing words.

Summer is drawing to an end, which means brand new ghost stories, novels, and nonfiction at Bas Bleu. Check out some of our favorites here!

Today, we give you something new: a list of books (and our reviews) that will keep you glued to your deck chair.

Submitted by Sharon Redgrave
Fiction writers showcase human nature by creating people that never existed, doing things that never happened.

We present a handpicked selection of women’s lit from the depths of Bas Bleu’s stacks—biographies and fiction to inspire and empower, not to enforce the gender roles we’re still challenging in 2023.

Enjoy this joyful collection of poetry and artwork, and keep an eye out for fresh hand-selected books and gifts coming soon.

Cutter’s Pass is the most dangerous town in North Carolina. Abby, a caretaker at the local inn, gets swept up in the suspicions of a mysterious visitor…but she’s going to have to face her own history to uncover the truth.

It’s happened to us all: You finish a book and you can’t summon the excitement to pick another one. Here are Bas Bleu’s tips and tricks for overcoming reading road blocks.

No, these aren’t romance books, but these beautiful Bas Bleu selections contain scenes that will increase your heart rate. Just don’t expect a happy ending!

If you love Jane Austen, you’ll love this little collection of fifteen witty quotes, and you might also be interested in the related products linked in the page margins. Read on, Austen aficionados!

Another year of books over…and another year filled with discovery begins. Here are Bas Bleu’s reading resolution recommendations—Peruse them to use at your pleasure!

Savor this bright little collection of festive verse in front of the fireplace or share it with family—after all, the written word is most beautiful when spoken aloud.

Are words about a book more meaningful than the sum of its contents? Not according to these bygone reviews, which inaccurately dismissed works we now consider to be classics.

Have you ever traced the travels of your favorite authors? Tour Worthing, the Orient Express, and the French Riviera with the help of this explorative guide!

Bas Bleu handpicks lesser-known titles in order to support small publishers and backlists. So, here are ten mysteries selected by the Bas Bleu editors that you may not have heard of, just in time for spooky season!

Whether you’re debating between bookshelf brands or seeking the perfect décor, look no further: this guide will break it all down.

Follow the Cabrelli family through a tumultuous century of love and loss with this contemplative novel about the histories we share and the way they change our futures, for better or for worse.

Here, we offer an analysis of our bestselling books: the reviews written by our editors, the comments from enthusiastic bibliophiles like yourself, and the reasons why we expect they’re so popular.

From laugh-out-loud rom-coms to light nonfiction, browse this handpicked collection of delightful summery reads.

Consider this your one-stop shop for bluestocking trivia, quotes, and little-known correspondence from groundbreaking female authors.

A lovely little collection of poems that emulate summer in its most glorious beauty, from Pablo Neruda to Emily Dickinson.

Mark Greenside's witty, observational writing is catered to Americans planning a trip to France (or, if you're a daydreamer like me, Americans simply fascinated with the cultural practices we take for granted).

We love our pets deeply and unequivocally, and we won’t deny that you do too. But, for those times when you can’t get through a chapter without a new disturbance, here’s our advice.

Submitted by Sharon Redgrave
What if the whirlwind of once upon a time is more closely woven in with our everyday world, but we're just too busy to see it?

How do I love books? Let me count the ways…Enjoy this lovely little selection of literary quotes, poetry, fun facts, and more!

Our new series will recommend novels handpicked by Bas Bleu, sharing our editor’s review, questions to prompt thoughtful book club discussions, recipes inspired by elements of the book, and activities to provoke increased connection with the text and each other.

Peruse this compilation of more than twenty letters that have withstood the test of time, then read on to learn how to write your own correspondence in a style that is quintessentially you.

As readers and writers, we have a fascination with words. Here, we present to you, dear reader, a compilation of more than fifty remarkable words you may not know and their accompanying definitions.

Submitted by Susan Teltser-Schwarz
The Grolier Club of New York is a quintessential haven for book lovers. Founded in 1884, it is America’s oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and those deeply involved in the graphic arts.

An exploration of Belle da Costa Greene’s career as J. P. Morgan’s brilliant librarian and curator, interspersed with excerpts from our new book The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.

Writers are often asked about what inspires the themes, characters, and settings within their books. As readers, we may not realize how deeply rooted those novels are in real life. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite stories that inspired our favorite classics.

Thanks for a great year, bluestockings! We’re so thankful to be supported by such a wonderful group of bibliophiles. Here are a few other things we’re thankful for…

This collection of traditional, festive Christmas poems will spark the holiday spirit. Share them as you hang the stockings, to introduce a delicious feast, or as you settle in front of the tree on Christmas Eve.

For those days when the chill sits in your spine a beat too long, here’s our own curated collection of poetry and art to remind you of the more forgiving months.

If you’re reading this blog, you’re already confessing your literary tendencies. We know that most avid readers will pass on this predilection to their children…But why is that so important?

This darling collection of poetry is written for cats of any color. Read them aloud to your lounging kitty for bonus points (unless your cat has fickle taste… but we like to think of the thoughtful feline as a literary creature).

Need a last-minute literary Halloween costume that few will understand? Our bewitching list of costume ideas showcase some lesser acknowledged, but highly invaluable, literary characters.

For editors of a book catalog, creativity is not only helpful, it’s necessary. It’s rare that we’re at our creative best in every single aspect, so sometimes we get assistance from the myriad talented artists and vendors that fill our pages.

Peruse this selection of evocative autumnal poems. Enjoy in front of the fireplace, the smell of dying leaves in the air, or save for Halloween, to read between trick-or-treaters. Savor that feeling of soft nostalgia and hopeful hibernation.

Submitted by Sheila Grinell
When I was in my early forties, someone asked me about my goal in life. Without hesitation I said, “to live to 100 with all my juices flowing.”

Submitted by Linda K Floyd
Names of 80 American and Canadian towns and cities that are also names of authors and literary works.

Sometimes nothing can satisfy your cravings for a favorite author. Delve into these letters written by classic authors.

It’s not every day you stroll along your favorite walking trail and spy a sign displaying the pages of a book. But if you did, you’d stop and read it, right? That’s the idea behind The StoryWalk® Project.

Whether you’re planning to celebrate your father or another great guy who’s made a difference in your life, we’ve compiled a list of seven memorable fathers from literature.

In honor of the blooming season, we’re tipping our sunhats to six memorable gardens in literature.

Two weeks ago, we asked our readers: What song always makes you smile? The responses had us smiling from ear to ear, and to show our appreciation we decided to compile the songs into a playlist for you!

Today in the Bluestocking Salon, we’re highlighting a few remarkable life stories with our list of seven books to read during Women’s History Month.

COVID-19 disrupted just about every aspect of life in America…and libraries were not immune. When the pandemic forced libraries across the country to shut down, their doors may have locked but their work never stopped.

We can’t begin to profile all of the men and women who deserve a spot on this list, but allow us to introduce you to seven Black librarians you should know.

Whether you’re thrilled by creaking doors and things that go bump in the night or you’re in the habit of running past that weird old house on the corner, you’ll want to read about these eerie edifices with the lights on.

Audiobooks have been available to readers for nearly a century. From cassette tapes to compact discs to digital downloads, audiobooks continue to evolve.

Because the only thing better than reading poetry is listening to people read poetry to us, we’re celebrating World Read Aloud Day with seven famous poems read by famous people.

Modern readers treasure the physical object known as “the book,” a steadfast constant in a rapidly changing world. But a long view of literary history reveals a dynamic creature.

Literature has been singing on the Great White Way for decades! Check out Bas Bleu‘s (not at all comprehensive) list of 7 musicals adapted from books.

This week in the Bluestocking Salon, editor KG shares an emotional experience that’s recognizable to book lovers everywhere. It is a dreaded, but often unavoidable moment in the great scheme of life. I am moving.

In literature as in life summer has become synonymous with love, adventure, and self-discovery…and, occasionally, heartache. This week, we’re savoring the season with a list of ten classic novels set during the summer.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week, we put together a short list of influential children’s books that have been enjoyed by generations of readers.

Ask any avid reader where she first fell in love with reading and you will hear time and again: “at my local library.” And at the helm of those libraries—serving as guides, gatekeepers, and fierce advocates—are librarians.

The International Day of the Girl Child, combined with recent events in the United States, has us thinking about female voices and how they are reflected and recorded in our culture.

Since August 5 is National Friendship Day, we thought this week was the perfect occasion to celebrate some of our favorite literary friendships.

If you, like Bas Bleu’s reviewers, were an English major in college, chances are good you owned at least one poetry anthology the size of a large brick.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve put together a list of fourteen pick-up lines designed expressly for literature lovers: some are silly, some are saucy, others are lifted straight from the pages of beloved books.

While the stories of Americans of color deserve reading year-round, Black History Month is a good reminder to make room in our To Be Read piles for a diversity of voices and experiences.

We’ve yet to meet a true-bleu Jane Austen fan whose sole exposure to her canon is Pride and Prejudice, but it is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen’s most famous novel usually tops the list as the most quotable.

Today on the blog, the Bas Bleu editors are taking a quick look at just a handful of poems that have drawn the ire of school districts, governments, and parents over the years.

During a recent shopping trip, the Bas Bleu editors got to thinking: What headlines would such a magazine pair with classic books, to lure in readers?

We agree that life is too short—and “to be read” piles too tall!—to read bad books. But an author whose style you may not like may still have something to teach you about plot or character.

As Barack Obama’s presidency draws to a close this week, the book world is revisiting the literary legacy of the man recently dubbed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “reader in chief.”

While these half-dozen gentlemen all share a strong sense of honor and an affinity for bright, independent-minded women, they aren’t interchangeable. So which Austen hero is right for you?

In recognition of the fact that readers have a lot of options for buying books these days, we’ve compiled a list of six reasons why we think Bas Bleu is worthy of your consideration.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Bas Bleu’s editors have put together a list of fourteen love lessons that we’ve learned from some of our favorite literary classics.

In honor of Veterans Day, Bas Bleu has compiled a list of eleven celebrated works of fiction that capture the experience of war from the perspective of the men (and in one instance, a woman) on the front lines.

Until Hollywood deigns to consult Bas Bleu about its literary adaptations (what a wonderful world that would be!), I’m sharing my list of eighteen life lessons I learned from Miss Drew.

We aren’t surprised when the world in which writers lived informs their art. But at what point are we prepared to call “foul” when their actions off the page become hard to ignore?

For too many people in the world, these things we take for granted—literacy, access to books, and affordable education—are rare luxuries. Fortunately, there are a number of organizations out there striving to bring literacy and books to those who need them most.

Today, in honor of P&P’s birthday, Bas Bleu is sharing our list of twenty-eight life lessons we learned from Miss Austen, Lizzie Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and, yes, even Mr. Wickham.

In case your knowledge of Edward Gorey is limited to the items you see in our pages, we thought we’d share a brief biography of the author/illustrator.

Last week, Science magazine published a study which found that people who read literary fiction displayed higher levels of empathy than those who read popular fiction or serious nonfiction.

What sets these reviews apart are their authors, bestselling writers in their own right who turned a writerly eye to their colleagues’ contributions to the literary realm.

It all began in 1775, in the English village of Steventon. The seventh of eight children born to George and Cassandra Austen, Jane was educated primarily at home by her clergyman father.

Today in the Bluestocking Salon, we thought we’d share with you three of our favorite examples of literary “reincarnation.”