What's more appealing to a bookworm than books about books? I adore reading non-fiction about literature and storytelling. I find it brings so much to my reading experience, especially when it comes to classic literature. Whether this is Virginia Woolf writing about the way women are represented in literature, or Audre Lorde musing about poetry. I'm here for it.
It's not only non-fiction that does this well. Some classic literature takes the culture of reading and makes it a part of their characters. The overexcited heroines of Northanger Abbey or Madame Bovary are a fun example of this.
Here are five books about books for you to enjoy.
1. The overexcited heroine
a.k.a. the woman who reads too much
Northanger Abbey
by Jane Austen
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Northanger Abbey tells the story of a young girl, Catherine Morland who leaves her sheltered, rural home to enter the busy, sophisticated world of Bath in the late 1790s. Austen observes with insight and humour the interaction between Catherine and the various characters whom she meets there, (
read more...)
Madame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert
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Romantic heroine or middle-class neurotic, flawed wife and mother or passionate protester against the conventions of bourgeois society, simultaneously the subject of Flaubert’s admiration and the butt of his irony – Emma Bovary remains one of the most enigmatic of fictional creations. (read more...)
2. Feminism and Literature
Sister Outside
by Audre Lorde
The revolutionary writings of Audre Lorde gave voice to those 'outside the circle of this society's definition of acceptable women'. Uncompromising, angry and yet full of hope, this collection of her essential prose - essays, speeches, letters, interviews - explores race, sexuality, poetry, friendship, the erotic and the need for female solidarity (
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A Room of One's Own
by Virginia Woolf
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Virginia Woolf exposes the prejudices and constraints against which women writers struggled for centuries, and argues for a more equal literary establishment. A Room of One's Own, first published in 1929, is a witty, urbane and persuasive argument against the intellectual subjection of women, particularly women writers. (read more...)
3. Books about book lovers
84 Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
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This funny, poignant, classic love story unfolds through a series of letters between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London at 84, Charing Cross Road (
read more...)
🌼 about Milena's Bookshop 🌼
Milena’s Bookshop is a modern new and
second-hand book store for classic works. Inclusivity, feminism, and curiosity are at our core. A combination of famous authors and forgotten names makes up the collection. Whether you’re looking for
books second hand or new releases, we offer a range of literature. Both inside and outside the canon, classic literature gives a unique insight into the past. If you're wondering what
books you should read, explore our curated collection, including a
must-read book list called 'Milena's Favourites'. For those in the Netherlands, we are your
New English bookstore and your go-to for
2e hands boek finds. Our love for authors is celebrated with cheerful bookmarks, cards, and more. All books and gifts are shipped from The Netherlands by a woman-owned independent bookshop. Plus, all packaging is plastic-free.
