Reading Poetry
A sestina brings six end words back in a changing order
A sestina repeats six end words in a changing order. Follow one word through the poem to see how repetition can create new meanings.
BOOKS & THE LIFE AROUND THEM
Keep the conversation going after the last page.
Reading notes, thoughtful book discussions and practical ways to care for the collection you live with.
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Between the covers
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Reading Fiction
An epilogue changes the distance from a novel’s main ending
Read an epilogue by asking what its later viewpoint adds, what it leaves unresolved and how it changes your response to the main ending.
Reading Nonfiction
An index subentry can narrow the subject before you turn to the page
Learn how an index subentry narrows a broad subject, why page ranges matter and how cross-references can point to a better search term.
Reading the Edition
A Publisher’s Series Number Is Not Always the Book’s Volume Number
Separate a publisher’s series numbering from volumes within a work so you can identify the book you actually need.
Buying and Collecting Books
A Remainder Mark Tells Only Part of a Book’s Condition Story
Recognise a possible remainder mark on a book’s page edges, ask the seller for clear disclosure and assess condition separately from its sales history.
The Printed Book
The Half-Title Page Gives a Book a Quieter Entrance
Notice how a half-title page introduces a printed book, then compare it with the full title page and the rest of the opening sequence.