The Physical Book
A decorated initial can guide the reader before the paragraph begins
Decorated initials can mark a text’s beginning and organise a manuscript page. Look at position, scale and imagery before guessing what a letter means.
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.
Find your next reading idea →
Between the covers
All articles →
Reading Poetry
A villanelle brings two lines back with a different weight each time
Read a villanelle by following its two refrains, then notice how each return changes meaning as the surrounding lines develop.
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.
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.