How Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?

Let books be your dining table,

And you shall be full of delights

Let them be your mattress

And you shall sleep restful nights.

~Author Unknown

Since I can remember, I have delighted in the world of books! My mother tells me that when I was still a toddler, I would sit and listen to her read for as long as she could read aloud to me without getting hoarse. One of my favorite books at that age was The Pokey Little Puppy's Counting Book. My mommy read that so many times, that, to this day, she still can recite it almost verbatim. It's quite impressive! She instilled in my tender, young heart, a passion for reading that followed me into adulthood. 

Now, if you know me, then you know I am a pretty thrifty gal. One of my biggest vices (my husband will attest to this) is buying books. I love books. I have boxes and boxes of books that won't fit on our shelves. There's nothing I enjoy more than buying a used/new book to devour. However, unless you have a used book store close by such as Edward McKay's, then you'll sometimes need to spend a pretty penny to get the book you're dying to read! (There's always the library, but if you're anything like me, it's painful to return the books you might want to re-read later.) This leads me to the main topic of today...free online books.

Read Print is a "free online books library for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast." The website includes hundreds and hundreds of free books, plays, essays, poems, and short stories--fiction and non-fiction alike. It includes works from such favorites as Robert Frost, Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Charlotte Bronte, and William Shakespeare. 

The site is easy to navigate. You can search by author or book title or you can simply choose one of the top authors or books to try out. Upon choosing a readable entree, you are escorted to the book's page where you see a table of contents. You may then read the chapter presented to you on the webpage and navigate to the next chapter via the buttons at the bottom of the page. However, if you choose to read your online book without all of the distraction of moving ads and the website's make-up, then you have the option to click the "Launch Reading Mode" button. This brings up the text of the chapter and creates a neutral (black) background, quieting the noisy distractions you see on the main website. To switch to the next chapter, simply click anywhere in the black abyss and choose the next chapter at the bottom of the chapter's original page.

Three Things I Like About This Site:

1. It's FREE!

2. It's books!

3. It's easy to navigate!

Three Things I Dislike:

1. You can't smell the books.

2. You can't turn the pages.

3. You can't put on your bookshelf to display.

Overall, this website offers the joy of reading for the low low price of NOTHING, while still allowing you to dive into another world of being. So, if you find yourself jonesing for a classic and just don't have the cash in pocket to dish out for a "new" book, head on over to Read Print and find your fill among the masses!

~A

So just how is a raven like a writing desk?

Answer: Poe wrote on both of them. :-)

(Props to anyone who can tell me in which book this question appears!)