Under the Covers and between the Sheets: Facts and Trivia about the World's Greatest Books is currently free in ebook format. Don't know how much fairy tale stuff is in there--but see the description to see that there is some!--but this just the kind of book I like to have on my phone's Kindle reader for when I'm stuck in line somewhere. Short, interesting reading without sucking me in beyond paying attention to my surroundings. Mostly.
And did I mention free? For a short time...
Book description:
Bibliophiles, grab your glasses! Here is a compendium of interesting--and often scandalous--facts and quips about the literary world. Featuring authors and tomes of yesteryear and yesterday, from Tolkien's Middle- earth to Jeffrey Eugenides's Middlesex, you'll sections such as:
You Don't Say?: Commonly-used words and phrases that were coined or popularized in classic words of fiction--sometimes with very different meanings.
Gruesomely Ever After: The original endings of some of the world's most cherished fairy tales--"Snow White," "The Little Mermaid," "Cinderella," and more.
Parental Guidance Suggested: Banned works of fiction and the controversy surrounding them.
Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My!): The real-life stories and inspirations behind beloved "leading creatures."
Time to Make the Doughnuts: Odd jobs of famous authors.
Tell Me a Story: Dahl's short stories, Seuss's political cartoons; the lesser-known, and sometimes shocking, adult writings of beloved children's authors.
The Long Con: Shocking (and sometimes shockingly long-lived) literary hoaxes: Frey, JT Leroy, The Education of Little Tree, The Day After Roswell, etc.
Science Fiction, Science Fact: If alien monoliths are ever found on the moon, the safer bet is that they would be translucent crystal; Sir Arthur C. Clarke is celebrated for making accurate predictions of various technologies, years ahead of their time. A look at which of his predictions held true and the same feats of other authors.
Yes, But is it Art?: The weirdest books ever written: books without verbs, without punctuation...or without the letter "e".
Make this and all of the Blackboard Books(tm) a permanent fixture on your shelf, and you'll have instant access to a breadth of knowledge. Whether you need homework help or want to win that trivia game, this series is the trusted source for fun facts.
Such books can be made into good Kindle covers and you can downlaod teh books otehrwise :)
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