Today’s #FridayReads include two books on real and fake language, and an essay collection on making writing thrilling in all genres.
WORDS ON THE MOVE: Why English Won’t – and Can’t – Sit Still (Like, Literally) by John McWhorter
A bestselling linguist takes us on a lively tour of how the English language is evolving before our eyes and why we should embrace this transformation and not fight it. “McWhorter proves to be a well-informed and cheerful guide to linguistics.”
— Kirkus Reviews
BRIDGE OF WORDS: Esperanto and the Dream of a Universal Language by Esther Schor
“In the first in-depth study of Esperanto and its colorful creator, Schor takes a broad approach to biography, expanding beyond Zamenhof’s life to examine the philosophical and psychological elements at work in the language’s continual evolution and current usage by several million people worldwide. Must reading for those fascinated by linguistics and utopian endeavors and an essential volume for every library’s language collection.” — Booklist
THRILL ME: Essays on Fiction by Benjamin Percy
In fifteen essays on the craft of fiction, Percy looks to disparate sources such as Jaws, Blood Meridian, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to discover how contemporary writers engage issues of plot, suspense, momentum, and the speculative, as well as character, setting, and dialogue to craft thrilling reads in any genre. “Percy’s essays skillfully dissect the structure, mechanics, and concrete details of what makes good writing sparkle.” — Publishers Weekly