First Rule of Book Club

I’m John Boardley, and I write about the rich history of books and typography. My latest book, Remarkable Renaissance Books, tells the story of eighteen extraordinary early printed volumes, from the very first titles printed in the fifteenth century to the ground-breaking scientific texts of the Enlightenment. My first book of fiction, a work in progress, is a collection of short stories tentatively titled Dark Star Gospel.

Remarkable Renaissance Books

Bodleian Library

Typographic Firsts

Bodleian Library

UFO Jesus

(TBA)

Some books I love & recommend

The Post-Office Girl
– Stefan Zweig

All Men Are Mortal
– Simone de Beauvoir

Job
– Joseph Roth

The Wall
– Marlen Haushofer

The Book of Strange
– Michel Faber

Siddhartha
– Hermann Hesse

Kindred
– Octavia E Butler

The Woman Destroyed
– Simone de Beauvoir

I Who Have Never
– Jacqueline Harpman

The Song of Kieu
– Nguyễn Du

Travels with My Aunt
– Graham Greene

Blindness
–José Saramago

Wonderful Fool
– Shusaku Endo

Stoner
– John Williams

Steppenwolf
– Hermann Hesse

The Sparrow
– Mary Doria Russell

East of Eden
– John Steinbeck

A Woman
– Sibilla Aleramo

Silo Trilogy
– Hugh Howey

The Persian Expedition
– Xenophon

See more recommended books.