Literary Trivia: Fun and Games for Book Lovers

I've had a lot of fun with this book, testing my own knowledge of literary trivia and using it on friends in my book discussion group. Appealing format, informative and entertaining. This would be a great gift for any bibliophile.

Entertainingly organized by topic, and with question lists, "Literary Trivia" is truly fun and games for book lovers. This stuff is trivia, but Michael Gilleland and Richard Lederer deal only with the big authors. They do not ask you any inane questions about authors who no one has ever read. That would be taking trivia a step farther than what is useful. Anyone with a decent reading list will know many of the questions, and the authors present them in such a way that it also turns out to be fun learning. What will you learn? Delightfully, nothing of consequence. Each chapter begins with a pithy discussion of what little quiz or game is to follow. For example: in a chapter about how books end, Gilleland and Lederer tells us about the origin of "cock and bull stories". Then, they list 15 quotes to match with 15 books, and then 15 authors to match accordingly. They also generously supply the answers. You'll ponder pen names, significant numbers, the Bible in the news (impressive overall subsection on this influential book), and, of course, a fair dose of Shakespeare trivia. Every chapter is succinct. Get stuck or bored with one? Move onward. This is more than bathroom bookshelf fodder, but a couch and cola book. Teachers can use this to excite students about books. Any coffeeshop owner ought to grab a few copies as well. By the way, yes: Milton, Melville and Mencken are in here. Do I recommend "Literary Trivia: Fun and Games for Book Lovers" by Michael Gilleland and Richard Lederer? Wholeheartedly. Anthony Trendl http://anthonytrendl.blogspot.com

The answer is yes-if you're an English teacher who is always looking for ways to get kids engaged with research methods in the library. This book is filled with challenges that set students in motion in the library. The rest of the non-high school world of readers should find this book a pleasant diversion and a more stimulating breakfast companion than the daily crossword.