Around The Web: Newton, Medieval Manuscripts, Author Insights and Fictional House Parties

Hello again, readers! If you’re lucky enough to have some time off as the year comes to a close, here’s some fun bookish stuff to enjoy during downtime.

Newton’s Principia

Image: Caltech Archives

Who’s up for some science history? Newton’s treatise on the movements of planets, called the Principia, may have reached a wider audience than initially believed according to a new archival census. This is a big deal because it combats the idea that few people read the ground-breaking work. Check out Atlas Obscura for the details.

The Strange Images in Medieval Manuscripts

If you’ve seen images of illuminated Medieval manuscripts, chances are you may have come across some strange illustrations. Knights fighting snails, butt trumpets, rabbits playing musical instruments… they’re all part of the tradition of illuminated manuscripts and add meaning to the text according to Open Culture.

Author Insights

Goodreads has gathered a collection of bestselling authors’ insights on their biggest books. If you’ve ever wondered what your favourite author has to say about their own writing, this might be a good place to start.

Fictional House Parties

While we may not be able to have large New Year’s Eve parties this year, we can still celebrate fictional house parties. David Leavitt has gathered the top 10 house parties in fiction, focusing on dialogue-driven narrative.