William Shakespeare Popular Books
William Shakespeare Biography & Facts
William Shakespeare (bapt. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. He remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy in his lifetime. However, in 1623, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, John Heminges and Henry Condell, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that included all but two of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time". Life Early life Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover (glove-maker) originally from Snitterfield in Warwickshire, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning family. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, where he was baptised on 26 April 1564. His date of birth is unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced to William Oldys and George Steevens, has proved appealing to biographers because Shakespeare died on the same date in 1616. He was the third of eight children, and the eldest surviving son. Although no attendance records for the period survive, most biographers agree that Shakespeare was probably educated at the King's New School in Stratford, a free school chartered in 1553, about a quarter-mile (400 m) from his home. Grammar schools varied in quality during the Elizabethan era, but grammar school curricula were largely similar: the basic Latin text was standardised by royal decree, and the school would have provided an intensive education in grammar based upon Latin classical authors.At the age of 18, Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. The consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester issued a marriage licence on 27 November 1582. The next day, two of Hathaway's neighbours posted bonds guaranteeing that no lawful claims impeded the marriage. The ceremony may have been arranged in some haste since the Worcester chancellor allowed the marriage banns to be read once instead of the usual three times, and six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596. After the birth of the twins, Shakespeare left few historical traces until he is mentioned as part of the London theatre scene in 1592. The exception is the appearance of his name in the "complaints bill" of a law case before the Queen's Bench court at Westminster dated Michaelmas Term 1588 and 9 October 1589. Scholars refer to the years between 1585 and 1592 as Shakespeare's "lost years". Biographers attempting to account for this period have reported many apocryphal stories. Nicholas Rowe, Shakespeare's first biographer, recounted a Stratford legend that Shakespeare fled the town for London to escape prosecution for deer poaching in the estate of local squire Thomas Lucy. Shakespeare is also supposed to have taken his revenge on Lucy by writing a scurrilous ballad about him. Another 18th-century story has Shakespeare starting his theatrical career minding the horses of theatre patrons in London. John Aubrey reported that Shakespeare had been a country schoolmaster. Some 20th-century scholars suggested that Shakespeare may have been employed as a schoolmaster by Alexander Hoghton of Lancashire, a Catholic landowner who named a certain "William Shakeshafte" in his will. Little evidence substantiates such stories other than hearsay collected after his death, and Shakeshafte was a common name in the Lancashire area. London and theatrical career It is not known definitively when Shakespeare began writing, but contemporary allusions and records of performances show that several of his plays were on the London stage by 1592. By then, he was sufficiently known in London to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene in his Groats-Worth of Wit: ... there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country. Scholars differ on the exact meaning of Greene's words, but most agree that Greene was accusing Shakespeare of reaching above his rank in trying to match such university-educated writers as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe, and Greene himself (the so-called "University Wits"). The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide" from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", clearly identify Shakespeare as Greene's target. As used here, Johannes Factotum ("Jack of all trades") refers to a second-rate tinkerer with the work of others, rather than the more common "universal genius".Greene's attack is the earliest surviving mention of Shakespeare's work in the theatre. Biographers suggest t.... Discover the William Shakespeare popular books. Find the top 100 most popular William Shakespeare books.
Best Seller William Shakespeare Books of December 2022
Contract with a SEAL
Kate AsterSeptember 7, 2016GetSome contracts are meant to be broken... Desperate to shake herself free from the humiliation of a very public divorce, TV financial correspondent Vi Owens makes a deal with a Navy SEAL Comm...
Love in a Small Town
Zoe YorkOctober 6, 2020GetAre they one late-night hayride away from tumbling back into a very bad idea? Olivia Minelli needs a one-way ticket out of Pine Harbour. It's too small for both her and her ex-husband. So wh...
Bare Ass in Love
Sasha BurkeAugust 26, 2017GetThe woman's killing me. I'm not the kind of man who would normally even consider blurring the lines between landlord and tenant or boss and employee, but Summer is a walking temptation. Neur...
The Art of War
Sun TzuOctober 4, 2010GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. It’s believed that Sun Tzu wrote this Chinese military primer during the 5th century BC-hundreds of years before the Bible. The book’s 13 chapters explore...
The Cornish Village School - Breaking the Rules
Kitty WilsonJune 11, 2018GetRosy Winter is definitely not looking for love. Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now headmistress of the local school, she is liv...
Let's Taco Bout It
Matthew RyanOctober 1, 2014GetMr Taco is feeling sad, it’s not easy being a little taco when everything around you is so BIG! Luckily, Patrick has a few ideas to help his friend... ———— NOT YOUR REGULAR S...
10-Minute Social Psychology
Albert RutherfordJune 7, 2020GetWould you like to instantly catch people's thoughts, emotions, motivations, and intentions through mere observation? If yes, you've come to the right place! 10-Minute So...
The Chase
Elle KennedyAugust 6, 2018GetNew York Times bestseller! Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from international bestselling author Elle Kennedy! Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because the...
Love Me Like a Love Song
Annmarie BoyleNovember 9, 2020GetShe used to be on top of the music world. He's desperate to get there. Unable to compose since the death of her rock star husband, Grammy award-winning songwriter, Grace O'Connor is terrifie...
Dragon's Breath
Michael GordonJuly 8, 2019GetWhat happens when a Dragon doesn't brush his teeth? Well...We all heard about the ''dragon's breath''. That's why learning proper dental care is really important for a little boy and h...
Become A Better Version of Yourself
Ben LeightonFebruary 22, 2015GetThis ebook contains golden nuggets on how to motivate, inspire and improve your current situation. It encompasses the holistic view of self improvement from mental& emotional wellbeing, ...
Explicit Erotic Sex Short Stories
Brenda BlanchardJanuary 5, 2021GetBestselling Erotica Author Brenda Blanchard Is Giving Away a Collection of Some of Her Best Work! "Explicit Erotic Sex Short Stories" by Brenda Blanchard gives you a sneak peek into the sedu...
Just One Night
Carly PhillipsApril 20, 2021GetShe’s the woman he can’t live without. The one he can’t risk screwing up their relationship by sleeping with her. Linc Kingston doesn’t accept anything less than perfection. ...
Her Dream Cowboy
Laura AnnMay 9, 2022GetShe's fulfilling her mother's dying dream, he's leaving his legacy behind... When their paths cross, can they find love despite going in different directions? Scarlett Dylan was raised in th...
A Lot Like Home
Kathryn CantrellMay 21, 2018GetDestiny isn't a thing in her world. Smooth-talking strangers need not apply... Superstition Springs native Havana Nixon is convinced letting a big developer into their tiny Texas oasis is th...
Persuasion
Jane AustenDecember 31, 1817GetA woman of no importance, she manoeuvres in her restricted circumstances as her long-time love Captain Wentworth did in the wars. Even though she is nearly thirty, well past the sell-by bloo...
The Baltic Run
Charles WhitingJune 15, 2020GetFrom the carnage of war a new hero is born. 1920. The slaughter of World War One is over, but already secret little wars are breaking out all over 'New Europe'. Sub-Lieutenant de Vere Smith ...
Take a Chance on Me
Kathryn R. BielMay 21, 2020GetShe's finally getting her life back together. His is falling apart. It's the perfect time to take a chance. Nobody likes packing up their things and moving to a small town in the middle of n...
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott FitzgeraldApril 10, 1925GetAn Apple Books Classics edition. The Roaring Twenties are in full effect in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s riveting classic. Man-about-town Jay Gatsby seems to have it all, including loads of money...
The School of Starting Over
Lisa SwiftMarch 11, 2020Get‘this was a delight to read …I just can’t recommend it enough. The best romance book I’ve read this year .’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Books and Bookends Nell’s going back to school… but ...
Bred By The Boss #1: Alyssa
Arwen RichJuly 3, 2018GetAlyssa is untouched by any man – until her hot, demanding boss Mr. Ramirez comes into her life. Her fantasy comes true when he has his way with her, rough and unprotected. But as a result,...
Without Mercy (A Dakota Steele FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Ava StrongJune 14, 2022GetMMA champ-turned-FBI Special Agent and BAU specialist Dakota Steele is as tough as they come—and as brilliant, too, able to crack serial killers that no one else can. But this new case is ...
Some Call It Love
Sarah PeisAugust 20, 2018Get"The best feel-good romcom you need right now." Goodreads reviewer A mistaken arrest, an unpaid debt, and a trip to Vegas. Living in a small town where everyone knows your business isn't eas...
So Wrong It's Right
Julie JohnsonNovember 2, 2018GetShelby Hunt has the perfect life, married to the perfect man. At least, that’s what anyone would think, looking at her. They couldn’t possibly know about the past five years of lonely ni...
Nothing to Hide
Scarlett FinnApril 13, 2021GetPrize of a lifetime: travel the world with a celebrity billionaire. Come to LA with us, Roxie… It will be so much fun! We have tickets for a late-night talk show! What could possibly go wr...
Lola Is Missing
Alison JamesFebruary 7, 2018Get‘I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the end. The twists and turns just keep coming … will have you gasping in surprise.’ Goodreads Reviewer...
Jaxon
Olivia SandsJune 2, 2019GetShe's his little sister's best friend. Completely off limits. And now they're working together. Jaxon Green 's plans to offer a summer camp for kids at his thoroughbred training ...
The Recruiting Trip
Lexy TimmsNovember 19, 2014GetAspiring college athlete Aileen Nessa is finding the recruiting process beyond daunting. Being ranked #10 in the world for the 100m hurdles at the age of eighteen is not a fluke, even though...
Man Crush Monday
Kirsty MoseleyFebruary 3, 2020GetPerma-single Amy Clarke prides herself on three things: her pink hair, her Converse collection, and her ability to drink copious amounts of margarita without puking. She isn’t looking for ...
Outsmart Your Brain
Steven SchusterJune 8, 2020GetWhat motivates us into doing or avoiding things? Why do our predictions not reflect reality? Traditional economics claims humans are rational actors. But is this true? Think about the ...
Hook
Chelle BlissJanuary 15, 2019GetFalling in love is supposed to be the easy part. But nothing prepared me for losing my wife. I promised her that I’d love again. Find someone to mend my broken heart. And that seems imposs...
The Deal
Elle KennedyFebruary 24, 2015GetThe international bestseller! Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy… Hannah We...
Pride and Prejudice
Jane AustenJanuary 28, 1813GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. Jane Austen’s beloved classic opens with this witty and very memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a...
Chasing Romeo
Sarah ReadyMay 25, 2021GetA laugh out loud, soul mate chasing rom-com romp, Sarah Ready's Chasing Romeo is a perfect feel-good novel about finding love where you least expect it. Chloe Daniels is a starry-eyed romant...
My Always One
Aleatha RomigJuly 27, 2021GetMY ALWAYS ONE: Friends to lovers stand alone When we were young, Samantha Anderson was the girl down the street. For as long as I remember, she’s been my partner in crime, in adventu...
Manifesting Abundance: How to Manifest Your Desires Using the Law of Attraction
Beau NortonSeptember 26, 2015GetDid you know that up to 95% of the people that attempt to use the law of attraction to manifest their desires see no noticeable results? The truth is that most people fail to use the law of ...
Abigail's Shop
Rachael HerronOctober 22, 2021Get“I didn’t just imply that you weren’t welcome. I’m making sure you know that’s the case.” Don’t miss the incredible first standalone in this unputdownable series th...
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
L. Frank BaumMay 17, 1900GetAn Apple Books Classic edition. You’ve seen the iconic 1939 movie, but do you know about the talking field mice, the Winkies, and the Witch of the North that appear in the original book? L...
Let's Talk About Hard Things
Anna SaleMay 4, 2021GetFrom the host of the popular WNYC podcast Death, Sex, & Money , Let’s Talk About Hard Things is “like a good conversation with a friend” ( The New Yorker ) where “no topic is off...
Girl, Alone (An Ella Dark FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Blake PierceDecember 16, 2020GetFBI Agent Ella Dark has studied serial killers from the time she could read, devastated by the murder of her own sister. With her photographic memory, she has obtained an encyclopedic knowle...
The Killing Game (An Alexa Chase Suspense Thriller—Book 1)
Kate BoldOctober 15, 2021GetAlexa Chase, 34, a brilliant profiler in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, was too good at her job. Haunted by all the serial killers she caught, she left a stunning career behind to joi...
High Conflict
Amanda RipleyApril 6, 2021GetWhen we are baffled by the insanity of the “other side”—in our politics, at work, or at home—it’s because we aren’t seeing how the conflict itself has taken over. That’s what ...
Law of Attraction
Jordan HollisAugust 29, 2018GetHow to Finally Overcome the Hurdles of Manifesting Proven, effective and enjoyable ways to help you manifest faster… Right now, think of something that makes you successful. If you have so...
The Girl Outside: A Shocking and Gripping Psychological Thriller
James CaineJune 22, 2022GetHer daughter has a dark secret. One that will turn their perfect small town upside down. Now she's missing. Mandy Knox can't shake the gut wrenching feeling that something sinister hap...
Man In The Water
Jon HillOctober 5, 2021GetAn attempted murder. A missing spouse. And an international conspiracy that could change the world. Jack Green has always been skeptical of so-called facts. Though he's forced to confront th...
Wanna Puck? (Book Two)
Layla Valentine & Ana SparksDecember 24, 2021GetOne cool-as-ice veteran player One smoking hot rising star And little old me in the middle All wrapped up in an all-star ménage a trois I've been sent to write a piece on two NHL stars Joel...
Star Bright
Susannah NixApril 19, 2022GetShe’s an A-list Hollywood starlet. He’s a gossip reporter. Sleeping with the enemy has never been sweeter… Kimberleigh Cress didn’t get to be one of the one of the hottest youn...
Finding Cinderella
Colleen HooverOctober 14, 2013Get#1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us writes a free novella about the search for happily ever after. A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the g...
Someone Else's Daughter
Linsey LanierOctober 29, 2010GetBook I of the popular Miranda's Rights Mystery series by bestselling author Linsey Lanier. A woman can never make herself too tough, too strong, or too street smart. THE SEARCHIN...
Best Seller William Shakespeare Audio Books of December 2022
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanJ.K. Rowling$25.99
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- The End of the World is Just the BeginningPeter Zeihan$24.99
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- Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Unabridged)Anthony Bourdain$12.99
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- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Unabridged)Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.$14.99
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- EndureCameron Hanes$16.99
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- Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds (Unabridged)David Goggins$21.99
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- The Silent PatientAlex Michaelides$19.99
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- Locked Up Liars: A Dark Reverse Harem RomanceElle Thorpe$9.99
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- PersuasionJane Austen$0.99
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- Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission (Unabridged)Mark Leibovich$16.99
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- One of Us Is DeadJeneva Rose$3.99
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- The 48 Laws of PowerRobert Greene$19.99
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- The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1 (Unabridged)Rick Riordan$14.99
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- The Power Of Positive Thinking (Unabridged)Dr. Norman Vincent Peale$19.99
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- The Richest Man in BabylonGeorge S. Clason$3.99
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- 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (Unabridged)Jordan B. Peterson$19.99
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- The Terminal List (Unabridged)Jack Carr$16.99
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- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ.K. Rowling$8.99
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- They Want to Kill AmericansMalcolm Nance$19.99
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- Every Summer After (Unabridged)Carley Fortune$14.99
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- What Happened to You?Oprah Winfrey & Bruce D. Perry$14.99
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- The Devil's Hand (Unabridged)Jack Carr$14.99
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- Maybe Someday (Unabridged)Colleen Hoover$4.99
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- The House Across the Lake: A Novel (Unabridged)Riley Sager$16.99
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- Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find--and Keep-- Love (Unabridged)Amir Levine & Rachel Heller$12.99
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- Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick (Unabridged)Jen Sincero$4.99
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- I'd Like to Play Alone, PleaseTom Segura$16.99
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- The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual EnlightenmentEckhart Tolle$19.99
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- It Happened One SummerTessa Bailey$14.99
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- Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireJ.K. Rowling$39.99
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