Uncategorized
A Superstitiously Huge Barnes & Noble Member Sale!
A huge sale for Barnes & Noble members is going on right now! And it involves me, so if you love me (or if you like me just a little bit), pay attention to this next part: Through July 11th, if you pre-order my book, The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions, on the Barnes & Noble site, Rewards Members get 25% off! Premium Members get an additional 10% off! What are you waiting for?
BTW, if you’re getting déjà vu from reading this blog post, that’s because I posted all of this info on social media yesterday, but I figured it’d be a good idea to mention it here on my website as well.
And no, I don’t know what the phrase “superstitiously huge” means. So huge that it triggers superstitious beliefs or rituals, maybe? So huge that you’ll throw salt over your shoulder and look for four-leaf clovers? I don’t know. I just made up that (admittedly awkward-sounding) phrase because I needed a title for this blog post. And I didn’t have enough time to think of a better title. Was I wrong to make up such a nonsensical phrase? Not necessarily. Sometimes I just make up phrases. Or words. Which is perfectly justified. After all, to quote the MCU version of Thor, all words are made up.
The Caitlin Clark “96 Facts” Book Is Out NOW!
Hey, guess what? The eleventh book in the “96 Facts” series – 96 Facts About Caitlin Clark – came out TODAY.
And as with all of the previous “96 Facts” books, 96 Facts About Caitlin Clark was written by me and illustrated by the amazing Risa Rodil.
Here’s the official publisher description of 96 Facts About Caitlin Clark:
The ultimate fact book and journal for fans of Caitlin Clark, the WNBA star and point guard for the Indiana Fever. Packed with fun facts, quick quizzes, and bonus pages for journaling, this is a must-have for any basketball fan. Learn more about the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, who was also named to the 2024 All-WNBA First Team, in this perfect gift book that dives into Caitlin’s career and accomplishments.
96 Facts About Caitlin Clark is available in bookstores everywhere. But you can also buy it HERE, HERE, and HERE.
Also, I talk about the entire “96 Facts” series in this “Book Q&A” interview with fellow author Deborah Kalb.
To see all of the other books I’ve written for Penguin Random House, click HERE.
And when you get a chance, you should also check out the “96 Facts About…” page of my website.
Rave Reviews Of My “Superstitions” Book!
As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I wrote a book called The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions. It’ll be published by Quarto on July 15th, 2025. But in the meantime, the first two reviews of the book just came out!
First, there’s a glowing write up of The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions over at Foreword Reviews. Here’s an excerpt:
“A delightful mix of education and entertainment, The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions is a spirited salute to humanity’s quirks—proof that even our silliest beliefs have something to say.”
You can see the whole Foreword Reviews write-up HERE.
And the second write-up comes from Publishers Weekly. It’s also a rave review! Here’s an excerpt:
“Written in an appealingly chatty style, this packs an impressive amount of research into an entertaining package.”
Click HERE to read the whole PW review.
And just in case you don’t have a subscription to Publishers Weekly and therefore cannot read the PW review via the link above, here it is in its entirety:
The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions: Ancient and Remarkable Traditions That Will Captivate Your Mind
Arie Kaplan. Wellfleet, $19.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-57715-462-4
Comedian Kaplan (The Encyclopedia of Epic Myths and Legends) wryly and informatively catalogs superstitious beliefs across history, spotlighting the many that are still prevalent in the modern world. According to Kaplan, “superstitions are more deeply enmeshed in contemporary life than you might think.” He notes that certain common practices are actually superstitious at their core, from traditions like throwing a bouquet at a wedding to everyday etiquette like how to speak to a baby (in much of Asia and Eastern Europe, one should never call a baby “cute,” as it might provoke the evil eye). Arguing that the contemporary conception of “superstition” as based on “ignorance, fear…. or a false conception of causation” is “a little judgmental,” he looks instead for the logic behind superstitious beliefs, ranging from the origins of the taboo against opening an umbrella indoors (likely handed down by the ancient Egyptians, who used umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun and had reasonable concerns about doing things that might offend the sun god) to the explanation for the nearly universal belief (documented in Asia, Native America, and early modern Europe) that pointing at a rainbow will bring bad luck (probably just an easy way to teach kids the good manners of not pointing at things). Written in an appealingly chatty style, this packs an impressive amount of research into an entertaining package. (July)
Oh, and one more thing: you can preorder The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions HERE, HERE, and HERE.