You walk into an attic room and see an old trunk with papers scattered upon it, and a girl in a lopsided red cap, sitting on a worn sofa, scribbling into a notebook. You know instantly that she has to be Jo March, and that her sisters, Meg, Beth and Amy are just downstairs. Meg might be darning socks, but Beth is softly playing the piano while Amy paints furiously at an easel.
Or maybe you're a guest at a Civil War benefit for charity, where Southern soldiers are bidding for a dance with the lady of their choice, and a deep voice calls out, 'Mrs. Charles Hamilton--one hundred fifty dollars--in gold.' And everyone at the charity bazaar is shocked and certain that the lady, who is widowed, will never consent to dance with the bold, mustached Rhett Butler. But Scarlet O'Hara Hamilton says 'Yes, I will!' and is thrilled at the chance to dance at a ball again.
Another scenario could find you holding tight to the side of a ship, with cold ocean spray suddenly soaking your clothes. Gasping, you just get a glimpse of Captain Ahab's ferocious and determined expression as he searches the cold water beneath him for a glimpse of a great white whale...
If you are a book lover, then these characters are familiar and well-loved childhood friends. You know Jo March from Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN, Scarlet O'Hara and Rhett Butler from Margaret Mitchell's GONE WITH THE WIND, and Captain Ahab from Herman Melville's MOBY DICK.
Books have been with us for hundreds of years, and now that we are connected to cyberspace, we can sit at our computers and download pages instead of turn them, and learn more about our favorite authors and characters with a click of the mouse.
At BookWire, you can find your childhood favorites by clicking on Reading Room. Online copies of classics like LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott are here, EMMA and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen, PETER PAN, by J.M. Barrie, and many others. Some of the online versions, such as ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll, feature illustrations from the original classic novel.
At The On-Line Books Page, you can search through 6,000 listings of online books. Click on Banned Books to read through a special exhibit of books that were once censored by legal authorities.
A more specialized site is A Celebration of Women Writers. Here you will find information about books by women authors, and read online texts of many hard-to-find classic novels and poetry published by women.
If your interest lies less with classics then modern bestsellers, you should check out The Bookweb. Sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, it includes book convention news and press releases about the book world. Click on Reading Room, and read reviews of the latest bestsellers, comment on a story, or even suggest a story idea.
The Internet Road Map to Books has news about bestsellers, plus reading lists, book fair information, and links to resources for publishers and writers.
Another major book site is Books.Com. These pages include important news about book happenings, new releases and a featured book of the day. Click on Electronic Library for copyright-free books online. Also access information and links to over 930 authors.
Reach America Online's Book Web area by typing in Keyword "The Book Report." This colorful site includes author events, chats, book reviews and exclusive excerpts from just-released books.
More excerpts can be found at The Internet Book Information Center , which includes 'First Chapters Online,' ÎBooks in the News,' many reviews of new releases, and information about Usenet newsgroups that include book discussions.
If you were ever a children's mystery series reader, you'll want to check out the Nancy Drew Web site. Learn all about the Stratemeyer Syndicate, which produced the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Bobbsey Twins series.
Affiliated with the Nancy Drew site is the Booklover's Den. In the Booklovers Virtual Reading Room' there are links to mysteries, children's series books, Disney romance, and Christian nonfiction and fiction.
If your curiosity extends to wondering what books other book lovers might recommend, then visit Book Recommendations Of Real Folks. A large number of book lists are featured here, and you can post your own recommended book list.
Join an Internet booklovers club at Zuna's Corner-Booklovers Club. It is easy to communicate with other book lovers here on the Booklovers Bulletin Board.'
If you would like to learn more about how authors write books, you can go to Shadowlands-A Writer's Collective. Click on 'Writing' to find Shadowlands The Book." This book in progress can be read online and the author accepts readers' suggestions for upcoming chapters.
The computer may never really replace curling up in an armchair with a snack and a book. After all, snacks can be hazardous for computer keyboards!
But many of us feel quite comfortable reading online, and experts predict many more books will become available as online texts. Your neighborhood library isn't in danger of being replaced any time soon, but searching the World Wide Web is a convenient way for book lovers to access a wealth of information about favorite books and authors.
(This article was formerly published at Eye On The Web.
Pam Willis
Pamela Willis is the author of a Nancy Drew Mystery in the Simon and Schuster paperback series, and has published short stories and articles. She is presently collaborating with her twin sister on an adult suspense novel featuring identical twins.