Ex Libris

A room without books is a body without a soul.
-Cicero

Welcome to the Primum Mobile Ex Libris page. Here you will find books which our editors found particularly well written and intellectually inspiring. Some of the authors listed would not, perhaps, subscribe to the beliefs inherent in this magazine, but the editors found enough understanding in each to place it within this room. To our knowledge, every book listed here remains in print and are readily available at your local bookstore or online dealer.

Anastasia P. Lytle
Associate Editor

Don Quixote
by Miguel Cervantes

Combines honor, dignity, and true chivalry with tragedy and loss in a poignant and bittersweet tale.

Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare

Taught me, among other things, the beauty of the English language and how powerful words can be, particularly when persuading the masses.

The Pickwick Papers
by Charles Dickens

The first Dickens book I ever read, it taught me that some people were rascals, some good hearted, and others just plain stupid.

Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontė

This is just a wonderful story with a great deal of character insight and a very intricate plot. Much more than a boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl story, Jane Eyre actually has quite a lot to say about human nature

Lord of the Flies
by William Golding

Reveals the darker side of human nature, and reminds us that underneath the thin veneer of society lurk base animalistic traits.

Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut

Combines religion, satire, agony, and death into one satirical, brilliant novel.

"The Celestial Omnibus"
by E.M. Forster

A beautiful short story reminding us that although we revere literature, we should still be able to appreciate books aesthetically.

Collected in The Celestial Omnibus And Other Stories

The Egypt Game
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Two girls get involved in an elaborate "Egypt game," a fantasy game that soon leads to strange, unexplainable happenings.