If you’re looking for something to read right away—no waiting in a long holds queue—might we suggest some public domain classics that you’d forgotten or always meant to get to? You can find multiple versions of these books in our catalog and through the SimplyE app. Many are in the SimplyE Collection, which you don’t even need a library card to access. 

Perhaps you’ve been revisiting some of your favorite movies or TV shows lately while you've been home. If so, here are some related public domain classics to take you even further down the rabbit hole. 

Louisa May Alcott

While you’re waiting for the April 7th online rental release of Gretta Gerwig’s Little Women movie, you can read the book, or check out the two follow-ups: Little Men and Jo’s Boys. 

L. Frank Baum

You’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, and maybe even the 1980s creepier follow-up Return to Oz. But did you know that Baum actually wrote 14 Oz novels, which are quite a lot darker than the movie we’re all so familiar with? And as a bonus, you could check out the original Tik-Tok. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The old Sherlock Holmes stories are much more fun to read when you imagine Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson. 

The Curse of Capistrano 

The story, by Johnston McCulley, was republished under the name “The Mark of Zorro” after the huge success of the 1920 film adaptation. For when you’re craving an adventure movie but would rather read than watch. (Find this one in the SimplyE Collection)

Heart of Darkness

If you're a fan of Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now, first read Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, a tale of just how far into evil a man can slip. Ford Coppola’s film reimagines the book and sets it a century later, during the Vietnam War. 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

And if you’d prefer a literal rabbit hole, there are also several versions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll that you can enjoy.