Customer Comments

This is a slow burn of a book that unfolds beautifully. It's a meditation on marriage, human relationships, and sense of self. The plot isn't really the main event - it's there in service of the exploration of the characters. I loved it, but then again I love philosophical explorations of characters.

This book is astounding. Barker unfolds a series of tales, all purported to be previous incarnations of a Beijing cab driver, each more gripping than the last. They take you through China's history and are almost all incredibly brutal, yet there is a weird, twisted sort of hope that survives. This book deserves to be read, analyzed, and discussed for years to come.

This book is everything I ever wanted. It's been described as "fight club for girls" and that's not too far off. Everything about these characters and purposefully vague, I think so the reader is encouraged to see herself or her friends in these roles. A and B are roommates in a big city, and they do typically early 20s things: eat Popsicles for every meal, obsess over previous boyfriends, makeovers, single white female each other...eat the other's hair... Trust me, it's amazing. Interspersed throughout are descriptions of commercials for "kandy kakes" that feature a hapless, Wylie coyoteesque creature. The whole thing is a treatise on body dysmorphia, in way, but it is so wry and clever it never veers into after school special territory at all. This book is perfect. And I haven't even mentioned the weird food cult!

Completely adorable retelling of Anne of Green Gables. Teran really makes you root for Ana and gets you invested in life at the farm. I only wish it had lasted longer!

This is a fascinating meditation on identity: what happens when you refuse it, are stripped of it, or denied it. It reminds me of those classic Hollywood movies with themes of doubling, and how they would frame shots around mirrors or have doppelgangers wander by. The plot is mostly there in service of this theme, but is quite compelling on its own.

Not just for Sonic Youth fanboys! This is more than just a musician autobiography, it's also a rumination on art: creating it, absorbing it, living it. Many times I found myself lost in my thoughts about art, the book lying open in my lap. It's exciting to see an artist lay it all out so unpretentiously.

These stories are everything I want out of life. I was lucky enough to snag an e-galley of this, and I loved it so much I think I might have to order a signed edition. All of these stories are a little weird - there's pocket universes, pyramids, "summer people" fairy tale creatures, demon lovers, ghost boyfriends, etc. - and yet they resonate so strongly. How does a story about an iguana-infested Key West reveal some inner truth about myself? I can't answer that, but I suspect one of these stories will do the same for you. SUCH a good read - Kelly Link's cult of fans will grow!

This book sort of a meditation on an addiction to nerdery, but it also gives you a little taste of the alt-comic life in the late 90s/early 2000s. I want a follow-up book focusing on comedy! The snippets of it here are completely engrossing. That said, all college students should read this book before they get too caught up & pretentious in their quest to watch all the "right" movies.

Reading this book is such a joyous experience. It has just the right amount of inspiration, confession, and sweet sweet gossip. I did not expect this book to be so affecting, but it has definitely left an impression. Also worth noting - the printed version of this book feels downright luxurious! Colored ink, high quality images and glossy pages - I feel richer just holding it.

I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of this much-buzzed-about novel, and let me tell you: it lives up to the hype! Edan Lepucki has created an incredibly believable and disturbing future for the USA, but she never steeps to sensationalism. The characters all seem like real people (maddeningly so, at times)to the point you can see the wheels turning in their heads. This is one of those books you just don't want to end. Sure to be the must-read book this summer.

This one of the best books ever written. It is so creepy and unsettling, and after you read the last sentence you'll want to start it all over again. And it's expertly paced, so you could easily read it twice in one day!

All the reviews mention how powerful this book is, but I didn't really believe them until this book ripped my heart out. It's not just that it's sad; it is so incredibly real. Roxane Gay has always had a way of speaking deep truths in her essays, and now she's spun those same truths into the most compelling narrative I've read in a long time. I could barely breathe reading this. Mireille is so fully realized a character, I didn't realize how invested I was in her well being until I was sobbing. Brutal but not gratuitous, this is an amazing story.

This book is beautiful. I was worried that it would be too magical, too lyrical, too metaphorical to easily understand, but though it is all of those things it is still fairly straightforward. Perfect book to drink strong coffee and lose yourself in.

This book is incredibly beautiful! The illustrations are truly gorgeous, printed on vellum, and the text is all handwritten. I want to buy this for everyone I know who's ever even heard of Antigone.

These stories are great! Funny and thought-provoking at the same time. I'm still thinking about them months after reading them.

This book is a thorough examination of the glory that is Marina Abramovic. At times it can be a little too much of an apotheosis, but it really is fascinating. It also goes into a lot of detail about her lifestyle, and how her career got off the ground. Illuminating photographs are sprinkled throughout. Recommended for anyone curious about Ambramovic, or the art scene in general.

This book seems to be at least partially inspired by The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector. I love how the narrator/voice discusses the protagonist. This is a book to read and ponder and discuss. Sure to strike a chord if you studied abroad in your 20s.