Sebastian Junger
[isbn]
It had been a long time since I'd read Junger's short, egalitarian manifesto, but his insight never fails to stun me. A wonderful, somewhat nerve-wracking story about the intrinsic desire for freedom within all of us.
Recommended by CJ H.
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Nina Maclaughlin
[isbn]
This book is written with beautiful prose, its stories giving us the other side of Ovid's Metamorphoses. It's not an "easy" read — these women are full of fury and rage and sorrow. How could they not be? Their physical transformations are the outcome of actions not their own. Wake, Siren is one of my favorite mythology retellings. I highly recommend it.
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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Pablo Neruda
[isbn]
This is a wonderful introduction to and a beautiful distillation of the work of Nobel Prize–winning poet Pablo Neruda. His poems express such loving, honest, awestruck attention to the world with dizzying beauty and powerful clarity of vision. This book spans forty years of Neruda's career and features translations by multiple scholars and poets, which provides a really interesting sense of his poetics. I love that this edition includes the... (read more)
Recommended by Claire A.
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Josh Cook
[isbn]
A book about books by a fellow indie bookseller? Sold. What’s more, the bookseller is Josh Cook, whose 2021 chapbook, The Least We Can Do, has been not-so-quietly making the rounds among indie booksellers since its release, prompting much-needed reflection and conversation about the ideas afforded space on our shelves. I’m eager to see Cook expand on that topic and more in The Art of Libromancy, and to chat about it with the... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Roland Barthes, Richard Howard
[isbn]
Before Anne Carson wrote Eros, the Bittersweet, Barthes set to paper this treasure trove of musings on the nature of being in love. Told in fragments or "figures" (the figure is the lover at work), laden with references to philosophers, artists, strangers, and friends, this book promises to, in equal parts, delight and annihilate.
Recommended by Nadia N.
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Mario Vargas Llosa
[isbn]
This book may be useful to all artists, creators, thinkers, musers, wanderers, etc. Since Llosa is writing to a friend, the tone is very conversational, yet quite profound. He says that the act of creation in general comes from a desire to see something new in the world and is itself revolutionary! Who isn't curious about what a creative revolution could like?!
Recommended by Dana S.
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Wang Yin and Andrea Lingenfelter
[isbn]
A memorable collection of Wang Yin's poetry that manages to be both surreal and deeply layered with imagistic clarity. The poet's ability to meld spiritual thought and grounded exploration of the world's effects on the inner-self brings this book beyond a simple opining on one's being; it is a beautiful, honest, and truly masterful exploration of place and point of view. A Summer Day in the Company of Ghosts is, for me, a discovery that... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Fernando Pessoa, Margaret Jull Costa, Patricio Ferrari
[isbn]
Why, yes. I would like to lose myself in the imaginative musings of an uneducated shepherd that doubles as a latent homosexual, modernist poet's alternate personality. Recondite and for the melancholic, Caeiro (Pessoa) asseverates the incomparable feeling of saudade like a siren song across the Atlantic. I would advise learning to at least read EU Portuguese because the original poems are unbelievably beautiful read aloud.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Slavoj iek
[isbn]
Zizek is one of the few modern philosophers I've found who seems to understand Walter Benjamin's famous axiom, that understanding and enlightenment is more readily gathered through laughter than through tears. Though it can feel quite dark to find humor in studying the guy who coined the human condition as a "phenomenology of pain," Zizek does so with ease, reframing and reapplying Hegel's nihilistic philosophy to the absurdity of our... (read more)
Recommended by CJ H.
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Emma Smith
[isbn]
This is less of a commentary on the power of the written word and more of a love story dedicated to the history of physical books. I personally prefer holding an actual book in my hands and flipping through pages, so finding out how books evolved from scrolls to mass market paperbacks is super fascinating. Thoroughly researched and well written, I had so much fun learning all the different ways the book has taken shape throughout time.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Haruki Murakami and Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen
[isbn]
Murakami has countless dedicated fans around the world, many of whom have probably long been hungry to learn more about his creative process. So far, in the US, we’ve gotten translations of his musings on running, music, and t-shirts, but this will be the first time (outside of the occasional interview) that we get to read Murakami’s thoughts on his own writing and the nature of the novel as a whole. I’ve always been inspired by his work, making... (read more)
Recommended by Mar S.
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Walter Benjamin, Lecia Rosenthal, Jonathan Lutes
[isbn]
He may be dated, but Benjamin's work is a must-read for anyone trying to understand the role the artist plays in the struggle against fascism. (It's dialectic, babyy!)
Recommended by CJ H.
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Naomi Novik
[isbn]
Uprooted by Naomi Novik is one of those stories that you feel has somehow always existed. I mean that as a highest compliment. It captures the essence of a classic fairy-tale: what is really in that tower? and just how dangerous are those woods exactly? Novik has proven time and time again that she’s a fantasy collection must-have with napoleonic dragons, magic schools, fable, and more. Still, Uprooted is where... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Douglas Wolk
[isbn]
If you have any fondness for any run of Marvel comics — from Golden Age to the introduction of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur — you will enjoy this remarkable book. Wolk navigates the complex narratives of the Marvel Universe with deftness, while skillfully recounting the biography of Marvel's heroes and villains. I was afraid this book would be dry and overwhelming in scope. Wolk is clearly a fan, but isn't fawning. Thorough, thoughtful, and best... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Yi Lei and Tracy K. Smith
[isbn]
Both widely loved and much maligned, Yi Let dedicated all of her effort and art to subverting the oppressive power structures of China. Her revolutionary poem "A Single Woman's Bedroom," included in this collection, changed the state of poetry in China and globally. This is an important and beautiful book that should be celebrated and read by every lover of poetry interested in the ability of language and art to endow us with great power.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Viet Thanh Nguyen
[isbn]
Race & Resistance has firmly planted itself inside my head. It has become a critical reference for me in my perpetual exploration of Asian American culture and politics. Despite being nearly 20 years old at this time, the messages contained within Viet Thanh Nguyen's analysis seem almost years ahead of where we currently stand in terms of Asian American identity and resistance. If we're truly going to make steps in the right direction,... (read more)
Recommended by Jun L.
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Sagan, Carl and Druyan, Ann
[isbn]
The Demon Haunted World is one of those books with the power to truly change your perspective of the world. In this incisive yet emotionally engaging treatise, Carl Sagan not only shines a light on our darkest superstitions and fears but also demonstrates why science and reason are not simply the best way toward a brighter future, but the only way. A must read for every scientist, skeptic, and human being.
Recommended by Nickolas J.
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Simone Weil
[isbn]
If I'm ever asked to share a book that's changed my life, it's likely I will mention Simone Weil's Gravity & Grace — a vital, curious text on mysticism, supernatural love, and apophatic approaches to the divine. Camus called Weil "the only great spirit of our time" and this book will help you understand why.
Recommended by Alexa W.
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Alice Notley
[isbn]
Follow Alette down the subway stairs where your spiraling odyssey begins: journeying through surreal tunnelscapes of faces, into dark enchanted forests "full of beings," and towards the simultaneous "Past, Present," "& Future" of self-transformation. Along the way, Notley's book-length feminist epic will likely have something to say about your own transformation, leaving you dizzied yet fully awake within its mythopoetic universe.
Recommended by Alexa W.
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Maggie Nelson
[isbn]
"Freedom" has never felt so fraught or so complicated as it does in our current moment. In a time when the term is often invoked as an individual right, this book wrestles with the notion that freedom is inseparable from our responsibilities to one another. This is a powerful, rigorous, detailed, nuanced exploration of a concept that is at once central to our self-conception as a society and more misunderstood and misused than any word in our... (read more)
Recommended by Tim B.
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John Koenig
[isbn]
It is only fitting that I would struggle to describe a book like The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. It's a dictionary, a work of art, a song. It wanders through ideas and images like an infinitely scrolling collage. It makes me cry at times, laugh at others, miss the things I have lost, yearn for the moments that haven't happened yet. Give this book to the readers, the artists, the dreamers in your life. I hope they love it as much as I... (read more)
Recommended by McKenzie W.
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Rebecca Solnit
[isbn]
A contemplation on the life of one of the 20th century's greatest essayists, journalists, and truth-tellers by one of the 21st century's greatest? I'm in! I dropped everything on my TBR with plans to fly through it in a weekend, but quickly slowed down because this is an adroit, scholarly collection that deserves to be savored with deliberative reflection.
Recommended by Emily B.
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Charlotte Higgins, Chris Ofili
[isbn]
Using tapestry as framework and metaphor, Higgins draws her retellings from imaginary textiles the female characters are weaving. A cunning and intriguing structure that allows for beautiful illustrations (and nods to the centrality of weaving in Greek mythology), Greek Myths is for lovers of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker, and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Leslie Jamison
[isbn]
We are definitely living in the Golden Age of Essays. There’s a wealth of authors to choose from and a myriad of viewpoints. Leslie Jamison is among the best, starting with her 2014 Empathy Exams, and Make It Scream, Make it Burn is another fascinating collection from a top-notch author.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Sadhguru
[isbn]
2016’s Inner Engineering was a breakout hit, due in part to Sadhguru’s popular YouTube channel, but more so because his living-in-the-world-not-in-a-cave methods of spiritual growth make so much practical sense. In Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting You Own Destiny, he takes on this over- and often misused term, showing that it’s not so simple as it’s portrayed, but not complicated, either — that karma in its essence is... (read more)
Recommended by Chip G.
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Olivia Laing
[isbn]
Olivia Laing is a true polymath, and her philosophical exploration of the nexus of the physical self and social progress pulls inspiration from a myriad of artists, writers, activists, and thinkers — yet her work always feels like the insightful product of a singular vision.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Rebecca Buxton, Lisa Whiting
[isbn]
From female philosophers of ancient Greece and China to Mary Wollstonecraft and Angela Davis, prepare to be blown away by the breadth and depth of scholarship, though largely unheralded. Read about Diotima, for instance, who may well have taught Socrates what came to be known as his own method, and essentially elucidated the path of love, or what was later known as the Bhakti path to enlightenment. Women have always been active in this field —... (read more)
Recommended by Jennifer K.
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Stephen Van Dyck
[isbn]
I'm blown away by how Van Dyck's unassuming diary-like vignettes can cover so much emotional and sexual terrain. It's like a memoir in list form and it beautifully/hilariously/awkwardly documents his early adulthood through the people he's met on the Internet. There's a lot of sweetness throughout, as if the author is still in love (or still boyfriends) with many of the men and women described. His descriptions of the early AOL chatrooms and... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson and James Trefil
[isbn]
A philosopher’s science guide, for every curious mind who likes to pore over beautiful photos and graphs about the universe and revel over its (and our own) origins. You really can’t go wrong with physicists Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Trefil at the helm.
Recommended by Aubrey W.
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Hanif Abdurraqib
[isbn]
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet and a culture critic — a writer I will follow anywhere. A Little Devil in America is his most expansive book to date and showcases his usual clarity about the pressures that creative pursuits, personal decisions, historical dictates, dreams deferred, and cultural trends all exert. In his new book, he focuses on the intersection of performance and the Black experience in America.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Neil Gaiman
[isbn]
Master storyteller Neil Gaiman brings to life the Norse gods as only he can, from their origins to their twilight. Find out why the handle on Thor’s hammer was forged too short, and how poetry is said to have come into the world. Comic book fans and fantasy readers alike are sure to treasure these classic myths.
Recommended by Aubrey W.
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George Saunders
[isbn]
What a treat, to have George Saunders as a guide! He dives deep into stories he's taught for years, emanating a joy and respect for the craft of storytelling that's incredibly inviting. A delightfully enjoyable and approachable book that has enriched all my reading ever since I picked it up.
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Francesca Wade
[isbn]
Between the two world wars, five unorthodox intellectuals, poet Hilda Doolittle, novelist Dorothy L. Sayers, classicist Jane Ellen Harrison, historian Eileen Power, and novelist and essayist Virginia Woolf lived at Meckleburgh Square. They occupancy didn't overlap and they didn't know each other personally, so what's the premise of Francesca Wade's Square Haunting? It's an illuminating and captivating look at the lives of five women who... (read more)
Recommended by Sheila N.
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Patti Smith
[isbn]
I'm not the type to underline passages, but this book tested my resolve. A poetic, ruminative dream of a book, Year of the Monkey chronicles a difficult year in a mesmerizing and unpredictable way. Everything Smith writes feels like a gift, and this is no exception.
Recommended by Tove H.
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Joy Harjo and Leanne Howe and Jennifer Foerster
[isbn]
Spanning centuries and containing poems from more than 90 tribal nations, this anthology is divided into five geographic regions, each introduced with an essay. United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo has compiled a rich and varied tapestry for readers to enjoy for years to come.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Nathanael
[isbn]
Hatred of Translation is a must-read for anyone interested in the practice, art, and theft (?) of translation. But this book is not easy (though if it were hard you could grasp it). Feel your hands slip off its oiled body as you try to wrestle it. Read it forwards and backwards and sideways and let it confound you. Let yourself forget about it, and then when you are ready, you will not be able to avoid the dead pigeon in the road.
Recommended by Adie B.
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Cathy Park Hong
[isbn]
This book is ruthless and funny, exacting and searching, and will make you question, deeply, your assumptions about race, language, gender, and the interactions you have with the people and the world around you. Cathy Park Hong's essays are sharp and incisive, and she doesn't let anyone, or anything, off the hook.
Recommended by Tim B.
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Maggie Doherty
[isbn]
A well-researched group biography of five women and their experiences at Radcliffe's Institute for Independent Study. These writers and visual artists all struggled to balance society's expectations of women with their own artistic and personal goals, and through their friendships and collaborations helped guide and inspire women for years to come.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Wayne Koestenbaum
[isbn]
Wayne Koestenbaum’s deep and wide knowledge of art and literature, his respect for sentences and punctuation, and his passion for ambiguity of form and function make these febrile essays a joy to read. With the exercises he suggests, and using his ecstatic influence as a guide, we can puzzle through our need for answers in writing, and find a new consciousness — like seeing our hometowns from above for the first time.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Charlie Mackesy
[isbn]
This book is beautiful, kind, and sweet. The sentiment is inspiring and the drawings full of simple perfection invite the eye to linger on each page. This is the perfect book for a lazy day and a blanket, or a quick escape to lighten your mood and lift your spirit.
Recommended by Steph C.
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John Wackman, Elizabeth Knight
[isbn]
Consumerism is such a tricky friend. I"ll be the first to admit that I'm attracted to something new and shiny, even when the item I'm replacing could be repaired easily. I'm convinced that there must be a happy medium in there somewhere, and the rise of the repair café culture definitely brings that point home. Repair Revolution: How Fixers Are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture reminds us that we don't always need to upgrade, and that... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Mark Doty
[isbn]
Blending memoir, cultural criticism, and close readings of Walt Whitman's writings, Mark Doty uses his considerable skill as a poet to trace the streams of Whitman's influence to their sources, and shows how Whitman continues to live in us today.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Caren Beilin
[isbn]
The language in this book reminds me of those restaurants that offer the weirdest concoctions of food that make your taste buds question the normalcy of every other traditionally delicious food in the world. Most of the time, my brain (operating as taste buds to what I read) was delighted, sparked, spanked, and refreshed by the sting of fresh, new air. But yes, there were times I was challenged and had to question my idea of sentence structure,... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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David Sedaris and Jeffrey Jenkins
[isbn]
I'm a sucker for writers, actors, or musicians who are also artists. I really enjoyed all the elements of this book — the collage-ish layering of Sedaris's art, the funny journal entries and anecdotes, the running timeline of his life, the quotes, the colors, the randomness, the found artifacts, and the overall design. Jeffrey Jenkins's introduction and his photography of Sedaris's immense diary/journal-keeping collection is sharp and insightful.... (read more)
Recommended by Kevin S.
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Seanan McGuire
[isbn]
Another beautiful and heartbreaking installment in the Wayward Children series. This time we travel with Lundy through her door into the Goblin Market, where rules and fair value govern the world. In the Market, Lundy finds a lifestyle that calls to her, bringing her outside of the life she's always lived inside her head. With each of her visits to the Goblin Market, Lundy feels more and more like she's come home. But what happens when it comes... (read more)
Recommended by Mecca A.
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Robert Michael Pyle
[isbn]
Along with salmon, rain, and huge trees, Bigfoot is one of the Northwest's enduring icons, yet the blurry beast seldom gets taken seriously. Where Bigfoot Walks is an open-minded and wide-ranging look at the phenomenon of Bigfoot, and the cultural significance of Sasquatch in regional history, place names, and collective consciousness. It takes us deep into the natural beauty of our remaining wilderness, investigates the cool weirdness... (read more)
Recommended by Jason W.
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Stephen Fry
[isbn]
Told as a seamless story, Stephen Fry's Mythos is a complete set of ancient myths presented in an easy and fun to read format. More than a mere retelling of bygone tales, Fry draws connections between ancient mythological characters and modern culture. A fascinating read for anyone interested in etymology, cultural references and, of course, mythological gods and monsters.
Recommended by Alex Y.
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Jess Row
[isbn]
In these essays, Jess Row interrogates and challenges the "universality" of the literary fiction white writers have written for the last 50 years — everyone from Raymond Carver to Anne Tyler to David Foster Wallace — and how the "absence" of race in these works has prevented white writers (and readers) from knowing "what we mean...when we say the word 'freedom.'" This book is essential reading for anyone who loves the literary fiction of the past... (read more)
Recommended by Tim B.
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John Zada
[isbn]
John Zada's lifelong interest in the legend of Sasquatch leads him to British Columbia in this well-written travelogue. I loved this exploration of the land and people that have kept these legends alive, especially when he delves into what it says about our society that these legends still hold such interest. Fascinating stuff!
Recommended by Leah C.
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Erika Meitner
[isbn]
These poems paint a grappling portrait of life in Southern Appalachia. Meitner tackles religion, violence, racial tensions, and motherhood, all with ever-present empathy and nuance. This collection is a timely and necessary addition to any poetry lover's library.
Recommended by Haley B.
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Leslie Jamison
[isbn]
In her best book yet, Leslie Jamison pokes into the unexplored corners of the world and tells stories on behalf of the collective and the individual. She begins with a singular premise and then widens her scope to encompass universal experiences. So when she writes about 52 Blue or Second Life or children with memories of past lives, she’s also writing about loneliness, alienation, and a deep longing for a connection strong enough to... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Yangsze Choo
[isbn]
For the sheer pleasure of losing yourself in a striking time and place (colonial Malaysia in the 1930s); and in a love story between sharply drawn characters; and in a murder mystery involving ghost tigers, the Confucian virtues, an illicit trade in human fingers, and a train station that ferries the dead, nothing beats Choo’s evocative The Night Tiger. It threw me into that best of readerly conundrums: Racing through to see how it ends,... (read more)
Recommended by Rhianna W.
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Jia Tolentino
[isbn]
I always look forward to Jia Tolentino’s byline, so I had high expectations for her new book — and she exceeded them. Individually and collectively, these essays provide an incisive glimpse into this brave new world we have wrought in a way that feels both timeless and incredibly fresh. Using the trappings of modern life (athleisure, reality TV, megachurches, scam artists, chopped salads, and so on) as a starting point, she explores the... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Richard Kreitner
[isbn]
We love our books, and we love our vacations. How better to combine the two than Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World. Visit West Yorkshire, England, to view Emily Brontë's The Heath; explore Margaret Mitchell's Atlanta, Georgia; or even the famous school bus in Healy, Alaska, from Krakauer's Into the Wild. Vacation planning made easy, for the book lover in your life.
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Peter J. Woodford
[isbn]
What, if anything, do your values signify in the context of evolutionary history? How might moral truths emerge from (and be justified through) the feedbacking chaos of evolution? Peter J. Woodford explores these problems of value-grounding via the historical and philosophical works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Georg Simmel, and Heinrich Rickert, i.e. those who "gazed into the abyss," as Nietzsche phrased it. With this book, your sacred cows are at... (read more)
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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James Mustich
[isbn]
As a lifelong passionate reader, this epic compilation enthralled me. It's not only a brilliant guide to what to read next, but a satisfying read all on its own, with illustrations and fascinating sidebars of information.
Recommended by Kathi K.
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Blythe Roberson
[isbn]
Lately, it's been increasingly necessary to remind myself that I don't actually hate men. I hate the system that awards white, cis/hetero men a disproportionate amount of power, enables them to do whatever they want, and shields them from any and every consequence. So this delightful book was like a balm to my perpetually chapped soul. Blythe Roberson channels her well-honed wit (seriously, Google her), her relatable experiences, and her... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Stoya
[isbn]
Stoya has made a name for herself in the public sphere through porn, and here she collects her years of fiery, sharp writing to make clear that one's participation in sex work in no way demeans one's intellect. She weaves philosophy and theory into insights from a career in an industry that is both famously romanticized and reviled — refusing to let us get away with lazy caricatures. Even with all that aside, she proves that she's an excellent... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Chris Hedges
[isbn]
Chris Hedges is one of our most incisive, trenchant thinkers and writers. In his now-classic first book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, the former war correspondent (and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) offers an unflinching portrait of armed conflict’s seductive — and ultimately destructive — allure to soldier and society alike. Blending history, reportage, philosophy, personal accounts, and literary allusions, Hedges makes a... (read more)
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Francine Prose
[isbn]
In this celebratory collection that will delight casual readers, bibliophiles, and everyone in between, Francine Prose shares 33 reasons to love literature through essays on such works as Great Expectations, Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, and the short fiction of the other Elizabeth Taylor.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Michiko Kakutani
[isbn]
It can be challenging to listen to the events of the day, wondering if there is truth in what is being shared by news outlets amidst the political chaos. In The Death of Truth, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Michiko Kakutani takes us through the decline of truth, which started years ago with foreshadowing by many writers including George Orwell, and offers thoughts on the path forward.
Recommended by Kim S.
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Matthew Zapruder
[isbn]
Matthew Zapruder is a fantastic poet, and an equally fantastic advocate for why poetry continues to be essential. Why Poetry? is a powerful, beautifully written guide to connecting poetry to all readers and making it an accessible and necessary part of our everyday lives.
Recommended by Jill O.
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Mark Greif
[isbn]
Twenty-first century America needs more critics like this guy. His defense of Thoreau is a modern classic. Fredric Jameson calls his work, "phenomenology of the present."
Recommended by Jason C.
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Hanif Abdurraqib
[isbn]
It doesn't matter if Hanif Abdurraqib is writing about Allen Iverson or Fall Out Boy or what it's like to grow up as a Muslim boy in a post-industrial Midwest town. Each of these essays is equal parts poem, polemic, and prayer, and it's hard for me not to describe the total experience of reading this book as anything less than sacred. This book blew me away, and Abdurraqib is very much a writer to watch.
Recommended by Tim B.
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Alice Bolin
[isbn]
We all know the Dead Girl. She's the reason for the story, but rarely the focus. Instead she's a prop, a symbol, a fetish, a harbinger, or a means to an end. Bolin deftly explores this morbid phenomenon in the first section of her vital new essay collection. From there, she goes on to (among other things) challenge Joan Didion's iconic but problematic portraits of Southern California, reveals the subtle brilliance of seemingly banal pop hits,... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren P.
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Nnedi Okorafor
[isbn]
This remarkable story is the very reason I read. Okorafor gives us so much heartbreak and joy mixed together, and shows us the very broken world we live in now through depicting the broken world of the future. And then writes it all into a new story. My mind and heart are full from the reading of this book.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Maggie Nelson
[isbn]
The Argonauts impacted me deeply, and continues to with each revisit. While it should be required reading for everyone, it's absolutely invaluable to anybody navigating or coming into any kind of queer identity. Maggie Nelson effortlessly combines poetics, prose, and theory to create something both breathtaking and wholly original. The title invokes the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, the great ship that is rebuilt piece by piece on its... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
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Mira Grant
[isbn]
We all know there are lots of creepy crawlies living deep in the ocean, but in the first book of Mira Grant's latest series, what lurks below is much worse than anglerfish and spider crabs. This book had me hooked at "flesh-eating mermaids," but it delivered more than just novelty. Into the Drowning Deep will suck you in, creep you out, and totally change the way you look at Ariel.
Recommended by Emily F.
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Kat Howard
[isbn]
A fast-paced and thrilling magical adventure, full of duels, betrayals, and dark secrets, An Unkindness of Magicians is deeply absorbing and compelling. Magic is fading and losing its power, despite the immense sacrifices being made on its behalf. Can balance be restored, or will magic be lost forever?
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Hilary Mantel
[isbn]
Hilary Mantel's Giving Up the Ghost is one of the most unusual memoirs I've ever read. In addition to being an extraordinary writer (she is the first woman to have been awarded the Booker Prize twice), she has had an extraordinary life, strewn with loss, pain, and the supernatural. Mantel moved to Botswana and Saudi Arabia with her husband, whom she divorced, then later remarried. She suffered much of her life with an extremely painful... (read more)
Recommended by Jill O.
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Vladimir Nabokov
[isbn]
Vladimir Nabokov once described Speak, Memory as “a new type of autobiography, a scientific attempt to unravel and trace back all the tangled threads of one's personality.” But the book, which Time magazine deemed one of the “ALL-TIME 100 Nonfiction Books,” is much more: a beautifully articulated account of the times he lived in, the history-rich days before and after the Russian Revolution. There are so many reasons to love... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Bruce Handy
[isbn]
While revisiting kids’ books can be a lot of fun, reading Bruce Handy’s colorful commentary on beloved children’s classics is even more delightful. His insights are paired with fascinating details about the authors, and while he isn’t afraid to criticize some favorites (The Giving Tree, for one), his passion and enthusiasm are infectious.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Carina Chocano
[isbn]
Part memoir, part cultural critique, You Play the Girl details the countless ways movies, TV shows, and books teach us what femininity should look like. Examining everything from The Philadelphia Story to Flashdance to Frozen, Chocano covers a lot of ground in an intimate, engaging way. A must-read.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Michael Robbins
[isbn]
Poetry and pop music are what poet Michael Robbins weaves together, mashes up, and spins into a great web of a book. Robbins has the ability to find common ground between two seemingly disparate topics, and makes grouping them together seem completely obvious.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Olivia Laing
[isbn]
Using the lives of four artists — Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Henry Darger, and David Wojnarowicz — in addition to aspects of her own life as a jumping off point, Olivia Laing has written a moving and empathetic study of (and meditation on) urban loneliness. The Lonely City is observant, wise, insightful, and beautifully written.
Recommended by Sandy M.
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Edith Hamilton
[isbn]
I treasured and read my first copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology so much that the cover fell off. Mythology is inherently fascinating but the way Edith Hamilton writes gives the stories new majesty. Her style is enchanting, but there are also notes and lots of historical context to keep the myths relevant, and when reading it is obvious she put in lots of research hours comparing different versions of the myths. As a side note, this is... (read more)
Recommended by Junix S.
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Mary Karr
[isbn]
The author of several bestselling memoirs gives us a look under the hood. What makes a successful memoir? How does one handle the wily beast of memory? Karr elegantly dissects several well-known memoirs and gives clear examples of why they work so well. She also discusses her own work and writing process.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Peter Watson
[isbn]
Peter Watson’s monumental intellectual history covers atheism’s influence in dance, poetry, philosophy, theater, psychology, literature, and so on. Watson strikes me as a modern-day Diderot, and this work as his Encyclopedia (of atheism). Watson develops a subtle but ambient thesis on the atheistic life, that, as Watson quotes Joyce, “lives down to fact” — lives without a transcendental “singular,” but rather with an artist’s sensitivity to the... (read more)
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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Menand, Louis
[isbn]
I devoured every essay in this collection of the finest examples of the pragmatist tradition. All the essential and trailblazing pragmatist thinkers are included: Peirce, James, Dewey, Rorty, Putnam, West, and Posner, among others. This book is basically a crash-course in one of America's most important philosophical projects. This is pragmatism 101.
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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Simon Winchester
[isbn]
Simon Winchester makes everything within his intense gaze come amazingly alive. Here, he turns his attention to Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame). Winchester looks at the critical period in Dodgson's life in which he becomes entranced with photography and ultimately turns his camera to a young girl. This young girl, Alice Lidell, would ultimately "become" the Alice in Wonderland. Speculation of... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Soren Kierkegaard
[isbn]
The father of Christian existentialism, critic of organized religion and Christendom, and champion of the passionate "single individual," Kierkegaard is a force to be faced — and this book, Provocations, is a perfect sampler. If you want to grapple and wrestle with existentialist thought, especially of the religious variety, you should read this well-curated collection.
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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William James
[isbn]
Are you curious about the psychology of conversions? Looking for a defense of spiritual or metaphysical pluralism? Do you consider yourself more or less an empiricist? Read this book. William James, philosopher and psychologist, writes in rigorous and vigorous prose while masterfully mixing psychology, history, religious anthropology, and more into one of the few truly open-hearted and welcoming works of modern philosophy.
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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Jim Holt
[isbn]
Jim Holt's ontological search for the raison d'être of reality itself is perfect for all existential detectives and metaphysical gumshoes, those who wonder how and why this very moment, this particular concrete moment, is even possible. As a fellow private eye investigating the cold case of existence, I highly, deeply, and widely recommend this book.
Recommended by Jonathan V. B.
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Antoine Laurain, Gallic Books
[isbn]
This is a quirky little novel about French President François Mitterrand's hat, and the life it leads when separated from the man himself. He accidentally leaves it in a restaurant, and for the lucky souls who will next wear it, it is a good-luck charm of immense proportions. Thoroughly engaging, this unlikely story is a quick, fun read. But don't misconstrue "fun" for "insubstantial"; there are clever layers of allegory and meaning to discover... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Coralie Bickford Smith
[isbn]
This magical story about a lonely fox and his friend, Star, will capture your heart and dazzle your eyes. Lessons of companionship, hope, and courage augment Fox's journey through a dense forest and into the light.
Recommended by Heather A.
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DeWitt, Patrick
[isbn]
Lucy leaves his childhood home to take a position as "Undermajordomo" at Castle Von Aux; his life will never be the same. A demented Baron, a secret letter, a couple of professional pickpockets, a spawning salmon, a very large hole, and true love, all play integral parts in this quasi modern fairy tale. Portland author Patrick DeWitt carries forward his sparkling wit from The Sisters Brothers, making Undermajordomo Minor a... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
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Gregory Maguire
[isbn]
Maguire has sent new visitors down the rabbit hole, putting a contemplative twist on the madcap world of Wonderland. From iron corsets to slave trade, Victorian mores abound, making this a book to read quietly, by a stream, with plenty of tea and rumination.
Recommended by The Dot
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Eliot Weinberger
[isbn]
The latest essay collection from wunder mensch Eliot Weinberger, The Ghosts of Birds collects nearly three dozen disparate pieces (including further entries in his serial essay, "An Elemental Thing") into another literary achievement. Weinberger's erudition is breathtaking to behold, and he so effortlessly makes each of his subjects seem like the most interesting thing in the world. Read, reflect, and repeat.
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Mary Ruefle
[isbn]
After I finished reading Madness, Rack, and Honey, I looked up and said, “I have found the book that I will take to the You Can Only Have One Book on This Island, island.” Madness, Rack and Honey is intelligent, witty, beautiful, and the closest thing I’ve found to a bible; it takes the hidden mystery of poetry and solves it by pulling back the curtain and exposing that what’s behind is nothing more than a playground with at... (read more)
Recommended by D Lozano
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Kaiser Haq
[isbn]
I began researching Manasa Devi about two years ago and quickly became fascinated by her mythology. She is in many ways a deity that humans can relate to, especially in regards to her relationship with her father, Shiva, and stepmother, Chandi. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find information about this one-eyed snake goddess. All that changed with the publication of Kaiser Haq's The Triumph of the Snake Goddess. This is an exhaustive... (read more)
Recommended by Shannon B.
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David Searcy
[isbn]
A collection of 21 essays from novelist David Searcy, Shame and Wonder covers an impressively wide range of subjects, but its salient feature is an entrancing command of language. Searcy's prose, handsome and undulating, could make even the most seemingly mundane topic be of great interest. In Shame and Wonder, he touches on disparate themes, yet each essay is marked not so much by what he's writing about, but how he's writing... (read more)
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Daniel Levin Becker and Daniel Levin Becker
[isbn]
Ebullient to those already under the Oulipian spell and likely befuddling to those ingenuity intolerant, Daniel Levin Becker's Many Subtle Channels is a fascinating, engaging, and well-researched account of Ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle (translating loosely as the "workshop for potential literature"), a collective of mostly French writers and mathematicians that employ(ed) a range... (read more)
Recommended by Jeremy G.
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Sharma Shields
[isbn]
Did Eli's mother actually leave home with a sasquatch-like creature, or just a very hairy man? To the dismay of those around him, Eli makes it his life's mission to find out. Whether the strange characters and situations we encounter are allegorical or "real," there's no doubt this novel is immensely enjoyable.
Recommended by Jen C.
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Marina Keegan, Anne Fadiman
[isbn]
In 2012, Marina Keegan wrote a commencement essay for her college newspaper called "The Opposite of Loneliness." A few days after graduating magna cum laude from Yale, she died in a car accident. This deeply moving posthumous collection contains that hopeful essay along with a mix of other writings from a talent whose work continues to inspire.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Wilson, Edward O.
[isbn]
Through a brilliant melding of science and philosophy, "The father of sociobiology" boldly tackles humanity's biggest questions — namely, what is our role on earth, and how can we continue to evolve as a species? Wilson's writing style is accessible as always, and his passion and empathy continue to push us toward greater levels of enlightenment.
Recommended by Renee P.
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Gregory Maguire
[isbn]
Maguire has sent new visitors down the rabbit hole, putting a contemplative twist on the madcap world of Wonderland. From iron corsets to slave trade, Victorian mores abound, making this a book to read quietly, by a stream, with plenty of tea and rumination.
Recommended by The Dot
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Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor
[isbn]
If anyone can do justice to 100 years of "the best" American short fiction, it's short story master Lorrie Moore. Thoughtfully edited and handsomely bound, this powerful anthology stitches together a century of vibrant literature through a patchwork of truly remarkable stories, including many lesser-known works that shouldn't be missed.
Recommended by Renee P.
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