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The singer and songwriter on three books with unmistakable voices.
Brandi Carlile got her musical start listening to Patsy Cline and Elton John, and playing on the Seattle music scene. When the title song from her second album The Story was featured on the TV drama "Grey's Anatomy," listeners everywhere responded to what the New York Times called her "roomy, dark-hued and bittersweet" voice. Her latest recording, Give Up the Ghost, shows off a range of compositions and moods, from haunting to rollicking. She shared with us three of her favorite books.
By Bob Dylan
"I love reading this one to my niece Caroline. Even though she's only two years old she knows it's somehow musical and it resonates with her in a really cool way. How can Bob Dylan be so relevant through the decades? Have you read the lyrics to 'The Times They Are A-Changin' ' lately?"
By George Orwell
"I know I'm late to the party on this one...but what an analogy!"
By Barbara Kingsolver
"An amazing look at Africa in all its beauty and its struggle. A profound understanding of both the weight and the compassion of religious imposition."
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With dates announced for his upcoming Old Ideas concert tour, we celebrate the inimitable Leonard Cohen: bard, survivor, legend. His most recent album is a return to form for the balladeer, exploring signature themes of lust and longing, spirituality and struggle, all overlaid with a droll sense of humor as familiar as Cohen's prophetic voice.
When Jack Luxton hears that his estranged brother has been killed in combat, long-buried memories begin to well up like groundwater, and difficult choices Jack thought he reconciled himself to years ago turn out to be close at hand. Man Booker Prize-winner Graham Swift's novel plumbs timeless themes of regret, renewal, and the bonds of love.
The opening story in Matthew Battles's electric collection, "The Dogs in the Trees", documents the inexplicable appearance of arboreal canines. Further gorgeous fantastika follows, producing a volume sure to draw comparisons to Borges and George Saunders.
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