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Great works of fiction to pass the time between legendary recordings.
First with his influential band Chic and then as a producer of hits by artists including Madonna ("Like a Virgin"), Diana Ross ("I'm Coming Out"), and David Bowie ("Let's Dance") , Nile Rodgers has left an indelible mark on music with a rhythm guitar sound that is often imitated and a groove that defies emulation. His new memoir, Le Freak, traces his life story from a sometimes harrowing childhood in Greenwich Village to the heights of fame. This week, he chooses three fictions with the power to transport and enthrall.
Purchase Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny
Music by Nile Rodgers and Chic
By Alexandre Dumas
"This was the first adult book that I ever read. I was seven years old when I immersed myself in Dumas's complex revenge novel set in 19th century France. It vividly deals with cruelty, kindness, slavery, murder, and redemption. It's done so compellingly I'd bet it's even better today. It's literary fine wine."
By Frank Herbert
"Science fiction, fantasy, and magic perfectly fused. Dune even teaches you a new language. It's the story of a jealous emperor's sinister plot to eradicate a popular duke and his clan by secretly supporting a rival baron in a blood feud. The goal is to gain sole control of the most precious resource in the universe, a powerful spice called melange. This book was integral hippie gear in 1969."
By Robert Louis Stevenson
"The greatest tale of pirates, mutiny, and buried treasure ever. The characters, settings, and cinematic descriptions, make this the granddaddy of all buccaneer adventures. I'm not just being nostalgic because it's the first book I ever owned. This is the one book I'd want if I were stranded on a deserted island."
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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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