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Works of enchantment, from the bookshelf of the artist and author.
The children's books of Peter Sís uniquely balance whimsy and profundity, darkness and radiant light. The internationally acclaimed Czech artist has written and illustrated more than twenty books, including Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei and the haunting work of graphic memoir The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. His first book for adults is a moving adaptation of the twelfth-century Sufi epic poem The Conference of the Birds. When we asked him to recommend three favorites, Sís responded with a trio of choices that range from a classic of modern travel writing to a work of fictional play by a master of the form.
By Colin Thubron
"This account of a pilgrimage to Mount Kailas, the center of the universe for Buddhists and Hindus, is a spiritual and meditative diary of a difficult trek. It's a masterful book, using beautiful language, full of memories and observations that make you feel you are with the author."
By Italo Calvino
"A delightful make-believe tale, which you believe as soon as you dive into it. Everything is part of a puzzle, and what a smart puzzle of imagination and magic it is. Initially, you think it's impossible that the young Baron will stay up in the trees forever. But you soon become a believer in Calvino, Baron, dreams, and fantasy, and you find yourself jumping from tree to tree with great delight."
By Charles Simic
"There are so many beautiful collections of poetry and poets, but for some reason, Charlie Simic is very close to my heart. His memories, his experiences, his observations are mine. In his blend of the surreal and the startlingly real, I see through his eyes and feel through his heart. I can see the colors of the different situations. Could this be an intersection of our lives, where we meet for a wonderful moment? Or do we walk the same path in life? This collection is very enjoyable and at times quite sad."
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This newly reissued Cold War classic profiles an Israeli spy obsessed with an English girl half his age, and his attempts to win her love without ever revealing his true identity.
Three Chicago journalism students attend an “innocence” seminar that will teach them how to release the wrongfully accused from prison. But as innocents are jailed, a killer roams free, and the students are next on the hit list.
Walter Mosley's suave detective Easy Rawlins is back among the living after a literal cliffhanger of a car crash, in pursuit of a LSD-addled boxer roaming Los Angeles, 1967.
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