Reading is Fun

These are some of the books we can’t wait to show you. There’s a bit of everything here — the perfect book for a rainy evening (we have the blankets and mugs, and tea for that matter, to go along with them); the perfect book to turn you on to something you’d never imagine you’d ever be turned on about; perfect finds for early holiday gift-buyers who heed ancient wisdom and give books as gifts to everyone on their lists.  Behold.

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Bob Dylan in America by Sean Wilentz

Read excerpt here.

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The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics by James Kakalios

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Half Empty by David Rakoff

This is what I’m giving everyone this holiday season. A dose of reality. But in a funny way.

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The Hilliker Curse by James Ellroy

What can I say? The man believes in love.

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Empire of Dreams: The Epic Life of Cecil B. Demille by Scott Eyman

It’s Scott Eyman. And it’s about Cecil B. Demille. And his Epic life. And you need this book. Even if you don’t read it, you know you need it.

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Irrepressible: The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford by Leslie Brody

“Born into a life of British aristocracy, at age 12 Mitford wrote a letter to a London bank requesting to open a “Running Away Account.'”  Does that whet your palate?

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Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela

A few months ago Jane and I wondered aloud what he thought about during his years in captivity. Here you are, Jane (and everyone else).

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By Nightfall by Michael Cunnigham (“the guy who wrote The Hours“)

A marriage. Art. “Art”. Beauty. Youth. Deep, deep unhappiness in the very seat of the soul. In fact, the seat itself can’t find its place. But then, slowly, redemption. Possibly. The possibility of redemption, let’s say.

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Nemesis by Philip Roth

Polio. Newark. 1944. Impending doom. Childhood. Innocent, unfounded fear. Real, consequential fear. Manhood. Choice. No choice. Accepting, living with and being marred by choices and non-choices. Philip. Roth.

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The False Friend by Myla Goldberg (“the woman who wrote Bee Season“)

How do we forget? What is trauma? How can the single most important event in a child’s life, which has molded the woman she is, have been erased without a trace? Goldberg explores memories which appear extinct but are actually only in hibernation… and they do leave a trace. You need only to follow the trail of crumbs to get at the truth… this book is that journey. Suspenseful, but not in a don’t-open-that-door-he-might-be-behind-it way. In a better way.

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The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010, edited by Dave Eggers and introduced by David Sedaris

More better nonrequired pre-requisites for good literary all-aroundness than ever having existed before.

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I Found This Funny, edited by JUDD Apatow

Funny.

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Diaghilev and the Golden Age of Ballet Russes 1909-1929, edited by Jane Pritchard

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Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters, Marilyn Monroe

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Take 100 — The Future of Film: 100 New Directors

Are you in this?

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Max’s Kansas City: Art Glamour Rock and Roll, Steven Kasher

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New York: Portrait of a City, Reuel Golden

We have way too many copies of this book in stock. You won’t believe the amazing photographs inside, most of them quite rare. It’s the perfect gift for native New Yorkers and the perfect gift for those who wish they were New Yorkers. That covers almost everyone on your list.

 

Eclectic group, no? There’s so much more to discover. Hey, here’s an idea: why don’t you set aside half an hour or an hour one of these days and just come in to browse? There are so many new titles, we couldn’t  possibly feature all of them here. So, don’t tell anyone, we won’t tell anyone, and escape for a minute from whatever it is that you need to escape from.

Deal?

 

 

*Book Sculpture: Andre Martins de Barros