In the desolate Turkish town of Kars, strange things are happening: young Muslim women are inexplicably committing suicide; events are written in the newspaper before they happen; poems appear as if from nowhere (from God?); the poet Ka searches for any tangible form of identity...and it snows, and snows, and snows...the perfect summer read to beat the heat!

Achebe's gotta be one of the greatest story-tellers of all time--these books are all stunning.  Everyman has finally collected these classics (three loosely-related folkloric novels of colonial Nigeria) into one appropriately serious-looking volume.  Lovely, lovely books.

The size of this guy is daunting, yes, but soo worth it.  I brought "The Executioner's Song" to a potentially hellish wait at the DMV and it was one of the best afternoons I ever spent.  As far as I'm concerned, Mailer has told here, as simply as possible, one of the most interesting stories of human struggle ever: convict Gary Gilmore's true, existential, death-row struggle NOT to live actually makes for a surprisingly gripping read--it's artfully investigative, and incredibly affecting. 

McCullers' masterpiece, and one of my very favorite novels of all time. A hot and sleepy Southern town in the 1930's is examined from four very different but equally poignant persepectives.  Should be on your to-read-before-you-die list.

Both novellas are dark and strange and funny and moving, and full of sick scenes of old L.A. (and New York)--and together in one cool-looking paperback! What more could you ask?

I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit I hardly knew anything about the Tudors before reading this fantastic book--it didn't matter.  Mantel's prose is just so goddamn impressive, I found myself actually shaking my head at the book as I was reading, at her crazy skills.  Wow.  Firmly, exhuastively rooted in historical accuracy; dark, disorienting; violent as hell; so good!

Less your standard whodunit than a character study of a subtly disturbed, charming young man and the privileged and oblivious friend who obsesses him. It's a rich and complex but plainly told story of an old-fashioned European holiday which grows slowly more eerie as the story progresses. Highsmith is a master--all her work is incredible but so far this one is my favorite.