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Matt Recommends!
What book from your childhood had the biggest impact on you as a reader?
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. I have fond memories of reading this book out loud to myself -- which helped instill a lifelong love of language that persists to this day.
What was your favorite 'adult' book that you read as a teenager?
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I still remember being completely floored by how ambitious and audacious a book it was, and it forever changed my sense of what a novel is or could aspire to be.
After years spent as a bookseller, what is a hidden gem that you wish more people knew about?
This is Not a Novel and Other Novels by David Markson. The fragmented, anti-novels of David Markson, all collected in this volume, are one of my favorite discoveries in a lifetime of reading. Weird, wild stuff unlike anything else I've read.
Who is an author that you have just recently discovered?
Joe-Todd Stanton. An children's book author/illustrator extraordinaire who creates action-packed picture books that really feel like a grand adventure. His distinctive art style draws me right in to the story.
What is a book that you enjoyed unexpectedly -- whether because of subject matter, genre, style, etc?
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry. I don't remember why exactly I picked up this book, a 1980s coming-of-age story about a girl's high school field hockey team that makes a secret pact with the devil, but I'm really glad I did.
What was the best book you've read during quarantine, or during the pandemic in general?
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor. A breathless narrative that follows the aftermath of a murder in a small Mexican border town. Something about the reading experience seemed well-matched to the emotional intensity of the moment.
Read below for book recommendations from Matt...
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1. Remove your heart from your chest and place it on the table in front of you.
2. Using your sharpest knife, cut it into thin slices, and arrange them chronologically by heartbreak.
3. One at a time, take each piece in your hands and test its weight, as if you were holding an egg, a baby bird, a feather. How much heavier is regret than sorrow?
4. Reassemble according to your best approximation of forgiveness.
5. Good luck!
—Matt, Longfellow Books
I am not a cat, nor have I ever been, except for one glorious afternoon, thanks to Henry Hoke.This book does the best thing a book can do -- put you in the mind of someone else -- and succeeds delightfully.
In disarming free verse narration, with line breaks serving both punctuation and pacing, Hoke conjures an immediately charming creature from the scrub brush of the Hollywood hills: a wild thing, innocent and brutal, driven by curiosity and a childlike wonder at the world (and also hunger, always, insistently, hunger); a dutiful sovereign and casual executioner; a keen observer of humanity. And for all the fur and claws, an honest mirror to the desperate yearning inside every one of us: for survival, for safety, for comfort, for touch, for love, for a place and a purpose in this mad, mad world.
Not reading this book is a terrible mistake, which, look at that, here's an opportunity to wisely avoid.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
I've never read a book where so little happens that I enjoyed so much.A whole novel neatly tucked in a fragment of time, a single moment where a sudden change invites observation, investigation, introspection, reflection. Two Sherpas, and a foreign climber alongside whose misstep crystalizes the present with a gravitational suddenness -- leaving the Sherpas (and the reader) in the author's deft hands as we wonder what to make of the scene before us.
From that tiny thread, Sebastian Martinez Daniell creates a remarkable tapestry, one that reaches around the world and through history, but always winds its way back to the precipitous ledge on the mountain.
This book sparkles like a gem in your fingertips: in each gleaming facet a shimmer, an unexpected clarity (of voice, of vision for detail, of patient authorial focus); a carousel of linguistic delights.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A self-help book that really helps.
Time is our scarcest resource -- a mere four thousand weeks is all we get, give or take -- and if the question of how best to use that time seems daunting, you're not alone: this is surely one of humanity's greatest preoccupations.
Burkeman's honesty is refreshing, and he dispels any notion of a quick or easy fix to the issue at hand: the end is coming. Do we let the icy hand of existential dread slip its cold, bony grip around our hearts? Not if we can help it.
With Burkeman serving as the optimistic angel over our shoulders, Four Thousand Weeks offers a different, more functional perspective to quell that temporal dread, exploring the ways that choice and limitation create meaning in our lives, and arming readers in their battle against procrastination and self-sabotage.
According to Burkeman, you can't do everything, and that's ok. Though I'd say reading this book is time well spent.
—Matt, Longfellow Books
I wish this book existed when I was a child. Under Water, Under Earth almost demands to be read while lying sprawled out on the floor, with face buried deep enough in its oversized pages to forget your surroundings. Truly a book to get lost in.
To open its covers is to peel back the surface of the world, revealing, layer upon layer, the fascinating stuff beneath your feet. From one cover, explore the depths of the ocean: sea creatures, submarines, scientific explorations, and so much more. From the other cover, dig deep underground to find bugs, caves, fossils, magma, and eventually, the center of the Earth itself.
Under Water, Under Earth holds a dizzying amount of information, but all ingeniously organized to make each page spread a new landmark, each page turn a revelation.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
I don't want to oversell this book, so I'll be up front: George Saunders is not going to show up at your house and read to you.
He's not going to walk casually up to your door, giving the sing-song knock that signifies familiarity. He won't greet you with a warm smile and a generous hug, won't clap you across the shoulders, won't flash the twinkle in his eye as you sit down together. He won't pull out a beaten old paperback, overflowing with marginalia. He won't pore over Russian literature with you, not line by line, nor paragraph by paragraph. He won't reveal the magic at work in these classic stories, now one hundred years old but overflowing with profound human insights. He won't show you the subtle mastery at work, the way these long dead authors (Chekhov! Tolstoy! Turgenev! Gogol!) conjure real breathing worlds and thrust you into the bloody heart of their human conflicts and relationships. He won't show you the way that all their tiny authorial decisions build towards a unified whole. He definitely won't leave you with the feeling of having known these insights all along, and only now just remembering their significance.
George Saunders probably won't do any of those things. At least you have this terrific book as consolation.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A charming and familiar tale, perfect for the youngest readers. This cute little owl had me under his spell from the front cover -- another of Chris Haughton's simple and expressive characters for all ages to adore.
One minute Owl is sleeping, snuggled in his nest, and the next he's tumbling to the ground. Where's momma? With the help of a friendly squirrel, little Owl sets off in search of his missing mother. Relying on Owl's descriptions -- pointy ears! big eyes! -- the pair find one forest animal after another that definitely isn't Owl's momma, until the story concludes with a joyful reunion, complete with cookies for everyone to share.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
If you're well-versed in slasher films (...being clear of mind and conscience; strong-stomached; nostalgic for the 1980's glory days of Halloween and Friday the 13th; appreciative of the late '90's revival; keenly aware of local folklore (where applicable); alert to any historical unsolved murders (doubly so); wary of basements, single exits, and definitely sex of any kind; prone to bouts of suspicion; predisposed to elaborate hypotheses; having a stoic resignation about the capabilities of local law enforcement in cases of borderline-supernatural events and general murder-induced panic; inclined towards delusions of heroic grandeur (aka Final Girl Status) or at least the vicarious experience of such...) then this is the book for you.
If you're not well-versed in slasher films (but you're still reading!), then maybe you're like me -- I can't watch a gory movie even through splayed fingers, but still devoured My Heart Is A Chainsaw over a few giddy fits of obsessive reading.
In either case, there's no better companion for this wild ride than our intrepid narrator, no better Virgil for your Dante than one Jade Daniels.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A rousing rendition of this fascinating artifact of humanity.
A beat-up old copy of this book lives in my kitchen, alone on its perch within easy reach. It is my favorite way to spend a minute, and it is the answer to a not-insignificant number of questions:
Waiting for water to boil? Sappho.
Oven preheating? Sappho.
Cookies baking? Sappho.I'm never sure which thing I find more extraordinary -- that these slim fragments have survived for more than 2500 years (and to think what was lost!), or that despite the gulf of time, so much of her work reads like it was written yesterday: stars just as beautiful, love as bittersweet.
In the immortal words of Sappho, "Let me tell you this: Someone in some future time will think of us."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A brilliant, deeply satisfying work of alternate history, and a stunning pastiche of source materials. Is this... real? Certainly not, but Binet's sterling prose and assured narration gives you plenty of reason to doubt.
Follow an intrepid band of Greenlanders after a tribal dispute sends them fleeing south -- told effortlessly in the style of the Icelandic sagas.
Then the voyages of Columbus, related through his diaries, where we witness his witless downfall at the hands of the local population -- included a fortune-favored young girl with an outsized role to play in Binet's reckoning: the princess Higuenamota.
When civil war breaks out in the Incan Empire (as it did in our history) between Huascar and Atahualpa, rather than preceding their defeat at the hands of the Spanish, it sends Atahualpa and his forces on an expedition across the great ocean -- towards the fabled kingdom of legend of which Columbus once spoke.
And so the New World is discovered, by the Incas, when they land in Lisbon.
Thrust into the crucible of 16th century Europe, Atahualpa and his people play a pivotal role in the major events of the day -- the Spanish Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation and the wars of King Charles, among many others.
At every turn Binet lets his marvelous account be informed by real characters and events, and reminiscent of Dante casting his contemporaries into the various depths of Hell, Binet finds appropriate damnation for many of our history's villains.
Such a rewarding read, full of singular moments that had me closing the book suddenly, looking up to see if anyone else (I was alone) had registered what I'd just read, cackling, and carrying on. The strong premise is what got me to start reading, but the quality of the work and the care of its construction is what had me tearing through it in a weekend, and what has me recommending it so strongly to you now.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A profound examination of the author's personal history and the evolution of her family through multiple moments of childhood trauma -- mental health, divorce, attempted suicide -- now long-buried by the accrued detritus of growing up.
This careful excavation is carried out with the meticulous approach of a watchmaker -- Kimball is interested not only in understanding, but preservation. Years apart from the events in question have granted her a valuable distance from those emotional peaks. Her love of family is broadly evident, and it is clear that for all the truth she's working to uncover, Kimball hopes to return everything to where she found it.
Not an attempt to re-write her childhood, but rather an opportunity to better understand how it brought her to the present.
One hopes that, when our own family's story is told, it is told with this same level of care and grace.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A brilliant and important novel, originally published anonymously in German nearly ten years after the First World War. Schlump is a tragic tale: both for its subject -- a naïve German teenager who enlists in the army for his big chance at fame and adventure -- and for the novel's author, Hans Herbert Grimm, a veteran of the war who suffered persecution the rest of his life for his critical views.
It is through Schlump's eyes that we see the breathtaking mobilization for war, the strange and uneasy peace of the occupied French countryside, the maze of wartime bureaucracy, and the horrors of the front lines.
For Grimm, the novel's anonymous release was essential to his survival, as Schlump was banned by the Socialist party and burned after publication. Following the text of the novel is an insightful afterword which provides essential background for understanding Grimm's troubled life and the historical context of his work.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Deep down, I think we've all imagined that we're the star of the show -- the main character in the story of our lives. Maybe just a weak moment before the empathy kicks back in. Anyway, Karl Stevens is here to clear up any confusion: Penny the house cat is the star of this show, and the rest of us are just lucky to be hanging on for the ride.
From her life on the streets of New York, to her plush existence living in a Boston apartment with a human, Penny spends her days musing philosophically about the nature of reality, the source of that strange smell, and the whereabouts of the local slobbermonster. A truly charming book that fully explores Penny's weird imagination and her interrogations of the humans she continues to tolerate.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This charming picture book, reminiscent of the classic story, Stone Soup, shows what's possible when a community comes together in support of one little girl's persistent dream.
After the local library burns down in Nia's town, the townspeople are divided on what to do with the space. Only Nia, who has fond memories of browsing the books, wants to build a new library. Nia is determined to begin, with or without support -- so she opens a new, free library. And with a little bit of clever encouragement, soon she has the entire town finding ways to help out.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
If Hanif Abdurraqib was a bus driver, he would be your favorite bus driver. If he was a barber, you'd cross state lines just to keep appointments. If he was a dear friend, he's the one you'd call in times of need.
I can tell you for certain that he is an author, a brilliant one, and his latest brilliant book makes me want to shake everyone I know by the shoulders and interrogate them: Have you read this book yet?
A Little Devil in America examines the impact of black performers on American culture, deftly recontexualizing the remarkable legacies of figures you'll recognize -- Aretha Franklin, Josephine Baker, Whitney Houston -- and many you may not. Abdurraqib mixes profound commentary on historical events with poignant self-reflection as he explores unheralded influences on contemporary culture. Fascinating and never more timely.
There is no one whose next work I'm more excited for.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Monsters. Like any good monster story, this epic from Barry Windsor-Smith is full of them. Not the least of which is the book itself -- nearly 400 oversized pages, each packed with the artist's intricate crosshatch rendering, the sum of a decades' long effort.
The subject matter, too, is monstrous: shocking violence, mental and physical abuse, and at the story's dark core, a secret program of human experimentation unearthed after World War II and the legacy of the evil that follows it.
A carefully plotted tale, weaving a varied cast of characters through multiple timelines, Monsters is also an extraordinary story of shared fates and cosmic coincidence. A heart-pounding thriller that had me anxious to keep turning the pages. A tragic love story to be remembered. Tears, more than once.
Profoundly moving, but not for the faint of heart."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
What a treat for the many fans of iconic modern artist Charley Harper! His unmistakable style, utilizing simple geometries to capture the organic forms of the natural world, is wonderfully captured in Birds & Words, originally published in 1972, and recently re-issued. Within this little volume are 60 classic bird illustrations, each accompanied by a brief prose piece as caption. Also included is a brilliant introductory essay by Harper about his life and work -- full of insights for the curious fan."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"Everyone seems to have plenty of advice to share for writers, or for those stuck in blank-page limbo, but seldom have I encountered such a concentration of focused wisdom and guidance as this: Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg. The author of several other books and a member of the New York Times editorial board, Klinkenborg has spent a life immersed in the nuances of the written word. In this volume, he distills that practice into keen, succinct observations about how writing works, and how a writer works -- crafting one sentence at a time."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This award-winning duo has a stellar track record of picture book collaborations. Their latest, Lift, seems the stretch the very boundaries of what's possible in this format. Between the pacing, the perspective, the full-page spreads, the expressive faces and perfect tiny details, Lift is an immersive story that manages to capture the emotional ebbs and flows of an early sibling rivalry, as well as a limitless sense of childhood wonder. Lift is not just a book about travelling to the moon and back (if only in your mind), but also learning how fun it is to share that adventure with someone else."
-- Matt, Longfellow Books
Know any kids with a taste for grand adventure, for riddles and prophecies, for stories of bravery, heroism, and triumph against all odds? Also, feasts?
Welcome to Redwall, an ancient stone abbey in the middle of the Mossflower Wood, where gentle forest animals have lived a peaceful, pastoral existence for generations. All is well for the mice and other woodland creatures that make the Abbey their home -- until a marauding band of rats and weasels, led by Cluny, the one-eyed rat, decide they want Redwall for themselves.
The first of more than twenty books in this classic series, Redwall opens the door to this sweeping, epic saga that captivated me through early adolescence. For young readers that can't help but devour books, Jacques' novels deliver a grand narrative and a world well worth getting lost in."
-- Matt, Longfellow Books
"In 1980, Julius Erving made a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA Finals, one that has been etched in the memory of all who witnessed it. With this singular moment as the seed, Ross Gay has created a brilliant work of poetry that soars as effortlessly as the good doctor himself.
Gay breaks down the famous sequence, camera flash by camera flash, but along the way his keen eye and inquisitive mind leads the reader on a welcome journey through his thoughts, associations, and observations of the world around him. Certainly a book for basketball fans, but what an unexpected treat even for the uninitiated.
This is a book that seemed to grow in meaning and significance as I read further and further, and by the end, held me as if in a trance."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"It seems to me that for most readers, poetry is pretty hit or miss -- either the poet speaks to you, displaying the uncanny ability to pull words seemingly out of your own head to craft images with an eerie familiarity, or they don't, and it's just word salad on the page.
Reginald Dwayne Betts speaks to me. Despite a catalogue of biographical differences -- I am not a poet, I am not a father, not a black man or a law school graduate or a felon -- these poems resonate, and remind me of the shared humanity that binds us all together. With the constant polarization of modern life, we could all use a reminder of the things that unite us - even if that uniting force is a sense of loss or a shared struggle.
In the spirit of finding that lost sense of togetherness, pick up some poetry -- you never know what sort of kindred spirit you'll discover."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
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"A terrific Cold War thriller, originally published in 1963, about a nuclear submarine, a remote weather station in the arctic, and a high stakes game of espionage where no one is who they seem.
When a fire is reported at ice Station Zebra, the USS Dolphin is sent on an emergency rescue mission -- but the fire was no accident, Zebra is no weather station, and even the crew of the Dolphin is harboring secrets. Soon the remote arctic outpost is the center of an international crisis, with American, British, and Soviet agents converging on the scene to secure sensitive information that could turn the tide of the war.
A classic story of daring and adventure, with thrills at every turn."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"The extraordinary times we're living in have forced a degree of isolation on everyone. Modern society tends in that direction; we're increasingly able to go through our days in relative solitude, subsisting on superficial digital connections and operating within homogeneous spheres of our own making. The current global crisis has underscored that isolation with reinforced physical distancing, and maybe opened our eyes to our profound need for community, empathy and understanding.
A novel originally written in Spanish, Hurricane Season is the story of a death in a small, rural Mexican town, and the reverberations that echo through its residents. An old, secretive woman with a sordid past is found dead -- murdered? -- in a nearby canal, and the novel's eight narrators are left trying to make sense of their lives and her legacy. The book is dark, chaotic, and violent, each chapter a torrent of suspicions and recollections, of memories and emotions unearthed by tragedy.
In these stressful times it feels appropriate to read fiction that rises to the same emotional intensity that we're feeling -- but more importantly, to read something that helps bridge the gap: to other people, other places, other cultures than our own. What comes through most strongly, despite the unfamiliar details of these characters' lives, is how their hopes and lamentations resonate as familiar and profoundly human."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"An epic graphic novel eighteen years in the making, this is part one of what is perhaps Chris Ware’s most ambitious work. Rusty Brown is stunning in both scope and execution, capturing the denizens of 1970’s Omaha with a clarity and emotional honesty that left me reeling.
The depth of these character studies is rivaled by the minutia of the work itself—Ware’s occasional tiny panels and assorted marginalia add a richness and complexity to his storytelling, and bring a real sense of discovery to the reading process.
One of the most engrossing books I’ve read this year, and one that has stayed with me long after the final page.
An outrageous achievement."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"The standout novel of the year, for me.
While I was reading The Nickel Boys, the rest of my life became an exercise in patience, a begrudging interlude until I could return to Elwood, Turner, and the boys at Nickel Academy.
A devastating storyteller, here Whitehead takes a seed of historical truth and delivers a profoundly moving novel whose singular main character is both an iconic creation and a worthy everyman to illuminate a broader history of suffering and injustice.
This is a masterfully crafted novel. Anyone who enjoys fiction needs to meet Elwood Curtis."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"A transportive historical novel translated from the original French.
The year is 1506, and a young Michelangelo is living in Rome, working for the Pope, who won't return his calls.
Two emissaries arrive for the artist, with an important request: Come to Constantinople, and complete a great work for the Sultan.
There must be a mistake, Michelangelo says. Surely you mean to ask Da Vinci? He is the great engineer. I am not qualified.
You misunderstand, they say. Da Vinci's designs have already been rejected. Besides, the Sultan chose you; this means you are qualified.
Unable to refuse, Michelangelo takes the longest journey of his life to a far foreign land, in pursuit of fame, fortune, and artistic glory.
One of my favorite books of the year.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"The strange, beautiful story of a girl growing up in a fishing village: coping with loss, wrestling with love, and searching for the magic lying just below the surface."
-Matt, Longfellow Books
"A fast-paced science fiction novel that puts you almost immediately in the thick of battle, fighting for your life.
You are Keiji Kiriya -- new recruit, fresh out of basic training -- and tomorrow morning you are part of the latest wave of soldiers fighting back against the alien threat that has mired Earth in a global war. Equipped with high-tech battle armor, your platoon is humanity's best, last, only chance to salvage the losing war effort.
The battle is a slaughter. Your platoon is overrun, and you are killed in action.
But then you wake up. You are still Keiji Kiriya, new recruit. And tomorrow you'll be part of the latest wave of soldiers fighting back against the alien threat.
A brilliant combination of storytelling, action, and mind-warping science fiction make this a quick read that sticks with you long after. Hollywood tried its hand at a film adaptation (Edge of Tomorrow), but as is often the case, the movie's many shortcomings are some of the novel's greatest strengths."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"The hugely prolific Louis L'Amour is widely known for his stories of the American West. In his novel, Last of the Breed, L'Amour takes his classic themes -- mortality, bravery, honor, survival -- to the other side of the world.
Air Force Major Joe Mack crash lands an experimental aircraft in the heart of Soviet Union. Captured by the Soviets, the highly-capable Mack quickly escapes. Though he is alone in a vast, foreign wilderness, a lifetime of survival training has prepared him for almost everything.
Except for the man sent to track him.
What follows is a brilliant cat-and-mouse game that pits American ingenuity against an implacable enemy that seems to know his every move. Mack's efforts to escape make for a great escapist thriller. One of L'Amour's most memorable tales."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"There is a pervasive strangeness to Murakami's work, and while I've enjoyed his novels, I appreciate the briefer immersion afforded by his short fiction. This collection is one of my favorites.
Reading one of Murakami's characters is like sitting down with a friend -- a close friend, the kind whose foibles are apparent and unhidden -- that you haven't seen in years.
Consider reading in a private place. The awestruck expression on your face may draw unwanted attention and unnecessary interruptions."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
"A feather speaks with the wind. Lightning boasts to the thunder. A man muses over ants underfoot. In the mesmerizing, mostly-tiny stories of Osama Alomar, the whole world is given a voice: honest, earnest, and armed with merciless wit.
"I asked the hurricane about his goal. He answered me in fright, 'If only I knew!'
As for the stream, he sparkled in gentle bliss, knowing perfectly well where he was going."
--The Whirlwind and the Stream, The Teeth of the Comb, pg. 52"I kept my head high with pride before the locked door of life. Because of that I didn't see the thread of light creeping out beneath the door until old age had bent my back." --Thread of Light, The Teeth of the Comb, pg. 55
His miniature dialogues and fables each offer a morsel of insight, inviting both repeated readings and fits of voracious consumption. A slim book of slim prose that will leave you fully satiated."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Anyone who is a fan of baseball, anyone who ever savored a hot dog or a hard bleacher seat or the smell of a leather glove, anyone who ever marveled at the magnitude of a game, an inning, an at-bat, a pitch -- Terry McDermott wrote Off Speed for you.
In 2012, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners pitched a perfect game, only the 23rd in the 140-year history of baseball. McDermott uses this monumental performance as a window into the history of the sport, of his baseball-obsessed Iowa hometown, of pitching, and of that celebrated showdown between pitcher and batter. How did pitches develop over time? How did rule changes completely transform -- again and again -- the very basics of our nation's pastime? What on earth is going through a pitcher's mind when he's up there on the mound?
A fascinating read for sports fans, history buffs, and anyone with baseball in their blood."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is the best new cookbook I've seen in years.
Samin Nosrat -- after a long career in lauded kitchens around the world -- has authored an extraordinary cookbook. Concise, yet comprehensive, Nosrat breaks down the entirety of cooking down into only four essential elements that, in concert, are responsible for transforming raw ingredients into delicious meals. Nosrat examines each of these four elements in turn, looking at the critical role each plays during the cooking process, and how subtle changes in their application can create profound changes in the final dish.
And no need to be intimidated by irreplicably perfect pictures of those finished dishes -- instead, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat features brilliant and extensive watercolor illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton.
Like no other cookbook I've read, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat prepares you for the two inevitabilities that every cook faces. In the first, you find yourself staring into the depths of your refrigerator, waiting for assorted scraps to self-organize into tonight's dinner. With Samin's expert guidance, the potential of those meager scraps will be revealed. And in the second, you're re-reading a recipe that led you to an unsatisfying result -- where did it all go wrong? Samin will help you understand why a recipe is constructed the way it is, and in the absence of a reliable one, how to cook with confidence.
A foundational text for any aspiring cook, and a welcome new perspective for kitchen veterans. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will transform the way you cook, eat, and think about food."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is one of the greatest books I have ever read.
Set in New Orleans around the turn of the 20th century, it follows the life of Buddy Bolden – legendary cornet player, early innovator of jazz as we know it.
A real historical figure, the details of Bolden’s life exist only in the fragmented historical record – but in Ondaatje’s capable hands he comes roaring to life, and his rise and ruin make for enthralling reading."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A powerful, moving, true story about a Hurricane Katrina survivor, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, who does everything he can to help his friends and his neighborhood in the wake of the storm, only to mistaken for a looter and arrested at gunpoint.
The subsequent weeks he spends in a makeshift prison – denied basic rights, humane treatment, even medical attention – are horrifying and difficult to fathom occurring in this country. The insanity of the entire ordeal makes this a truly important piece of nonfiction, and Eggers’ considerable talents as a storyteller shine."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
In a near-future world where a mysterious chemical attack has rendered Americans everywhere infertile, two brothers work across the border securing children for adoption. Their ethically-grey profession, along with a growing sense of desperation, leads the brothers into a series of fateful decisions that put their lives at stake, while beginning to unwind a sinister conspiracy that will shake the world they thought they knew.
A dark, gritty plot, and engaging world-building."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Teju Cole is a gifted writer; his sense of tempo and timing make Open City a novel to lose yourself in. Fitting, then, that the book explores the profound and mundane facets of modern life, identity, and community. Cole moves deftly from the personal to the global, and his way of inhabiting the narrator so seamlessly makes you question how much of this very real world is fiction. Cole is just that good."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Reading this book will change the way you think about food, meals, shopping, nutrition, diet, health, agriculture, industry, science, government, and the rest of the world.
Read this book.
This book might change your life."
--Matt, Longfellow Book
Email or call for price.
An absolute delight!
This graphic novel series – hilarious, self-aware, overflowing with earnest charm – stars one of the greatest superheroes of all time: Doreen Green, aka The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl! An ordinary girl with the proportional speed and strength of a squirrel, Doreen is still a totally normal college freshman, trying to fit in, make friends, and attend class – when she’s not busy saving the entire planet by fighting Galactus on the moon!
For anyone who would appreciate a gentle satire of “cape comics,” or is simply looking for a wholesome heroine, you’d be nuts to miss The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl!"
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Reading one of D’Ambrosio’s short stories can be a surreal experience – vivid, a little eerie, but unmistakably the world you know, populated with characters as real as anyone you might meet.
Finishing one of D’Ambrosio’s short stories is like a slap in the face with a cold, wet fish: sudden, probably unexpected, and certainly something you wish hadn’t happened, yet you find yourself thinking about it hours, days, weeks later."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A fascinating read for anyone who likes to run.
McDougall explores the extreme (insane?) world of ultra-marathon running out west, an elusive tribe from the Copper Canyons that is homne to some of the world’s best distance runners, and even the author’s own attempts to rekindle his running roots.
For all the time we spend in relative stasis – bed, car, desk, couch, etc – Born to Run serves as a reminder that we are all running creatures at heart."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is an extraordinary, unforgettable novel.
I received an advance copy of George Saunders' new novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, last summer. I remember being surprised that it was only his first novel, given his varied and prolific output. I remember being (a little) surprised at the topic -- "Abraham Lincoln? The Civil War? The Tibetan afterlife? Well, George seems like an eclectic guy, I'm sure he'll pull it all together."
The biggest and best surprise, though, is how thoroughly Saunders managed to exceed even my lofty expectations. Lincoln in the Bardo is one of the finest novels I've ever read.
In the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln's son William falls gravely ill, and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Each night, the President comes, in mourning, to visit his son's body. The novel's primary characters, however, are the other denizens of the graveyard -- each with their own story to tell, and peculiar reason for being stuck in the Bardo, somewhere between the world they knew and what comes next.
I don't want to say much more, for fear of spoiling such an extraordinary reading experience. If you love literature, please read this book."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A brave little girl ventures out to sea to uncover a mystery!
The terrifying legends of Black Rock are repeated as a warning in the small fishing village where young Erin lives. What dangers does the mysterious rock really hold? She's determined to find out for herself.
Sneaking away in a boat, Erin discovers that there is much more to the mysterious Black Rock than meets the eye. But can she convince everyone else of the truth before it's too late?
Wonderfully detailed illustrations, an admirable heroine, and a heartwarming message make this picture book a sure hit for a wide audience."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
It begins with a rooster, and ends with our tiny planet Earth, just a dot hanging out in space.
An all-time favorite picture book, perfect for anyone with an intact imagination. ZOOM!, by acclaimed illustrator Istvan Banyai, takes the reader on an extraordinary, mind-bending journey. Each page spread of this wordless picture book sets a scene, and each following page reveals a little more of the previous picture, often with delightful and surprising results. A book that demands to be read forward AND backward, again and again.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Young Hugo Cabret lives alone, in a secret apartment inside a Paris train station. Before his father died in a tragic accident, he taught Hugo his trade – clockmaking – and Hugo uses his skills to keep the many clocks in the station running, in secret, and to keep anyone from asking too many questions about his unusual life. All he has left of his father’s is a mysterious automaton: an intricate mechanical man who sits at a desk, pen in hand, ready to deliver some secret message – if only Hugo can manage to repair him. After befriending a young girl in the station bookshop, Hugo begins to discover some extraordinary secrets about some seemingly ordinary people – and the truth about the automaton itself.
More than 500 pages, with more than 300 graphite illustrations, it’s part chapter book, part graphic novel, part silent film, and above all an entirely unique experience. Selznick’s incredible illustrations don’t just add to the story – they ARE the story. Entire sections are told through pictures alone, making this wonderful tale all the more engrossing.
Anyone with interest in literature, storytelling, art, or film needs to see this book, read this book, experience this book. I couldn’t bear to put it down."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is my favorite book about food.
Most cookbooks use a familiar formula -- a mouthwatering, full-color image, followed by a recipe detailing the whats and hows of the preparation. McGee's landmark, comprehensive reference book opts for a different approach. In fact, there aren't any recipes at all in On Food and Cooking's nearly 900 pages.
Instead, McGee focuses on the deeper questions of cooking and baking -- not simply, how much flour do I add?, but rather, what is the role of flour (or other starches) in thickening a sauce? What is happening on a molecular level, and at what temperature? Why are some starches different than others, and which ones are best for which applications?
At every turn, McGee uses science, history, and a lifelong passion for food to answer all of these questions and thousands more. While this is not a book you'll read in one sitting, it is an indispensable reference for any science-minded cook, unparalleled in both depth and scope. I reach for it regularly, and always find everything I wanted to know and more."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
One of today’s most engaging minds examines the intersections of technological and societal advances. How did we end up with modern society as we know it? Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good For You, takes a close look at six watershed moments of innovation, and their wide-ranging consequences, to make sense of our modern world."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
In Rushdie’s latest foray into another magical mystical universe, all the world’s strife can be tied to an ancient battle between dark jinnis and light jinnis. Now, present day descendants must rediscover their fantastical heritage in order to extinguish the forces of dark forever. Just as Rushdie’s title is a reworking of 1001 Nights, his latest novel takes grand inspiration from the foundational stories of Scheherazade."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A pantry, says Waters, “encourages the best kind of impromptu cooking. A well-stocked pantry helps you think creatively about how to feed yourself, and anyone who happens to be with you, a thoughtfully prepared, flavorful, and wholesome meal, without expending very much time or effort. I’ve come to realize that it’s the way I use my pantry, more than any individual ingredient, recipe, or technique, that defines my personal cooking aesthetic.”
With simple recipes and insightful commentary on all aspects of her kitchen supplies – and featuring illustrations by her daughter, Fanny – Water’s new book provides an inside look at the tools of a master at work."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
As a kid, everything seems bigger in the present moment. Krosoczka’s new picture book is full of humor and wisdom to help guide us past life’s little hurdles, turning mountains not into molehills, but rather a vantage point from which to see the brighter side of things."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A fascinating biography of Dr. Thomas Mutter – innovator, surgeon, collector of obscure oddities, and herald to a new age and understanding of medicine. Mutter’s museum still stands in Philadelphia today, but Aptowicz’s highly readable account brings his grand personality to life."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hector Tobar details the incredible saga of more than two dozen miners, trapped for months, thousands of feet underground in a remote Chilean mine. Although their eventual rescue made international headlines, Deep Down Dark is the untold story of what happened underground – their struggle for survival, sanity, and hope in the face of impossible odds."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Lazlo Strange, an orphan who has spent much of his life secluded in a monastery, finds a welcome escape when he begins an internship at the Great Library at Zosma. There he becomes fascinated by tales of a lost city, overthrown by magic, known only as Weep. Soon, Lazlo is caught up in a plan to return Weep to its former glory, with the aid of several demigods -- one of whom, Sarai, falls in love with Lazlo. A world-building masterpiece punctuated by evocative dream sequences and a compelling love story, ending on a cliffhanger that will leave fans hungry for the next installment."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
The coming-of-age story of Sal, an adopted child, and his small circle of high school friends as they deal with mortality and love in a world that seems to change as quickly as they themselves. When a classmate hurls a homophobic slur at his gay adopted father, Sal is unable to restrain the anger that has been roiling under the surface, much of which stems from the unresolved emotional issues surrounding his biological mother's death. Sal’s best friend Samantha suffers a similar loss, but as they deal with this and other issues, they also help a classmate struggling with addiction to find meaning and acceptance in his own life."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Garth Nix turns fairy tale tropes on their heads in this refreshing new novel. Princess Anya is on a quest, a multi-faceted one wherein she hopes to both revert her wimpy sister's beau from his frog-turned status, and also defeat her evil step-stepfather, the wizard Duke Rikard. Along the way, she encounters many intriguing characters (including a librarian who turns into an owl when he is upset, and a band of Robin Hood-esque female "Responsible Robbers"). Another winner from the always entertaining Nix."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A series of vignettes ties the lives of four teenagers together in 1970’s Alaska in Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock’s latest novel. Teen pregnancy, physical and mental abuse, religion, isolation, love, tragedy and the meaning of freedom all play a role in this drama that explores the defining years of young lives during the similarly defining years of Alaska’s statehood."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm return with another fascinating book in their Sunlight series of science picture books about how light affects the world. This time, they explore how light moves water around the Earth, controls the global ocean currents, and shapes the world. Bang’s beautiful illustrations easily bring clarity and understanding to a subject that is sure to capture the attention of curious young minds."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is the story of Rydr, a young displaced teen, travelling on a train from Palm Springs to Chicago, to live with a distant relative she has never met. Rydr’s mother died from an overdose, and her grandmother recently passed, forcing this latest move. Along the way, an Amtrak employee, a snack bar attendant, a boy scout and others befriend her as she copes with her traumatic past and journeys toward an uncertain future."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Jim Thorpe, the iconic Native American track and field legend (once regarded as “the best athlete on the planet”), and Pop Warner, his famed coach, are spotlighted in this new book examining Thorpe’s time at Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Carlisle was a harsh environment, where Native Americans were subjected to cruelties that forced them to denounce their heritage. Thorpe was one of those who rose above, reaching heights of fame unparalleled at the time. Filled with historical ephemera and contextual information that brings the history to life."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who live empty, hollow lives devoid of all purpose, meaning, and joy, and those who have read the incomparable Amy Hempel.
Don’t be an empty husk! Rise above, and relish this most excellent collection of short fiction – for my money, the best anywhere."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
American-born, Haitian-raised Fabiola must navigate unfamiliar territory in modern day Detroit, after her mother is detained by the INS upon returning to America in this incredible debut novel from Ibi Zoboi. Fabiola must begin a new life, one she is most unprepared for, and along the way her Haitian roots help her deal with an escalating series of encounters between school, peers, law enforcement and immigration forces. A timely and powerful reminder of the promise of what America represents to new citizens, balanced against the all too familiar pains of growing up here."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Julie Marks, the 11-year-old star of Short is just that, and not terribly pleased to be forced to audition for a summer play. When she is cast as the lead munchkin dancer in a small production of The Wizard of Oz, things seem even worse. But the role puts her in proximity to a number of people she would never have met, and the events of the summer challenge her worldviews and help her become more confident and self-assured."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
A story of a brotherhood formed in the midst of tragedy and shaped by personal struggles with disabilities, Robin Roe crafts an amazing debut, informed by her past work with at-risk teens. Julian, a 14-year-old freshman, is reunited with his former foster brother Adam when he starts at a new school. Julian’s struggles with dyslexia and a troubled home life lead to his withdrawal from school responsibilities. Enter Adam, four years Julian’s elder, who begins to realize that his friend (whom he hasn’t seen in several years) has changed much in that time. As the two reacquaint and re-forge bonds of brotherhood, Adam’s efforts are threatened by the actions of Julian’s abusive uncle."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
An early, brilliant novel by the great Michael Ondaatje, imagining the life and times of William Bonney -- better known as Billy the Kid.
Constructed from what notes and fragments still exist, Ondaatje creates a raw, personal account of the Wild West legend. Told primarily from Bonney's perspective, the book chronicles the well-known exploits of his life: the formation of his gang; his standoff with Sheriff Pat Garrett; and the arrest, escape, and shoot-out that eventually killed him. These are the incidents that built Bonney's bloodthirsty reputation. But Ondaatje's novel is more than a rap sheet for a long-dead felon -- it is a tribute to the old west, to the dusty, sun-scorched hills of New Mexico, and to a young man whose brief life left an indelible mark on those he knew and the world he left behind. Ondaatje brings real humanity to this portrait of the notorious outlaw.
And it's just incredible. Ondaatje is a master, and this is him at his most poetic and inventive."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
Dawkins has made a career of science writing, tackling many of biology's most puzzling and counterintuitive ideas with lucid prose and illustrative examples. The rigor of his argumentation keeps the reader afloat in the choppiest scientific seas.
In Climbing Mount Improbable, Dawkins examines the mechanisms of evolution, and in particular, some of the natural structures that most seem to defy origin by random mutation. How does something as intricate and precise as a human eye or a spider's web evolve from chance?
The answers are fascinating, and to find them, Dawkins takes you on an extraordinary survey of the natural world. Back in paperback twenty years after its original publication, this is a real gem of scientific exposition."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
From the inimitable Kevin Henkes comes a quiet story about five toys that sit and wait in wonder: watching the sky, watching the clouds, waiting for whatever adventure might come next. A perfect story to pass the time when all that’s left is to wait."
--Matt, Longfellow Books
What a book!
What an outrageous collection of fiction -- the best I've read this year, full of the best kind of surprises. What a surreal display of mastery.
The sort of book you read with a mix of disbelief and delight, a dumbfounded expression, a series of rhetorical interrogations running through your head: How is this possible?
Good luck finding a more warmly crafted, skillfully rendered, open-hearted series of stories.
So vividly imagined, so brilliantly realized, so, so, so unexpectedly generous and ambitious and accomplished and hard to take in all at once, like a stunning vista that seems to redefine the horizon and recast the world you thought was there under your feet all along.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
I would read anything Fernanda Melchor wrote. On any topic.
Reading her work is like being trapped with a ferocious wild animal: a cause for both deep, trembling fear, but also a rare and treasured opportunity to behold something extraordinary.
I read each sentence pregnant with anticipation, as if, word by word, the text might at any moment burst into flames.
I read each page like it might shatter in my hands and disappear forever. or that the next line might be too much -- cut too deep, reveal too much of the vulnerable, tender heart of her characters, or of her reader, now trembling still but reading nonetheless.
At times I even catch myself narrowing focus, actively and willfully ignoring my periphery, reading just a single word at a time through my pinhole squint, afraid to accidently catch a glimpse of what's to come, avoiding any word that might signal which direction, upon which razor's edge the story might continue.
An exhausting, exhilarating experience of which I never seem to tire.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
For those of a certain age who grew up in America, the history of the world goes something like this: "History began in 1945 when America single-handedly defeated Evil once and for all, and everyone lived happily ever after, except for the communists."
Things turn out to be slightly more complicated.
If you're looking for a little more nuance, a more detailed examination of the cultural and political history of the West in modern times, a wide-ranging exploration of the subtle geopolitical and ideological shifts in play over the last 75 years or so, a razor-sharp summary of how we got to where we are now from a Pulitzer prize-winning historian -- this is it.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
This is a fascinating book that covers a lot of ground and offers readers a constant opportunity to reexamine long-held beliefs about the history of people on Earth. By way of summary: humans are curious, inventive creatures, and the stories we tell ourselves about human origins and early human societies not only undermine those qualities, but also aren’t supported by the archaeological evidence.
So what does the archaeological record say? How much do we really know about early humans and the groups they lived in? A surprising amount, as it turns out. Our past is much more varied and interesting than we’ve been generally led to believe, and your authors here prove to be invaluable companions for the journey.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
For some readers, it will be enough to know that famed director Werner Herzog has written a novel; this is it.
For others, simply recognizing the name Hiroo Onoda will be sufficient; this is a book about his time in the jungle.
For the remaining prospective readers: know that this is an exquisitely written book, one that captures a human experience unlike almost any in history: Hiroo Onoda was a Japanese soldier who served during World War II, where he was stationed on an island in the Pacific until his eventual surrender in 1973, nearly thirty years later.
Herzog -- aided by a deep personal interest and a series of extensive interviews before Onoda's death -- brings to life an extraordinary story of survival, dedication, and persistence. How do you survive in the jungle -- for a day, a week, a year? From where do you draw your reserve of vigilance and alertness, to live truly on the edge -- of civilization, of survival, of life and death amidst the specter of unrelenting conflict? A testament to the human spirit and our capacity to persevere in the face of insurmountable obstacles.
--Matt, Longfellow Books
