My Account | My Wishlist | My Cart | Log In

Facebook logo Twitter logo Pinterest logo Pinterest logo

John

I'm a bookseller. 

My favorite things to read are fantasy, true crime, comic books, and history, especially about radical and working class political groups, and just anything weird.

 

Pre-Order Now Badge
The Seep Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9781641290869
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Soho Press - January 21st, 2020

I honestly don't know how to review this book. Any attempts I would make to describe it, and the post-existential questions it poses, would not do it any justice. If you like political science fiction, or just weird stories, pick up this book. It reads incredibly quickly, and keeps a hold of your thoughts long after you put it down.


Staff Pick Badge
Imaginary Friend Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9781538731338
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grand Central Publishing - October 1st, 2019

The deeper I got into this mammoth second novel by Stephen Chbosky, the harder I found to put it down. The large cast of characters are fully developed and and the writing style pulls you in and keeps you reading, even as the story turns in horrifying directions. Compelling, mesmerizing, and thoroughly terrifying, this is definitely one of my favorite books this year.


Staff Pick Badge
Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781538747087
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grand Central Publishing - August 27th, 2019

This is a book you probably don't want to read but definitely should. Although it may feel better to bury our head in the sand when it comes to climate change, in this book Tatiana Schlossberg explains clearly, easily, and entertainingly how ignorance isn't bliss, but a disaster waiting to happen. Nearly everything we do and buy has a much greater environmental impact than you would expect, and until we become fully aware of this impact, things aren't going to get any better for our planet. Read this book, and share it with everyone you know.


Staff Pick Badge
Little Weirds Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780316485340
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown and Company - November 5th, 2019

I don't really know what this book is, but its amazing. Jenny Slate has transfers her poetic, wonderfully messed up imagination and observations directly in this book, with absolutely no filter or fear. A strange mix of poetry and short stories, "Little Weirds" is gorgeous, affecting, and highly entertaining.


Staff Pick Badge
The Twisted Ones Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781534429567
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gallery / Saga Press - October 1st, 2019

This awesomely creepy horror novel is so fun and fast to read, and puts such a deep sense of dread in you while you read it that you'll be jumping at every stray sound you hear while you read it. As our main character, Mouse, gets deeper into her hoarder grandmother's house, its only appropriate that this story gets more and more twisted. Fans of horror and folklore won't want to miss this one


Staff Pick Badge
How to Be an Antiracist Cover Image
$21.60
ISBN: 9780525509288
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: One World - August 13th, 2019

Everyone who has ever said "I don't see color" or "I'm not racist" needs to read this book. Ibram X. Kendi describes with intelligence and elegance the ways racism is still present in American society, and how to fight it, it is not enough to be "not racist" but rather completely "antiracist." Through both personal stories and historical research, Kendi will make you think really hard about race and racism today.


Staff Pick Badge
How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780143134336
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - July 16th, 2019

A great, easy to read guide that'll not only help reduce your plastic use, but also make you re-evaluate what you buy and what you throw away. This book gives you incredibly easy to follow steps that help you move away from the incredibly wasteful throw-away culture we live in.


Staff Pick Badge
Frogcatchers Cover Image
$22.99
ISBN: 9781982107376
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gallery 13 - September 24th, 2019

Jeff Lemire is one of my favorite comics creators, and Frogcatcher is another immediate favorite of mine. The art is so wonderfully creepy and story full of so many symbols and mysteries, I had to read it all again immediately after finishing it. This is one amazingly surreal little story that'll stay with you long after you read it.


Staff Pick Badge
Opioid, Indiana Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9781641290784
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Soho Press - September 17th, 2019

This is not an addiction story, nor is it really about the opioid problem in America. Rather, it's a dreary coming of age story about a kid living in one of the many small midwestern towns that is seemingly only defined by its drug problems and depressing weather. Despite the overall downer tone that pervades this book, I am so glad I read it, and the characters and setting make it a very compelling read.


Staff Pick Badge
Upon a Burning Throne (The Burnt Empire) Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9781328916280
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - April 16th, 2019

A truly epic fantasy novel, full of gods, demigods, demons, mortals, great families, and vast empires. A classic story from Indian mythology is retold and reworked, creating a thrilling story within a magical world. Fans of mythology and fantasy both should make sure to not miss this exciting new series.


Staff Pick Badge
FKA USA: A Novel Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250108890
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Flatiron Books - June 18th, 2019

An absurd road trip starring a talking goat through the collection of territories, states, and companies that by the 2080s make up what was once the United States: what more could you want? Featuring a host of outrageous characters and hilarious footnotes that fill you in on the history and background info of this wacky post-apocalyptic story, this book will have cracking up regularly.


Staff Pick Badge
The Falconer: A Novel Cover Image
$25.00
ISBN: 9781501193224
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - January 29th, 2019

"The Falconer" lets us into the mind of Lucy Adler, a high school senior growing up in New York in 1993 who excels at basketball and overthinking things. All of her insightful (and highly relevant to 2019) musings on NYC, boys, art, capitalism, and the realities of being a woman in a man's world are laid out throughout the book. At times heartbreaking, but always hopeful, this debut novel was highly enjoyable.


Staff Pick Badge
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland Cover Image
$28.95
ISBN: 9780385521314
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Doubleday - February 26th, 2019

Seamlessly combining a near thirty year old unsolved crime with a gripping history of several IRA members during the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, "Say Nothing" kept me enthralled throughout. Keefe provides an incredible amount of historical information, but never slows down the narrative. Don't let the huge number of citations fool you, this book is a surprising page-turner.


Staff Pick Badge
I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781538713297
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - October 30th, 2018

This book is such a fun read. Framed by a cross country roadtrip that Abbi makes from NY to LA, this book goes similarly all over the place. It is clear that Abbi used this book to write about whatver she thought was important. Sometimes this takes the form of funny side-notes or tangents, other times in stories from her time in comedy and making Broad City. However, what this book really is about is Abbi trying to figure out who she is and what she wants, as this road trip was done right after discovered a new aspect of herself as Abbi just dated a woman for the first time, and then was devastatingly dumped. Funny, thoughtful and incredibly relatable, this book is wonderful.


Staff Pick Badge
The Bus on Thursday: A Novel Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780374110444
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: MCD x FSG Originals - September 18th, 2018

This was a super fun, quick read. Despite being a horror book, this is much closer to a dark comedy. Following a schoolteacher, Eleanor, this book takes us to the small, supremely strange town of Talbingo, Australia. Eleanor soon finds out that nothing seems to make much sense in Talbingo, and despite trying to assimilate into the town, she continues to embarrass herself. But the longer she stays in Talbingo, the clearer it becomes that something dark and eerie is going on out of her control. This book tells an interesting story about a super-strange town, but is ultimately more likely to remind you of a pretty weird rom-com than it is Twin Peaks.


Staff Pick Badge
A Conspiracy of Truths Cover Image
$25.99
ISBN: 9781534412804
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Gallery / Saga Press - October 23rd, 2018

One of the most fun and unique fantasy novels I have ever read! Rather than following the stories or adventures of a great warrior or adventurer, the main character of "A Conspiracy of Truths" is a mysterious older traveler who purpose in life is to travel throughout the world, sharing stories. But when this man, who only goes by his title of "Chant" gets falsely arrested for witchcraft in an unfamiliar, highly bureaucratized country, he turns to his skills with stories to try and make friends with the right people and get out of prison. Despite Chant being stuck in a prison cell for most of the story, the novel is jam packed with political intrigue, fantastical folklore, and strong, often hilarious characters. The world Rowland creates is so fun and rich in history that I hope she writes more in this setting. I cannot recommend this enough for fans of fantasy, mythology, tall tales, and political thrillers alike.


Staff Pick Badge
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780062660251
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: HarperTeen - July 3rd, 2018

First off, this book is not what it seems. When I started the story, which chronicles the life of Romy
Silvers, a 15 year old girl left the captain and sole survivor on a rocket sent from earth millions of
lightyears away to start life on a nearby, earth-like planet, I expected a standard coming of age drama
about a girl forced to grow up alone. But as I kept reading, things changed drastically, going from typical
YA drama to romance, and even to mystery and horror. One of my favorite things that a book can do is
genuinely surprise me, and go in a direction I was not expecting, and this book did that multiple times,
incredibly effectively. Once I thought I had the story figured out, the plot shifts in a way that completely
shifted everything upside down. Although this might sound chaotic, the strength of James’s main
character, Romy, keeps the book focused and that much more compelling, as I found myself connecting
with Romy, feeling her times of joy as well as sorrow. This is an incredibly unique book that I cannot
recommend highly enough.


Staff Pick Badge
Vox Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780440000785
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Berkley - August 21st, 2018

Set in a near-future dystopia where all women in America are limited to speaking 100 words a day, this book brings up themes, like the psychological damage of censorship and the importance of language in our culture, that are incredibly thought provoking. However, these themes are perfectly encased in mysterious, almost spy-like thriller, making this book a thoughtful page-turner


Staff Pick Badge
Paper Girls, Volume 1 Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9781632156747
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Image Comics - April 5th, 2016

Well it shouldn't be a surprise, but Brian K. Vaughn wrote another great comic book. Following a group of girls who deliver newspapers in their town in the 1980s, this comic originally gives off a vibe very similar to stranger things. But quickly, this small town nostalgia gives way to an absolutely crazy sci-fi/ time travel adventure. The characters are all fun, while Cliff Chiang's art style is a great compliment to Vaughn's crazy story.


Staff Pick Badge
The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle #1) Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9780756404741
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: DAW - April 1st, 2008

This novel is so much fun to read. Although the size is daunting, I got the same feelings of wonder reading this book as I got while reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. The world this book creates is so imaginative and fun to explore, and the main character is so charming , that this book took me no time to finish, and has left me waiting desperately for the conclusion to this epic.


Staff Pick Badge
Beowulf Cover Image
By Seamus Heaney (Editor)
$15.95
ISBN: 9780393320978
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - February 17th, 2001

In this edition, Heaney manages to provide a pleasant poetic line while not sacrificing translational accuracy of the classic epic. Each facing page contains the original Old English. Heaney's translation is good for students of the text who want to understand its development as well as anyone who wants an engaging, classic read of the first English Epic.


Staff Pick Badge
Loudermilk: Or, the Real Poet; Or, the Origin of the World Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781593763909
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Soft Skull Press - May 7th, 2019

Loudermilk made me understand and enjoy poetry more than any English teacher I have ever had. With a vast array of colorful characters, including a introverted poetry genius, and affable douchebag, and a celebrated short story author who finds she can no longer write, this take-off of "Cyrano de Bergerac" is consistently hilarious, and at times genuinely beautiful.

 


Staff Pick Badge
Middlegame Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9781250195524
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Tor.com - May 7th, 2019

In this incredible novel about two psychically linked twin geniuses created by alchemy, Seanan McGuire walks the line between horror and modern fantasy expertly. This book is like a puzzle, and the more you read the more clear the picture becomes, culminating in an amazing payoff. This book was just all around great.

 


Staff Pick Badge
Riots I Have Known Cover Image
$24.00
ISBN: 9781501197307
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Simon & Schuster - May 21st, 2019

A hilarious story with one of the most memorable narrators I can remember. Our protagonist writes the final editorial of his widely-read prison magazine as a riot surrounds him and rages throughout his correctional facility. His final thoughts and memories pour out into this editorial with incredibly fun prose and unique language.

 


Staff Pick Badge
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America Cover Image
$24.99
ISBN: 9781250154088
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: First Second - April 2nd, 2019

Box Brown's graphic history of cannabis in America is a short, fun read that effectively relates how exactly weed became illegal and viewed as "the devil's lettuce." Easy to follow, with great illustrations and loads of information, this comic is bound to teach you something, (as long as you don't get too stoned when you read it).
https://www.left-bank.com/john
www.left-bank.com
crawl=CC-MAIN-2019-51
98645
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:7BOTZA3HWFF6QASBHRPMU75RLI2BBIEU
<urn:uuid:2c051865-272a-4b77-83de-2841b0722c72>
2019-12-06T21:05:04Z
162.242.246.186
text/html
sha1:F7KMWG4CEQMNF3VCOIGHOTS4QWTA32ZS
<urn:uuid:35b381b8-eeab-4cf9-b3e3-d871c4117e8c>
https://www.left-bank.com/john
response
<urn:uuid:e4303769-e86f-4e51-951c-cd604c067a60>
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-51
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for December 2019
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-159.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/