City Secrets Books: The Essential Insider's Guide - Tapa dura

"Two new clothbound handbooks, "Books: The Essential Insider's Guide" and "Movies: The Ultimate Insider's Guide, " are page-turning compendiums of overlooked great works, the latest from the coveted City Secrets series of guidebooks." -- Paper Magazine.com

"Is there any more heavenly pleasure than the anticipation of pleasure? So much concise and pursuasive passion by such smart and interesting people about so many intruiging and unfamiliar works! My next several years are hereby, um, booked." -- Kurt Andersen

"These short essay are a rich and lucid reminder of the books that have moved us and should not be forgotten. It is a great gift -- a wonderful reading list, a literary road trip." -- A. M. Homes

City Secrets Books: The Essential Insider's Guide is an illuminating compendium of personal essays by an all-star line-up of novelists, poets, playwrights, and other esteemed literary figures, all of whom have recommended an under-appreciated or little-known work of literature. The book is comprised of short, often anecdotal essays that share personal, affectionate accounts of why a contributor’s particular choice of book deserves to be rediscovered and read anew. Nearly every genre is featured, in every manner of fiction and nonfiction, including history, biography, autobiography, memoir, humor, nature, crime writing, war reportage, and science fiction. A portion of this book's proceeds is donated to First Book, a four-star charity that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books.

The 158 contributors to this collection include Jane Smiley, Calvin Trillin, John Guare, Oscar Hijuelos, Buck Henry, Graydon Carter, Pico Iyer, Robert Pinsky, C. K. Williams, Deborah Eisenberg, and Scott Simon.