Recommendations based on Houdini Heartby Ki Longfellow

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Snow Queen

    by Hans Christian Andersen
    A courageous young girl embarks on a journey to rescue a friend from the clutches of an evil queen.

    Reprinted here for the first time since the 19th century, these color illustrations by T. Pym make the classic Andersen fairy tale even more magical. One of Andersen's best-beloved tales, The Snow ... (Goodreads)

  2. We Are the Ants

    by Shaun David Hutchinson
    A coming-of-age story of a young gay man who must make a life-altering decision.

    From the “author to watch” ( Kirkus Reviews ) of The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley comes a brand-new novel about a teenage boy who must decide whether or not the world is worth saving. Henry Denton ... (Barnes & Noble)

  3. Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

    by Alan Moore
    Last story of Superman as he faces his greatest challenge and makes his ultimate sacrifice.

    The story was originally published in Superman #423 and Action Comics #583 (both September 1986). The first half of the story, published in Superman , was billed as the comic's "Historic Last Issue" ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

    by Jerry Pinkney
    A heroic mongoose saves a family from dangerous cobras.

    The story follows the experiences of a mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (from his chattering vocalizations) after he becomes the pet of an English family residing in India. He becomes friendly with ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Steppenwolf

    by Hermann Hesse
    The inner struggles of a tortured soul as he searches for redemption.

    The book is presented as a manuscript written by its protagonist , a middle-aged man named Harry Haller, who leaves it to a chance acquaintance, the nephew of his landlady. The acquaintance adds a ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Good Faeries/Bad Faeries

    by Brian Froud
    A visual exploration of the world of faeries, both good and bad, through art and storytelling.

    "Once upon a time, I thought faeries lived only in books, old folktales, and the past. That was before they burst upon my life as vibrant, luminous beings, permeating my art and my everyday ... (Goodreads)

  7. Travels with My Aunt

    by Graham Greene
    A retired bank manager travels with his eccentric aunt, discovering her scandalous past and finding adventure.

    The novel's narrator is Henry Pulling, a conventional and uncharming bank manager who has taken early retirement in a suburban home, and who has little to look for except for tending the dahlias in ... (Wikipedia)

  8. The Book of the Dead

    by Douglas Preston
    An archaeological excavation leads to a dark discovery in the Egyptian desert.

    Az ​egyiptomi piramisok mélyén megbúvó ősi sírkamrák, a kincsek és a múmiák mellett, sok talányt is őriznek – olykor még a fáraók átkát is. Ez még akkor is igaznak tűnhet, ha a hajdani sírboltot ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Third Man

    by Graham Greene
    A British writer's adventure to post-war Vienna, uncovering the truth behind a mysterious death.

    The American Western writer Holly Martins arrives in post– Second World War Vienna (which has been divided between the Allies : the Americans , British , French , and Soviets ) seeking his childhood ... (Wikipedia)

  10. It Can't Happen Here

    by Sinclair Lewis
    A cautionary tale of how fascism can take hold in America, following the rise of a demagogue who becomes president.

    In 1936, Senator Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, a charismatic and power-hungry politician, wins the 1936 United States presidential election on a populist platform, promising to restore the country to ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The Sunne in Splendour

    by Sharon Kay Penman
    Historical fiction about the life of King Richard III, from his childhood to his death on the battlefield.

    The story begins in 1459 with Richard as a young boy, and ends in 1485 with his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field . When their father is killed, Richard's older brother Edward leads the House of ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Berserk, Vol. 1

    by Kentaro Miura
    A swordsman embarks on a dangerous journey, encountering dark forces and the mysteries of the supernatural.

    Created by Kenturo Miura, Berserk is manga mayhem to the extreme - violent, horrifying, and mercilessly funny - and the wellspring for the internationally popular anime series. Not for the squeamish ... (Goodreads)

  13. Brighton Rock

    by Graham Greene
    A young gang leader's struggle for power, morality, and redemption in the criminal underworld.

    Charles "Fred" Hale comes to Brighton on assignment to distribute cards anonymously for a newspaper competition (a variant of " Lobby Lud "; in this case, the name of the person to be spotted is ... (Wikipedia)

  14. The Robe

    by Lloyd C. Douglas
    A Roman tribune's journey from persecutor to believer in the wake of Jesus's crucifixion.

    The book explores the aftermath of the crucifixion of Jesus through the experiences of the Roman tribune, Marcellus Gallio and his Greek slave Demetrius. Prince Gaius, in an effort to rid Rome of ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Herland

    by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
    An exploration of a utopian society composed entirely of women, questioning gender roles.

    The story is told from the perspective of Vandyck "Van" Jennings, a sociology student who, along with two friends, Terry O. Nicholson and Jeff Margrave, forms an expedition party to explore an area ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories

    by Alice Munro
    Interconnected stories exploring the complexities of love, relationships, and family.

    In the her tenth collection (the title story of which is the basis for the new film Hateship Loveship ), Alice Munro achieves new heights, creating narratives that loop and swerve like memory, and ... (Goodreads)

  17. Pope Joan

    by Donna Woolfolk Cross
    A story of a female Pope's rise to power in a male-dominated world.

    Joan, the daughter of a priest and his Saxon wife, is born in 814 as the last of three children. When he discovers that Joan has learned to read, her father calls her “child of the devil” and blames ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Under the Skin

    by Michel Faber
    A mysterious woman's journey of self-exploration and recognition of her own humanity.

    The novel begins with Isserley picking up hitchhikers. Gradually, it is revealed she is an alien, originally somewhat canine in form, who has been surgically altered to look like a human woman, thus ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing

    by Alan Moore
    A creature of the swamp embarks on a quest for the truth about his existence.

    Before WATCHMEN, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book THE SWAMP THING. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the ... (Goodreads)

  20. A Single Man

    by Christopher Isherwood
    A man's exploration of life after losing his partner, as he contemplates his own mortality.

    George, an English professor, is unable to cope with the despondent, bereaved nature of his existence after the sudden death of his partner, Jim. Throughout the day, he has various encounters with ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Eagle Has Landed

    by Jack Higgins
    A daring mission to kidnap Winston Churchill from his English home in World War II.

    In November of 1943, an elite team of Nazi paratroopers descends on British soil with a diabolical goal: to abduct Winston Churchill and cripple the Allied war effort. The mission, ordered by Hitler ... (Goodreads)

  22. Ghost Story

    by Peter Straub
    Four elderly men gather to confront a supernatural entity that has haunted them since their youth.

    In life, not every sin goes unpunished. GHOST STORY For four aging men in the terror-stricken town of Milburn, New York, an act inadvertently carried out in their youth has come back to haunt them. ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Black Stallion

    by Walter Farley
    A young boy's friendship with a wild horse, overcoming challenges and finding courage.

    Published originally in 1941, this book is about a young boy, Alec Ramsay who finds a wild black stallion at a small Arabian port on the Red Sea. Between the black stallion and young boy, a strange ... (Goodreads)

  24. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction

    by J.D. Salinger
    Examination of family relationships, growing pains, and human connections.

    The author writes: The two long pieces in this book originally came out in The New Yorker ? RAISE HIGH THE ROOF BEAM, CARPENTERS in 1955, SEYMOUR ? An Introduction in 1959. Whatever their differences ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories

    by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
    A collection of short stories exploring the struggles of women in a patriarchal society.

    Best known for the 1892 title story of this collection, a harrowing tale of a woman's descent into madness, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote more than 200 other short stories. Seven of her finest are ... (Goodreads)

  26. Fatherland

    by Robert Harris
    A thriller set in an alternate history of Nazi Germany, where secrets of the past are uncovered.

    The novel opens in Nazi Germany in April 1964 during the week leading up to Adolf Hitler 's ,[note 1], 75th birthday. Detective Xavier March is an investigator working for the Kriminalpolizei ( Kripo ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Cat's Eye

    by Margaret Atwood
    A woman reflects on her childhood and her complex relationships with her peers.

    After being lured back to her childhood home of Toronto for a retrospective show of her art, Elaine reminisces about her childhood. At the age of eight she becomes friends with Carol and Grace, and, ... (Wikipedia)

  28. The Lottery and Other Stories

    by Shirley Jackson
    A collection of short stories exploring the dark side of human nature and society's norms.

    The Lottery , one of the most terrifying stories written in this century, created a sensation when it was first published in The New Yorker . "Power and haunting," and "nights of unrest" were typical ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Talented Mr. Ripley

    by Patricia Highsmith
    A young conman's descent into a life of crime, with deadly consequences.

    Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City by whatever means necessary, including a series of small-time confidence scams . One day, he is approached by shipping magnate ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Girls

    by Emma Cline
    An exploration of the dark side of teenagehood, as a young girl is drawn into a cult.

    Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their ... (Goodreads)