Recommendations based on Tales from Outer Suburbiaby Shaun Tan

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

  1. The Arrival

    by Shaun Tan
    A thought-provoking story of a man's journey to an unknown land in search of a new home.

    In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he's leaving ... (Goodreads)

  2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

    by Susanna Clarke
    A whimsical tale of two magicians mastering the mysteries of English magic.

    The novel opens in 1806 in northern England with The Learned Society of York Magicians, whose members are "theoretical magicians" who believe that magic died out several hundred years earlier. The ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Jane, the Fox & Me

    by Fanny Britt
    A young girl's journey of self-acceptance, overcoming her insecurities and hardships.

    Hélène has been inexplicably ostracized by the girls who were once her friends. Her school life is full of whispers and lies — Hélène weighs 216; she smells like BO . Her loving mother is too tired ... (Goodreads)

  4. Neverwhere

    by Neil Gaiman
    A mysterious journey through a hidden realm of London, filled with danger and unexpected allies.

    Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew and his trials and tribulations in London. At the start of the story, he is a young businessman, recently moved from Scotland and with a normal life ahead. ... (Wikipedia)

  5. The Gashlycrumb Tinies

    by Edward Gorey
    An alphabet book featuring children meeting their untimely demise in various ways, illustrated in Gorey's signature macabre style.

    The Gashlycrumb Tinies: or, After the Outing is an abecedarian book written by Edward Gorey that was first published in 1963. Gorey tells the tale of 26 children (each representing a letter of the ... (Goodreads)

  6. Avatar The Last Airbender: The Art of the Animated Series

    by Michael Dante DiMartino
    A collection of concept art, sketches, and behind-the-scenes information from the beloved animated series.

    A stunning masterpiece of animated storytelling., Avatar: The Last Airbender has been syndicated to more than 120 countries around the world, inspiring millions of fans and industry professionals ... (Goodreads)

  7. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

    by Bill Willingham
    Collection of tales that explore themes of heroism, courage, and morality.

    This tale is set in the 19th century, in the early days of Fabletown , when Snow White was sent as an envoy to the lands of the Arabian Fables. But the Arabian Fables are actually offended that a ... (Wikipedia)

  8. When You Reach Me

    by Rebecca Stead
    A young girl in 1970s New York City receives mysterious notes that seem to predict the future. She must unravel the mystery before it's too late.

    Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her ... (Goodreads)

  9. The Remains of the Day

    by Kazuo Ishiguro
    A butler reflects on his past, grappling with the lost opportunities of a life devoted to service.

    The novel tells, in first-person narration , the story of Stevens, an English butler who has dedicated his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington (who is recently deceased, and whom Stevens ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The Graveyard Book

    by Neil Gaiman
    A young boy's journey through a graveyard, learning the secrets of the dead.

    The story begins as the man Jack murders most of the members of a family (later revealed to be the Dorian family) except for the toddler upstairs. Unknown to him, the toddler has climbed out of his ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat

    by Bill Watterson
    A hilarious and heart-warming comic strip about a boy and his pet tiger.

    Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat chronicles another segment of the multifarious adventures of this wild child and his faithful, but skeptical, friend. If the best cartoons compel readers to identify ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

    by Max Brooks
    A collection of interviews recounting tales of the zombie apocalypse.

    It has been nearly twenty years since the start of the apocalyptic worldwide pandemic known as the Zombie War, and about ten years since the war has ended in humanity's victory. The framing device ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Invisible Cities

    by Italo Calvino
    A fantastical exploration of the cities of the imagination and the possibilities of life.

    "Kublai Khan does not necessarily believe everything Marco Polo says when he describes the cities visited on his expeditions, but the emperor of the Tartars does continue listening to the young ... (Goodreads)

  14. Dandelion Wine

    by Ray Bradbury
    A small town summer filled with magical moments, unfolding the secrets of life.

    Chapter 1 — Spending the night in the cupola of his grandfather's house that gives him a panoramic view of the town, Douglas wakes up early on the first day of summer and performs an elaborate series ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

    by Jonathan Safran Foer
    A young boy's quest to find the lock that matches a mysterious key his father left behind.

    Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and ... (Goodreads)

  16. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

    by Patrick Süskind
    A murder mystery set in 18th century France, exploring the depths of human obsession.

    An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of ... (Goodreads)

  17. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy

    by Noelle Stevenson
    Five scouts go on a wild adventure filled with mythical creatures, friendship and empowerment.

    Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp...defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons...what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. 1Q84

    by Haruki Murakami
    A surreal journey of two people entangled in a mysterious dual-world conspiracy.

    The events of 1Q84 take place in Tokyo during a fictionalized year of 1984, with the first volume set between April and June, the second between July and September, and the third between October and ... (Wikipedia)

  19. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

    by David Mitchell
    An epic tale of love and adventure set in an 18th century Japanese trading port.

    The novel begins in the summer of 1799 at the Dutch East India Company trading post Dejima in the harbor of Nagasaki . It tells the story of a Dutch trader's love for a Japanese midwife who is ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Silk

    by Alessandro Baricco
    Adventure of a 19th century French trader who travels to Japan to find rare silkworm eggs.

    The novel tells the story of a French silkworm merchant-turned-smuggler named Hervé Joncour in 19th century France who travels to Japan for his town's supply of silkworms after a disease wipes out ... (Wikipedia)

  21. East of Eden

    by John Steinbeck
    Exploration of the timeless struggle between good and evil, set against a backdrop of a family saga.

    In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas ... (Goodreads)

  22. Goodbye, Columbus and Five Short Stories

    by Philip Roth
    A collection of stories focused on themes of assimilation, identity, and relationships.

    Neil Klugman and pretty, spirited Brenda Patimkin - he of poor Newark, she of suburban Short Hills - meet one summer and dive into an affair that is as much about social class and suspicion as it is ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Blind Assassin

    by Margaret Atwood
    A complex, interwoven story of family secrets, love, tragedy, and mystery.

    The novel's protagonist , Iris Chase, and her sister Laura, grow up well-off but motherless in a small town in southern Ontario. As an old woman, Iris recalls the events and relationships of her ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Golden Fool

    by Robin Hobb
    FitzChivalry Farseer, the bastard son of a prince, becomes embroiled in court intrigue and must navigate dangerous political waters to protect his loved ones.

    Fitz has succeeded in rescuing Prince Dutiful from the clutches of the Piebald rebels. But once again the cost of protecting the Farseer line has been dear: Nighteyes is dead. Fitz, though bitter and ... (Wikipedia)

  25. S.

    by J.J. Abrams
    A mysterious novel within a novel, filled with clues and secrets, as two readers try to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic author and his work.

    One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace, and desire. A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story ... (Goodreads)

  26. Moominland Midwinter

    by Tove Jansson
    A family of Moomins explore the frozen winter landscape and the wonders it holds.

    While the rest of the Moomin family are in the deep slumber of their winter hibernation , Moomintroll finds himself awake and unable to get back to sleep. He discovers a world hitherto unknown to ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Castle of Llyr

    by Lloyd Alexander
    An adventure of a brave girl as she embarks on a quest to save her family and kingdom.

    Eighteen months after the destruction of the Black Cauldron , Dallben the enchanter has decided that Eilonwy, as a princess and last of the line of the House of Llyr, needs a proper royal lady's ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Smilla's Sense of Snow

    by Peter Høeg
    An Arctic investigator's journey to uncover the truth behind a child's mysterious death.

    Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen, 37-year-old product of the stormy union of a female Inuit hunter and a rich urban Danish physician, is a loner who struggles to live with her fractured heritage. Living ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

    by Haruki Murakami
    A surreal exploration of two separate yet interwoven realities.

    The story is split between parallel narratives. The odd-numbered chapters take place in the 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland', although the phrase is not used anywhere in the text, only in page headers. The ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Through the Woods

    by Emily Carroll
    Dark, surreal tales filled with mysterious creatures and eerie landscapes.

    Discover a terrifying world in the woods in this collection of five hauntingly beautiful graphic stories that includes the online webcomic sensation “His Face All Red,” in print for the first time. ... (Barnes & Noble)