Koncocoo

Best Asian Poetry

The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa (Essential Poets)
This definite collection brings together in fresh translations by an American poet the essential poems of the three greatest masters: Matsuo Basho in the seventeenth century; Yosa Buson in the eighteenth century; and Kobayashi Issa in the early nineteenth century. Here he presents three masters of the haiku form: Basho (1644-1694), the haiku poet most familiar to English readers; Buson (1716-1783), a visually oriented writer renowned in his time as a painter; and Issa (1763-1827), whose work is most poignant when he utilizes his ironic wit. Richly annotated, with illuminating essays on the poets and Japanese poetics, this anthology significantly broadens the pleasure of haiku for anyone unable to read them in the original.
Reviews
"Haiku are simple and pure poetry done with 3 and sometimes verses, describing certain quality."
"Wasn't happy about the price but it was worth it!"
"The haiku translations in this book are very good and are accompanied by explanations of the verses and with. descriptive narratives on the lives of the three key writers of haiku."
"A small collection of haikus from the three greats: Basho, Buson, Issa."
"Particularly valuable and unexpected are the notes in the chapter from Basho on his own work."
"It's the part of Japanese Culture and Eastern Mediation as I really know about Zen Buddism in Japan."
"Splendid collection."
"Beautiful versions of these translated haikus."
Find Best Price at Amazon
New York City Haiku
One hundred fifty. haiku on New York City. in just three lines each. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and. distributed internationally.
Reviews
"This was a gift for my granddaughter who resides in New York City."
"Gave it to my husband for his birthday."
"How could I not love it!"
"This is a great little book filled with plenty of haiku gems."
"I'm not a big Haiku fan, this was a gift for a friend."
"Since receiving the book I took time to read the other 149 Haiku's and I am now a fan."
"When I was in high school, I learned how to write Haiku poetry and it quickly became one of my favorite forms of poetry. Others made us reflect, like those that featured the homeless or loneliness. Red soles leap puddles. The fact that it contains poetry from people of all ages and backgrounds who share readership of The New York Times makes this a unique collection about a unique city."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Her II
"Her 2" tugs at the heart strings using short sentiments and vivid, poetic imagery that echo through the chambers of the heart and mind.
Reviews
"I love Pierre's writing."
"A great addition to Pierre's collection."
"I own every one of Pierre’s books and I keep coming back."
"Thought it would be more than what it was. Some gems but eh."
"I am not much of a reader... found this author and since then I am In love with his work !"
"This book went behind my expectations."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Chinese Poetry

The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse (English and Chinese Edition)
The Zen master and mountain hermit Stonehouse—considered one of the greatest Chinese Buddhist poets—used poetry as his medium of instruction. Newly revised, with the Chinese originals and Red Pine's abundant commentary and notes, The Mountain Poems of Stonehouse is an essential volume for Zen students, readers of Asian literature, and all who love the outdoors. He was born in Los Angeles in 1943, grew up in the Idaho Panhandle, served a tour of duty in the U.S. Army, graduated from the University of California with a degree in anthropology, and attended graduate school at Columbia University. Red Pine's published translations include The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain, for which he was awarded the WESTAF Award in Translation; Poems of the Masters; In Such Hard Times, which recieved the 2010 Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize; The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu; Lao-tzu's Taoteching; The Zen Works of Stonehouse (Shih-wu); Guide to Capturing a Plum Blossom by Sung Po-jen, for which he was awarded a PEN West translation prize; and The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma.
Reviews
"The simplicity of the language describing mountain sceneries akin to individuality, journey, spirit and soul is immense."
"These are some of the most evocative Chinese Hermit poems ever."
"I am a great follower of Red Pines works and Stonehouse is the best I have encountered."
"I really enjoy reading these poems in the good weather months as I spend quite a bit of time outside--I live in Colorado in a Buddhist/bohemian town and these poems really fit in with the atmosphere here."
"I bought this new edition to give to a friend for Christmas and I like the additional front information."
"Took this on vacation and reading it every day made vacation sublime."
"Spacious, intricate, brilliant!"
"The same poems that are in The Zen Works of Stonehouse, just spaced out two for page, with a few words different, save your money, buy one book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Haiku & Japanese Poetry

The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa (Essential Poets)
This definite collection brings together in fresh translations by an American poet the essential poems of the three greatest masters: Matsuo Basho in the seventeenth century; Yosa Buson in the eighteenth century; and Kobayashi Issa in the early nineteenth century. Here he presents three masters of the haiku form: Basho (1644-1694), the haiku poet most familiar to English readers; Buson (1716-1783), a visually oriented writer renowned in his time as a painter; and Issa (1763-1827), whose work is most poignant when he utilizes his ironic wit. Richly annotated, with illuminating essays on the poets and Japanese poetics, this anthology significantly broadens the pleasure of haiku for anyone unable to read them in the original.
Reviews
"Haiku are simple and pure poetry done with 3 and sometimes verses, describing certain quality."
"Wasn't happy about the price but it was worth it!"
"The haiku translations in this book are very good and are accompanied by explanations of the verses and with. descriptive narratives on the lives of the three key writers of haiku."
"A small collection of haikus from the three greats: Basho, Buson, Issa."
"Particularly valuable and unexpected are the notes in the chapter from Basho on his own work."
"It's the part of Japanese Culture and Eastern Mediation as I really know about Zen Buddism in Japan."
"Splendid collection."
"Beautiful versions of these translated haikus."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Asian Literature

Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel
Writing some twelve hundred years later, the Ming author Luo Guanzhong drew on histories, dramas, and poems portraying the crisis to fashion a sophisticated, compelling narrative that has become the Chinese national epic. "By the measure of sheer density of history and drama, all other historical novels suffer by comparison to "Three Kingdoms, the great epic of the Chinese literary tradition.
Reviews
"Great book, although I should mention a complaint with Amazon for using bubble wrap."
"Interesting, if a little confusing with an enormous cast of characters."
"The book shipped quickly and was in good condition."
"I cannot express how I love the books from this publisher."
"Been looking for these books since ever, and I love them."
"The writing doesn't flow very well but the story is very enjoyable."
"This is the translation you want."
"I was pleasantly surprised to find the character drawings, ancient maps that described the provinces at the time and the people who ruled over them, and a very in depth reference in the back of the book that went into detail about several of the incidents mentioned in the story and how they relate to historical records."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Japanese Literary Criticism

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon
Lady Shonagon was an erstwhile rival of Lady Murasaki, whose novel, The Tale of Genji , fictionalized the elite world Lady Shonagon so eloquently relates. The Pillow Book is one of the three most important works of its kind in Japanese literature, and Professor Morris has given it handsome treatment. The liveliest and most endearing of Heian writers, and the one who gives the most intimate and vivid picture of life at court.... Its denizens emerge as real and never-to-be-forgotten people.... Morris belongs to the literary rather than the literal school of translators, and his talents are shown here at their best. Shonagon comes through vividly.... [Morris] has given us for the first time in full a delightful and fascinating book which is also a work of notable scholarship.
Reviews
"Besides learning about life in Japanese court from ancient times you will realize that life is the same for people from thousand years ago and us."
"McKinney has impeccable academic/linguistic credentials, and was more scrupulous in compiling her source material (not leaving things out as I recall that Morris did--readers can skip whatever isn't interesting to them, which I think is far preferable)."
"Best segments: her 3-star review of bad boyfriends, her lists of random pretty poetical crap she liked, and her funny critique of middle-aged married couples taking afternoon "naps.""
"It quickly revealed an unknown world of absolute beauty and a life lived as art to my young mind, a world in which the mere examination of a particular color of a mountaintop at sunset or the blink of a firefly winging its way through the first moments of a misty dusk, the small tragedy of a fire reduced to dying embers, are interpreted and elevated to their proper place as the miracles of a life well-observed. She freely and whole-heartedly chronicles the daily doings of palace life, unfettered and uncensored--she wrote in secret, living with the dire danger that she be found out--from the grandest and most complex internecine details of royal ceremonies and celebrations to the delicious gossip of secret romantic affairs of high and low society. I enjoy simply letting it fall open to any random page, allowing myself a few minutes or several hours of sheer pleasure. For writers of any sort, or for anyone for whom reading is more than a pleasure but necessary to one's routine, The Pillow Book will become a touchstone, indeed an anchor and a shield against the unpleasantries of modern culture. The absurdities of the mundane, glamour, the glorious beauty of the infinite within the small, the evil that permeates and remains shrouded within structured societies but does not destroy us, has never been captured so rapturously and with such a rigorous eye."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Kindle Singles: Literature & Fiction

Virgins: An Outlander Novella (Kindle Single)
Featuring all the trademark suspense, adventure, and history of Diana Gabaldon’s #1 bestselling novels and the Starz original series, Virgins is now available for the first time as a standalone ebook. Mourning the death of his father and gravely injured at the hands of the English, Jamie Fraser finds himself running with a band of mercenaries in the French countryside, where he reconnects with his old friend Ian Murray. But Jamie’s love life becomes infinitely more complicated—and dangerous—when fate brings the young men into the service of Dr. Hasdi, a Jewish gentleman who hires them to escort two priceless treasures to Paris. richly embroidered with historical detail.” — The Cincinnati Post , on Drums of Autumn “A grand adventure written on a canvas that probes the heart, weighs the soul and measures the human spirit across [centuries].” —CNN , on The Fiery Cross “The large scope of the novel allows Gabaldon to do what she does best, paint in exquisite detail the lives of her characters.” — Booklist , on A Breath of Snow and Ashes “Features all the passion and swashbuckling that fans of this historical fantasy series have come to expect.” — People , on Written in My Own Heart’s Blood. Published in 42 countries and 38 languages, in 2014 the Outlander novels were made into an acclaimed TV series starring Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser and Caitriona Balfe as Claire.
Reviews
"This novella, Virgins, is yet another mini installment in the "behind the story" story that she presents to us in an attempt to give us a glimpse into events that were spoken of but never really explored fully in her book series. Everyone that loves Outlander and her other books LOVES Jamie Fraser and can't get enough of these mini stories to keep us going between books. Ian and Jamie are young in this story, Jamie just having escaped from confinement in an English prison."
"I was a late-comer to the Outlander series having not read the first novel, 'Outlander,' until mid-2014. Once started however, I read the existing books in the series in rapid succession and then waited breathlessly for 'Written in My Own Heart's Blood.'. Read it."
"This rollicking version of the friendship of the two young men,Jamie andIan, cemented during the two years between Jamie's first run- in with BJR."
"Outlander is a series of novels that follow the lives of Claire, a WWII combat nurse who travels back in time to the 1740s, and her second husband, James Fraser, a Scottish laird. Like some of the other short stories Diana Gabaldon has written, it fills in one of the gaps in the main characters' lives, exploring a period that we knew little about. The story takes place shortly after Jamie escapes from Fort William, after being flogged (twice) by Black Jack Randall. After proving their worth as braw fighters, they're asked to escort a young Jewish bride and her priceless dowry to her husband-to-be in another part of the country, but as always, where James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser goes, trouble always follows."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Russian Poetry

Black Book of Poems
Black Book of Poems is the debut title of the Armenian-born writer, Vincent Hunanyan, and is a collection of poems dealing with loss, love, pain, happiness, depression and abandonment. "Black Book of Poems is a collection with a distinct sensibility that gives attention to a wide range of subjects while living up to its disdain for pretension."
Reviews
"Really enjoyed this work, Forgive me Lord, If I were standing at the gate."
"The poems are okay."
"Such an amazing read."
"Good book."
"Such a great little read!"
"loved it!"
"I enjoyed it."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best African Poetry

Twas the Night Before Christmas:Edited by Santa Claus for the Benefit of Children of the 21st Century
Attracting global media attention, The BBC, The View, The Colbert Report, New York Post, Huffington Post and many others for what the Kirkus Review calls a legitimate editing of the reference to the pipe and wreath of smoke for the first time in the history of this the most famous poem in the English language. Winner of 4 IBPA 2013 Benjamin Franklin Awards,including first place best cover,Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2012 Gold Medal best holiday book, first place at the Global International Ebook Awards best Christian children's title,gold place for the Mom's Choice Awards in 2013. Positive reviews:Kirkus,Midwest Book Review,Resources Children's Literature Journal --Resources Children's Literature Journal.
Reviews
"Even purchased 100 yr anniversary Golden books of story but alas they weren’t pop up and kids said it wasn’t sane so each could have their own copy."
"The Night Before Christmas (Little Golden Book)... Clement Clarke Moore is a wonderful book for children, and I believe it may be the same one my parents gave me as a kid!"
"Great Christmas gift to my grown kids to read to their kids.. We read it before opening presents."
"It is the night before Christmas, what other story is appropriate to read to my grandson."
"It’s adorable (when you actually read the whole headline and realize you are not getting a full size book 😜). My daughter loved it and read it over and over."
"The most perfect Christmas gift."
"Reading this book to my child brings back memories for me!"
"Thought this was a pop-up book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best American Poetry

Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection (Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks)
A perfect gift for new parents, birthday celebrations, and happy occasions of all kinds, this collection of five beloved Beginner Books by Dr. Seuss— The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, and Fox in Socks —will be cherished by young and old alike. Dr. Seuss’s long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors for McElligot’s Pool , If I Ran the Zoo , and Bartholomew and the Oobleck , the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates.
Reviews
"She's three, and I was looking forward to reading them to her now, and watching her learn the words, so she could 'pretend' she was reading them along with me, as I did as a child, and ultimately, letting her read them to me. I've just opened a couple of them at random and taken pics to show you the bleed-through of the images and words on the reverse side of the page."
"Picked up for our almost-3 yo."
"You start your kid's collection with these books by Dr. Seuss."
"I read these in a lower light setting given they are bed time stories for my daughter so perhaps that's why I'm not seeing it."
"My daughter absolutely loves these books."
"What would childhood be without One Fish, Two Fish and The Cat in the Hat?"
"I always have fun with these books and reading them to my son is always a great experience."
"Kind of hard to enjoy the story when the illustrations on the back of the page are showing through."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Canadian Poetry

The Sun and Her Flowers
this is the recipe of life said my mother. as she held me in her arms as i wept think of those flowers you plant. in the garden each year. they will teach you. that people too. must wilt. fall. root. rise. in order to bloom. "The Poet Who Touched a Nerve" (The Times (London)). "Rupi Kaur is a rock star."
Reviews
"I did not think she could equal Milk and Honey, but The Sun and Her Flowers has blown me away, and more than lived up to my expectations."
"Teen daughter asked for this, liked it so well we bought a second for a friend who left to college."
"My daughter, who is 17, has read and reread this book."
"She had read the author's other book, Milk and Honey."
"Love the honesty, the rythm, the heart of Rupi’s poetry."
"My daughter loves this author we preorder this book came right on time!"
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best European Poetry

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes (Hackett Classics)
"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.
Reviews
"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Middle Eastern Poetry

The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition
The Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful, mystical poetry. Text: English. Original Language: Persian. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Reviews
"One can pick up this volume and turn to any page for a shot of verbal adrenaline, for Rumi talks about everything under the sun and is completely free of puritanical shame - so very refreshing. In fact, he writes as if the listener is on the same level and can ignite the identical inner spark that Rumi has through some kind of spontaneous combustion. I'd also like to see a few hundred copies of Rumi circulated at our nation's capitol, since it's hard to imagine anyone there having read something even as basic and moral as "A Thousand and One Nights," either as a child or by their parents, to expand their perspective on the world as an adult - and unfortunately this contracted and limited view of life really really shows and the rest of us have to suffer for it... Free copies for everyone paid out of the military budget."
"One of best book of great Rumi."
"In September of 2012, I created a photographic gallery of Rumi quotations and used a few of the quotes from Coleman Bark's book with direct permission from the author - I thought it was so cool that he emailed me back and was gracious about it. The translation is great but the content is very hard to put into context.... it's like reading about another person's dreams.... they make very little sense except a few moments in time when something clarifying and brilliant happens."
"Great poetry that inspires and is easily relate able to modern times."
"One of my all-time favorite books which I can and will read over and over."
"I read this book daily."
"I have had this in book form and I need something I can just carry with me anywhere I go."
"Coleman Barks is one of the best for bringing Rumi to the 21st century!..not literal translations from Persian, I've heard, but renderings that do capture the taste of Rumi's message."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Australia & Oceania Poetry

Pillow Thoughts
Make a cup of tea and let yourself feel. In October 2016 she released the best-selling Poetry collection Pillow Thoughts .
Reviews
"2.5 Stars."
"I LOVE this book."
"This book has put so much into perspective for me."
"I love this book."
"REALLYYY puts me in my feels 😍😩."
"This book is amazing!!!"
"This book has really deep poems."
"Amazing book and came in great shape."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Caribbean & Latin American Poetry

The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems (Bilingual Edition) (English and Spanish Edition)
An impressive group of translators that includes Alastair Reid, Stephen Mitchell, Robert Hass, Stephen Kessler and Jack Hirschman, have come together to revisit or completely retranslate the poems; and a handful of previously untranslated works are included as well. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, his breadth of vision and wide range of themes are extraordinary, and his work continues to inspire new generations of readers and writers.
Reviews
"Houghton Mifflin "Selected Poems" is much better IMO."
"EXCELLENT poems."
"Adds to my romantic side; spouse appreciates."
"HE writes about my lover."
"was i supposed to receive 4 copies?"
Find Best Price at Amazon