My first encounter with David Hinton was a slim volume of poetry entitled The Selected Poems of Li Po. The translations felt fresh and alive and I read and re-read that book many times. For me, it was the language that I kept going back for - or, really, the not-language. Paired with the concise and vivid nature of Chinese poetry, Hinton's use of space and his attention to sound allows the mystery in each image a chance to blossom, and I say a chance because the poems never feel finished, they continue to grow and unfurl with each new read. This newest anthology, Classical Chinese Poetry, is just as wonderful. Hinton includes selections from all the early classics (The Book of Songs, Tao Te Ching, Songs of Ch'u, and a large selection of Tang poetry) but also gives his readers a chance to visit other folk-song collections and versions of poems which I personally had never seen before, including a wonderful series of seasonal poems by Lady Midnight. Aside from beautiful translations, the reader also gets many historical aids, in-depth notes and a large reference for future reading. Any fan of Chinese poetry, history, poetics or poetry in general should take a look at this wonderful collection. It is a beautiful edition and one I will pull from my shelf again and again over the years. -- Sean Mix

We all love reading books, but as we have learned, the message is in the medium. 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form capitalizes on this notion and collects an outburst of books that range from arch experimental books which unfold like an engineer's dream or are nestled in a seed like an unborn idea, to more quotidian, though gorgeous, examples of elegant books well-stitched and housed in embossed covers. Because you're reading this, I am willing to bet that you love books, so why not take a little time to explore the concept of this object that has shaped so profoundly how we live and think. With nearly a thousand full color photos over 400 pages, readers can come back to this marvelous catalog again and again, and will be delighted, surprised, and inspired. -- Trevor Calvert