Books

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Love Lines: A Summer Sampler Of Romantic Manga

by Etelka Lehoczky

Our Summer of Love rolls on with a roundup of romance manga. Japanese comic books can be a daunting field to enter — but we've picked three of the sweetest for your summer reading pleasure.
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Kafka Would Love 'The Beautiful Bureaucrat'

by Michael Schaub

Helen Phillips' surreal, dark, funny new novel follows a young woman named Josephine, who gets a job at a mysterious agency. Critic Michael Schaub says the book works as both love story and thriller.
In 16th century Italy, the nobility began decorating their tables with "triumphs" made entirely from folded napkins. The art form had pretty much died out by the time artist Joan Sallas began studying centuries-old illustrations and taught himself how to

Unfolding The History Of Napkin Art

by Tove K. Danovich

The simple napkin has a surprisingly complex history. The masterful table centerpieces of the Renaissance were rich in status and meaning.