Books like Revelations of Divine Love — picked by fans

This recommendation, I’ll admit, takes as its premise the hope that your partner on this walk might be Eli, the protagonist and narrator of The Beaut’, who—if I know him—probably snuck in his first read of the Huxley some time between the single day that he is remembering and the day he decided to tell us about it.

The question was, was there ever an edition of The Doors of Perception that wasn’t coupled with its customary companion, Heaven and Hell? Turns out there was, making this a mere 38-page volume of charmingly recollected mind expansion, and the next best thing to being there, which you kind of would be on your walk.

Before Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, there was this, which is considerably shorter and more to the point.

Published in 1958, Herrigel’s book was a threshold moment in the westward spread of Eastern ideas. I read it in high school, and what still sticks with me is the kyudo Master’s instruction on how to draw the bowstring: “to let only your two hands do the work, while your arm and shoulder muscles remain relaxed, as though they looked on impassively. Only when you can do this will you have fulfilled one of the conditions that make the drawing and the shooting ‘spiritual’.” 

I love translation. Oftentimes, the style to which I aspire could be called “as translated.”

I especially enjoy translations of sacred texts. The Tao Te Ching stands out in that regard first because it admits in its first line that “the Tao that can be named is not the Tao.” Second, the entire text is so short you can compare translations while standing in the aisle of the bookstore.

I recommend this one because Stephen Mitchell is kind of the Goldilocks of all translators, and because this version is also among the smallest and most portable. I also enjoy that, when I voice-typed this description, the computer translated my pronunciation of the title as “the dowdy chain.”   

This abridged edition of the much longer Gospel is still lengthy for this list, but such a perfect size and shape—a little golden brick, perfect for the lower pocket of a cargo pant, and well worth the weight.

An account of Gupta’s meeting and brief apprenticeship with the last consensus divine incarnation in the Vedantic tradition, the Paramahamasa Sri Ramakrishna (who fell ill and died during its composition), this volume need not be read sequentially.

Every page contains its own lesson, is happy to be opened and closed, or left alone to rub against the side of your left knee. The perfect pebble for your shoe. 

Compared to the other recommendations here, this one is a bit of a cheat, being a collection. But it does well to cover a whole swath of artists from what’s come to be called the "Golden Age" of illustration: Parrish, Dulac, Rackham, J.W. Smith, Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and more.

What is it that distinguishes them as a "school"? The material, first–vivid, classic tales of action and adventure. But there are certain shared aesthetic values as well. Colors that glow in juxtaposition, and (again) an open embrace of the line as a way of pronouncing and demarcating edges. False, but also clarifying. A little like the piano. Or any word you choose. 

And then there are the illustrators who were finally allowed to generate their own material.

Jean Giraud was the visionary behind the famously unfinished Jodorowsky Dune movie, but also Blade Runner, Alien, Tron, and The Fifth Element. All these and more were based upon drawings and comics by Giraud.

Whether he has inscribed our minds or read them, it’s clear to anyone who glances in the direction of his later work—especially those titles credited to "Moebius"—he lived rent-free in some corner of the collective imagination.

He is also said to be one of those artists who drew without apparent hesitation or forethought. That is, in practice, he appeared to be more of a transmitter than a creator. As with all the best.

Blake was the unwitting father of many things—among them, illustration as we have come to know it.

He was (metaphorically speaking) a sport (botanically speaking) an unprecedented visionary in both word and image. For the best of his illustrations, or "illuminations" as he called them, you might want to look at The Book of Job and ask yourself where the authority of these images and imagery comes from.

As far as his texts go, my favorite is probably The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, mostly because of a section called “Proverbs from Hell.” (He who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence.) Never before or since have wisdom and subversion sung together in such harmony.  

This is not a book. It’s the 8th installment of a magazine series on illustrators, a labor of love put together by David Saunders.

This edition features the work of one Hugh J. Ward, a student of Wyeth’s who, for having come a generation late, missed out on all the Ivanhos and Robin Hoods and Arabian Nights. He therefore had to ply his craft painting hilariously problematical pulp fiction covers, featuring hooligans, turbaned Arabs, apes, and almost always women in torn clothing.

Do these images populate our dreams? I hope not, and I’m not sure whether my fascination with Ward’s work is a measure of my sympathy, my admiration, or my moral delinquency, but the man could flat-out paint. If you ever wondered, "What if Albert Zorn had had to hustle for a living?", here’s your answer. 

I’m a sucker for a good éclair, and choux pastry is probably one of my favourite things to bake, so this book is a real goldmine!

I love that it breaks down the basic techniques of choux pastry and cream fillings but is also packed with creative recipes, original flavour associations, and gorgeous desserts.

It may not be the best book for beginners, but if you are looking for inspiration, it is an amazing book to browse through!

"Good, simple food is meant to be shared and enjoyed. Cook often." These lines from the introduction of "Tasty" perfectly capture the spirit of this delightfully useful cookbook. Finamore obviously knows his way around the kitchen, and his recipes are both practical and joyful. Clearly written and full of friendly tips and advice, this is a cookbook that more than lives up to its promise of delicious results for everyday meals (from breakfasts to snacks) without taxing the cook. It's also a smart and entertaining read, and just the type of cookbook that will indeed inspire you to cook often.