JOHN BRANDON’S FIVE BOOKS

John Brandon, Jessica Anthony, Lisa Hanawalt, Arthur Bradford, Written and Illustrated by Jon and Tucker Nichols, Adam Levin, Lucy Corin

As a new feature here in the McSweeney’s Store, we’re asking our various friends, family, staff, and contributors to send us lists of their five favorite McSweeney’s books. We’re compiling our lists and bringing you brand new bundles. Next up is John Brandon, author of Arkansas, which is soon to be released as a motion picture, Citrus County, Further Joy, and A Million Heavens. John has sent us his favorites from the McSweeney’s vault, along with short descriptions on why he loves them. Buy them together in one limited-time bundle here, or order your favorites individually.

John Brandon’s Five Books

1) One Hundred Apocalypses and Other Apocalypses by Lucy Corin

There’s this thing Corin is able to do where the humor (and there’s lots of it, and it’s really great humor) is folded perfectly in with the gravity, and in fact seems to increase the gravity. Sharp. Cool without trying. Utterly winning. -J.B.

2) The Instructions by Adam Levin

Manic. Wise. 1,000 pages plus. How’s that for value? This book’s club is way cooler than the War and Peace club. -J.B.

3) The Convalescent by Jessica Anthony

Get smarter and happier and weirder during quarantine. Not dumb and sad and normal. - J.B.

4) Crabtree by Jon and Tucker Nichols

I guess this is supposed to be for kids, but I’m the one who’s always looking at it. The accumulated images familiar but somehow slightly not—sink me into a buzzy, waking snooze, like a device that’s been set to low-power mode but can still see everything in its memory. A version of meditation, I guess. Hard, apparently, to explain. - J.B.

5) Benny’s Brigade by Arthur Bradford and Lisa Hanawalt

Now more than ever, kids’ books are wanted that don’t make the attending adult want to jam their foot into a blender and hit ‘pulse’. A miniature, singing, crying walrus. A cavalry of slugs. A high-stakes craft project. A beautiful book with beautiful art. - J.B.