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Last Illusion
Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
From the critically acclaimed author of "Sons and Other Flammable Objects" comes a bold fabulist novel about a feral boy coming of age in New York, based on a legend from the medieval Persian epic the "Shahnameh," the "Book of Kings."In an Iranian village, Zal s demented mother, horrified by the pallor of his skin and hair, is convinced she has given birth to a "white demon." She hides him in a birdcage for the next decade. Rescued by a behavioral analyst, Zal awakens in New York to the possibility of a future. A stunted and unfit adolescent, he strives to become human as he stumbles toward adulthood. As New York survives one potential disaster, Y2K, and begins hurtling toward another, 9/11, Zal finds himself in a cast of fellow outsiders. A friendship with a famous illusionist who claims--to the Bird Boy s delight--that he can fly and an affair with a disturbed artist who believes she is clairvoyant send Zal s life spiraling into chaos. Like the rest of New York, he is on a collision course with devastation.In tones haunting yet humorous and unflinching yet reverential, "The Last Illusion" explores the powers of storytelling while investigating magical thinking. Its lyricism, inventiveness, and examination of otherness can appeal to readers of Salman Rushdie and Helen Oyeyemi. A celebrated chronicler of the 9/11-era, Khakpour reimagines New York s most harrowing catastrophe with a dazzling homage to her beloved city."
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andrew61
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Pickpick

An Iranian widow leaves her child in a birdcage til Zal is released age 10 + moved to NY in care of a pr of child psych who becomes his 'father'. Skip to 31/12/99 with threat of calamity and Zal meets anorexic asiya and a bizarre coupling is created. Add in a strange magician & asiya prophesying a disaster the countdown to 9/11 becomes an imaginative piece of writing.
#relatedto911 #booked2021
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft

Cinfhen Nice photo😍book sounds intriguing 3y
33 likes1 comment
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hwheaties
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Pickpick

I don‘t know why I waited so long to read this one, but it is wonderful and mystical and magical and also heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time.

30 likes1 stack add
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hwheaties
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Up next for fiction!!

23 likes1 stack add
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suvata
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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2018 has started out really well. In January, I read five 5–star reads. I hope that‘s an indicator of how the rest of the year is going to be. Happy reading!

2BR02B Nice! I've been meaning to read The Last Illusion for some time now. 7y
suvata @2BR02B It‘s a real different kind of story and I just loved it. 7y
57 likes1 stack add2 comments
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suvata
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Pickpick

I really need to ignore the “average rating” number on Goodreads. I like to pick my next read based on many different sorts of my TBR list (currently 214 books). A few days ago, I decided to pick the book with the lowest average rating (3.40) which was The Last Illusion. Needless to say, it was a 5-star book in my opinion. This has happened to me more than once. Apparently, my taste in literature is beyond the norm. 🤓

robinb I was just thinking about this yesterday! I‘ve been noticing the same thing on my TBR on GR...TO EACH HIS/HER OWN! 👍👏😊 That‘s what‘s so wonderful about the world of books...one person‘s bail is another‘s 5⭐️. 7y
suvata @robinb That‘s what makes life so interesting. It would be pretty boring if we all thought the same way. 😎 (edited) 7y
Zelma I don‘t go by ratings at all, particularly on GR. Every so often, a review here will move something off my TBR but it‘s pretty rare. Usually for a very specific reason, like not wanting to start an open-ended series. 7y
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SandyW I find Goodreads to be an unreliable source for recommendations. Their matrix doesn't work well for me most of the time, and I often find other GR users review books differently than I review them. Not always of course, but so far I've done better on Litsy. 7y
twohectobooks Yep, the goodreads ratings can be fairly flawed. I find they skew high (I rate according to the values assigned on the site, so a three star book is a book I liked ie when I give three stars that‘s a good rating from me*). The best thing to do is find a few prolific reviewers whose taste corresponds to yours. *But then I‘m kinda weird cuz I don‘t think half stars are necessary, hehe 7y
suvata @Zelma @SandyW @twohectobooks Thanks all for confirming my suspicions. I‘m ignoring ratings from here on out. 😇 7y
ptkpepe98 I ignore the ratings, too. If it piques my interest, I go for it. I learned that in school...too many profs told us which works were the greatest. Uh, no. That's a value judgment. Not all of us think that about _____.,🤗 7y
suvata @ptkpepe98 I agree 7y
72 likes1 stack add8 comments
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suvata
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Now reading: A post-911 novel based on a Persian myth.

rockpools Well that sounds fascinating! 7y
suvata @RachelO I thought so too. 7y
2BR02B This has been on my TBR for some time. Looking forward to your review. 7y
44 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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rachelm
Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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The @LitsyFeministBookClub May Book Survey is up! For May we will be reading a book for Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We've picked out a selection of books from across Asian and Pacific Islander backgrounds and experiences! Choose books your interested in reading and we'll take your choices to narrow it down for the final survey!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJWBF6J

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rachelm
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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At #awp17, and need to pick up this book! A retelling of a medieval Persian myth in post-9-11 New York.

Will be updating the feed for the next two days with book recs from this amazing conference of writers!

kspenmoll Thx!!!! Enjoy your time there! (edited) 8y
rachel_mbc Awesome! I'm on a panel on Saturday, arriving tomorrow (weather permitting). Looking forward to attending some good talks! 8y
rachelm @rachel_mbc ahh! I wish I wasn't leaving Sat morning to head home! 8y
rachel_mbc @rachelm I've been looking at the lineup tonight. I wish I could go to everything! Even though I'm not a writer (I'm on a panel as a bookseller), it seems so valuable as a reader and someone who cares about literature. I hope you're enjoying it! 8y
47 likes1 stack add4 comments
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hwheaties
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Glad I snagged this one! From what I hear, the publisher is letting it go out of print!

CherylDeFranceschi Oh no! She's such a good writer! 8y
8little_paws Wow that cover!! 8y
CrowCAH I like the cover art, so inventive! 8y
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readinginthedark The cover is beautiful! 😍 8y
chelsey.aytch Oh no! I've heard great things about this one. Well, now, I just HAVE to buy a copy ;) 8y
hwheaties @chelsey.aytch of course you do! 😏 8y
hwheaties @CherylDeFranceschi this book is the first I have of hers! Excited to read it. 8y
87 likes5 stack adds8 comments
review
Babs_book_obsession
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
Mehso-so

The connection to the Persian legend was a great hook. I liked the characters but it kind of fell flat for me with the last illusion and the ending.

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ForestAvenuePress
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Two powerful 9/11 reads, both among my all-time favorites.

MargaretPinardAuthor Julia glass! I really liked two her books, sure this one will make it 3. 😄🚀 8y
ForestAvenuePress She's one of my favorite authors, @MargaretPinardAuthor! 8y
17 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Abailliekaras
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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#augustphotochallenge #underhypedbook or maybe it was hyped and I missed it? A TBR I've been saving for a New York mood.

RealLifeReading I've not seen this mentioned on Litsy so far! So i think it's def under hyped! 8y
18 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Liberty
The Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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TBR? More like TBAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, amirite? (Says the woman who bought forty books in July. 😝)

DiruVamp 😍😍 8y
BookishMarginalia Looks like ours! 8y
julieloverofbooks Love it!! 8y
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Angelala007 Looks like mine! 8y
Angelala007 It's panic inducing and comforting at the same time 8y
[DELETED] 3323341091 you are not alone! 🙃 8y
Simona @Liberty Need some dusting? I can do that 😃 8y
tnorris I am very much in love with this space!!!! 8y
Hugoreads Only 40? 🤓 8y
HollyB3 @Liberty I so wish I had a room I could solely devote to books....sigh...one day. 8y
Blair_Reads I love this photo so much 8y
Briguy73 What a great photo 8y
BookBabe Oh yeah! 🙌🏻 8y
britt_brooke 💙 8y
Bookchipmunk Summer Lovin' 😍😎🌺 8y
NerdyRev My house isn't that piled high yet, but I am working on it. 8y
haanim Life goals 🙌🏽☺️ 8y
Abailliekaras Last Illusion has been in my stack since Adelaide Writers Week 2015! 🙀 Time to start reading? 8y
Gayan What was up with July? I bought 25 books. I've never bought that many in a month before. 8y
KS1805 Beautiful! 8y
AWahle Half Price had really good coupons in July. I haven't added up my purchases for the month yet. 8y
ApoptyGina69 Haha! Around here we made a pact-no book shopping in July. No dice, but we only bought 6. 4 new, 2 used. 8y
Verity I can never manage not to buy - I had nightshifts last week and it led to some impulse sequel purchasing. Plus your tbr pile just got me off the hook with the b/f for mine. Although I didn't tell him that reading is your job (or one of them anyway)... 8y
Gregman6 Swoooooooooon. 8y
Belles Omg!! I just love you Miss Liberty. 40!!! 8y
andreadmw Book porn!!! 8y
MeganAnn 😍 looks like heaven! 8y
WordWaller Oh girl that would stress me out!! I already feel like I have too many ARCs not to mention other books I'm behind in reading! Wow. 8y
Carol If I decided to become a doomsday prepped I would start with books. Society will need those written words! Think of the children! Etc. 😂 8y
Carol Prepper 8y
quirkyreader The cats are probably thinking new things to jump on and knock over. 🐸 8y
Librarylady I see no problems at all with your TBR piles/wallpaper. 8y
Lindy Books also make fine insulation against heat/cold and soundproofing too! 8y
seatea GOALS 8y
GardenJess It was a good month for book buying! 8y
Laalaleighh I'm going to show this picture to my boyfriend next time he tells me I have too many unread books! 8y
Chessa 🤘🤘🤘! 8y
Desha Somehow my kindle TBR books went from 35 to 155?! in July....what?! How?! Who me?! Yup!!!!📚😊😊📚 8y
Gleefulreader I love his picture truly, madly, deeply! 8y
HeidiG Looks like it takes a lot of vitamins to tackle that corner. 8y
Tanzy13 😊 8y
348 likes1 stack add42 comments
review
CherylDeFranceschi
Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Pickpick

Zal's mother is horrified by the appearance of her newly born son and is convinced he is a "white demon." She hides him in a birdcage and keeps him there for the next 10 years. Zal is fed birdseed and communicates in squawks and shrieks. This is the story of what happens to Zal once he's freed.

BookishFeminist This sounds like a really interesting premise- thanks for the rec! 9y
LitHousewife Great picture! 9y
13 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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CherylDeFranceschi
Last Illusion | Porochista Khakpour
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Excited for this one. I've been saving it, like the last of the Girl Scout thin mints.

Yossarian You've got Thin mints! I'll be right over. 9y
12 likes2 stack adds2 comments