One of the joys and pitfalls of working at a bookstore is the proximity of tempting books and films. Four recent finds:

• Fashion Babylon, by Imogene Edwards-Jones: An “up the skirts” view of the fashion industry, it seems like every fashion blogger has read this. Dishy, fun, and shocking in a totally unsurprising way.
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick: An innovative and well-done mix of illustrations and text, focusing on film pioneer Georges Méliès (remember the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” video? It was based on Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon). I like how the book’s construction evokes intertitles.
• The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov: Just started this, so not much to say other than the first fifty pages are brilliant.
• The Beauty Academy of Kabul: A solid documentary about an American beauty school in Afghanistan (now defunct). Watching the interaction between the Afghani students and the American teachers is fascinating, occasionally cringe-inducing, and for me (the daughter of a Salvadoran) somewhat familiar. See a short documentary here about the film.