Helloooo...

Is this thing on? I am writing in hopes that even one book clubber sees it and perhaps passes it along to others.
I was talking to my good pal and the president of this here club (Valerie...remember her?) the other day. We had discussed briefly, a discussion she had with a friend about doing a book club of documents that shaped our country (i.e. The Constitution, clearly, but also The Federalist Papers, Common Sense, etc...).
I think it would be super awesome and I wondered if anyone else thought it would be awesome too.
Let us know, so we can get this party started.

They're waiting...

book covers and you

Inspired by another little blog (see here), I started thinking of my favorite book covers, and came up with these.

This relates to this blog because it's about books.

I like both of these guys

and this one, which was supposed to be named Catch 18. True story.

and this one, which I haven't read, but looks good

Now, everyone else put their favorite book covers up
(not books, the covers, you can hate the book for all I care).

Okay, now a question: Sarah Kumar, you know who you are. If I were to read Life of Pi, which we were supposed to do last month, but if I were to read it now, would you discuss it with me on this blog? Please let me know, via comment, email, smoke signal, sky writing, or personal visit.

2nd Question: Who's read My Name is Asher Lev?

Writing?

James and I read manuscripts for a literary agent here in the city. It's freelance work, and it's about as sweet a deal as comes along.

There's some irony involved. It's time consuming, and in the year I've been reading for the agency, I've only read five or six extra-curricular books, which is too bad, but, it's the price to pay.

However, there are perks that make up for it. I've read some real gems, one in particular that I wish I could list as my choice for the book club. I loooooooooooooooooved it, and the agent we work for is shopping it around to publishers.

There were also a couple of really good ones, one young adult one that I loved, and a couple of others that I said yes to, and really meant it.

Then, there were loooooooooooooooooooooooooots of mediocre books. Here's the most important thing I learned during this last year: I thought good writing was it. If something was written well, then bang, you had a good book. NOT TRUE. There is good writing, and there is good storytelling, and sometimes, sometimes, there is both. You NEED both. But mostly, there is one or the other.

And sometimes, you get another sort of gem. Sometimes you get a book that has both terrible, clunky writing, and truly absurd, almost embarrassingly fantastical storytelling, and then you realize why you do what you do. I recently had such a book, and it was a joy (seriously, a joy) to read. And, it made me realize something. You should all be writing.

You. I'm talking to you. If this massacre of a book can get a full request from an agency, anything you write will get one too, eventually. Do it. Write. Today.

p.s. I've changed my stand completely. I do love publishing, but agencies are where the action is now. Publishing houses haven't accepted unsolicited manuscripts in years, and I don't even thing they're looking at queries. Agencies are where it's at.

The Road

I think this was James's pick for December, and, if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm only just reading it now (but, no worries Sarah, I will finish Life of Pi so we can discuss it). I'm not quite done with it, and I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting this.

I was thinking yesterday how familiar the premise is (anyone see I am Legend?), but somehow it's like nothing I've ever read before. The austerity of the writing, and of the characters, sets it apart from the dozens of other post-apocalyptic tales out there. The true gruesomeness of the situation is only implied, and it's all the more terrifying for its understatement.

There is a moment, early in the book, when the bad guys are searching for the man and the boy, walking all over the burned woods, looking, but not calling or speaking to each other at all, which, the man notes, makes it much more terrifying. This is the book's calling card--the reserved way the man and the boy speak to each other, the quiet way they deal with either starvation or salvation only increases the reader's emotional investment. Well, at least this reader's emotional investment. I read a lot of terrible books** that tell me how to feel. It's nice when an author trusts his writing (and his readers).

Good choice, James. Or, if it wasn't James, good choice, whomever.

p.s. A piece of advise: Don't read this late night, on the subway, alone. Unwise.

**see next post

Shakespeare by Bill Bryson

This was Candace's awesome suggestion and I seriously dug it. How Bill Bryson became the world's most pleasant author to read still baffles me. He's like a grandpa telling you your favorite stories next to a fireplace.

My favorite section in this book was the section debunking Shakespeare as a fraud. I used to consider the idea that maybe there were a group of people writing under the name of Shakespeare. I could see that making sense but the more I read of Bryson, the less I consider that a possibility. I'd love to talk about that section or anything else that people want. What say you, Candace? Did you like your own suggestion?

New Books, Shakespeare, and The Road

Alright, this where our book club tanked last year. The holidays always screw up momentum. So I propose we stop worrying about the pounds we gained and get back to BOOKS!

I added a few books to the list. Equus for this month. Go pick this up at the library, it'll take an afternoon to read. Last year we left off with Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It was Sarah's pick and we never discussed it. I never read it and I'd like to put that back on the table. Valerie's pick was The Chosen and I really want to read Confederacy of Dunces, a book Darren suggested to me a while ago. I need to fit in Monsieur Ibrahim as well for May, Elizabeth House's suggestion.

And start thinking of summer books. Valerie's a big believer in summer books. She'll probably talk about that.

P.S.

We know it's been super busy with, I don't know...whatever. Anyway, let's not consider our conversations about The Road and Shakespeare finished. Let's continue them through January.

James suggests we read Equus next, which is a play, and should be a very speedy read. We'll discuss that at the end of January.

Your President, and her treasurer, James.